38: Upgrade equipment, greatsword

Early the next day, Lu Fan was already busy at the Shelter.

His plan for today was to upgrade his equipment.

Lu Fan knew well that in this crisis-ridden wilderness, to survive better, he had to possess more powerful weapons.

He turned his gaze to the iron ore he had brought back earlier; unlike the previous iron sand, the iron content of the iron ore was very high, enough to support him in forging more powerful weapons.

To realize this plan, Lu Fan first set about preparing the crucial fuel—charcoal.

He chose an open, leeward spot near the camp and dug a deep pit.

Afterward, he plunged into the dense forest, carefully selecting wood suitable for making charcoal.

He specifically chose trees with hard textures and fine grains, like Oak and Birch, which were ideal choices.

Every time he felled a tree, he cut it into suitable lengths on the spot and then laboriously dragged them back to the pit at the camp.

In the livestream room.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Great God Lu Fan is preparing something again; it looks like he's making quite a stir."

"With such a big pit and all that firewood, could he be making pit-roasted venison?"

"The person above, you're truly a devil—that's a companion! If it's true, please, Great God Lu Fan, send me a piece to taste."

Once the wood was ready, Lu Fan carefully stacked it layer by layer in the pit, building a regular wood pile.

At the top of the wood pile, he wove a simple cover out of branches and leaves.

This would prevent a large amount of outside air from rushing in while allowing the smoke from incomplete combustion inside to vent smoothly.

Next, he lit a small pile of dry grass and wood chips at the bottom of the pit; the flames spread rapidly, licking the wood at the base of the pile.

As the fire gradually grew, Lu Fan kept a constant eye on the heat, occasionally using a branch to adjust the position of the wood to ensure every part was heated evenly.

The whole process was long and tedious; the blazing fire made his cheeks sting, and sweat kept sliding down his forehead and back, soaking his clothes.

But he remained steadfastly by the side, eyes fixed on the pit, not daring to slacken in the slightest.

"What is this for? Is he holding a bonfire party?"

"It couldn't really be pit-roasted venison, could it?!"

At this moment, Zhao Hangjun explained with a smile: "Looking at the Huaguo Contestant's movements, he should be preparing to burn some charcoal. Whether it's for firing pottery or smelting iron, charcoal is very important."

After a whole morning of burning, as the fire slowly weakened, the wood in the pit gradually turned into pitch-black charcoal.

Lu Fan breathed a long sigh of relief, a gratified smile appearing on his face. He carefully brushed away the ashes covering the charcoal and took out the finished charcoal one by one, stacking them neatly to the side for later use.

With plenty of charcoal, Lu Fan began to build a furnace for iron smelting.

This was a major project; the previous furnace had been too small.

He used stones and clay to build a sturdy furnace next to the Shelter, leaving a vent at the bottom and connecting it to a bellows carefully crafted from bamboo tubes.

It was still the molten iron casting and forging method, but this time Lu Fan was better prepared.

This time, he chose to use pottery clay as a mold to create the casting.

Lu Fan used a dagger to carve wood into the shape of the weapon to be forged.

Then he pressed it into the clay mold, removed the model, and left an indentation.

Once everything was ready, he placed the iron ore in the center of the furnace, surrounded by charcoal.

Then, he lit the furnace, grasped the bellows lever with both hands, and began to pump rhythmically.

With the movement of the bellows, air poured continuously into the furnace, and the charcoal fire was instantly activated.

The charcoal burned fiercely, emitting a dazzling light that illuminated the surroundings like daylight.

Under the high temperature, the iron ore gradually softened and melted, turning into glowing red molten iron that flowed out slowly.

Lu Fan quickly picked up the prepared mold and carefully poured the molten iron into it.

Once the molten iron solidified.

The prototype of a Broadsword appeared before his eyes. Lu Fan quickly picked it up with a wooden stick and plunged it into the water in a bamboo tube.

"Sizzle~"

The fragrance was... no, smoke filled the air; this step was quenching, making the metal harder and tougher.

Lu Fan picked up the sword; although the blade was rough, it already had a rudimentary sharp edge.

Lu Fan was not satisfied and immediately used the remaining molten iron to cast dozens of iron arrowheads.

He even cast a trident.

After quenching them all, Lu Fan placed them on a stone to grind.

After some careful polishing, the Broadsword gleamed coldly and was incredibly sharp; the iron arrowheads were exceptionally pointed, exuding a lethal aura.

Then Lu Fan took the trident and polished it finely, then snapped a pearl into the hole reserved between the blade and the shaft.

"So powerful! The Broadsword looks lethal; those people from Japan should like it."

"This wave is a direct upgrade from a bird gun to a cannon."

"I like that trident; it looks like a work of art."

"The Sea God must be buffed!!"

Lu Fan fiddled with the trident. He admitted that this trident had indeed set his inner chuunibyou soul ablaze.

Some might think this trident wasn't very practical; after all, Lu Fan had a Broadsword for close combat and a Bow and Arrow for long range.

Moreover, a trident weighed four or five catties; trying to throw it and hit a target was indeed very difficult.

But don't forget that Lu Fan's body had been strengthened; throwing a four or five-catty trident was as easy as turning over a hand.

After finishing all this, Lu Fan wanted to open a coconut, only to find that there were none left.

Although there was fresh water, who could refuse a drink every day?

"Big Horn, let's go pick coconuts."

Lu Fan led Big Horn out of the shed and strapped two baskets onto its back.

Then the man and the deer walked toward the beach.

After several hours of trekking, a coconut grove appeared before them.

Tall coconut trees stood tall, their dense leaves swaying in the breeze, with full coconuts hanging from the branches as if waving to Lu Fan.

There weren't many coconuts left; after all, they couldn't withstand Lu Fan coming every day.

"Then let's pick them all at once." Lu Fan put his hand to his forehead and looked at the coconuts on the trees.

He came to a coconut tree, tilted his head to carefully examine the trunk, looking for the best climbing spot.

This coconut tree wasn't too thick, but the trunk was straight and smooth; fortunately, there was a ring of leaf scars every so often, providing him with some points of leverage.

With his enhanced physique, climbing the tree was even easier, and he reached the top in just a few moves.

"Great God Lu Fan is becoming more and more agile."

"He's even more agile than a monkey."

"Of course, after all, he relies on this for a living."

Lu Fan pulled out his axe and gave the connection a chop.

A coconut fell straight down, startling Big Horn, who was bowing its head to eat grass.

Under Lu Fan's axe offensive, the coconuts were soon nearly gone.

As he chopped down the last coconut, the announcement rang out.

[Wilderness Survival Announcement]

[Huaguo Player Lu Fan triggered the ten thousand times rebate]

[Healthy coconut trees * 10,000]

Subsequently, coconut trees appeared one after another within the borders of Huaguo.

Even in the uninhabited wilderness, their tall and upright figures could be seen.