It was an entire case of bottled water!
A full twelve bottles!
In this world surrounded by seawater, fresh water meant life.
Lin Ji twisted open a bottle, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp.
The sweet, cool water flowed down his throat, dispelling the heat in his body.
"Refreshing!"
He deliberately shouted.
Over there, Su Qingyue’s throat visibly bobbed.
She licked her slightly chapped lips, her gaze involuntarily drifting toward the water bottle in Lin Ji’s hand.
But proud as she was, how could she possibly beg this "rogue" for it?
Su Qingyue gritted her teeth and, imitating Lin Ji, picked up the iron hook to give it a try.
However.
The iron hook looked simple but was dead heavy to use.
As a delicate young lady who usually couldn’t even twist open a bottle cap, where would she find the strength to swing this hunk of iron?
After several attempts, the hook fell limply into the water each time, not even stirring up a splash.
Finally, she managed to hook a box.
Su Qingyue exerted all her strength to pull it up.
She opened it with great anticipation.
Inside was a shiny crystal ball.
The kind of birthday gift you could find everywhere in a two-dollar store.
Su Qingyue’s face instantly fell.
What use was this?
Could she eat it?
Could she drink it?
Furious, she wanted to throw this worthless ball back into the sea.
At that moment.
Lin Ji’s gaze was fixed intently on the crystal ball.
In his eyes, this ball that Su Qingyue despised was emitting a dazzling blue light!
[Name: Taboo Artifact · Divination Crystal]
[Quality: Blue (Rare)]
[Function: Can perform a daily divination for the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of ordinary events.]
[Special Effect: If the holder possesses a divination-type talent, it can slightly enhance the accuracy of the talent.]
[Decomposition Yield: 500 Evolution Points!]
Lin Ji’s breath nearly stopped.
500 points!
That green condom earlier was only worth 5 points.
This thing was actually worth 500 points?
Moreover, it could even enhance divination-type talents.
Lin Ji thought of the "Prediction" function within his own "Eye of Insight."
This was practically a divine artifact tailor-made for him!
"This thing..."
Lin Ji forcefully suppressed the excitement in his heart, not showing any unusual expression.
Su Qingyue’s academic brain was sharp.
If he appeared too eager, she would definitely notice something was off.
Then, if he wanted to get it from her later, he’d have to pay a hefty price.
He needed to use his wits.
Lin Ji withdrew his gaze, pretending as if nothing had happened, and continued sorting through his own spoils.
Besides the case of water, he had also hooked half a bag of whole wheat bread and a baffling tennis racket.
Though a bit tired, the harvest was substantial.
By now, the sun had risen high, and with no shelter on the sea surface, it scorched the skin painfully.
Lin Ji wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Let’s rest for a bit."
He set down the iron hook, focused his mind, and summoned the System Interface.
A light screen unfolded before his eyes.
Several icons were arranged on it: [Personal Panel], [Chat Channel], [Trading House], [Backpack], [Illustrated Guide].
Behind were several pitch-black icons, indicating they were still locked.
Lin Ji opened the [Chat Channel].
Instantly.
Countless messages cascaded across the screen like a waterfall.
This was a global venting session.
And also the fastest way to gather intelligence.
The Chat Channel had long since exploded into chaos.
Every second, 99+ messages scrolled past.
"Help! I can’t swim! Someone save me!"
"Mom! I want to go home! Waaah..."
"Hahaha! I awakened an A-grade talent! I’m the chosen one!"
"Stop dreaming, you upstairs. I have an S-grade talent and I’m not even bragging."
"Does anyone have water? I’ll trade you a Rolex! It’s a gold watch!"
"Get lost! In this situation, a Rolex isn’t even worth a piece of bread."
Lin Ji quickly skimmed through these messages.
Most of them were nonsense.
Panic, insults, boasting, begging.
This was the true reflection of human nature in extreme circumstances.
Suddenly, an inconspicuous message caught his attention.
"Don’t go into the water! Whatever you do, don’t go into the water!"
"Just now, the guy next to me tried to dive down to grab a crate, and then... something in the water seemed to drag him under!"
"All blood... red blood..."
"He never came back up..."
Lin Ji’s heart skipped a beat.
Something in the water?
He instinctively glanced at the fathomless sea surface.
Beneath the calm waters, it seemed as though countless monsters with gaping, bloody maws were lurking.
Right at that moment.
That familiar mechanical voice echoed once again in everyone’s minds.
[Ding!]
[It seems everyone has begun to adapt to this wonderful start.]
[Well then, the game officially begins.]
[Now announcing the first phase mission: Drift with the Tide (Novice Welfare Period).]
[Description: To accommodate all you rookies, the first 24 hours are the Novice Protection Period. The Resource Refresh Rate on the sea surface is increased by 300%, and you will not encounter Proactive Aggression Type Sea Monsters.]
[Swing your hooks to your heart’s content! Gather as many resources as possible!]
[Because starting tomorrow... true hell will descend!]
[Good luck, survivors.]
As the voice faded, the Chat Channel erupted once more into a chorus of wails and howls.
Lin Ji, however, breathed a sigh of relief.
At least today was still safe.
He had to make the most of his time.
He closed the panel, ready to get back to work.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Su Qingyue on the neighboring raft.
The icy campus belle seemed to have calmed down now.
No longer as panicked as before, a hint of cold determination had replaced the fear in her eyes.
She was staring at her own palm.
From the center of her palm, wisps of white, chilly air continuously emanated.
She was trying to control her talent.
But aside from making the air slightly cooler, it didn’t seem to be of any use.
"Damn it..."
Su Qingyue gritted her silver teeth, shaking her hand in frustration.
Was an E-grade talent really this useless?
Was she truly destined to be nothing more than a human air conditioner, only capable of Refrigeration?
Just as her spirits sank, a teasing voice drifted over.
"Miss Su, the campus belle, don’t waste your energy."
"Instead of practicing on thin air over there, how about giving me a hand?"
Su Qingyue looked up, her gaze cold as she stared at Lin Ji.
"No."
Her refusal was crisp and decisive.
Lin Ji wasn’t angered. He pointed at the case of mineral water by his feet, warmed by the sun.
"Don’t be so quick to refuse."
"Look, it’s so hot out, the water’s been heated by the sun."
"If you’re willing to put in the effort and help me chill all this water..."
Lin Ji picked up a bottle of water and shook it.
"I might consider giving you one."
Su Qingyue’s throat betrayed her again with an involuntary gulp.
She hadn’t had a drink of water for half a day.
Her lips were so dry they were peeling, and her throat felt as if it were on fire.
But...
To serve this scoundrel who was taking advantage of her plight?
"In your dreams!"
Su Qingyue turned her head away, her expression stubborn.
"Alright, very principled."
Lin Ji smiled, then unscrewed a bottle of water.
Gulp, gulp.
Right in front of her, he took several more big swigs.
Water trickled down the corner of his mouth, the sound practically torturing Su Qingyue’s nerves.
One minute later.
"...Just chill it, and that’s all?"