Natural Disasters Strikes: I stockpiled like crazy!-Chapter 260: Sunfire Desert
[3-Star Buzzbane Plant]
[Its leaves contain volatile oil that naturally repels and causes temporary debuffs to Tier 3 and below insect-type monsters.]
From the five bundles she had planted, Nanzhi harvested five kilograms of leaves.
It would take another six and a half hours to harvest the next batch.
But there was another problem—she didn’t know how to extract the oil from the leaves without losing or weakening its effectiveness.
If she had more time, she could figure it out through repeated experiments. But now, she couldn’t afford such luxury.
So, she turned to the only one who could help her.
A certain system, finally unable to withstand her persistence, gave in.
[Try exploring the new resource dungeon.]
Nanzhi instantly understood what the system meant.
After reaching Level 25, both the weekly exploration chances for the Mini Dungeon and the Weekly Dungeon had reached the limit of three.
But now, the available times became more flexible.
The Weekly Dungeon could be accessed on any day of the week, no longer restricted to certain times.
Meanwhile, the Mini Resource Dungeon, which had originally been open only from 4:00 to 7:00 pm, now gained an additional access period from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon.
At the same time, a new type of dungeon appeared after Level 25 in the Mini Dungeon.
Perfect timing. She hadn’t used her chances in the Sleet-Storm Sanctum, saving them for the new dungeon. She now had three chances available.
"System, are you really sure the complete serum recipe I want is inside this new dungeon?"
[Yes, but you’ll need some luck for it to drop.]
Nanzhi recalled all the dungeons she had entered and sorted out those that had appeared during the heat wave.
She rubbed UV-protection and sunscreen lotion all over her body, then changed into a breathable, loose-fitting beige long-sleeve shirt and pants. She added a cooling vest filled with ice packs, and finally a UV-reflective coat.
Light, breathable gloves covered her hands, and heat-resistant boots protected her feet.
A cap with a neck flap, Polaroid sunglasses, and a moist cooling scarf tucked into her collar, plus another scarf wrapped around her face, completed her head protection.
Her backpack held emergency medicines, a compass, insulated water bottles, electrolyte drinks, a knife, rope, and vials of frost-bane serum just in case.
Her waist bore her bolo machete, and her gloved hand gripped a long stick.
Now, she looked like a mummy—just lacking a sarcophagus.
When the clock struck nine, Nanzhi entered the Mini Resource Dungeon.
[You’ve entered the Weekly Resource Dungeon.]
[Sunfire Desert]
Reading the line, Nanzhi confirmed her guess. Her preparation had not been wasted.
[Dungeon Difficulty: Medium]
[Clear and received 2000 EXP]
This new dungeon actually gave four times the previous rewards. It must be because of the increased difficulty.
The sun burned red in the sky, heavy as if it could fall at any moment. Heat twisted the air above the sand. Nanzhi stood at the starting point of the Sunfire Desert. She glanced at the thermometer dangling from her waist.
55 degrees Celsius. Hiss.
At this temperature, a person could survive without cooling or hydration for only one to two hours.
Nanzhi felt a wave of nostalgia.
It was still the same as she remembered—or rather, even more ferocious. In the game, she had died multiple times before reaching the end of the map, only managing to clear it after building up heat resistance from repeated failures.
But this time, she didn’t have the game character’s built-in heat resistance. Without the protective layers she wore now, she wouldn’t last long.
Like the Sleet-Storm Sanctum, the Sunfire Desert Dungeon was divided into three stages.
The area where she spawned was called the Scorched Dunes.
The sand stretched endlessly. Each step sank slightly, heat pushing upward from the ground like invisible flames. At first glance, it looked ordinary, but in the game, these dunes were unstable and cunning.
The sands shifted in unnatural waves, hiding deep pits and sharp rocks. One careless step could send a person plummeting into a trap.
She used her long stick to probe the path ahead. Some sand near her feet collapsed, revealing treacherous pits beneath.
Nanzhi froze. She was glad she hadn’t moved blindly from the spawn point.
In this desert, you couldn’t tell direction by sight. The sun was useless for orientation because it was always daytime in the dungeon. It was easy to get lost.
She took out her compass and began walking north, following her memory of the game.
Even with caution, the sand underfoot collapsed once more, and she stumbled, barely catching herself on a rock edge. Heart racing, she crawled forward.
From now on, she used extra force to test the sand so the incident wouldn’t repeat.
Tiny heat vents hissed through cracks in the sand—explosions of superheated air that could burn instantly. Nanzhi jumped and rolled carefully to avoid them.
The further she went, the hotter it became.
Current temperature: 58 degrees Celsius.
Even with frequent water intake, de-buffs began to appear.
[You are experiencing Mild Heat Fatigue]
[A debuff: 1 point of stamina loss per minute]
After the alert, Nanzhi felt lethargic. Her speed slowed visibly, and her head throbbed. She remembered how it felt in her past life when the heat wave struck.
Fortunately, emergency medicines and electrolyte drinks still provided temporary relief.
She didn’t use the frost-bane serum yet, saving it for the last stage.
The dunes eventually gave way to a wide plateau, called the Sandstorm Expanse in the game.
Current temperature: 60 degrees Celsius.
At this point, the efficacy of heat-relieving garments, medicine, and water diminished.
Her inner clothing was soaked, and sweat trickled endlessly down her body. She quickly finished half a bottle of electrolytes.
[You are experiencing Moderate Heat Exhaustion]
[A debuffs of 3 points of stamina loss per minute, 30% decrease in movement speed, and dizziness]
Her current stamina had dropped from 37 to 34.
Besides the system’s notification, she felt her vision blur. Nanzhi wet her thick scarf covering her neck, collar, nose, and mouth with water, giving herself brief relief. Her stamina stopped dropping.
She dared not let her guard down.
It was not called Sandstorm Expanse for nothing.
Almost immediately, sands began to rise with the winds.
The sandstorm swirled quickly, turning the air into a blur of red. Even with layers of protection, heat radiated from the sun-baked ground in waves through cracks and fissures. She bent low, bracing against the gusts, feeling the ground shift beneath her careful steps. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
Nanzhi stayed in position to avoid being swept away.
Hot sand hammered her for what felt like a nightmare-long three minutes, like being baked in an oven.
The de-buff alert popped again.
After the winds temporarily calmed, Nanzhi pressed forward, taking measures to relieve the debuff. Still, it persisted as Mild Heat Fatigue.
In the distance, something shimmered with golden light.
At first, she thought it was a hallucination, but the glow didn’t fade.
Could it be...
Her heart raced. She headed in that direction first.
After ten minutes, another sandstorm whipped toward her. Nanzhi dashed for a half-meter rock. Facing the battering hot sand, she didn’t complain about the scorching surface of the rock and positioned herself in its lee.
Whoosh!
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Mausoleum near Longmen Base...
