7: Chapter 7, Second Feature

"Two traits, two skills, one servant beast, and the fixed exchange items are still five, but the contents are randomized... That's actually a good thing."

Wang Ting compared the differences with the Scarecrow; since it wasn't unvarying, it was naturally a good thing, meaning there were more choices available.

However, after taking a closer look at the monster points required for the exchange, he couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache again.

"My monster points are still not enough; I can only afford to exchange for the first trait, but this thing is worse than having none."

Rotten Soil Sustenance: You get full more easily when standing on the ground, and swallowing soil can provide satiety and nutrition (no more than 30 catties a day).

A pure dirt-eating skill. If wandering in deserts and Gobi, this was undoubtedly a divine skill, allowing one to survive for a long time at least.

But now, Wang Ting himself had the ability to get more energy blocks. Although that stuff was like gnawing on cockroaches, compared to the taste of soil, it should be a bit tastier.

Setting aside the aforementioned abilities, this skill alone, just the part about eating dirt every day, was enough to expose his uniqueness, and the problems would be huge by then.

Thus, he cast his gaze upon the remaining four exchange items.

Corrupted Olfaction: A sense of smell like a Rot Soil Hound, making it easier to detect the presence of general anomalous entities.

"Good stuff. Whether it's the Rot Soil Hound or the Scarecrow, surprise attacks are the most troublesome. If they can be detected, safety can be improved quite a bit."

His expression flickered slightly as he thought to himself that anomalous entities were not limited to the Rot Soil Hound and the Scarecrow. If anomalous entities could also be detected in advance through his sense of smell in the future, the value of this trait would be even greater.

In his heart, he raised the exchange priority of this trait a bit.

Mud Bomb: Consume stamina to condense a lump of sludge in the palm. After throwing it, it can cause splash damage within a 3-meter radius. The damage level is low, but it can contaminate vision and olfaction.

Rotten Soil Concealment: Continuously consume stamina to transform into a puddle of mud and hide beneath the soil. Unable to move, and must simultaneously endure the damage from the sludge.

Seeing the effects of the two skills, his pupils contracted slightly. If the Scarecrow's howling skill from before could still be understood a little, then these two skills carried a somewhat unbelievable hue.

"Perhaps this can also be considered touching upon the transcendent, creating something from nothing. Before truly possessing transcendent power, I'm afraid skills cannot be easily exposed."

Wang Ting grew solemn in his heart. He didn't get carried away; the skills were useful, but for the time being, they couldn't compare to a single bullet.

Judging from the Guard Team's revealed emphasis on transcendent materials, things related to the transcendent would definitely not be simple.

The more it was like this, the less it could be easily exposed before having the ability to protect oneself.

"Before finding out things related to the transcendent, skills cannot be easily exchanged and used for the time being. Traits are not easily discovered, so the exchange priority can be put at the very front."

Wang Ting sorted through his thoughts, his brows slightly unfurling: "So I still need to join the Guard Team as soon as possible. Corrupted Olfaction or Photosynthetic Straw?"

"Photosynthetic Straw can recover injuries and stamina. This trait must be taken, but definitely not now. I don't know much about the Floor World, and unfamiliar anomalous monster types might appear at any time—those are the roots of danger. The need for early warning is greater than the need for recovery after injury; if I don't get injured, I don't need recovery."

Wang Ting made his decision: exchange for Corrupted Olfaction first, and then exchange for Photosynthetic Straw after more than twenty days.

Over the next two days, Wang Ting held an iron fork and followed the team to continue reclaiming farmland. With two days of continuous reclamation, the speed of land clearing slowed down somewhat, but they still cleared about 27 mu of land. Adding the first day, there were about 41 mu of land.

The edge-sealing stakes had already begun to be connected to each other with horizontal logs, nailed with half-person-high wooden guardrails, though it still couldn't stop any Scarecrows that might appear.

However, the sporadically appearing Rot Soil Hounds found it difficult to launch direct attacks anymore.

Experts like Wang Ting, Fu Xing, and Huang Han could quickly kill them.

"Exchange for Corrupted Olfaction."

Late at night, Wang Ting finally gathered enough monster points to exchange for the trait. As the monster points dropped to 2, the Corrupted Olfaction trait began to merge into his body.

His sense of smell was strengthening!

The sour stench from all directions inside the barn seemed crammed straight into his nostrils. The foul stench instantly turned his face pale, and his stomach churned violently as if seasick.

"Damn, even if a nightsoil cart exploded, it wouldn't be this smelly."

The enhancement of the Scarecrow Physique gave Wang Ting stronger adaptability. After about half an hour, he finally gradually recovered, though his pale face still hadn't fully returned to normal, giving off a feeling of having survived a disaster.

"It doesn't need continuous development like the Scarecrow Physique, but this is already torturous enough."

After the continuous development of the Scarecrow Physique, although it wasn't overtly displayed on the surface, Wang Ting could sense that his physical strength had gradually enhanced from the physical fitness of a sub-healthy college student to that of an elite-level athlete and special forces soldier. Both endurance and strength had massively improved.

If fully developed, it would probably be as mighty as a beast.

At this time, it had only been about ten days since he obtained the Scarecrow Physique trait.

---

Scarecrow Town, District 1

Fan Da strode into an iron sheet building in District 1.

The iron sheet building was about two stories high, constructed with concrete pillars and iron sheets. The iron sheets exposed to the sandstorms were already rusted, and the stairs also appeared particularly old. However, in the doomsday, being able to have such a house in an ordinary Shelter could already be considered not bad.

Fan Da's boots stepped on the metal stairs, making clanging sounds. He strode in and pushed the door open, the iron door letting out a harsh, creaking noise.

"Old Fan, make your movements smaller. My door can't take your abuse."

The furnishings inside the room were extremely minimalist, resembling a military barracks. There was a square bed and old yet neat bedding. Tactical machetes and rifles hung on the wall, and the clothes-hanging spot was empty—the combat uniform was already worn on Zhao Kun.

Zhao Kun wore a combat uniform similar to Fan Da's, both equally old. Key positions like the chest and abdomen were embedded with iron sheet armor, but they were covered in scratches, leaving it unknown which kind of anomalous entity had left them.

He looked to be around forty years old, with dark skin, short hair, a chiselled jawline, a prominent nose bridge, and sunken eyes that seemed to hide knives. He looked like a tough bone at first glance.

He raised his head to look at Fan Da, pulled out a chair beside him, and motioned for Fan Da to sit down.

On the table in front of him, an old, manually marked map was unfurled, with several locations circled, seemingly in the periphery of Scarecrow Town.

Fan Da did not sit down and directly started reporting: "District 1 Farm has 247 mu of wheat fields. The average yield per mu has decreased a bit, 332 catties of wheat per mu, totaling around 78,500 catties of wheat harvested. Jumu City takes away 20%, leaving only around 62,800 catties. There are a total of 1,323 residents and guards in the camp. At this point, the food is not enough to eat."

Don't look at the output as a lot; if calculated at 1 catty of food per person per day, this wheat could only support a thousand-plus people for about 47 days.

And to ensure combat effectiveness, combat personnel would consume even more food.

As for ordinary personnel, their food intake could be compressed, but 1 catty was already relatively little; continuing like this for a long time would cause people to die.

Pushed to the limit, this food could only last for two months.

"Old rules: 50% goes to Huangyan Town or Jumu City to trade for energy blocks, 30% goes to Bullet Town to trade for bullets and weapons, and 20% is for self-use. The energy blocks can last until the next harvest season. How much transcendent material was harvested this time?"

Zhao Kun didn't even raise his head. They all knew that eating only wheat would kill people because there was insufficient fat and protein, so it would eventually be exchanged for energy blocks. Although they tasted terrible, they were cheap enough to save lives.

Only the upper crust in higher-level Shelters and sanctuary cities would exchange wheat with more cost-effective energy blocks for fragrant and soft bread and noodles.

"One catty of wheat for three energy blocks, there is still a gap from the next season. Let's use the transcendent materials to exchange for food, and then open up District 2 Farm."

Zhao Kun raised his head, looking straight into Fan Da's eyes: "Transcendent materials cannot be touched. Only transcendent materials can get us transcendent potions; you know this better than I do."

"But people need to survive."

"Without power, no one can survive."

Fan Da slapped the table, with a loud bang that shook the entire building.

"Old Fan, I am the manager of Scarecrow Town."

Zhao Kun tapped the table lightly, then asked again: "How much transcendent material was harvested this time?"

Although Fan Da was sullen, he still replied: "This is all that was collected: 7 portions of Scarecrow heart meat, 5 portions of flesh-and-blood straw."

Clang.

A black box was placed on the tabletop by him. The box exhibited a metallic sheen, and its material was not iron, but some kind of alloy.

With a click, it opened, revealing each individually preserved material inside: bright red heart meat and straw writhing like blood vessels.

Zhao Kun's eyes lit up. He took the box and said, "Counting these, we'll soon save up a hundred portions, and by then we can exchange them for a transcendent potion."

"I hope so."

Fan Da sighed: "Expanding District 2 Farm requires manpower, and we also lost two brothers defending against the Scarecrow this time. We need to replenish our personnel."

"Select five more."

Zhao Kun showed a serious expression, thought carefully, and then said: "No, replenish ten directly. Wandering zombies and Zombie Dogs have become more numerous. The projection of the zombie town is probably getting more severe, and the periphery needs to be cleared. Coincidentally, the explorer squad can explore the resources refreshed there."

"Alright, I'll go arrange it, but you..."

Fan Da wanted to persuade him further, but hesitated to speak. Zhao Kun took over the topic: "I know what I'm doing."