When Ethan woke up, he found himself lying under a thatched hut.
It was the kind of shelter with a roof made of straw, supported only by four thin bamboo poles.
In the center, there were ashes from a bonfire, with two smooth wooden sticks placed beside it.
All around, there was nothing but a dense, misty white fog, he couldn't see anything beyond the edges of the hut.
"Wha-what's going on?", Ethan held his head, 'I clearly remember taking a nap at home. How did I end up in this creepy place?'
And his clothes, still the same ones he had on before, but the bed underneath him had turned into a pile of dry grass.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a golden light flickered to his left.
He turned his head and saw a thick, heavy book lying nearby. The golden light had come from it.
"What the heck is this thing?"
Ethan opened the book.
On the first page, he saw these words:
[Welcome to the Mist World. Here, you no longer need to worry about debt, relationships, work, or any of those annoying things.]
[Because the only thing you need to worry about now is one question, how to survive in the Mist World.]
[In the Mist World, only fire can give you safety.]
[Pray that your bonfire never goes out, or the monsters in the mist will come and take you away.]
[Then...]
[Please enjoy everything about the Mist World.]
The words were written one by one.
When Ethan finished reading, the letters started to vanish, like they were being erased by an invisible rubber eraser.
Then, after all the words disappeared, new ones appeared on the page.
[The Mist Survival Magic Book!]
[Don't say I never gave you a chance. Pay close attention to what comes next, this is the only way you'll survive.]
[Every morning when the sun rises, parts of the mist will disperse. That's your chance to explore nearby.]
[But don't go too far. Even in the thin fog, some monsters remain hidden, they can kill you at any moment.]
[And of course! Remember the time when the sun sets!]
[Because once night falls, the thick mist will return. The monsters hiding deep within will begin to roam. Once they find you, they won't hesitate to treat you as food, you'll be torn to pieces!]
[If you die here, you life ends, once and for all. Don't ever doubt that.]
[Within the mist, there are many good things, food and water you'll need, as well as treasure chests of all kinds: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Supreme, Legendary, and Mythical.]
[Each chest contains something valuable, but also potential danger. Good luck!]
[PS: The thatched hut that leaks from all sides will cause you to enter a state of hypothermia. Please build a proper shelter within three days, or you might freeze to death in the coming cold night.]
The words vanished again.
But Ethan firmly remembered every single sentence written there. Just like the book said, every line was about life or death.
Especially that last warning: build a warm shelter within three days, or freeze to death.
[Regional Chat Channel]
[World Channel]
[Trade Channel]
[Upgrade Tree]
After all the text disappeared, four new options appeared on the book's pages.
Ethan looked at the Regional Chat Channel. Instantly, the page changed, filled with messages from other people.
[What the hell is this place? I just walked out of my hut and saw a giant hand trying to grab me! That thing was at least a meter wide! Am I in Attack on Titan or something?]
[I think this place feels more like the movie The Mist. It's terrifying! I swear something's watching me in that fog.]
[Someone please take me home! This place is too scary! If you can take me back, my dad will thank you, you can have a car, money, anything!]
[Bro above, you really think we can go back?]
[Is your bonfire lit? Mine went out! But I found two pieces of wood next to it… wait, don't tell me it wants me to start a fire by rubbing sticks together?]
[Luckily, my fire's still going, but there's no food anywhere. I'm starving to death here!]
[I looked at the time on the book's cover, it says 7:30. There's still 29 minutes until sunrise. Am I supposed to go explore? But it looks so dangerous outside, I'm too scared to go.]
["..."]
The Regional Chat Channel kept refreshing, most messages were people panicking, wanting to go home, asking where they were.
Some even thought it was a prank.
But a few were calmer, already studying the "rules" of this place and how to survive.
When Ethan saw someone mention that the book's cover displayed the time, he quickly flipped to the front. And sure enough, right in the center of the cover, there was a line of glowing text.
[Time: 7:32. Sunrise in 00:28. The weather today is good, perfect for exploration!]
'So sunrise is coming soon. No wonder the fog feels thinner.'
Ethan turned his head, looking around the hazy mist. Even without seeing anything clearly, he could feel countless gazes watching him and the hut, like the moment he stepped outside, he'd be attacked.
'Better check what's inside the hut first.'
'Huh?'
'What are those red exclamation marks?'
Ethan noticed countless red exclamation marks inside the hut. When he focused on one, a line of text appeared below it.
[Crude Thatched Hut: Cannot withstand monster attacks. Upgrade immediately.]
[Dry Wood x2: Can be used to make fire.]
[Burnt-out Bonfire: Only a few sparks left, add fuel quickly.]
[Poor-quality Straw Bed: Extremely uncomfortable, provides only minimal warmth to avoid freezing.]
[Broken Stone Axe: Can chop trees, but inefficient. Durability 1/5.]
[Bottle of Mineral Water (500ml): From hot spring, a little sweet. Enough to keep you alive for one day.]
'Is this one of the Mist World's features?'
Ethan quickly opened the magic book again and typed a question into the Regional Chat Channel.
He didn't even need to type, the moment he thought it, the book automatically generated the text. But before sending, a message appeared:
[Each person may send only ten messages per day in the Regional Chat Channel (private chats are unlimited). If you have a "horn card," your message limit increases.]
[Send?]
'Yes!'
Moments later, his message appeared in the chat.
[Ethan: Can anyone else see things inside their hut with descriptive hints?]
Someone quickly replied.
[What hints? You mean the survival guide written in the magic book?]
[I just have a pile of ashes from my bonfire. Nothing else!]
'Could it be...'
'Only I can see these hints?'
Ethan's eyes suddenly lit up. And right at that moment, the sun rose, the mist outside his hut began to thin rapidly.
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