Starting Off Survival With A Small Treehouse

Chapter 5 - 5: Inside the Treehouse

Xu Xin climbed up the stairs.

The whole treehouse had three levels. The second level was just like the first, completely empty except for a few windows. On one wall, there was the same disc pattern as on the ground floor.

”Is it an entrance or exit?” Xu Xin didnʼt go inside, and instead continued up to the third level.

The third level was completely different. Upon stepping onto it, Xu Xinʼs attention was immediately caught by a massive screen embedded in the treehouse wall.

Hmm??

How come itʼs suddenly so high-tech?

Looking at the screen, which must have been at least a hundred inches, Xu Xin felt somewhat bewildered.

A high-end treehouse equipped with a TV? Would there even be any signal out here in the wilderness?

Of course, this world canʼt be understood through common logic. Xu Xin was only stunned for a moment before stepping forward to explore the gigantic screen.

The screen wasnʼt hung on the wall; it was directly embedded within the wooden wall, blending into the entire surface. Itʼs fair to say this screenʼs frame was the same wooden wall bearing the imprint of tree rings.

Xu Xin reached out and touched the screen; its silky texture wasnʼt much different from that of a regular TV screen. However, he couldnʼt find a switch anywhere despite searching thoroughly.

On the floor beside the screen, there was a cardboard box. Xu Xin opened it to find inside five bottles of water and five packs of bread, seemingly starter benefits for newcomers.

These items shouldnʼt be casually used, after all, they last a long time and can be considered reserve food.

Suddenly, the screen lit up.

[Treehouse Host Initiated]

[Currently Available Functions: Basic Resource Crafting, Region Channel]

Numerous options appeared on the screen, but only these two were lit up. The other options were covered in gray, like a supermarket receipt with the ”Thank You For Shopping” section that hasnʼt been scratched off yet.

Xu Xin tapped on Basic Resource Crafting. As expected, he could use the treehouse to craft some simple tools and supplies.

Stone axe, stone pickaxe, stone shovel, and a series of stone tools; simple furniture like wooden beds, tables, and chairs.

[Stone Axe (White): Can chop down trees of green grade and below, durability 200. Requires tree branches (White) or wood (White)*5, stone (White)*5]

[Stone Pickaxe (White): Can mine stone or ore of green grade and below, durability 200. Requires tree branches (White) or wood (White)*5, stone (White)*5]

[Stone Shovel (White): Can dig soil-like materials of green grade and below, with a slight chance of yielding seeds from the plants growing on that soil, durability 200. Requires tree branches (White) or wood (White)*5, stone (White)*5]

Additionally, thereʼs an item that makes Xu Xin feel ”the game is finally starting.”

[Crafting Table (Green): Can make more advanced tools. Requires wood (Green)*50, cobblestone (Green) or stone (Green)*50]

Good stuff!

It requires green-grade wood and cobblestone. These might have been troublesome to find before discovering this lake, but now there are green-grade woods all around, and cobblestones can be found in the stream. This basic crafting table is easy for him to assemble.

Yet he needs to gather some tree branches and stones first to make stone tools.

Xu Xin was not in a hurry to go down but rather exited Basic Resource Crafting and entered Region Channel.

He was a bit anxious, as this name should represent...

Just entering Region Channel and being greeted with the introduction brought a joyful smile to his face.

[This channel allows interaction and trade of resources with survivors in the same region; current region: Jungle Zone 188, current region population: 9998 people.]

[Function starts on the last day of the rookie protection period, facilitating survivors to exchange resources, but remember, do not abandon the treehouse or bear the consequences.]

The last day of the rookie protection period is tomorrow, right? Xu Xin has been exploring this deserted jungle alone for the past couple of days, almost losing his sanity. Now, seeing a platform for interaction and trade, heʼs ecstatic.

Who would refuse to banter in a group full of survivors?

”Donʼt think about it anymore.” Xu Xin shook his head, ”Letʼs make these stone tools first.”

Without tools in hand, heʼs unable to chop trees or mine stones. However, the materials for stone tools—tree branches (White) and stones (White)—can be picked up directly from the ground.

So, how to go down?

Xu Xin glanced around and soon found the same disc pattern on a wall as those on the first and second levels. He walked over, pressed the pattern with his hand.

Once again a familiar sensation, he instinctively stepped toward the disc pattern, the wall began to ripple like clay, and he directly moved into the tree crown while a root secured his waist, gradually lowering him to the ground below the treehouse.

”This... is amazing!”

The root around his waist loosened, hanging naturally beside him. Xu Xin grabbed the root once more, and the image of three levels flashed in his mind.

”Second level.” Xu Xin murmured in his heart.

The root once again encircled his waist, taking him to the second level.

It turns out you can directly reach the second and third levels!

After descending a second time, he had basically mastered the method of entering and exiting the treehouse, very smooth and silky, and even stimulating like an amusement park ride, making him want to continue playing.

But itʼs better to focus on business.

Thereʼs only a three-day window for the rookie protection period, and he needs to gather as many resources as possible before the trade platform opens tomorrow, perhaps to exchange for something not available here.

Letʼs get to work.

Xu Xin promptly started picking up items.

Thanks to his ability to identify items, quality objects on the ground all emitted a glow. Not all items possess a quality though, like the tree branches he currently needs. Only those that are slightly thicker and have freshly fallen possess a white quality, while small twigs are nothing.

Stones were the same.

Yet he now faced a big problem; he had no backpack. No backpack, nor any innate inventory slots; he had to carry items completely with his hands, which was very inconvenient.

Still, there was no choice, Xu Xin surely searched Basic Resource Crafting for a while but found no backpack—perhaps more advanced resources could be crafted using the crafting table.

With no other option, Xu Xin had to use his pants pockets to store stones and his arms to hold branches, managing to gather 15 tree branches (White) and 15 stones (White), grabbing hold of the root to return to the treehouseʼs third level.

Arriving at the screen, he tapped into Basic Resource Crafting, touching the stone axe option, and instantly the required materials sprang forth from the pile of stones and branches, merging to form a glowing ball.

Xu Xin had seen this glowing ball before when the treehouse seed was issued, so he unhesitatingly reached for it, and a simple stone axe appeared in his hand.

It looked incredibly basic, even the edge of the axe seemed incredibly blunt, making him question whether this tool could actually chop down trees.

Using the same method, Xu Xin crafted a stone pickaxe and a stone shovel.