Chapter 16: Solving the Water Problem

“System, how many happiness points would it take to pipe this water into the shelter?”

【Ding. The distance from here to the shelter is approximately 248 meters. Using iron piping will cost 121 happiness points. Plastic piping? Only 62.】

“Huh… that’s even closer than I thought. Did I really circle all the way around that mountain path?”

He pulled out his map and glanced at it—surprisingly, the distance on the map was even shorter, practically brushing up against the shelter’s location.

“So… those 200-plus meters were actually just the stretch from the shelter to the summit?”

“System, use plastic piping to channel the water to the shelter.”

【Happiness points -62. Remaining: 80】

With a single command, the happiness points dissolved into shimmering motes, spiraling into the spring.

Out of nowhere, a plastic pipe jutted from the pond, greedily sucking in the water. On the other end, the pipe kept burrowing deeper into the mountain rock.

Within minutes, the line was laid. Clear water began flowing through the tube with a soft, rhythmic *gurgle-gurgle*.

“Happiness points are still needed elsewhere—I’ll have to make do with plastic for now.”

“Maybe later, when I’ve got more resources, I can upgrade it.”

After finishing, he took in the surroundings. Thanks to the nearby water source, the trees and undergrowth here were far denser and greener than down at the base of the mountain.

“Looks pretty hidden… but this kind of forest is always crawling with snakes, bugs, rats, and worse. I’m not about to turn on the tap and find a viper slithering out.”

Reluctantly, he spent another 2 happiness points to build a small stone structure over the spring—just enough to shield it from view.

Not that he didn’t want to use the Survival Platform’s crafting function. But that system only allowed him to build functional structures or tools—nothing decorative or protective. The Land Foundation could create such things too, but only within a limited radius.

The one truly unrestricted option? Happiness Point construction. No blueprint required. Just pay the extra cost beyond materials—and that’s exactly what he was doing.

...

“The water issue is settled—for now. Next priority: gather as much steel as possible.”

The shelter he’d dug by hand wasn’t stable. According to the System’s analysis, only reinforced concrete with steel rebar could make the walls and ceiling safe enough to live in.

Until then, none of his activities inside the shelter could proceed.

Right now, the only reliable source of steel was opening blue-tier refined chests.

And those weren’t just full of steel—they carried a wide variety of useful supplies.

The mountain spring was now connected to the shelter, but there was still no container to store the water.

Sure, mountain spring water could be used directly—but having a proper storage tank would prevent disaster if the flow ever dried up unexpectedly.

Good news: his own crafting interface had already unlocked the blueprint for a water tower. All it needed was stainless steel.

Hopefully, the next blue chest would drop both steel and the necessary materials.

Everything now pointed toward hunting monsters for loot drops. No hesitation left.

He turned and started heading downhill.

His first target: the same wild boar hunting ground from last time.

It was an open plain—wide-open terrain with clear sightlines. Any movement, any disturbance, would be spotted instantly.

If there was prey there, he’d see it before it even knew he was coming.

This world didn’t offer many creatures to fight and level up. Last time, he’d wandered for ages before finding anything worth hunting.

“Maybe there was a newbie protection period before the acid rain?”

The most obvious sign? Acid rain lasted only a week. That gave desperate survivors—those without stone houses—time to patch together makeshift shelters from wood and scrap and survive.

But this time, the extreme cold disaster stretched for two months straight. There’d be no second chance like last time.

And last night’s notification from the Survival Platform mentioned subtle changes in wildlife due to the acid rain—clear signs the disaster cycle was accelerating.

Pacing slowly,陈灼 ran a hand over his stubble-choked jaw, lost in thought.

He realized the world’s cruelty was no longer hiding—it was revealing itself in stages. Each disaster tested survival skills harder than the last.

“Maybe the newbie protection period *did* exist. But it was just a buffer—a grace period to let us new players adapt, learn how to survive in chaos.”

He’d barely broken a sweat fending off the acid rain. That ease had given him a false sense of security.

Now, the truth sank in.

If he kept going like this—casual, complacent—he’d be dead before he knew it.

“Gotta keep reminding myself not to get cocky. Stay grounded,” he muttered aloud, eyes sharp, voice firm—unshakable resolve etched into every syllable.

By the time he reached the mountain base, it was late afternoon. Most of the day had been spent walking.

As he pondered how to get a vehicle, rustling came from the nearby bushes.

“Who’s there?”

He leapt back sharply, muscles tensed, voice icy.

A pair of long horns emerged from the foliage. The creature peered left, then right—then locked its gaze on the motionless figure standing before it.

陈灼 narrowed his eyes, staring hard at the being stepping fully into view.

It was a deer—about his height.

But unlike any normal deer, this one had blood-red eyes, and a deep crimson aura swirling around its body.

That unnatural glow froze his instincts mid-swing.

Anyone could tell something was wrong. This was probably what the Survival Platform had meant by “changes.”

The male deer hadn’t taken its eyes off him since spotting him.

Two minutes passed in tense silence.

Then,陈灼 silently summoned the System and scanned the creature.

【Crimson-Horned Deer: Blue Tier. A mutated variant of the acid-rain-affected Blue-tier Horned Deer. Inherits all original traits, but has lost most pain sensation and become brutally aggressive and bloodthirsty.】

Cold sweat prickled across陈灼’s forehead.

Green-tier creatures were just tougher animals—slightly thicker hide, stronger muscles. He’d assumed refined-tier monsters wouldn’t be much different.

But after boosting his stats, he’d felt confident. Now, seeing the System’s description, that confidence shattered.

Who would’ve guessed that one tier separated common grunts from elite berserkers?

He took a cautious step to the left.

Instantly, the deer reacted—its head snapped toward him, and it charged like a freight train.

In a split second,陈灼 rolled sideways, instinct kicking in. His eyes darted around, scanning for cover, for something to throw—anything to distract the beast.

Fighting a rampaging deer up close? Suicide.

He kept his distance, staying just out of reach, waiting for an opening.

As the deer barreled past, he snatched a handful of pebbles and twisted behind a tree.

The move was pathetic—any sane predator would’ve seen through it.

The deer turned, nostrils flaring, and launched its second charge straight at the tree.