Magic Farm 134

Chapter 134: Three Diamond Chests, The Onset of the Bitter Cold Season

An alchemical butler automaton?

Qi Yu prepared to summon it, and a long string of prompts popped up before his eyes.

[Please select the butler’s gender.]

[Please select the butler’s race.]

[Please select the butler’s age.]

[Please select the butler’s appearance.]

[Please select the butler’s attire.]

His eyes widened.

A country bumpkin who had never played games before was instantly captivated, completely absorbed in the process.

Gender: male.

Race: human.

Age—let’s say twenty, the prime of youth and strength.

For appearance, the Dawson Trading Company offered hundreds of the market’s most popular templates.

But Qi Yu was already lost in customizing his alchemical butler: he chose his favorite golden hair and golden eyes, picking the nose, mouth, and eyebrows at random.

The physique had to be tall and sturdy—he dragged the slider to the maximum and found the butler could be set up to two meters tall.

Confirm.

Finally, the butler’s clothing.

The first few options were tailcoat suit, business suit, and gentleman’s vest suit.

There was a long list of options after that, including the possibility to design your own.

Qi Yu glanced over the options and felt the vest suit looked the most practical for work, so he selected it.

The vest suit was a complete set by default, leaving no room for customization.

[Would you like to confirm the creation of your exclusive intelligent alchemical butler?]

“Confirm.”

A swirl of white mist rose from the ground, and a tall figure emerged from the fog.

Two meters tall, powerfully built, a man with golden hair and golden eyes wearing a black suit vest. When he bowed slightly to Qi Yu, the bulging muscles beneath his clothes were impossible to hide: “Greetings, Master. I am your exclusive intelligent butler.”

His voice boomed like a bell.

Qi Yu was very satisfied, though a bit regretful: the butler looked like he could really fight. If only he could bring him into the body-forging course.

If he and the butler teamed up, they might actually be able to take down that Earth Guardian.

“What can you do?” Qi Yu asked.

Butler: “My mind is imprinted with a wealth of knowledge: basic image management, hospitality, domestic management, asset coordination… I am versed in all these areas. You may give me any instructions directly.”

Qi Yu nodded and asked, “Can you cook?”

Butler: “Yes, I can.”

“And can you fight?”

Butler: “I am proficient in forty-nine forms of standard unarmed combat. My body is forged from a blend of seven metals, ensuring I can handle ordinary security duties.”

Qi Yu’s eyes lit up: what a good butler.

Qi Yu said, “As you can see, I have a territory. From now on, you can call me Lord.”

The butler bowed. “Yes, my Lord.”

Qi Yu asked, “I often have to leave. When I’m gone, can you manage the territory’s people for me?”

Butler: “I will do my utmost. However, for safety, please imprint me with your spiritual mark. That way, you can always be aware of my status.”

Qi Yu followed his instructions and imprinted his spiritual mark.

Butler: “Please, my Lord, give me a name.”

Qi Yu froze for a moment.

He had never named anyone, any animal, or any object before.

Perhaps it was because he had never truly owned anything for long.

He thought for a moment. “This territory is in the Star Forest, so I’ll call you Xing.”

“Butler Xing, I have nothing else for you right now. Go familiarize yourself with the territory.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Qi Yu continued opening chests.

Six Refined Iron Chests.

[Obtained: Premium Long-Fiber Bedding Set x2, Alchemical Heating Stove, Blueprint: Insulated Reinforced Wall, Mage Robe Set x2.]

Each of the six chests yielded a single item.

Qi Yu had thought his luck wasn’t great this time, but on closer inspection, realized that wasn’t the case at all.

[Premium Long-Fiber Bedding Set: Made from the down of the Taildu Bird of the Winter Icefields. Long-lasting warmth, resists extreme cold. Comes with self-cleaning function to free your hands.]

Qi Yu reached out and touched it; his fingertips sank instantly into the long fibers, enveloped in supreme softness and warmth.

So comfortable—and self-cleaning, too.

A real treasure.

The alchemical heating stove was a silver, meter-high stove shaped like a vase, its surface carved with intricate openwork patterns.

[Alchemical Heating Stove: Standard alchemical product. Can connect to energy crystal cards, provides long-lasting warmth without dryness. The best choice for severe cold.]

[Blueprint: Insulated Reinforced Wall: Can thicken walls to resist extreme cold.]

Seeing this, Qi Yu’s expression grew serious.

He opened the 01 Survival Squad and sent information on the three items to the group.

[I Love Survival Games: I just got three items like this in a row. I think this is a hint from Survival Game. After Safety Day ends, next month we may be facing a climate even colder than the rainy season.]

[Old Brother Tumu: You’re a step ahead, game boss. I was just about to say—I got a few items too, not as good as yours, but all related to warmth and insulation.]

Qi Yu saw his reply and felt reassured.

He exited the group chat and checked the last item from the Refined Iron Chests.

Two mage robe sets.

The sets were complete—from outer robe to undergarments, pants, even socks and boots, all included.

One set was pale green, the other a warm yellow. At first glance, they looked like solid colors, but up close, you could see subtle embroidery in matching shades, giving them a refined look.

Qi Yu glanced out the window, feeling that these two mage robes would blend perfectly into his territory’s gardens.

He happily put them away: next time he visited Teacher Egner in these, he probably wouldn’t get scolded again.

Fourteen Wooden Chests left.

Open them all!

[Obtained: Wood x30, Milk 500ml x10, Steamed Buns x5, Instant Rice Set x2, Dessert Platter x1, Ice Cream Combo Set x1, Blueprint: Composite Wood, Snow Boots x1, Windproof Lantern x1, Cotton x60.]

The Wooden Chests mostly yielded basic survival supplies.

When Qi Yu saw the steamed buns, he felt a wave of nostalgia, as if meeting an old friend after a lifetime.

He remembered that the first food he’d gotten in Survival Game was a plain steamed bun. Back then, he’d been reluctant to eat it; even when starving, he’d only dare to eat half, afraid there’d be nothing left after.

It had only been a month, yet he’d eaten more good food than in his previous nineteen years combined.

Qi Yu washed his hands and picked up a steamed bun.

It was still warm, as if just taken from the steamer.

He took a bite—the faint sweetness and fluffy texture were just as good as ever.

He finished the bun and put the rest of the food away.

The ice cream combo set, when opened, contained twenty boxes of various flavors.

Another new thing.

It seemed to need refrigeration, so Qi Yu put them in his fridge.

The dessert platter was a large tray of ten or so different sweets, all arranged in a pretty little bamboo basket.

Qi Yu looked them over—he didn’t recognize any of them, but each looked fragrant, sweet, and beautiful.

He put them in the fridge as well.

The remaining items:

[Composite Wood: Can be synthesized from two or more pieces of ordinary wood. Burns longer.]

[Windproof Lantern: A very classic-looking handheld lantern, essential for travel in windy weather.]

Qi Yu examined the windproof lantern curiously, thinking it looked more like a fine piece of art or a decorative item.

When he checked the 01 Squad again, there were already many new messages.

A quick scan showed everyone was discussing the climate for next month.

He opened the regional channel and saw that players were talking about it there as well.

Earlier tonight, the main topic had been the regional leaderboard. But once everyone opened their treasure chests from exploration, the conversation changed immediately.

After all, the leaderboard only concerned the top hundred players, but the survival challenges after Safety Day would affect all seventy thousand survivors in District 01.

[Cockroach Tastes Weird: So it’s basically confirmed that next month we’ll face an even harsher cold snap?]

[Grind King: Looks like it. This month’s lowest temperature already hit minus ten-something. Who knows how low it’ll go next month.]

[Happy Pistachio Dark Chocolate: Heh, my chest gave me a whole-house heating system. Let the cold come—I’m not scared at all!]

[Jiangnan Misty Guest: Everyone, be sure to prepare in advance. After midnight, Safety Day ends, and it could get cold fast. Make sure you’re ready to keep warm.]

Qi Yu saw that players were already discussing and warning each other, so he didn’t say anything.

No one slept in the first half of the night.

For the top hundred players, their rewards depended on their ranking—no way could they relax without watching the clock until the very last second.

Ordinary players, too—no one knew if mutant creatures would invade after Safety Day ended. Everyone lay awake, counting down the hours.

11:50 p.m.

Qi Yu checked the temperature-control magic array.

Butler Xing came back that night, and Qi Yu realized he hadn’t prepared a place for him to stay.

Butler Xing said that, as an alchemical automaton, he didn’t need sleep like flesh-and-blood beings. He could patrol the shelter with the other automata at night.

11:58 p.m.

Qi Yu opened the leaderboard and saw the top hundred rankings rolling up and down at lightning speed.

???

He opened the regional channel and saw everyone gossiping:

[Cockroach Tastes Weird: Haha, I knew someone would hoard chests to gamble for a last-minute rank jump. But I didn’t expect so many people to try it.]

[Grumpy Bro: So intense. The top players aren’t just strong—they’re cleverer than the rest of us, too.]

Qi Yu, who hadn’t prepared anything: …

You Blue Star people really aren’t straightforward at all.

Midnight.

A Survival Game announcement popped up:

[This month’s regional leaderboard is finalized. Shortly, reward chests will be distributed to qualifying players’ backpacks.]

[Safety Day is over. Spring in the Star Forest will now give way to the harshest cold season. Players, do your best to survive.]

Qi Yu checked the leaderboard to confirm that all three golden first-place IDs were his.

The next moment, several new items appeared in his backpack. His eyes swept over them—three dazzling diamond chests.

He took them out and set them on the floor.

At the same time, he felt the temperature-control magic array begin to run at full power, the magic crystals burning much faster.

Qi Yu sensed something and opened his personal panel.

[Current location: Star Forest.]

[Today’s weather: Heavy snow, -17°C ~ -22°C, strong wind, level 7.]