Chapter 16 The Black Iron Treasure Chest

“Hiss… it hurts!”
This time…
Ye Da looked at the petrified skin on the back of his hand, his expression shifting dramatically.
“So it’s not some skin disease, but a golden finger!”
Ye Da let out a triumphant cry toward the heavens, “Ha ha ha, so that’s how beast cores are used—unlocking a new golden finger for the body!”
Moreover…
Based on his experience slaying monsters, Ye Da realized that each creature he killed granted him more petrification. If he kept hunting monsters…
Wouldn’t he eventually gain a suit of stone skin armor covering his entire body?!
With stone skin armor, he’d no longer have to fear snake bites or similar dangers, and with his skin turned to stone, his strength would surely increase as well. Which meant…
As long as he killed enough monsters, he’d be able to easily smash ferocious beasts flat!
That was simply too cool!
“Let’s try again!”
At this moment, Ye Da was like a child with a new toy—excited and curious.
“Boom!”
Ye Da punched the tree trunk once more.
This time, he didn’t hold back with a soft punch, but struck with full force!
In a single blow, Ye Da pierced straight through the massive dead tree that would take two people to encircle with their arms, creating a hole through which the forest beyond could be seen.
Wood chips flew everywhere, and a burnt wood smell wafted out from the trunk.
Ye Da stumbled backward, coughing from the smoke, but he found his hand stuck inside the tree trunk. As he tried to pull it out, the bark scraped his forearm, stinging painfully.
Oh no!
He’d gone too far this time!
Ye Da was on the verge of tears.
His fist could withstand pain, but the skin on his arm certainly couldn’t!
“Hiss! Hiss hiss!”
Ye Da gingerly extracted his arm from the trunk, but the jagged bark still left several gashes on his skin.
“Damn, that hurts!”
Ye Da took a deep breath, preparing to wash the wounds with a bottle of mineral water from his pack…
But then he noticed something strange—the wounds on his arm were healing rapidly!
Gray mist?
Ye Da gazed curiously at the wounds and saw faint gray vapors swirling within them, the same color as his petrified skin.
It seemed those vapors were constantly repairing his skin, healing his wounds.
Could it be…
This, too, was part of the golden finger?
“Ha, does this mean I’ve become One Punch Man?”
Ye Da stared at the gray skin on his fist, feeling a surge of heroic spirit.
What youth doesn’t dream of being a superhero, even if only a One Punch Man?
Of course…
Being bald was out of the question.
Ye Da wanted to become strong, but not bald.

“Boom!”
Ye Da drew out his stone axe and swung it at the dead tree.
Having gained this new petrified skin, Ye Da hadn’t yet tested how it enhanced his weapon use.
But…
“Thud!”
The axe blade struck the tree with a loud drum-like sound, but the surface didn’t budge.
Apparently, chopping trees with a stone axe produced this result.
“Is the stone axe really this useless?”
Ye Da was speechless; it seemed his fists were better than the axe!
Helpless, Ye Da could only rely on his petrified fist, carefully controlling his strength as he smashed the trunk, blow after blow.
“Boom!”
[High-quality lumber +1]
“Boom boom!”
[High-quality lumber +1]
[High-quality lumber +1]
“Huh?! Wait, wait, wait!”
When Ye Da saw the wood he was punching off was actually high-grade lumber, it was no wonder the useless stone axe couldn’t cut through it.
After all, one unit of high-grade lumber was worth a hundred units of low-grade wood.
Originally, Ye Da just wanted to break open the tree and retrieve the chest inside, but upon discovering the tree was made of high-quality lumber, he decided…
He’d smash it to pieces!
Not a scrap would be left!
Otherwise, he’d be wasting his good luck!
[High-quality lumber +1]
[High-quality lumber +2]
“Found it!”
When Ye Da reduced the tree to a stump, the hidden chest finally revealed itself.
It was a black chest flashing with a metallic sheen!
“This is…”
Ye Da’s eyes lit up. “Black Iron Chest?!”
He remembered seeing information about chest rankings; the Black Iron Chest was one tier above the wooden chest.
Who knew what treasures lay inside a Black Iron Chest?
Ye Da couldn’t be bothered with the stump anymore, eagerly fixed his gaze on the Black Iron Chest, and slowly lifted its lid!
The lid felt cool to the touch, and heavier than the wooden chest’s.
It seemed…
This chest was made of genuine black iron, a quality item.
Ye Da recalled that wooden chests could be dismantled for lumber, so if the Black Iron Chest could be dismantled, would it yield iron ingots?

But compared to dismantling the chest for materials, Ye Da was far more concerned with its contents.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, player, you have triggered a Lucky Choice!]
[Choice 1: Double the resources inside the chest.]
[Choice 2: Upgrade the equipment inside the chest, with a chance to obtain a rare set.]
[PS: Opening the chest directly defaults to the first option.]
“Huh? The lucky mechanics changed.”
Ye Da was surprised by the two options appearing on the light screen.
There were different types of lucky effects?
Ye Da didn’t open the chest immediately. Instead, he closed the lid again, uncertain which to choose.
If he opened the chest right away, the first option would be chosen by default. But Ye Da wasn’t particularly lacking in basic supplies, and the second option…
It offered a chance at a rare set!
Everyone knows that in games, set gear is usually great, and the word ‘rare’ only adds to its prestige!
This made Ye Da embrace his gambler’s spirit and boldly choose…
To gamble!
[Choice 2: Upgrade the equipment inside the chest, with a chance to obtain a rare set.]
[Choice selected, please open the chest!]
[355ml cola +6]
[50-pound bag of rice +1]
[Steel ingot +1]
[Animal trap +1]
The first four items inside the Black Iron Chest were rather ordinary.
To be precise, water, food, materials, and a survival tool.
Although the quantity and quality of the Black Iron Chest’s contents were a tier above those found in wooden chests, they were within Ye Da’s expectations and didn’t surprise him.
Therefore…
Ye Da focused on the last reward!
It was a black breastplate gleaming with understated metallic luster; even a glance revealed its exceptional quality.
[Inferior wooden breastplate +1] received a lucky upgrade ➡️ [Black Iron Breastplate (Black Iron Set 1/7) +1]
As expected…
He’d won the gamble!
The moment he saw the lucky upgrade, Ye Da knew he’d hit the jackpot.
Ha ha ha! Ye Da laughed heartily.
Ever since he acquired the lucky ring, he’d been transformed from an unlucky wretch into a golden child, instantly drawing such a great item—it was truly exhilarating!
[Black Iron Breastplate (Black Iron Set 1/7): Physical Defense +10, Magic Defense +5]
[PS: This gear is essential for a Black Iron Warrior. If the entire Black Iron Set is assembled, all attributes will be doubled.]