Chapter 17: Iron Axe and Machete

When Luke first ate a good-quality steak, he noticed something extraordinary about it. As a special forces soldier with top physical condition, Luke knew his body well. He found that his physical strength, flexibility, and overall fitness, which had started to decline with age, were noticeably improving.

These foods seemed to contain a magical power, exerting an incredible effect. Since then, Luke rarely sold steaks of good quality or better, keeping them for himself and his child. His child didn't eat much, so even a small amount was beneficial for their health.

Luke believed that if Katrina could eat high-quality food regularly, she would never suffer from colds or fevers again. His aging body was gradually recovering and even surpassing its former peak strength.

The effects were impressive with just good-quality food; what about excellent-quality food? The first time Luke drank excellent-quality spring water, he was amazed by its magical power. Old injuries and ailments in his body, residuals of past battles, began to feel warm and tingly, although the effects were subtle but real. The changes brought by the excellent-quality spring water were deeper than those from the good-quality steaks, though the water was in limited supply.

Luke was willing to trade steaks for spring water. Besides, James had once saved his child's life, and Luke always remembered this favor. Seeing a message from James, Luke was curious. "It's the uncle who cured your illness," he gently told Katrina.

He opened the chat channel, and a trade offer from James popped up – noodles that James hadn't finished, with broth and noodles sent to Luke. Luke was surprised and grateful: he didn't expect James to be so generous, sharing even hot noodles.

James wrote, "Cooked too much, saving some for the kid to replenish nutrients!"

Luke gratefully smiled and told Katrina, "Uncle sent you noodles to eat! You didn't want to eat nuts anymore, right?"

"Noodles?" The little girl's eyes lit up, and she jumped down from her chair to Luke's side. As the trade was completed, a copper basin filled with noodles appeared on the wooden table. The steam and wheat aroma wafted up, making the girl's eyes widen in excitement.

Luke thanked James and transferred the noodles into his bowl, returning James's copper basin. Tasting the noodles, he was astonished to find they were good-quality. He hurriedly stopped Katrina from eating too fast, fearing nutritional overloading.

The girl happily ate the tasteless noodles: "Yummy, daddy!"

...

After sending the noodles, James went to the trading market to scan for goods. While browsing the chat channel and market, he sipped "spring water" from a wooden cup. Understanding the benefits of excellent-quality spring water, James planned to drink 100ml daily. He wasn't being stingy but was mindful of the energy-rich water causing a full feeling after just 100ml.

Eating more of these good-quality foods made their value increasingly apparent, and he felt wise for choosing the "Spring Eye." 500ml a day was a significant asset, not to mention the single drop of "Water Milk" every seven days. James grew more curious about its effects.

With 500ml of spring water being so valuable, what about the Water Milk that appeared every seven days?

James enjoyed the fresh taste of the water, browsing the market for a suitable weapon. Going outside was increasingly dangerous, and it was time to replace his stone axe with a good-quality one.

First, he checked the trade requests for spring water but didn't find any appealing items. He had listed 50ml of water, divided into five parts of 10ml each, so the offers weren't particularly precious.

"Ding!" A message appeared.

"Huh, what does Luke want?" he wondered.

Luke sent a message: "I've collected some things. See anything useful?"

Luke listed several items: [Sling Manufacturing Blueprint (Good)], [Iron Axe (Good)], [Stone Spear (Common)], [Animal Trap (Common)], [Wolf Fang Dagger (Good)], [...]

Most items James had never seen or rarely come across.

"Bro, where did you get all this stuff?" James asked.

"From resource boxes!" Luke replied.

"How many boxes did you open??" James was astonished.

Luke explained that every wild animal dropped a resource box upon death, which James hadn't known. Luke's boxes contained mostly weapons and tools, with occasional food, clothing, seeds, and furniture.

"If you see anything you like, take it. I have plenty. And... Katrina really liked the noodles you sent!"

James, not wanting to be impolite, accepted the offer: "Big brother, I do need an axe and a weapon."

Luke offered his iron axe and inquired about James's preferred weapon type. With no combat experience, James was advised to choose a knife for its simplicity and effectiveness.

A trade request came in: an iron axe and a good-quality machete. The machete, about 50 inches long and 3.5 inches wide, resembled a watermelon knife – long, straight, and imposing.

James was surprised by Luke's generosity in giving him a good-quality knife. Luke promised to teach him some moves when he had time.

James, grateful, decided to share a secret with Luke – information about the Secret Realm. Every person could enter the Secret Realm once, and Luke could benefit greatly from it. As allies and friends, James too would benefit.

Luke, intrigued by the Secret Realm, planned to explore it the next day, with James reminding him to be prompt at dawn.

...

James admired the machete, its fierce blade reflecting a bright gleam. Even without expertise, he knew it was a quality weapon. He placed the iron axe and machete with his stone axe and pickaxe in a resource box, then lay down on his small wooden bed.

With the cold wave approaching, especially at night, conserving energy was crucial. James snuggled under his blanket, soon falling into a deep sleep.

...

Waking up before dawn, James felt an increased chill in the air. After stoking the fire and preparing a simple breakfast, he exercised for about an hour until daylight broke.

Armed with the iron axe and machete, and carrying a resource box for wood, James set out for the day's task – gathering wood from the spruce forest to upgrade his shelter.

He needed 250 units of wood, having already collected 85. Thus, he aimed to gather at least 165 units that day. The spruce trees, dense and resilient, were challenging to cut but yielded a good amount of wood per tree.

Chopping down the trees, James found a bronze resource box, a pleasant surprise. By the end of the day, he had exceeded his goal, collecting 220 units of spruce wood and 11 roots.

Returning home, James eagerly anticipated upgrading his shelter, having seen others in the chat channel already achieve level 3 upgrades.

Holding the machete, he appreciated its quality and looked forward to using it, along with the iron axe, for his future tasks.