Hank Fowler pulled out bundle after bundle of thatch and tossed them to the hut. "Alright, Thatchy, first things first: make me a big bed."

"What size?" Thatchy asked.

Hank thought for a moment. "Two meters long, one meter wide should do it." The hut's interior wasn't exactly spacious. A bed that was too large simply wouldn't fit.

"Crafting the thatch bed will take four hours," Thatchy informed him.

"Take your time," Hank replied with a nod, then opened the game panel again.

The private message icon was flashing. Three people had messaged him. Besides Wally Cox and Orion, there was a stranger named Finn Carter.

Hank glanced at the messages and opened Wally Cox's first.

Wally Cox: Hank Fowler, that giant crab you gave me was delicious! It might be the best thing I've ever eaten in my life.

Hank's expression darkened. You messaged me just to tell me that?

Wally Cox: No, I mainly wanted to ask if you still need thatch? If you do, I'll keep cutting it tomorrow.

Hank: Yes, the more the better!

Wally Cox: Can I get more crabs?

Hank: I can't guarantee crabs, but I can give you other food or clean water.

Wally Cox: It's a deal!

Finished with Wally Cox, Hank opened Orion's message.

Orion: Hank Fowler, I've mined another ten kilograms of iron ore. I'd like to trade for another bottle of clean water.

Hank: No problem.

They completed the trade, and Hank moved on to Finn Carter's message.

Finn Carter: I saw you selling crabs and clean water in the trading hall. I have a hundred beer bottles, do you want them?

Hank didn't hesitate. "Yes." The Magnifying Glass could level up by consuming beer bottles, so of course, he couldn't pass up this opportunity.

Finn Carter was a little excited. "What can you give me?"

Hank: How about a crab?

Finn Carter: Deal!

A hundred empty beer bottles for a giant crab? It felt like hitting the jackpot.

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With the trade complete, Hank placed the beer bottles in front of the Magnifying Glass.

The Magnifying Glass asked excitedly, "Boss, are these all for me?"

"Yeah, all for you. Dig in, Big Glass," Hank said with a smile.

"Boss, you're the best! I love you!" the Magnifying Glass exclaimed.

"Ugh, so cheesy," the entrenching tool grumbled.

"Mind your own business," the Magnifying Glass retorted before starting to devour the beer bottles.

Hank then took out the iron ore, glanced at the entrenching tool, the frying pan, and the Machete, and ultimately offered the ore to the Machete. The Machete was an offensive weapon and had already shown its impressive attack power. Upgrading it would make it even more devastating. Therefore, he decided to prioritize the Machete's upgrade.

The frying pan was instantly displeased. "Boss, that's not fair! I'm your most loyal frying pan! How could you give the iron ore to Chopper and not me? Shouldn't there be some order to this?"

Even the Machete felt a bit awkward. "Boss, maybe give the ore to the frying pan first. I did come later, after all. We can do mine next time."

Hank considered for a moment, then turned to the frying pan with a meaningful look. "I can give it to you first, but you'll have to come out and fight with me tomorrow. Can you handle that?"

Hearing about a fight, the frying pan immediately backed down. "Boss, I'm just a pan. I'm good at cooking, but fighting isn't really my thing. You should give the iron ore to Chopper."

"Smart kid," Hank chuckled, then turned to the Machete. "Don't just stand there, eat up, Chopper."

Without another word, the Machete gobbled down the iron ore, savoring the upgrade.

Just then, the Magnifying Glass, having finished the hundred bottles, shouted excitedly, "Boss, I've leveled up!"

Hank, intrigued, picked up the Magnifying Glass and examined it. "You don't look any different, Glassy."

The Magnifying Glass chuckled. "My appearance hasn't changed, but my abilities have greatly improved."

Hank raised an eyebrow. "What can you do now?"

The Magnifying Glass declared proudly, "Before, I could only start fires using sunlight. But now, I can use moonlight too."

"Really?" Hank was skeptical.

"It's true! You can test it if you don't believe me," the Magnifying Glass insisted.

Hank went to the window and opened a small crack. A beam of bright moonlight shone through.

He held up the Magnifying Glass, focusing the moonlight. Soon, a bright white dot appeared on the ground. After a few moments, the ground began to sizzle, and wisps of white smoke rose.

"It actually works!" Hank's eyes lit up. He grabbed the oil lamp and focused the white dot on the wick.

After a short wait, the wick started to smoke, and a few sparks appeared. Hank gently blew on the wick.

Whoosh!

The wick ignited, casting a warm glow that illuminated the entire hut.

"Hehe!" A soft, feminine giggle suddenly echoed in his ear.

"Who's there?" Hank narrowed his eyes, scanning the room before his gaze settled on the oil lamp.

"It's me, little master," the oil lamp chuckled.

Hank stared at the lamp, puzzled. "Lampy, why didn't you answer me when I talked to you before?"

Lampy: "Before being lit, I was in a dormant state. Only when lit do I awaken."

"Oh," Hank said, understanding dawning on him. "Does that mean when the oil runs out, you'll never wake up again?"

The entrenching tool chimed in, "Boss, it's an oil lamp. Can't you just add more oil?"

"Right," Hank nodded.

Lampy: "Actually, it's not that complicated. As long as I get some sunlight every day, I can convert the light energy into lamp oil."

"Impressive, Lampy!" Hank exclaimed. Converting sunlight into oil was a pretty handy ability.

Hank found a spot and hung up the oil lamp. Then, he lay down on the thatch mat to rest. He had a feeling that the big black wolf would return tonight. When it did, a fierce battle was inevitable. He needed to conserve his strength and energy.

Seeing that Hank was resting, the oil lamp lowered the brightness of its flame. Gradually, the hut became dim again, and silence descended.

After an unknown amount of time, Thatchy's cry suddenly broke the night's stillness. "Boss, that big black wolf is here!"

Hank instantly woke up, his eyes flashing sharply.