"A dead brown bear, butchering it gets you 1000kg brown bear meat, 1 brown bear hide, 1 meat tendon, 1 D-level Beast Core, 4 bear paws, and some organs."
The voice of the Celestial Dao Stone sounded in Yi Tian's mind.
"Congratulations Trial Taker for killing the brown bear, you've received a Silver Treasure Chest. Open it now?"
"Open the Silver Treasure Chest!"
Yi Tian knew this was the reward for killing the brown bear. It's one tier better than Celestial Dao Fortune.
"You've obtained Silver*5, draft beer*100, Celestial Dao Coin*1000, silk*100, Crossbow Technology Crystal*1 (can be used after unlocking the Technology Platform), Steel Technology Crystal*1 (can be used after unlocking the Technology Platform)."
First time opening a Silver Treasure Chest, Yi Tian wasn't sure if he'd made a profit or a loss.
He checked the Celestial Dao Stone—unlocking the Technology Platform required ten thousand Celestial Dao Coins. Rich and bold, Yi Tian unlocked it without hesitation.
The Technology Platform is different from the Tool Platform, Construction Platform, Weapon Platform, and Smelting Platform—it has no level. If you want technologies, you must have Technology Crystals, and not even Celestial Dao Coins can buy them.
Many weapons on the Tool Platform and Weapon Platform require the Technology Platform to be unlocked.
For example, the steel knife on the Weapon Platform must have Steel Technology lit up on the Technology Platform.
Yi Tian scanned the two Technology Crystals with his Celestial Dao Stone.
The Technology Crystals vanished, and the formerly empty Technology Platform now displayed the Crossbow Technology Crystal and Steel Technology Crystal.
Yi Tian checked; even with the Crossbow Technology Crystal unlocked, the Weapon Platform must be upgraded to Level 2 to craft the crossbow.
Right now there's not enough bronze, can't upgrade it yet.
"Congratulations Lord, you're the first Trial Taker in Zone 66 to kill a brown bear, reward: 10,000 Celestial Dao Coins, hunting skill unlocked, Hunting LV.1."
"Congratulations Lord, you're the first Trial Taker in Zone 10086 to kill a brown bear, reward: 100,000 Celestial Dao Coins, Hunting Level +3. Current Hunting LV.4."
Rewards pouring in non-stop, Celestial Dao Coin balance: 440,000.
"Tomorrow, I'll definitely tackle the other two pests. Watermelon can wait."
Celestial Dao's rewards aren't just money, there are skills too. Yi Tian had a lot on his mind right now.
There was still a Bronze Treasure Chest in the woods, Yi Tian hadn't forgotten it.
"Bronze*5, Celestial Dao Coin*300, apple sapling*5, plastic*20, glass*20, chocolate 2kg, bottled orange juice*2L."
Mission complete, Yi Tian first hauled all rewards back to his warehouse. Then he started dealing with the brown bear.
Judging by the daytime temperature, the brown bear meat will last at most three days.
Yi Tian was fast—he sent the bear hide, beast tendon, and beast core to storage. He kept 2 jin (about 1kg) of bear meat, and the rest, including heart, liver, kidneys, and bear paws, all went up for auction.
With the Cosmic Ten Thousand Races, there are always some with strong tastes. The prices were fair—following in black-hearted merchants' footsteps. To sell fast, Yi Tian even knocked off 5%.
He meant to taste the legendary bear paw, but he couldn't cook, and there were no seasonings. Most importantly, bear paws sell for ten times more than bear meat, so he sold all of it.
"Daddy."
"Daddy's back."
"Daddy's worked so hard, once we land, we have to help Daddy out."
It was almost midnight; it was Sixth, the Blue Gourd, speaking. Sixth is always the good girl, quiet and calm.
Only First, Second, and Sixth were still up. The other four had gone to sleep.
To Yi Tian, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh are all the naughty types, never settle down, even inside the gourd.
Today when he was planting watermelon, those four were yelling and jumping up and down. If Yi Tian hadn't reinforced the gourd vine mid-way, the Calabash Sisters would've hit the ground early.
"Shh! Kids, go rest early."
Yi Tian shushed, not wanting to disturb the four mischievous kids.
He didn't go to the kitchen, instead used the Tool Platform to make a simple grill, lit a fire in the yard, and got ready to roast bear meat.
The flint he got from today's sign-in finally sparked the fire of civilization.
He opened the Auction House—as a good-hearted merchant, his prices were a little low, and now all the bear meat was sold.
25,000 Celestial Dao Coins credited. Balance now: 467,000.
Checking the Auction House, Yi Tian saw all sorts of goods on display.
Tonight, there wasn't much food from treasure chests, so meat prices hadn't dropped yet. Yi Tian guessed, once the three pests are conquered, meat prices will nosedive.
Right now, a kilo is 20 Celestial Dao Coins—could drop to rock bottom, by a factor of twenty or more. When the three pests' meat is gone, prices will slowly rebound.
He didn't rush to publish the Brown Bear Guidebook, planning to release all three guides together.
He shut down the Auction House and opened the Zone Channel.
Like most people, watching the bullet chat at night in the Zone Channel is the only fun during lonely times—just a little comfort.
As Yi Tian expected, most Trial Takers weren't resting. Tons had their Celestial Dao Stones lit up, chatting on the light curtain, hunting for Celestial Dao Treasure Chests late at night.
Forest Elf Mumu Qingqing: "Damn it, the last chest is up the mountain. No matter what I do, I can't lure the wild boar away. Giving up, giving up."
Earth Human Race Qin Fanshuang: "Not bad, I found all three Black Iron Treasure Chests. But I see lots of people with Bronze Treasure Chests. My luck sucks, haven't found a Bronze one yet."
Turtle Race's Gui Jie: "Don't you know all the Bronze Treasure Chests are guarded by the three pests? Sigh! I ran half the night and only found one Black Iron Treasure Chest. When I have more Celestial Dao Coins I'll definitely pump them all into agility—I'll be the fastest turtle on our planet."
Earth Human Race Neil Underweir: "Baka, Celestial Dao is so cruel—someone tell me why there are three Bronze Treasure Chests floating on the lake? This makes no sense!"
Wing Race's Kong Ming: "Haha, Bronze Treasure Chest rewards are just awesome. Just the food lasts me two days. I even got a [Crossbow Design Map*1]."
Wing Race's Kong Ming was showing off, firing up the zone chat channel.
Some congratulated, some envied.
Someone asked: "Boss, did you kill one of the pests?"
Wing Race's Kong Ming: "Nope, I flew overhead and grabbed the chest while the wild boar wasn't looking."
"Lucky you can fly! If you manufacture a crossbow, killing wild boars will be a piece of cake!" Many wise living beings were envious.
Wing Race's Kong Ming: "Have to wait a bit. Making crossbows needs a Level 2 Weapon Platform—too expensive!"
Yi Tian wasn't jealous, just watched Kong Ming quietly show off. Design maps are different from Technology Crystals—one-time consumables.
As long as he has the raw materials, Yi Tian can mass-produce crossbows. Design maps only allow an individual use.
Celestial Gift Race Skage: "[Table Salt*500g] Anyone have booze? I'll trade for a bottle!"
Instantly, a bunch of wise beings expressed interest in salt, but Skage only wanted alcohol.
Earth Human Race Yi Tian: "[Draft beer]*1, is that good?"
Yi Tian had tried draft beer back on Earth—couldn't stand the taste. He'd won a hundred bottles from the Silver Treasure Chest.
This Celestial Gift Race username, Yi Tian had seen it many times. He didn't know what the race looked like, but he did know this guy was obsessed with alcohol—to the point where he'd trade seeds and even stone axes for booze.
No reply on public chat, but Yi Tian got a private message: "[Table Salt*500g] trade for [Draft beer*1]."
The chat started praising Yi Tian, but few were interested in draft beer; everyone was still focused on filling their stomachs.
Adding salt to roast meat—instantly much tastier.
While Yi Tian was eating, he got another private message: "1 Celestial Dao Coin for [Draft beer*1]."
Yi Tian rejected it without hesitation. Just because he didn't like draft beer, doesn't mean he'd lose his business sense.
Alcohol, in this Otherworld, is definitely a luxury. It could go for the same as soft drinks, or fetch a fortune.
Besides, at this stage, even ordinary drinks are worth more than 1 Celestial Dao Coin. Wishful thinking.
"Lowly Human, trade me the draft beer and the glorious Blue Skin Race will protect you."
Blue Skin Race Sam sent a threatening message.
The Blue Skin Race are a Level 3 Civilization in the cosmos. Their natural bodies are even weaker than the Human Race, but their tech is advanced—they'd long since developed the Genetic Potion. Sadly, Blue Skin Race has been stuck at a genetic bottleneck for years. 49 is the cutoff—the dividing line between ordinary beings and E-level Warriors.
The Blue Skin Race all have 49 for their three-dimensional stats. They're one of the Zone 10086 bosses.
"Ugly and delusional."
Yi Tian munched barbecued meat while replying.
"Lowly human! By Celestial Dao logic, sooner or later we'll meet. You're not afraid to die?" Blue Skin Race Sam was still acting superior, knowing he's one of the zone's top warriors.
"Haha, you'd better survive until Celestial Dao Rules unlock."
Yi Tian didn't care, but he never backed down from a fight. He'd never take bullying lying down.
Not just Blue Skin Race, even if it's monster races talking down to him, Yi Tian will always clap back.
After typing that, Yi Tian promptly blocked Blue Skin Sam.
Sam should be grateful the arena isn't open yet, or Yi Tian would teach him a lesson in seconds.
Blue Skin Sam was about to counterattack, saw the block notif pop up—so angry he was grinding his teeth.
Back to the zone channel.
"Earth Human Race Yi Tian, just you wait—the day will come when you're my slave!"
The always arrogant Blue Skin Race thinks highly of themselves, never talking to weaklings in zone chat. Tonight, he turned his guns on Yi Tian.
"Blue Skin Sam, if I wanted a slave, it wouldn't be some ugly useless thing like you." Yi Tian laughed at him.
"99999, huh? Just wait, I'll find you eventually." Trash-talking, the Blue Skin Race are no match for Earthlings.
"Shut up, man! Only a broke loser thinks he can buy a bottle of booze for 1 Celestial Dao Coin. If I were you, I'd be ashamed to talk in public. In the Celestial Dao World, we're all playthings—who's really better? And what, Humans stole your rice? You keep calling us 'lowly humans'."
On Earth, Yi Tian wasn't a professional flamer, but every so often he'd join the legions of trolls and roast the injustices of the world.
In public, Yi Tian tried not to curse too much, keeping it in check.
Sure enough, right after Yi Tian finished, hundreds of Earthlings from different planets jumped in, hurling all kinds of curses, making Sam doubt his life choices.
The drama ended when Sam's message cap was reached.
After finishing his bear meat, Yi Tian ate half a watermelon. He didn't sleep—also sold off his fire starter.
Fire starter's price was dirt cheap, only 1 Spirit Coin now. Yi Tian checked its price trend—at dusk, it hit 200 Spirit Coins, too bad Yi Tian missed the chance.
Selling seedless watermelon, Yi Tian stayed busy another two hours before finally sleeping.
Next day, 7:00 AM.
"One-Star Lottery."
First thing after waking up, Yi Tian tried his luck for today.