Chapter 9: Crystal Fruit, Crimson Frost, and Golden Frost |
The Great Xia Camp had finally gained another Lumberjack-level combatant.
Everyone's spirits were immediately lifted.
As for Xia Hong, his joy was beyond words. Originally expecting it to take over ten days, he had broken through in just eight, proving the immense potential of his current body.
Night was about to fall, and Xia Hong wasted no time. He walked to the fire pit and, under the astonished gazes of the camp members, pulled out a charred stick from within.
The stick was completely black, about half a meter long, thinner at the bottom and thicker at the top, with the thickest end having a white tip.
Small Torch: Generated when the fire pit burns 10 units of wood. Portable with functions similar to the Small Fire Pit.
During his eight days in the cave, although he had conserved wood, he had still burned a total of 13 units, generating one torch.
Since he was venturing out, thorough preparation was essential.
Like the Small Fire Pit, the torch could deter and harm Abominations, but it would also attract Frost Beasts.
Xia Hong tied the torch to his back with rope, strapped two hand axes to his waist, and pulled out a three-meter-long pole from the camp wall.
Peering through a finger-width gap in the cave entrance to confirm complete darkness outside, he turned to give Xia Chuan final instructions.
"Remember the passphrase I taught you. I'll definitely return before dawn. Once I leave, seal the entrance immediately. If anyone comes and can't give the correct passphrase, no matter who they are, don't reveal yourselves. Understood?"
The massacre had occurred just eight days prior, and Xia Chuan remembered it vividly. He fully grasped the importance of these instructions and nodded solemnly.
Without further ado, Xia Hong tore open the entrance cover and slipped out.
Xia Chuan quickly resealed the entrance, but through the last remaining gap, his eyes betrayed a trace of worry as he watched Xia Hong depart.
…………
As for how vast Redwood Ridge truly was, not even Xia Ding knew, let alone Xia Hong.
The Great Xia Camp was only a small settlement. Though they had continuously explored over the years, their range was limited to the eastern slopes of Redwood Ridge.
Moreover, their activities primarily revolved around those six caves.
The general area covered about five square kilometers.
Within this five-kilometer radius, the most crucial area was the western outskirts of Redwood Ridge.
The reason was simple—Redwood Ridge had an abundance of trees.
Not only were there many, but they were also rapidly expanding outward.
Logically speaking, with nine human camps surrounding Redwood Ridge and years of lumbering, the forest should have been shrinking.
Yet according to Xia Ding's observations, Redwood Ridge hadn't contracted in recent years—it had been steadily expanding.
The trees grew larger and more numerous.
Rapid resource growth should have been beneficial for humans.
The problem was, these trees weren't just resources for them.
For Frost Beasts, they were equally vital.
Most Frost Beasts made their homes in the trees.
Moreover, aside from hunting, Frost Beasts also enjoyed feeding on the trees' fruits.
Thus, Redwood Ridge's expansion was actually deadly for the surrounding camps.
As the trees spread further, the Frost Beasts' range crept closer to human settlements, increasing the danger.
Of course, these concerns weren't something Xia Hong needed to worry about at his current stage.
Though it was night, the snow-covered ground provided just enough visibility.
Before he knew it, he had reached the edge of Redwood Ridge.
Before him stood giant trees that, in his past life, would have been called ancient towering trees. Here, they were commonplace—some even counted as small.
At a glance, even the thinnest trees on the outskirts had diameters of three to four meters, with heights of thirty to fifty meters being everywhere.
The inner areas were even more terrifying, with trees five to six meters thick—some even exceeding ten meters. These colossal trees stretched so high their tops vanished from view.
The snow-laden branches bore countless sharp icicles, combining with the drifting snowflakes to form a breathtaking winter landscape.
Yet Xia Hong had no time to appreciate the scenery.
After careful consideration, he selected a three-meter-thick tree.
Nervously approaching, he brushed aside the snow, revealing a layer of ice crystals beneath. Underneath the ice, the bark faintly emitted a red glow.
Seeing the glow, he carefully scanned the canopy above. Finding nothing, he finally relaxed.
"Crimson Frost Tree. Probably no Frost Beasts nesting here."
According to Xia Ding, Crimson Frost Trees were most abundant in Redwood Ridge's eastern outskirts.
Since Crimson Frost Trees had relatively fragile branches and Frost Beasts were large, they generally avoided nesting in them.
Unlike Crimson Frost Trees, another type—Golden Frost Trees—had extremely sturdy branches and thick trunks, making them favorites for Frost Beasts to inhabit at night.
Some Frost Beasts even built permanent nests in them.
Moreover, Golden Frost Trees weren't numerous, so the Frost Beasts that did inhabit them tended to be powerful.
Xia Hong marked the small Crimson Frost Tree with his hand axe, memorized the route, and pressed onward.
The camp was running low on both food and wood.
He would fell this tree on his return trip. For now, finding crystal fruit took priority.
"Crystal Fruit Trees thrive in sunlight, growing faster in open areas, so they're usually found in clearings."
Recalling this characteristic, Xia Hong surveyed the forest, chose a tree, confirmed it was safe, and climbed up.
The bark, covered in snow and ice crystals, was bitterly cold and slippery. After much effort, he finally reached the top.
The view from the canopy was significantly better.
Soon, Xia Hong spotted a relatively open area two to three hundred meters to the west.
"Within eight hundred paces east of Redwood Ridge's outskirts is considered Great Xia territory. If you ever join the lumberjack team, remember this rule. Trespassing into others' territory could get you killed, and no one would sympathize."
Remembering Xia Ding's words, Xia Hong leaped down and headed toward the western clearing.
Eight hundred paces was roughly half a kilometer.
That clearing belonged to Great Xia, so approaching it shouldn't be an issue.
Logically, the camp should have recorded the locations of Crystal Fruit Trees—a vital food source—to avoid searching each time.
They had, in fact, done so. But Xia Ding and the lumberjack team's deaths had been too sudden.
Only those thirteen could venture out, and all knew the Crystal Fruit Trees' locations.
No one had imagined all thirteen would die before passing this knowledge to Xia Hong.
Fortunately, this tree wasn't far, and Xia Hong found it without much trouble.
Though eager for food, he remained cautious as he approached.
With every tree he passed, he carefully inspected its canopy.
Night was the Frost Beasts' dormant period.
But that didn't mean they wouldn't wake.
Xia Hong had never seen a Frost Beast alive, only learning about two or three types from Xia Ding and the lumberjack team's past conversations.
Though he hadn't encountered one, the amount and frequency of Frost Beast meat obtained when Xia Ding was alive suggested their terrifying strength.
Thirteen Lumberjack-level fighters had only managed to kill one juvenile Frostspine Wolf in a month.
That spoke volumes.
Xia Hong had to be careful—at his current strength, encountering a Frost Beast would likely be fatal.
Thankfully, the journey proceeded without incident. After over an hour, he finally reached the clearing.
At the center stood a towering Crystal Fruit Tree over forty meters tall, draped in silver, its branches heavy with countless crystal fruits.
"Such incredible luck. There must be over a thousand pounds here."
But Xia Hong didn't let excitement cloud his judgment. Instead of climbing immediately, he scaled a nearby Crimson Frost Tree first.
From the top, he carefully examined the Crystal Fruit Tree's canopy.
One look, and his expression darkened.
Comments 2