"Smells so good..."
"So firm..."
Lin Ji felt as if he were having a wet dream.
That unique fragrance from a girl allowed him to sense it even with his eyes closed.
"Ah!"
"Lin... Lin Ji?"
"What... what are you doing!!"
A trembling scream pierced through, nearly rupturing Lin Ji’s eardrums.
Then.
Slap!
A crisp slap echoed.
Lin Ji felt like his brain matter had been thoroughly shaken by that slap.
"Damn! What are you doing!"
He jolted awake, clutching his burning cheek, utterly bewildered.
Opening his eyes.
No ceiling, no yellowed dormitory walls.
Instead, a stunning face flushed crimson to the point of seeming to bleed came into view.
Su Qingyue?
Lin Ji was dumbfounded.
Wasn’t this the aloof campus belle of our Haicheng University?
The one who usually walked with an air of elegance, her gaze cold enough to freeze anyone.
But now...
Her clothes were disheveled, her expression panicked.
The once meticulously buttoned warm white shirt had lost two buttons, revealing a generous expanse of skin that made Lin Ji’s eyes widen.
And he was lying on top of her in an utterly humiliating position!
That wet dream earlier...
Could it have been...
Gulp.
He swallowed hard.
It’s over.
There’s no way to clear my name now.
"Pe... pervert!"
Su Qingyue’s eyes were red, filled with shame and fury.
Her gaze seemed ready to devour him whole.
"Ahem, well... I said it’s a misunderstanding, would you believe me?"
Lin Ji awkwardly tried to get up.
But his foot slipped.
"Ah!"
Su Qingyue let out another startled cry.
Lin Ji lost his balance and tumbled onto her again.
This time, even more precisely.
His face buried directly into the deep cleavage.
"Mmph mmph..."
After struggling to get up, Lin Ji quickly backed away, raising his hands above his head.
"I surrender! I surrender! This time, it really wasn’t on purpose!"
Su Qingyue sat up in disarray, clutching her chest tightly.
Huddled in the opposite corner, tears fell one after another.
She looked like a frightened little rabbit, with none of the aloof goddess aura left.
Only then did Lin Ji have a chance to observe their surroundings.
At this sight, his heart sank.
Water was everywhere.
Blue seawater stretched as far as the eye could see.
Beneath their feet was a raft made of a few broken planks, creaking with every slight movement, as if it could fall apart at any moment.
"Where the hell is this?"
"A prank? A reality show?"
"Who dumps people in the middle of the ocean for a prank show!"
Just then, a ding suddenly echoed in his mind.
It was like a computer booting up in an internet cafe, complete with sound effects.
[Welcome to the Global Nautical Survival Game!]
[Here, there are no laws, no morals—only survival!]
[Want to stay alive? Then listen carefully!]
"Huh?"
Lin Ji was stunned.
Auditory hallucination?
Or... a system?
As a seasoned novel enthusiast, he was familiar with this trope!
A translucent screen suddenly appeared before his eyes, densely packed with text.
[Survival Rules (Mandatory Reading Edition):]
[1. Starting with one person, one hook, and one raft: Don’t complain—this is all you have.]
[2. Don’t get off the raft if you want to live: If you stay in the seawater for more than 10 minutes, your body will become fish food.]
[3. Everything Can Be Hooked: Wooden barrels, plastic, and planks floating in the sea are all treasures! Use the iron hook in your hand to pull them back!]
[4. Evolution Is the Ultimate Truth: Killing monsters and collecting trash can earn you "Evolution Points." This stuff can upgrade your raft and even strengthen yourself!]
[5. Beware the Night: From 8 PM to 5 AM, don’t wander around without light. Something is watching you in the darkness, hehehe...]
[6. Talent Awakening: For the sake of fairness, everything from the old world has been reset! The more handsome or wealthy you are, the more likely you are to awaken a trash-tier talent! Surprised? Shocked?]
[7. Silently recite "System" to open the Navigation Log Interface. Wishing you all a pleasant game.]
After reading all this, Lin Ji had only two words in his mind:
Bullshit!
Is this what you call fair?
This is just hating the rich and envying handsome guys!
Sure, Lin Ji might not have much money, but his face was at least department-level handsome.
Doesn’t that mean he’s screwed?
He instinctively glanced at Su Qingyue.
This campus belle came from a wealthy family and had stunning looks—a true winner in life.
Given how things were going...
"What are you looking at!"
Su Qingyue noticed his gaze and glared at him fiercely.
But with her red, swollen eyes, it had zero intimidation.
"Nothing, just wanted to interview you. What earth-shattering, tear-jerking talent did our campus belle Su awaken?"
Lin Ji asked with a mischievous grin.
Su Qingyue bit her lip, seemingly hesitating.
After a long while, she finally stretched out her fair, delicate palm.
Whoosh—
A wisp of white mist rose from her palm.
It looked like... the cold air that escapes when you open a refrigerator door.
"That’s it?" Lin Ji widened his eyes.
"E-grade... Refrigeration."
Su Qingyue’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum.
"The system says... it can be used to make chilled drinks in the summer."
Pfft—
Lin Ji almost burst out laughing.
Chilled drinks?
In this godforsaken place where you could be swallowed by a shark at any moment, are you planning to sell milk tea?
"Hahaha... cough, sorry, couldn’t help it."
Seeing Su Qingyue’s murderous glare, Lin Ji quickly stifled his laughter.
"Don’t lose heart. At least we won’t have to worry about the heat anymore."
"Don’t laugh at me! What about you? What’s yours?" Su Qingyue retorted defiantly.
Lin Ji shrugged and opened his own panel.
He thought to himself, even though I’m handsome, I’m still broke. Shouldn’t I at least get an S-grade?
[Name: Lin Ji]
[Talent: Eye of Insight (B-grade)]
[Description: You can see through the essence of things and even glimpse a thread of fate’s red string. Support-type, combat trash.]
B-grade?
Not bad.
Better than some, worse than others.
But... what the hell is "combat trash"?
"Hmph, not that impressive either."
Seeing his talent, Su Qingyue felt a little more balanced.
The two stared at each other, and the atmosphere grew awkward.
Just then.
Lin Ji’s gaze inadvertently swept over Su Qingyue again.
His normal vision suddenly glitched like scrambled code, flickering wildly!
[Ding!]
[Detected abnormal fluctuations in the host’s mental energy!]
[Divine Evolution System has been activated!]
[You can help others evolve their talents!]
[Please note: Only beauties who meet the scoring criteria are eligible for evolution.]
Holy shit?
A system within a system?
Is this some kind of nesting doll?
Lin Ji rubbed his eyes and looked at Su Qingyue again, completely stunned.
Su Qingyue’s head was crowned with several lines of shimmering golden text!
[Target: Su Qingyue]
[Rating: 95 points, peerless beauty, meets evolution criteria]
[Current State: Flustered and furious, wants to kick you into the sea]
[Hidden Evolution Paths:]
Consume 50 Evolution Points -> D-Class · Human Air Conditioner (increased Refrigeration range).
Consume 200 Evolution Points -> C-Class · Frost Archer (ever played Plants vs. Zombies?).
...
[Ultimate Form: SSS-Class · Frost Winter Empress (the kind of super badass who can freeze the entire ocean into ice sculptures with a wave of her hand!)]
Lin Ji’s Adam’s apple bobbed violently.
He abruptly turned his head to look at the dilapidated wooden plank beneath his feet.
[Item: Rickety Raft on the Verge of Falling Apart]
[Evolution Path: Raft -> Catamaran -> Iron Ship... Steel Warship -> Aircraft Carrier -> Spaceship]
Holy shit!
While everyone else’s talent levels are fixed, I can actually upgrade mine?
Lin Ji’s breathing instantly grew ragged.
He sprang to his feet and strode over to Su Qingyue in a few steps.
"Wh-what do you want?"
Su Qingyue shrank back in fright, crossing her arms protectively over her chest. "I’m warning you, don’t try anything funny!"
Lin Ji grabbed her shoulders, his gaze so intense it seemed capable of melting her.
"Classmate Qingyue."
"Even though you’re a good-for-nothing right now, I..."
"I have a way to turn you into a queen!"
"Just listen to me, and forget about chilled drinks—we’ll be able to chill this entire ocean in the future!"
Su Qingyue was dumbstruck.
Staring at this man before her with his fanatical eyes and eerie smile, only one thought crossed her mind:
Has this guy... lost his mind from fright?