As resources entered the treasury, the once-barren warehouse finally filled up.
A searing heat radiated from within, causing the warehouse's temperature to spike by several degrees.
The warehouse manager, gripped by curiosity, stepped inside.
He found the space filled with glass bottles and items wrapped in burlap.
"Red liquid? It's boiling!"
He reached out to grab a bottle, but the heat radiating from the glass forced him to recoil and let go.
He instantly regretted it.
A liquid this hot certainly wasn't ordinary; a single bottle could be worth millions.
If he broke it, wouldn't that be an absolute waste?
Fortunately, the glass bottle seemed imbued with a special power, refusing to shatter like common glass.
Even after hitting the floor, it remained perfectly intact.
Ignoring his burned palm, the manager donned gloves, carefully returned the bottle to its place, and turned his attention to the burlap.
As he unwrapped the package that had appeared alongside the bottles, a mouth-watering aroma hit him.
It was a massive, steaming, tender meat chop!
Having not yet eaten, the hungry manager felt his mouth water and couldn't help but take a bite.
A fragrant, meaty scent filled the air, and his mouth was flooded with savory juices.
This was the most delicious food he had ever tasted in his life!
Moreover, it was incredibly satiating; after just one large mouthful, his hunger vanished completely.
"There's something extraordinary about this meat!"
As he felt his body grow stronger, the manager's expression shifted drastically.
He could clearly sense a potent, warm energy spreading from the meat through his limbs.
Everywhere it flowed, it left a comforting, cozy sensation.
He felt reinvigorated as a mysterious strength surged within him; even the burns on his hand from the bottle vanished instantly.
The manager was now overflowing with vitality!
Realizing the miraculous nature of these items, he reacted immediately.
"Send these to the research institute!"
At the Nine Provinces Research Institute.
Things moved quickly; the moment the national rewards manifested, resources were funneled here.
Headmaster Quill was the first to inspect the haul.
"So this is the blood and meat of the Hydra!"
He carved off a small piece and tried it; as expected, it was exceptionally delicious.
He distributed samples for study, and the preliminary results arrived shortly.
"Similar to the block world, the Hydra Chops provide massive nutrition. A tiny piece is enough for a person's daily intake!"
"Furthermore, it contains a form of magical energy that can cure all ailments, strengthen the constitution, and even regrow lost limbs!"
In the block world, Hydra Chops do provide a health regeneration effect.
Regrowing limbs was a logical extension of that.
The Minoshroom's Meaty Salad had similar effects, whereas the Fiery Blood, while not edible, was different.
It possessed incredible resilience and could be used as an additive in metalworking!
After being infused with this blood, metal strength increased by more than an order of magnitude, becoming tougher and far more resistant to breaking.
It also had broad applications in other fields, such as agriculture and fuel!
Munching on a Hydra Chop, Fries's mental state was better than ever.
"The Nine Provinces shall flourish!"
First, they gained the physique of Steve, and now they had resources like meat and blood covering food and industry.
Their strength would undoubtedly skyrocket in a short time!
Tens of thousands of tons of Fiery Blood and Hydra Chops—if applied to the military...
Just how powerful an army could they build?
Fries didn't dare to imagine.
While the nation grew stronger, Galen Yu's rewards within the block world were equally magnificent.
Among the various items, the one that caught his eye most...
Was a dark, polished object that looked like a block of obsidian.
The Annihilation Cube!
'In the game, this thing can only be obtained in Creative Mode. There's no way to craft it normally!'
Some speculated it was linked to the legendary final boss, but the Twilight Forest never had a final boss.
The Final Castle had remained a regret for many players for over a decade.
Back then, Galen Yu had yearned for the Final Castle and desperately wanted an Annihilation Cube.
A cube rumored to be capable of destroying the entire world!
When released, it could pulverize every block in its path. It was devastatingly powerful!
He never expected to fulfill that childhood regret today.
He selected the item, and as he held it, he found it surprisingly light and easy to handle.
With a toss, the giant polished obsidian block flew out, moving according to Galen Yu's will.
Any ice blocks in its path were instantly shattered, and it didn't even slow down for any stray penguins.
It simply vaporized them, continuing its unstoppable forward momentum.
When Galen Yu swapped his active item, the obsidian block flew back to his hand, dealing damage to every block and creature in its path once more.
"Awesome!"
Looking at the loot scattered across the ground, Galen Yu couldn't help but marvel.
With this thing, why would he ever need to mine again?
One round trip and everything was smashed. It was incredibly convenient!
Stowing it away, Galen Yu moved on to the other rewards.
Besides the Annihilation Cube, the Charm of Life was equally broken—it was essentially the Twilight Forest's version of a Totem of Undying.
It could negate a single fatal blow and grant the player five seconds of regeneration.
As a defensive tool, it was formidable.
The Miniatures were scale models of various Twilight Forest locations—another feature never fully realized in the game.
They were decorative and could be placed in a chunk to increase its score.
The Ore Magnet was an item occasionally found in Hollow Hills; when used, it would pull nearby ores toward the player, making it very handy.
"A Giant Guardian too?"
Galen Yu muttered to himself as he finished his inventory check.
Normally, one would need to plant Magic Beans to reach the Sky City to encounter a Giant Guardian.
They were elite mobs that looked exactly like the player but were colossal in size.
Now that one had become his servant, the thought of two Galen Yus—one big and one small—meeting was quite amusing.
"Speaking of which, since the boss has been defeated, I assume the Aurora Palace is empty now?"
He tunneled through the walls to enter the interior.
Sure enough, there were no Snow Guardians or Ice Crystals to be seen, only treasure chests sitting on the floor waiting to be picked up.
It would be a waste to leave good loot behind. After a quick circuit...
[Sugar Cane x3, Sand x2, Coal x7...]
[Maze Wafer x10, Ironwood Ingot x3, Firefly x3...]
[Arctic Fur x2, Enchanted Book (Multishot), Enchanted Book (Protection)...]
He really had found quite a bit of good stuff!
With more enchantments unlocked, Galen Yu could now find enchanted books outside the vanilla set.
Multishot—an effect that allowed a bow to fire additional projectiles.
Coincidentally, Galen Yu had acquired such a bow after defeating the Snow Queen.
The Tri-Bow—a divine bow that could fire three arrows at the cost of only one!
Galen Yu didn't care much for ordinary bows, but this weapon was excellent. If paired with Multishot and Infinity...
Three shots per volley would become nine!
If he fired that at point-blank range, even a boss wouldn't be able to take it, right?
After collecting everything, Galen Yu left the Aurora Palace, ready to head home.
"Ten or so days... it was a bit slow, but it's finally over!"
With his current gear, surviving the Crisis should be manageable, right?
In any case, he had obtained most of what he needed from the Twilight Forest; there was no reason to stay.
He located the portal on his map and prepared to return.
It was a fair distance from the Snowy Forest, so it took him a few days to find his way back.
Before leaving, he specifically placed TNT to destroy the portal. After a bout of dizziness...
A notification rang in his ears.
[SYSTEM: SURVIVED TWENTY DAYS. THE SECOND ZOMBIE CRISIS HAS BEGUN!]
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