Chapter 54: The Marvelous Uses of the Stone House

Xiaobai turned around, intending to retrieve its fallen prey.

But the young man beside Ye Da’s companion suddenly brightened. He immediately let go of Ye Da’s hand, strode forward, scooped up the large white rabbit that had dropped to the ground, and tossed it behind him.

A dull thud.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

Xiaobai was furious to see its prey snatched away, and barked repeatedly at the youth.

Yet the young man paid Xiaobai no mind, simply called out to Ye Da, “While that gray rock spider monster is distracted by food, let’s hurry and find cover up on the rocks!”

“How—huff huff—how do we hide?” Ye Da was breathless from running, his lungs burning, mind filled with only one thought: when could he finally stop?

He had no idea what the youth meant.

Cover? On these bare gray stone cliffs, where on earth was there to hide?

The youth, momentarily caught off guard by Ye Da’s question, replied, “Don’t you have a stone house?”

“A stone house… huff… can be used to hide on the cliffs?”

Ye Da was stunned; he hadn’t expected the stone house to have such a function.

The youth looked like he wanted to explain, but found it troublesome, so he waved it off. “Forget it, just follow me!”

With that, the young man swiftly headed toward a relatively level stretch of the gray stone cliffs, moving with the lithe grace of a mountain goat accustomed to the crags.

Ye Da scrambled to keep up, and where he struggled, he used the Petrifying Hand to gain traction, barely managing to follow.

As he climbed, Ye Da looked back.

Sure enough, he saw a massive gray spider stopped on the path they’d just run, devouring the rabbit.

The rabbit was by no means small—seven or eight pounds at least, its fluffy fur making it look about the size of a cabbage. But in the jaws of the giant spider—

It was as inconspicuous as a mailbox at a stairwell—so small, it could barely be noticed!

Judging by the size comparison, Ye Da estimated the gray rock spider to be at least three or four meters tall.

And what’s more—

Its sheer size was only the beginning.

Ye Da noticed that everywhere they’d just passed—trees and grass alike—white smoke was rising. That was thick vapor, the result of acid burning through the ground and plants.

“Hurry up!” the youth shouted.

Ye Da snapped back to his senses, seeing the youth already ten meters up the cliff. The youth pulled a gray sphere from his pocket and slapped it against the wall.

A flash of gray light—and suddenly, there was a stone door where none had existed. Its texture was identical to the cliff, with even the crack edged with natural stone veins. If one didn’t look closely, it would simply seem an unusual pattern in the rock.

Ye Da saw, with astonishment, that the crevice in the stone was conjured from nothing.

So this was the stone house?

Shocked, Ye Da hastened up to where the youth stood. The youth cracked the door open, pulled him swiftly inside.

He was about to shut the door, but Ye Da braced it, shouting,

“Xiaobai! Xiaohui! Quick!”

“Woof!”

The two wolf pups, full of understanding, darted through the gap at his call.

With a thud, the youth shut the door, and both boys and both pups collapsed against it, gasping for breath.

Only now did Ye Da finally have time to look around inside the stone house.

It was about the same size as his own treehouse, the floor laid with wooden planks, the walls stacked from white rock. The main difference was his treehouse had a fire pit in the center, while this stone house lacked one, instead featuring a fireplace built into the west wall.

Beneath the fireplace was a low stove lined with pots and utensils. Against the north wall, there was a wooden bed with thick quilts and a pillow, all neatly arranged.

To one side were two small rooms—one door closed, the other open, revealing a heap of firewood.

By the entrance stood two makeshift wooden shelves, neatly lined with all kinds of treasure chests: wooden, black iron, and bronze alike.

Clearly, the youth used these chests as storage.

Most lids were shut, but a few were piled high with things, left open by necessity.

Ye Da glimpsed red fruits and green leaves among the contents, unsure what plants they were.

“Where are you from, newcomer?” The red-haired youth turned, puzzlement flickering in his eyes. “You’ve been in the Novice Forest for a month and don’t even have a stone house?”

“That’s pretty hopeless!”

Only now did Ye Da finally get a good look at the youth’s face. Aside from his flamboyant red hair, his features were so soft he scarcely looked like a man—fine brows, large eyes, a small nose, and rosy lips.

He radiated a gentle, almost androgynous air.

Who knew if he’d even come of age—his jaw was smooth, not a hint of stubble, while Ye Da, after two days without shaving, already wore a bristly ring about his mouth. Give it another ten days, and he’d have a full beard!

“Novice Forest?” Ye Da asked, confused. “What does that mean? And where is this?”

“You really are new, aren’t you—even don’t know that.” The youth smirked, held out a hand. “I’ll explain—for a fee.”

“How about that rabbit just now?” Ye Da countered.

After all, the rabbit had been Xiaobai’s catch, and by extension, his own.

“Tch!” The youth withdrew his hand, pouted, but still explained, “This is the Second Layer: the Chasm Forest. It’s where you come after finishing the Novice phase.”

“It’s much harder here than in the Novice Forest. If you didn’t manage to upgrade your stone house in the first layer, you’ll have an even tougher time here!”

“But I see you’re already a First Tier Black Iron Warrior, aren’t you?”

“If you’ve advanced to Black Iron, you could join our village for protection. It’s much safer than being alone.”

“I am a First Tier Black Iron Warrior,” Ye Da replied, staring at the youth. He noticed that above the youth’s head was displayed: Third Tier Black Iron Warrior—two levels above himself.

Even a Tier Three Black Iron Warrior had to flee from this world’s monsters. It showed just how dangerous this place was.

So—

Ye Da couldn’t help but ask, “I have a question: if the Novice Forest is better suited for beginners, why come to the second layer? Is there some kind of forceful requirement?”