Having received 65 silver coins, Yining did not revel in the joy of wealth.

He had a vague premonition that he had caught the attention of two powerful hunters at the same time.

Neither of these interests was positive, even though Yi He had essentially given him 1 gold coin for free.

You don’t get gold coins for free.

Of course, by revealing his identity, he certainly wasn’t intentionally giving away his “home address” or inviting the other party to come knocking.

To all players, this world is a complete mystery. Since Yi He had interacted with the NPC natives at the same time as he and obtained some intelligence, he might not necessarily reveal everything he knew.

Yining, however, wanted to see what kind of chain reaction this would trigger.

If “Yi He” were to immediately make his situation public knowledge, that would actually be a good thing—making it clear to everyone would prove that Yining’s existence and the identity of the Graveyard players are of no consequence.

Conversely, if nothing happens at all, that is when one should be on high alert.

From “Yi He’s” perspective, matters that greatly benefit him should remain “behind closed doors,” while those that “travel a thousand miles” serve only to boost his reputation among the player community.

That’s how it works, logically speaking.

Yining tried to explore the boundaries of this world’s rules of survival. As dusk fell, the glow of the brazier grew ever more vivid.

He added some joss paper to the soul-summoning brazier, intending to let it burn a little longer. Just a little longer.

Yining used a silver coin to buy a grilled sausage from the shop. With just one chestnut biscuit left in his backpack and a packet of instant noodles to cook, that would be his dinner for the day.

If he eats this for two more days, he’ll be sick of it. He has to say, he was really into doomsday stockpiling lists for a while, but it seems like he was only interested in the act of stockpiling itself. As for the tedious survival part that comes after…a bit of a struggle.

As the sky darkened, the firelight cast a silhouette of Yining that grew increasingly distinct.

He pulled out his blood knife, checked the color of his lips in the metal’s reflection, then licked his lips. Like a hawk preening its feathers.

The night unfolded in this atmosphere until the game’s notification sound rang out.

【Summoning Successful】

【You have obtained a new status: Mirror Curse】

Health: 57/101

Satiety: 84/100

Sanity: 81/100 (recovering) 

Strength: 3

Defense: 2+1 (Bracelet Bonus) Critical Hit: 1 (One Critical Gem)

Attack: 3 (3 Attack Coins) + 3 (Blood Knife Bonus)

Luck: 4 Goodwill: 5

Status: 【Mirror Curse】

In an instant, the flames of the soul-summoning brazier went out.

Yining had only ever used this monster-spawning artifact during the day, as he wasn’t sure what terrifying things might happen at night.

Just like now, after the brazier went out, the area was plunged into endless darkness, and even the system panel no longer glowed.

Fortunately, Yining had a lantern.

The light from his enchanted lantern saved him just in time.

Immediately, Yining saw many items scattered around him. So many, many items…

Wood, large shipping boxes, bottled water, and White Rabbit creamy candy—these “bulky, filling” items vanished from the backpack compartments and appeared in the real world, surrounding Yining.

The items weren’t scattered haphazardly; instead, they were neatly arranged on the ground with Yining at the center, covering nearly the entire territory, as if guided by a mysterious force.

And this bizarre event unfolded in less than three seconds.

He quickly opened the game’s inventory. In the 11 slots at the bottom of the lobby panel, 11 identical mirrors lay neatly in a row!

These mirrors reflected Yining’s somewhat pale face; even as a small icon, it exuded an eerie chill that sent shivers down one’s spine.

“There’s just no helping it.”

Yining sighed silently and took all the mirrors out. The reflection in the mirrors had a cold gaze, with a malicious smile curled at the corners of its mouth—just as sinister as the scenes from those horror movies.

A graveyard, tombstone inscriptions, bloodflesh flowers writhing and making sloshing sounds, mirrors, and a person without a heart.

“It’s so hot out here. I bet everyone’s thirsty.”

Yining muttered to his reflection.

He bent down and found the holy water Ziling had given him earlier among the items laid out on the ground.

“I’ll offer everyone a drink.”

With that, Yining began dabbing the white-glowing liquid onto each mirror, one by one.

The mirrors that came into contact with the holy water let out piercing screams, each one fainter than the last, until the very last mirror had received this sacred baptism, and the effect of the 【Mirror Curse】 vanished.

If he hadn’t been absolutely certain, Yining wouldn’t have taken such a risk. He wasn’t some greenhorn who had just arrived in this world.

Before long, Yining had the terrifying scene under control, and the items scattered on the ground were neatly stowed back into his backpack slots.

Compared to how long he’d been affected by the 【Contamination】 effect when he first arrived, Yining had certainly grown.

The “soul-summoning brazier” quest had truly been a challenge he’d managed to complete correctly.

The 11 mysteriously appearing mirrors hadn’t vanished, but now their surfaces no longer reflected any images. So what purpose did they serve?

Yining searched the game interface for a while and finally found a newly appeared mirror icon on the map.

The location was roughly 800 meters from his domain.

A curved dotted line connected the mirror icon to his current location, resembling a map navigation tool.

Was he supposed to go to the area where the icon was located? That was something he should do after dawn.

Tonight, Yining relit the soul-summoning brazier. He still had a bottle of holy water in his hand and wanted to see what other monsters the brazier could summon.

With five 100% Defense Paper Dolls and a blood knife in his possession, his combat prowess couldn’t compare to hunters who’d maxed out their stats, but he was still among the top tier of players.

Finally, just before 10 o’clock, he came across a few Level 0 shadow phantoms, which dropped some bone meal and shadow skin. He was a bit disappointed not to have encountered any powerful monsters, but for the sake of a good night’s sleep, he couldn’t wait any longer.

Yining went back to the bloodflesh flower and used the bone meal to hasten the growth of another batch, receiving a notification that it would take 10 days to regrow. It seemed he’d been harvesting it a bit too aggressively.

With the 【growth】 effect from the bloodflesh flowers, his health would be fully restored by tomorrow night. That way, he could set out for 【Lamb Town】 on the very last day of the newbie period.

He hoped for clear skies tomorrow; his lantern was crying out for fuel, needing to be filled with scorching energy.

Maybe he should try planting some sea buckthorn seeds. The prices listed on the trading market are way too high, and no one has bought any yet. If he lets them sprout into saplings, they’ll definitely be more marketable.

Perhaps it was a case of “what you think about during the day, you dream about at night”—Yining’s entire dream revolved around planting sea buckthorn. In the dream, he felt he was doing it wrong, either watering too much or piling on too much soil, so he woke up groggily. When he fell back asleep, the dream actually picked up right where it left off.

Eventually, the sea buckthorn trees grew, covering the mountains and fields. Later, Yining became a fruit farmer, pushing a small cart back and forth to deliver fresh fruit.

Every day on his delivery route, he passed by a church. Though he had no faith, he felt compelled to go inside and listen to the prayers every single time he passed by.

The priest, with his gentle voice, recited the words of God, while behind him, the stained-glass windows cast a light as dazzling as the sun. And just like that, Yining woke up.

It was 5:40 a.m.

If it weren’t for dreaming of himself pushing a handcart, Yining would have almost forgotten that he still had two sets of blueprints to study.

Blueprints, blueprints.

【Successfully Learned: Straw Rope Blueprint】

The straw rope blueprint increases the efficiency of twisting hemp, and since the game system does the twisting, it frees up your hands.

Improving unit efficiency can boost economic benefits, which is another way to make money.

【Small Cart: Alloy Metal ×10, Wood Planks ×5, Rubber ×2】

【Description: Features 9 storage slots, but can only hold basic materials—wood, stone, paper, hemp, and their crafted items】

Sounds good. He’ll try making one once he’s gathered all the materials.

After breakfast, Yining set off for the coordinates indicated by the mirror icon on the map.

After leaving the realm with his lantern, a more precise red route appeared on the map in the game interface, indicating that Yining could reach his destination by following it.

Navigation makes things so much easier.

Most importantly, this navigation won’t make him walk through walls or across rivers.

Not long after setting out, Yining spotted a woman crying ahead.

“Sniff… sniffle…” 

“Sniffle, sniffle…”

She didn’t seem far away, yet her figure was blurry—perhaps she was sitting on the ground crying, or maybe she was lying face-down, with thick smoke rising around her.

Yining thought to himself that this navigation system was incredibly efficient. But when he glanced at the crying woman and then checked the map, he realized he’d only walked 50 meters. Yet an entire hour had passed.

A chill ran down his spine as fear welled up inside him. Had he gotten lost in a ghostly maze?

Should he turn back now?

Wouldn’t that hour of battery life be a waste?

He tried to force himself to keep going, the handle of the blood knife in his hand slick with sweat, and pushed on despite his fear. The darkness around him remained unrelenting; only the lantern in his hand offered any comfort.

The sound of crying, the scraping of his shoes against the gravel, and the creaking of the lantern’s metal accompanied Yining the entire way.

The woman was clearly right in front of him, yet he couldn’t seem to reach her. After walking another half hour, the map showed he was still 50 meters from his destination.

This was completely illogical.

Yining recalled a novel he’d read in his previous life, which featured a plot device where, under specific conditions, spatial distance and time become chaotic and distorted—unreal—much like the “ghost wall” phenomenon in Chinese horror lore.

In the end, however, he did reach his destination—only to find that the woman who had been dancing before his eyes was nowhere to be seen. There was only a palm-sized mirror.

【Acquired: New Makeup Mirror ×1】

【New Makeup Mirror: This is a mirror cursed by a witch. It is said that any woman who possesses this mirror will marry the same man. When used on a player, it replaces all equipment in their inventory slots.】

【Usage Requirements: 3 points in Clairvoyance; if Clairvoyance is insufficient, 50 Spirit points will be deducted】

Equip the mirror! Perfect.

This mirror would make a great tool for raiding and looting.

Judging by the description, as long as he doesn’t turn into a woman, the mirror can’t harm him at all. Yining was overjoyed; all the fear and cold sweat he’d endured along the way were instantly forgotten.

He quickly wiped the mirror with his left cuff, breathed on it, wiped it again, and finally slipped it into the inside pocket of his shirt.

Gear this good definitely needs to be kept close to the body!

The best thing about this red jacket is that it can hold a lot of stuff.

But if he wanted to go out, he’d need to buy a bigger backpack—preferably one with storage compartments.

The journey back to the domain went smoothly, and he arrived at 9:25 a.m.

Yining’s hopes were not dashed; today the sun was shining brightly, with a slight breeze carrying the scent of plants and the earthy smell of rain-soaked soil.

Mushrooms had sprouted all around the four gravestones within the Realm. With more mushrooms, the singing seemed to grow louder—he could hear it without having to get close.

Yesterday, Yining had filled in the mouse hole, but to his surprise, it had respawned today. Moreover, the system notification clearly indicated there was a live “old mouse” inside. Would the mouse gnaw on the supplies he had stockpiled?

Yining considered borrowing a cat from another player, but then decided it would be too strange to trade a living creature via the game’s mail system. He immediately abandoned the idea.

He took out the solar panel, connected it to the solar lantern, and once that was done, Yining lit the soul-summoning brazier and continued farming bone meal.

He still owes one cat 15 units of bone meal, which can be traded for 3 silver coins…

Yining counted on his fingers: that made a total of 4 kindness gold coins, 3 attack coins, 3 common coins (2 from achievements and 1 from a trade with Yi He), and 68 silver coins.

Yunzhou mentioned that Ether can be obtained at the church, but he was not sure if it could be purchased with gold coins. Since we’re heading out to explore Lamb Town this time, it’s a good opportunity to ask about it.

Having Yunzhou craft extra blood knives is an important source of income.

Yesterday, he traded bloodflesh flowers for silver coins with the intention of visiting Lamb Town, hoping to run into other locals willing to trade if he got lucky. After tallying up my cash, Yining opened the Trading Market to shop while waiting for the soul-summoning brazier to summon spirits.

Searching his inventory, he currently has four items for trade.

【Storage Bracelet (Gold), 9 slots, 99 storage limit per slot; hoping to trade for a weapon with 5+ Attack】

【Suitcase (Gold), 16 slots, trade for house blueprints】

【Travel Backpack (Brown), 4 slots, trade for 200 points or 2 gold coins】

【Travel Backpack (Brown), 6 slots, trade for all resources needed to expand a Level 3 domain】

Yining can only afford brown-quality travel backpacks, with 4 and 6 slots…

In the end, he decided to spend two gold coins. Otherwise, he would have had to purchase the resources needed to expand his Level 3 territory, and it seemed he only had enough wood on hand.

【Trade Successful】

【Reputation: +5】

The backpack is now in hand—a retro yellow canvas backpack. Aside from the 4 slots (each with a 99-item capacity), it can hold a large number of items on its own.

Now, whenever he comes across something good while exploring, he can bring it back to my domain.

No sooner had he gotten his backpack than Yining spent 50 points to buy 30 disposable plastic cups and a clump of soil to try growing sea buckthorn trees. These plastic cups are exceptionally thin—thinner even than mineral water bottles—and very easy to pierce.

He prepared several cups of soil, separated the thrilling sea buckthorn fruit seeds from the regular ones, and finally sprinkled bone meal on top, waiting for the seeds to start growing at double the growth speed.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—the tender shoots sprouted.

In no time, the sprouts grew into saplings about a finger’s length.

It seems there’s some kind of three-dimensional debuff shrouding the area—only the seeds of the terrifying sea buckthorn trees have sprouted, while the ordinary sea buckthorn seeds remain completely motionless.

With no other choice, Yining took a screenshot of the plastic cup containing the ordinary sea buckthorn seeds and relisted them.

【Sea Buckthorn Seeds ×3, Cup of Soil ×3, Fertilizer ×3, Exchange for 20 Points】

He deliberately listed bone meal as “regular fertilizer” and referred to the bloodflesh flower as “pork belly” to minimize suspicion from those with ulterior motives. But this only guards against the virtuous, not the wicked.

Earlier, he’d exchanged some Fanfan trade intel and mentioned killing a zombie monster. He’ll see how it goes.

Yining isn’t dwelling on it anymore; making more money and improving his own strength are what really matter.

On Day 6 of the game, most who had witnessed the farce on the night of the 5th had moved on, while many others—like “Yi He”—were solely focused on their own interests. Seeds and crops at normal prices were naturally a hit with the vast majority of players.

Especially since the agricultural produce company appeared, there’s no shortage of buyers, and players can even purchase seeds, fertilizer, and fresh water from them.

With 60 points in hand and a travel backpack secured, all that remained was to gather the resources needed for the journey.