The magnifying glass remained silent.
Han Feng frowned slightly.
Everything else he had come across in this strange place could communicate with him, so why wasn't the magnifying glass saying anything?
Could it not hear him? Or… was it mute?
After pondering for a moment, he turned to the entrenching shovel. "Hey, little shovel, can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear!" the entrenching shovel responded quickly.
"Alright, stop talking for now," Han Feng ordered.
The entrenching shovel fell silent.
Why did it suddenly feel like it had been discarded after serving its purpose?
Han Feng focused his attention back on the magnifying glass. "Hey, little mirror, say something!"
Still no response.
"Are you deaf or something?"
"Will speaking a few words kill you?"
"Are you mute?"
"What kind of useless thing are you!"
Han Feng finally lost his patience and started cursing.
"You're the little mirror! Your whole family is little mirrors!"
The magnifying glass finally snapped.
"So, you're not mute, and you're not deaf either!" Han Feng raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Since you don't like being called 'little mirror,' what do you want to be called?"
The magnifying glass thought for a moment and then said, "Call me Big Mirror."
Han Feng: "..."
He had expected a grand, impressive name.
Turns out, it was just that.
"Alright, Big Mirror, can you light the dry grass on fire?" Han Feng asked.
The magnifying glass sighed. "The sunlight isn't strong enough right now. I can gather a little heat, but it's not enough to start a fire."
"The sunlight isn't strong enough…"
Han Feng muttered to himself, then suddenly turned to look at the sun.
Since he had the ability to communicate with all things, could he talk to the sun as well?
It was worth a try.
Clearing his throat, Han Feng spoke. "Hey, Sun, can I ask you for a favor?"
The sun responded. "What is it?"
"It really can talk!" Han Feng's eyes widened in surprise.
Without wasting time, he quickly said, "Could you rise up a little higher? Just for a bit, help me start a fire, and then you can go down again."
The sun scoffed. "No way. It's time for me to set. I don't do overtime."
Han Feng tried to reason. "Just a little extra time. It won't take long. After all, isn't your job to serve humanity?"
The sun sneered. "If I give you extra time, then someone else will ask for more, and then another person, and another. If I keep granting extensions, will I ever get to rest?"
Han Feng sighed. "I see your point, but—"
"No 'buts'!" the sun interrupted. "A mere ant like you has no right to make demands of me. Go find a shady spot and stop bothering me. If you annoy me again, I won't be so polite next time!"
Han Feng clicked his tongue in frustration.
What a cocky sun!
Just then, the magnifying glass spoke up. "Actually, there's another way to start the fire."
Han Feng's eyes lit up. "What way?"
The magnifying glass explained, "Get me some glass. If I absorb it, I can upgrade. After that, I'll be able to generate enough heat to ignite the grass, even in dim light."
Han Feng was stunned.
The magnifying glass could upgrade?
What kind of world was this?
This was getting crazier by the second.
Shaking off his disbelief, he asked, "How much glass do you need to upgrade?"
"For the first upgrade, not much. Just one beer bottle will do," the magnifying glass replied.
Han Feng fell into deep thought.
A single beer bottle wasn't too much to ask for, but he didn't have one.
Looked like he had to check the trade hall again.
Opening the trade interface, he browsed through the available items.
There weren't any beer bottles, but he did spot a listing for a bottle of liquor.
A liquor bottle was also made of glass. If the magnifying glass could absorb it, it should work just the same.
But the seller was asking for two bottles of mineral water and a loaf of bread.
That price was outrageous.
After considering for a moment, Han Feng contacted the seller. "Hey, buddy, can you lower the price a little?"
The seller, Feng Gang, responded. "This is a bottle of Maotai! Do you even know how expensive this is? I'm already giving you a good deal!"
Han Feng scoffed. "Look, we're not on Earth anymore. We're in a survival game. Here, no matter what kind of liquor it is, its value is nowhere near that of water. In fact, it's worth even less than a single bottle of mineral water."
Feng Gang was silent for a moment. "Fine. One bottle of mineral water and a loaf of bread. That's my final offer."
Han Feng smirked. "How about this—you keep the liquor and just sell me the bottle? I'll give you one bottle of purified water."
He didn't drink alcohol anyway, so there was no point in trading for it. All he needed was the bottle.
Feng Gang was baffled. "You want to trade a whole bottle of water for an empty bottle? Are you messing with me?"
Han Feng replied. "I don't have time to joke around. If you agree, we can trade now. If not, forget it."
Feng Gang hesitated, then finally agreed. "Alright, but give me a moment to pour the liquor out first."
"No problem. I'll wait," Han Feng replied.
A minute later, after emptying the liquor, Feng Gang completed the trade with him.
Han Feng immediately placed the empty bottle in front of the magnifying glass. "Big Mirror, here's your bottle. Eat up."
The magnifying glass hesitated. "Why is it a liquor bottle?"
Han Feng frowned. "Can't you absorb liquor bottles?"
If the answer was no, then he had just wasted a bottle of purified water.
The magnifying glass replied, "I can, but it'll make me a little… tipsy."
"Just eat it," Han Feng sighed.
This thing was acting spoiled now?
Did it not understand how tough their situation was?
A crack suddenly appeared on the surface of the magnifying glass, opening like a mouth.
Then, a powerful suction force pulled the bottle inside.
Crunch, crunch…
Loud chewing noises echoed in the air.
A minute later, the magnifying glass finished its meal.
Han Feng eagerly asked, "Did you upgrade?"
The magnifying glass let out a satisfied burp. "Yep! All done."
"The sun is setting soon. Hurry up and start the fire!" Han Feng urged.
The magnifying glass was exasperated. "I don't have legs. How am I supposed to do it?"
Han Feng snapped out of it, quickly picking up the magnifying glass and adjusting its angle over the pile of dry grass.
Soon, a bright focal point appeared.
A wisp of smoke rose from the grass, followed by tiny sparks.
"Blow on it!" the magnifying glass reminded him.
Han Feng dropped the magnifying glass, cupped his hands around the smoking grass, and blew hard.
Sparks flew, and thick smoke billowed.
After a few more breaths, a small flame flickered to life.
"Yes!" Han Feng cheered, laughing as he placed the burning grass on the ground, feeding it with twigs and more dry grass.
Before long, the flames grew into a roaring fire, illuminating the surroundings.