Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 4 Love each other as a family
Around one o'clock in the afternoon, the sun was blazing and the heat was intense, already giving it a feeling of midsummer.

Li Wei rested for half an hour, or more accurately, determined the time by checking the changes in the attributes in the attribute panel.

When his stamina recovered to 80 points and his strength to 7 points, he immediately grabbed his axe and headed straight for the east bank of the creek.

But I still felt terrible; my whole body ached terribly, and my arms were so swollen I could barely hold the axe.

Both hands were covered in blood and flesh, and some areas even began to ulcerate and become inflamed.

These situations that would have previously made him hesitate and worry about are now completely irrelevant to him.

He felt that something more important might happen next, and there were greater benefits to be gained.

Or, to put it another way, he couldn't just sit idly by and watch that cheap mother live in a dark and damp shack every day, so it was only reasonable for him to build a small wooden house as soon as possible.

"boom!"

The axe fell heavily without wobbling. Li Wei's face contorted in pain, but he gritted his teeth and remained silent, letting the blood flow down his face.

He gave it up.

However, after yesterday and today's chopping, he has at least grasped the basic techniques of wielding a woodcutter's axe. The effect and efficiency of his chopping have undoubtedly increased significantly. He doesn't care about the pain in his hands, which is very effective in conserving energy.

Previously, he had been wasting too much energy on ineffective slashing.

He was even able to begin to summarize some patterns, such as how much power to accumulate, how high to swing the axe, how much force to use, and how to coordinate the chopping motion with his body.

He was truly focused and completely absorbed in calculating these things.

There was no other way; it hurt too much. He had to make sure that every strike generated the maximum positive feedback.

The effect was quite noticeable. When he chopped down the first tree, he only used 15 stamina points, but when he chopped down the second tree, he used up 20 stamina points and his strength dropped to 5 points. His mild hunger began to turn into moderate hunger.

At this time, he was about to reach a point where he was completely exhausted.

His efforts only slightly improved the outcome; he was still far from being able to cut down the third tree.

But at this moment, Li Wei's will was incredibly firm. He gritted his teeth and refused to give up, even if he had to rest for a while after each strike.

He managed to cut it down just before the sun was about to set, and at that moment he was so trembling that he could barely stand.

Penny led the skinny old ox across the stream, looking at him with a slightly complicated expression, but said nothing. She simply harnessed the ox to a log and dragged it back.

Li Wei sat there and rested for a long time before finally carrying his axe and limping back to the camp.

Fila had already cooked the vegetable soup, and she looked much more energetic. The red flames reflected on her face, making her look very peaceful.

But at that moment, Li Wei suddenly shuddered.

The gray card in his hand appeared and then disappeared.

Then, a few lines of information silently scrolled by.

The house construction storyline initiated by the trainee craftsman *** has reached one-third of its completion, with the following progress: site selection completed, leveling completed, stone foundation completed, and logs stockpiled.

[Calculating rewards; current total reward is 30 construction experience points]

You have chopped down ten logs needed to build the cabin, and you have gained 10 construction experience points.

[Since you did not participate in the log transportation process, 1 point of construction experience will be deducted.]

You currently have 10 points of logging experience and 9 points of construction experience.

[Friendly reminder: You can invest different work experience points into the Farmer Card to upgrade it. The specific upgrade standards are: 100 farming experience points will upgrade a one-star Farmer Card to two stars. Alternatively, accumulating 200 logging experience points or 200 construction experience points will also upgrade the Farmer Card to two stars.]

[Friendly reminder: Due to the absence of the head of the household, family affairs are in disarray. Ownership of this house will belong to you and the apprentice craftsman ***, with each person's share of ownership determined by their level of participation.]

-

It turned out to be the case.

Li Wei glanced at Penny in shock, and Penny seemed to sense it too, glancing back quickly before turning her gaze away and continuing to drink her wild vegetable soup with a normal expression.

At this moment, he finally understood that his adopted sister, Penny, was not a native, just like him. The only difference was that he had fused with a one-star farmer card, while Penny had fused with a one-star craftsman card.

Furthermore, there is no doubt that Penny is a more experienced player compared to him.

Otherwise, it's hard to explain how she, who looks so thin, was able to earn 20 construction experience points in less than two days.

After all, leveling the land, moving stones, and building foundations are not easy tasks either.

Li Wei wanted to ask, but in the end, he decided not to be presumptuous.

He did not forget the initial warning: details that were out of step with this world should not be exposed.

On the other hand, if Penny wasn't a native but rather a card player, she should have guessed his identity long ago, but she didn't say anything, which speaks volumes.

Furthermore, what is the core mechanism of this task? They seem to be a family, but is there really no competition mechanism?
It's like Penny using oxen to help him transport logs, and somehow she even earned some of his construction experience.

This is such a lucrative business.

In addition, there must be other mechanisms involved in this task.

For example, Penny used to cook, so does she have any cooking experience to share?

Even that cheap mother, Fila—who can guarantee, who can be sure, that she is a native?
Li Wei finished the two bowls of wild vegetable soup, sip by sip. He was still very hungry and tired, but his spirits were exceptionally high. Just as he was trying to say a few words to Fila, his older sister Penny suddenly stood up, took out a small bag, and came to Li Wei's side.

"I took some time today to collect some herbs. The blisters on your hands are almost bursting. Let me apply some to them for you."

She spoke very softly, as if she genuinely cared about her younger brother.

But in reality, a message flashed before Li Wei's eyes.

[The apprentice craftsman *** is selling you healing herbs. Do you wish to purchase them for 1 point of construction experience?]

-

Grass!
What a heartwarming scene of sibling affection!

Li Wei glanced at Penny in shock, then confirmed; he couldn't refuse.

It's like older students extorting protection money from younger students.

But he needs to pay protection money, and he also needs to ensure his health as much as possible. If his hands continue to be inflamed, they might really ulcerate.

The transaction was successful, but 1 point of construction experience was lost.

Penny acted as if nothing was wrong, her actions never stopping. She opened a small bag, crushed some herbs, and carefully applied them to Li Wei's hands. It's unclear how effective it was.

"Go to bed early, and try to finish building the little house by tomorrow."

After leaving those words, Penny naturally departed. Li Wei was still pondering when, unexpectedly, several more lines of information flashed by.

[The trainee chef *** is asking you for payment for the food you ate over the past two days. Friendly reminder: all the food and some of the property in this household currently belong to her. You are required to pay for the food. A list of expenses is below.]

[3 servings of coarse wheat porridge, costing 3 experience points of any kind.]

[Delicious wild vegetable soup x4, requires 2 experience points of any kind.]

You have successfully paid 5 logging experience points.

-

What the hell?

Li Wei stared in utter shock at Fila, who was dozing off by the campfire. My God, she was a player too.

Following this logic, wouldn't the cheap father who died yesterday also be a player?
What a loving family!

Damn it, he's been working himself to the bone these past two days, and in the end he only gained 5 points of logging experience and 8 points of construction experience!
Li Wei finally realized that this seemingly simple task was actually not simple at all.

(End of this chapter)