Chapter Eleven: Your Name Is Little Ash

Back at home, Jia Zhengjin tied the little kobold next to the wooden crate. The moment the tiny creature touched the ground, it scurried into the gap between the crate and the wall, leaving only the trembling rope visible.

“Coward!” Jia Zhengjin glanced at the little kobold who, ostrich-like, had buried its head and left only its tail-tucked backside exposed. He couldn’t help but laugh.

There was still some time before sunset. Jia Zhengjin locked the kobold inside, then grabbed his iron axe and went out behind the house to chop wood and clear weeds.

As he gathered timber and plant fibers, he also expanded the foundation, making it easier to build more houses in the future!

Surviving well in another world required far more than just a stone house. As his level increased, skill points could unlock new technologies: a blacksmith’s shop for crafting higher-quality tools and weapons, a watchtower to survey the environment, an alchemy lab for brewing magical potions, and even, later on, a chance to unlock a mechanical factory to produce modern high-tech weapons!

All of this, however, had to start with small, everyday tasks. Rome wasn’t built in a day! As long as he had patience, Jia Zhengjin believed that, just as in the games he played, he could build a fully modern city of his own in this other world.

But it was exhausting. After another two or three hours of continuous labor, his back ached and his body felt pushed to its limits. His stamina value was fine, but his body simply couldn’t take any more.

“If you’re going to send me to another world and give me a gamer’s cheat, couldn’t you at least make me like a game character—never needing rest or feeling tired?” Jia Zhengjin grumbled, then put away his iron axe and returned home with a backpack full of logs and plant fibers.

“It’s coconuts again for dinner…” Sitting beside the campfire, Jia Zhengjin drank coconut juice and found himself missing the taste of delicious meat. “Looks like tomorrow I’ll have to find a way to improve my meals. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have buried the kobold’s corpse just now—maybe dog meat tastes pretty good?”

Thinking of dog meat, he couldn’t help glancing at the little kobold hiding behind the wooden crate. Though small, it would probably last him several meals.

As soon as that thought surfaced, he shook his head. “Not only do I not eat dog meat, but I couldn’t bring myself to harm a young kobold this small! I’ll just have to think of something else tomorrow. As for fishing, without a workbench I can’t make hooks, and I haven’t mastered using a stone spear for fishing either. Maybe I’ll check the river for something easier to catch. Whether it tastes good or not, as long as it’s meat, it’ll do! Yes, that’s the plan!”

If he weren’t worried about running into undead creatures at night, Jia Zhengjin would have gone to the river right away. But he didn’t dare wander the forest after dark—who knew what other nocturnal dangers might lurk besides the undead? For now, hiding at home was safest. The wooden spike traps around the house gave some peace of mind, as long as those pesky mushrooms didn’t show up again.

Tonight, coconut meat would have to suffice.

Using his knife, he dug out a large piece of snowy coconut flesh and put it in his mouth, pretending it was succulent poached chicken, savoring the fantasy.

Halfway through his meal, he heard the pitiful, childlike whimper of the little kobold. Its soft, milky cries were almost endearing.

The creature must have been hungry too, and so, gathering its courage, it emerged cautiously from the gap to watch Jia Zhengjin.

“Hey, Little Ash, are you hungry too?” Jia Zhengjin turned, casually cut a piece of coconut meat, and tossed it over. “Can you eat this?”

The kobold couldn’t understand Jia Zhengjin’s language, or it might have protested such a corny name. Little did it know that, in rural areas back on Earth, most dogs were named “Little Ash.”

When it saw Jia Zhengjin turn his head, the kobold immediately retreated into the gap, trembling. Only after a while, when nothing seemed amiss, did it poke its head out and glance at the piece of coconut meat nearby.

Jia Zhengjin pretended not to notice, turning his back and continuing his meal.

After hesitating a moment, the kobold kept a wary eye on Jia Zhengjin’s head, stretched out its paw, and picked up the coconut meat. It sniffed it curiously, blinked, then stuck out a little tongue to taste. Apparently finding it edible, it hurriedly stuffed the coconut into its mouth and gnawed greedily.

To be honest, its eating mannerisms made it look just like a human child.

Jia Zhengjin tossed a few more pieces of coconut over. Each time, the kobold would hide first; only when Jia Zhengjin pretended to turn away would it cautiously retrieve the food and continue eating.

Jia Zhengjin ate until his belly was round, and the little kobold’s stomach was also bulging. It was clear this little fellow was an omnivore, just like Jia Zhengjin himself.

Even after sharing food, the kobold remained wary, quickly scurrying back into its hiding spot.

Having raised pets before, Jia Zhengjin knew that in a strange environment with an unfamiliar owner, small animals were always timid at first. With time and familiarity, they would relax and become friendlier.

So he left the kobold alone, letting it hide as it pleased. He went to fetch the twelve iron ingots he had smelted earlier in the day from the now-cold furnace.

With an iron axe and iron pickaxe, he didn’t need any other tools for the time being. For digging pits and making traps, a stone shovel was enough—no need to waste precious iron. After all, resources were still scarce at this early stage.

Unlike in the game, here death would be final—no respawning for him. If he died, it would be Game Over, forever. So he used those twelve ingots to craft what was most useful right now: a crude iron shield.

With this shield, he’d stand a chance against smaller monsters. For instance, facing the skeletons he’d seen on the beach, Jia Zhengjin believed that with an iron shield in one hand and a stone spear in the other, he could defeat them head-on.

Of course, if he ran into that thunder-speed giant bird or the fire-breathing serpent, the shield would be useless. Even the triceratops-like beast he’d glimpsed during the day could easily crush him, shield and all.

This world was still full of danger; he had to stay humble and vigilant.

Reminding himself of this, Jia Zhengjin put the shield away, took out the stone, wood, and plant fibers he’d gathered earlier, and began crafting stone axes to raise his tool-making proficiency. One final push before sleep!