Global Fog Survival

Chapter 3: True Villagers

“Greetings, Lord. We are your loyal servants.”

The two slaves spoke without daring to lift their heads, appearing very fearful and apprehensive. At the same time, Colin saw a “prompt” appear in his mind.

?These two are your exclusive slaves. You can view their personal information by looking at the text above their heads. Apart from that, they will unconditionally obey your orders with unquestionable loyalty—quantified as one hundred percent, absolute loyalty.?

With a thought, Colin opened the personal information of the two slaves.

?Slave 1?

• Identity: Exclusive slave of Colin.
• Status: Extremely hungry.
• Fullness Level: 19 (1-20: Extremely hungry, 21-40: Hungry, 41-60: Normal, 61-80: Full, 81-100: Satisfied)
• Strength: 0.8 (Normal male is 1 point)
• Stamina: 0.7 (Normal male is 1 point)
• Endurance: 0.6 (Normal male is 1 point) …

?Slave 2? was similar to ?Slave 1?. Colin glanced at them and memorized the basic information before closing the interface. He didn’t particularly enjoy interacting with data panels like this because it was hard to make sense of the numbers in such a short time without understanding their significance. This required accumulating some experience to gradually comprehend what the data meant.

However, the “hungry” status in both slaves’ personal information served as a wake-up call for Colin. Yes, the cabin was safe and could block the fog, but danger didn’t only come from outside—the hunger could also kill these survivors. Moreover, Colin noticed that the daily task… only provided one black bread. Even without considering how difficult it might be to kill a “mutant,” surviving on just one piece of bread each day was a slow death sentence. Within two days, one might be too weak to even swing the axe.

Looking at the black bread on the table, Colin saw its description: ?A piece of black bread as hard as stone, capable of killing someone if thrown. Can this really be eaten??

After getting the prompt, Colin picked up the rough-skinned black bread and squeezed it. It was very dry and hard, almost like a stone except for being lighter. Moreover, there was one last problem before eating it—there was no water. Colin had eaten similar bread before, but it was in the form of long strips that needed to be soaked in broth or hot water to become edible. Otherwise, one would have to soften it with saliva, which would consume a lot of water and energy and might not be worth the effort. After all, one could die of thirst much faster than from hunger.

Realizing this, Colin’s face darkened. This was undoubtedly a trap! He was very hungry now. If he ate the bread like some people in the chat channel did, he would likely lose significant combat ability due to dehydration. Thinking about the state of his two slaves—extremely hungry but just on the brink of starvation—it seemed to indicate one thing: the immediate task was to take the axe, go out to complete the task, and find a water source.

Understanding this, Colin couldn’t help but think, “There are so many tricks in this survival game. Wouldn’t it be better if it were more sincere?”

Though he could leave the bread on the table to absorb moisture from the air and soften, it would be evening by then, and the situation wouldn’t improve much by the next day. Ultimately, one piece of bread was not enough to stave off hunger—at least two were needed.

Shifting his gaze, Colin looked at the crafting table. ?A magical crafting table. With the right materials and recipes, it can create anything.?

?You realize that with some water or other basic food, you might be able to combine it with the stone-like black bread to create something better.?

Colin squinted, understanding that the correct use of the bread might be for crafting. Just then, he heard the sound of gulping and saw the two slaves sneaking glances at the bread in his hand as if it were a delicacy.

Colin waved the bread, “Do you want to eat this?”

The two slaves shook their heads frantically. “No, we wouldn’t dare. This is the only food and is rightfully yours, Lord. We wouldn’t touch it even if we starved to death.”

“Were you really raised in a village…?” Colin thought sarcastically, then said, “This bread is a trap. Whoever eats it will die. I’m going to the fog to complete a task soon. Are you afraid?”

“No, we cannot guarantee to face everything, but until we become corpses, we will ensure your safety with our lives,” the slaves pledged.

Though their words sounded noble, the response seemed too standardized. Looking at these lifelike slaves, Colin found it hard to see them as NPCs. But he didn’t dwell on it and said, “I promise, as long as we complete the task and return safely, there will be food for you.”

“Thank you for your kindness.” The slaves’ voices became excited at the thought of a full stomach.

Hope staves off hunger…

Shaking off his thoughts, Colin looked at the axe.

?An old axe with a rust-stained blade and a dark, worn handle. It looks like it won’t last long in a fight.?

Nothing special about it, but there was clearly not enough weaponry.

Three people with one axe…

“Wait…” Colin looked at the wooden table and chairs, planning to break them down into makeshift weapons. Though the furniture looked decrepit, Colin knew it wasn’t as fragile as it seemed. Like old ship wood, it appeared worn but was actually sturdy—good enough for weapons in a pinch.

Just as Colin was about to act, a slave spoke, “But, Lord, these are your valuable furniture. We are just lowly slaves. Even if we die…”

“What’s so valuable about this junk?” Colin rolled his eyes, tapping the table. His voice, warm yet firm, left no room for argument, “The better you perform, the safer I’ll be. Compared to that, what’s the value of a broken table if we lose people? Besides, I care more about your lives. I don’t want to come back and find you dead because we lacked a weapon. I said we’d return and eat together, and I mean it.”

Hearing this, the two slaves were moved, their eyes slightly red as they knelt, trembling, “Thank you, Lord, for your care. We will protect you with our lives.”

Similar words, but with more resolve. Colin felt a noticeable boost in morale and, upon checking the slaves’ personal information, saw that their statuses now included “Inspired,” which increased all their attributes by about twenty percent.

“Can this really work?” Colin mused, touching his chin. He didn’t think he had said anything particularly inspiring. He wondered if he could inspire himself…though that was just a thought.

Disassembling the furniture didn’t take long. Soon, preparations were complete. Colin dripped a drop of blood onto the lantern’s wick, and the dim flame flickered to life.

Then, he opened the cabin door.