Half an hour flew by.
[Prompt: The roasted fish has been cooked to perfection! Enjoy it while it's hot!]
"Finally done."
Lin Bei stepped up to check.
On the wide grill lay five golden, crispy roasted fish; their mouth-watering aroma drifted in the air, making him swallow hard.
Looking at the sizzling, fragrant fish, a flash of resolve and anticipation sparked in Lin Bei's eyes.
Without hesitation he reached out, firmly gripping the skewer threaded with plump fish.
Then he opened his mouth and took a gentle bite.
A crisp "crack" sounded as the brittle skin broke, revealing tender, juicy flesh between his teeth.
The fish melted on his tongue, rich juices flowing freely inside his mouth.
Lin Bei closed his eyes, savoring the exquisite flavor as if time itself had paused.
"Delicious!"
At this moment Lin Bei forgot every hardship around him; only the word "delicious" remained in his heart.
Yet he didn't rush to finish the rest.
Instead he opened his friends list and sent Bei Bei Nan Gua a trade request.
The trading window quickly appeared before him.
He unhesitatingly placed two aromatic roasted fish into the window.
Next he added 100 rolls of toilet paper he'd prepared earlier and clicked Confirm Trade.
After only a few seconds' hesitation, the other party confirmed.
Seeing this, Lin Bei exhaled in relief.
But just as he was about to move more supplies, another trade request from Bei Bei Nan Gua popped up.
Puzzled, Lin Bei still accepted.
A crystal key shimmering with blue light appeared in the trade window.
[Treasure Chest Key]
Level: 1
Quality: Fine
Description: A precious key able to open an excellent quality treasure chest.
Durability: 1
---
Before Lin Bei could react, the other side confirmed the trade.
He stared blankly at the Treasure Chest Key in the window.
After a long moment he came back to his senses and excitedly asked, "How did you get this key?"
"Hmm... I looted it from a glowing blue chest, looked like a Fine supply treasure chest."
She replied quickly.
Lin Bei frowned.
Strange—she should only have a Beginner Fishing Rod.
If he remembered right, an inferior Beginner Fishing Rod could at best fish up an excellent supply chest, and the chance was a pitiful 0.1%.
How, then, had Bei Bei Nan Gua obtained a Fine chest?
It made no sense.
After thinking it over, he decided to voice his doubts.
He was ready for her to refuse an answer.
Yet Bei Bei Nan Gua hid nothing and recounted exactly how she'd gained the Fine chest.
"Holy crap..."
Reading her reply, Lin Bei was stunned.
He hadn't imagined the girl codenamed "Bei Bei Nan Gua" was a martial-arts expert!
According to her, she came from a declining Ancient Martial Clan and was plenty strong; she'd killed these sea fish while retrieving supply chests.
"Ancient martial arts? Like flying and teleporting, the invincible kind in novels?"
"What are you imagining? Nothing that fantastical—just breathing and body-cultivation techniques. Long practice improves physique, and the combat forms are lethal moves, but they're nowhere near what web-novels describe."
"Then... can you tell me exactly how strong you are?"
"Hmm... at my current level, if the enemy has no guns, I could probably beat thirty grown men to death in a row."
"..."
Lin Bei fell silent.
Damn—thirty men in unarmed combat, and she talked as if it were nothing worth boasting about.
"Um, could you teach me ancient martial arts?"
Glancing at his own pathetic 5 Combat Power, he asked hopefully.
"How old are you?"
"Twenty."
"No good—too old. To learn ancient martial arts you must start before sixteen."
"...All right."
Helpless, Lin Bei looked again at his measly 5 Combat Power and sighed. "Guess I'll have to rely on leveling up for a power spike."
"Damn, the girl's already diving into the sea for chests while I'm stuck on this island waiting to die."
"Am I really that weak?"
"Still, I unlock a new system every week when I sign in. Maybe next time I'll get one that keeps boosting Combat Power."
"Like... +100 kg of strength per day? Or an Infinite Sword-Draw System—every draw permanently raises Combat Power?"
Just imagining it made him drool.
He wished he could skip ahead seven days and see if heaven would bless him with the "Invincible Combat Power System" he dreamed of.
"By the way, Big Brother Bei Ming, it's getting hotter here—how is it on your side?"
A private message snapped him out of his reverie.
"Same here, scorching."
Lin Bei glanced at the blazing sun outside his warehouse and felt a wave of heat.
"Do you think this is part of the survival test? The announcement said every seven days is a season cycle—could we be heading into the Hot Season?"
Bei Bei Nan Gua sent another message full of guesses about what lay ahead.
But after reading her words Lin Bei's face darkened and his brows knit tightly.
He suspected her guess was probably correct.
If so, he had to prepare for the heat in advance.
With that thought he crafted a warehouse and traded it to Bei Bei Nan Gua.
"Take the warehouse—it'll give you shade."
"Thanks."
"No need—you've given me plenty; we're just helping each other."
Lin Bei replied with a smile.
Then he took out more food and water and traded them to her.
Learning she was an ancient martial heir with an appetite far beyond ordinary people, he intended to sweeten the deal and cement their cooperation.
It was an investment; he believed she would bring him bigger surprises in the future.
Like the previous Synthesis Scroll and now the Treasure Chest Key.
He had the system's help, but an extra stable supply route was always welcome.
What if his luck turned rotten and he kept getting junk?
Never put all your eggs in one basket.
The girl Bei Bei Nan Gua was strong and lucky.
As long as she kept surviving, she would surely give him greater returns.
They chatted a bit more and then ended the conversation.
"Finally got a treasure key."
Lin Bei jumped up, hurried to an excellent quality chest, and used the key.
"Let's see what good stuff comes out this time!"
"Open for me!!!"
[Prompt: Successfully used Treasure Chest Key! Opening excellent chest—]
[Prompt: Chest opened! Congratulations, you obtained...]