Yun Luohe was just about to leave the mudpit zone when she noticed the ground ahead was far too saturated—it was practically a pool of muddy water.To get across, simply laying down planks would not suffice. Her sailboat was too large to navigate through here. What this place truly required was a raft or a kayak.But she had neither. And just imagining the trading center told her enough—no one was likely to be crafting rafts to sell.As she found herself caught in this dilemma, she suddenly noticed several crocodiles surfacing in the muddy water.Most of their bodies were buried in the sludge, their backs armored with rough, grey scales, only two deep-set eyes visible, blending in almost seamlessly with the swamp. If Yun Luohe had not suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, she might never have spotted them.She quickly realized—this must be how her [Unknown +10] trait manifested.This kind of premonition had occurred many times before. It did not always signal danger, but it allowed her to sense things without the need to see them directly.The crocodiles stared coldly in her direction.Yun Luohe’s mind was in disarray, her thoughts racing for a countermeasure.Crossing in this state was no simple task.The water was too deep to pave a path with planks, meaning the only option was to wade through it. But now that crocodiles had emerged, that idea was no longer viable.Yun Luohe thought of one possible strategy: step on the crocodiles’ heads and sprint across. The grassy area ahead was only about a dozen meters away.A dozen meters—at her speed, that would take just a few seconds. But could the other two do the same?She could not afford to turn around to check on them—her nerves were taut and hyper-focused.She remained still, and so did the crocodiles.At such a distance, with the crocodiles covered entirely in mud and nearly fused into the swamp, the others likely had no idea what was happening. But she had not moved for a while—surely, they would notice something was wrong if they looked her way.There was another option: kill all the crocodiles, then use their corpses as stepping stones.Not far away stood a normal tree. If she could make it there, she could chop it down, bring back the trunk, and lay it across the swamp so the other two could walk over.That plan would ensure all three of them could cross safely.Now then… how many were there in the mud?She counted carefully. Around seven or eight. All small-sized—most likely swamp crocodiles.Though there was a possibility more remained hidden…Yun Luohe weighed all factors and variables and swiftly made her decision.She was going to kill all the crocodiles.Their hides and meat were valuable resources, and she trusted her own strength. If she could eliminate them all, not only could she pass safely, but she would also secure a large supply of crocodile meat and skins.She began by targeting the crocodiles furthest from her with arrows.Moving silently, Yun Luohe took out her bow and arrows—but instead of nocking them immediately, she pulled out two mushrooms she had picked earlier from a tree:Dream Mushroom and Mandarin Mushroom.She had only gathered two Dream Mushrooms along the way and planned to save one for later. The other she crushed and thoroughly coated an arrowhead with.Since she always wore gloves, she was not concerned about the toxins seeping into her skin. If her fingers had a cut, the mushroom juice could poison her instantly.As for her dagger, she meticulously smeared it with the creamy juice of the Mandarin Mushroom.The mushroom was pitifully small—only enough to coat the dagger’s surface with a thin layer.With preparations complete, one of the crocodiles had already begun to approach.It was now only three to four meters away.Fortunately, Yun Luohe had collected the planks earlier. She had three left to step on.She stepped back twice, drew her bow, and loosed three arrows in quick succession—each piercing the head of the nearest crocodile.The Dream Mushroom’s toxicity proved potent. After thrashing in the mud for a brief moment, the crocodile went still. Yun Luohe did not hesitate—she fired two more arrows. This time her aim faltered, striking the back instead. The crocodile’s hide was tough, and only one arrow managed to graze it. The poison did not fully take effect, but its movements slowed.This was her opening.Yun Luohe grabbed another arrow, aimed straight at its eye, and let loose.Bullseye.With two crocodiles neutralized, she finally exhaled and glanced at the others.The wounded ones made little noise due to the poison, but the remaining crocodiles were growing increasingly agitated.Sensing Yun Luohe as a threat, they began surrounding her from all directions.She counted again—two more had joined the pack.Now the real hunt begins.Her breathing was steady, her expression unchanged. She leapt forward several steps, stepping—She had to conserve arrows.In just over ten seconds, she executed her entire plan. But as she approached, another crocodile lunged, jaws wide open, ready to bite.She emptied her quiver—seven arrows fired, hitting four crocodiles.A passable hit rate—barely.Yun Luohe was not pleased, but now was not the time to reflect. She put away her bow, drew her dagger, and braced for close combat.The blade gleamed coldly, though the mushroom extract made it look grimy.Yun Luohe leapt onto a crocodile’s head. Another crocodile lunged—she snatched up a wooden plank and jammed it into its mouth. The beast bit down hard, splintering it instantly.At that moment, Yun Luohe drove her dagger into the crocodile’s eye, pulled it free, and stabbed again into its nostril.The crocodile had opened its massive maw—but now, paralyzed, its jaw snapped shut uncontrollably.Its head stiffened, mouth frozen shut. Only its eyes still twitched faintly—no longer a threat.Three left.Yun Luohe’s stamina must have nearly run dry—she could feel herself weakening, but she had to press on.Fortunately, her bursts of power were formidable.She quickly wounded two more crocodiles.But the final one, hidden in the mud, seized a chance while she was distracted. It swam under her feet, rammed the crocodile she stood on, and sent Yun Luohe tumbling into the swamp.As her body sank, she immediately grabbed the rope. The suction of the swamp was intense—but she was strong. Within two seconds, she dragged herself onto the paralyzed crocodile, crawling atop it.That crocodile was not dead—only immobilized by the poison. No one knew when it might recover, so Yun Luohe’s move was extremely risky.But she had no other choice.She looked back at the crocodile that had knocked her off.And was met with a gaping maw.Without hesitation, Yun Luohe threw her dagger vertically into the beast’s mouth, then flipped her body to dodge.The crocodile’s jaws snapped shut with terrifying force—so hard it bit through its own mouth, blood spraying everywhere. It howled in agony. The dagger lodged through its jaws, leaving it unable to open them again.The remaining bit of Mandarin Mushroom toxin on the blade soon paralyzed its nervous system.Yun Luohe collapsed on a plank, utterly exhausted. She had to stay perfectly balanced—one wrong move and she might not have the strength to climb out again.At that point, she no longer cared about dirty hands. She grabbed a piece of food and shoved it into her mouth.After swallowing a portion of fish meat, her stamina and strength recovered slightly. She did not delay—immediately crawling over and methodically finishing off each poisoned crocodile.[Consecutively killed 8 crocodiles. Achievement unlocked: Crocodile Exterminator][Reward: Golden Crocodile Skin Backpack ×1][Crocodile Exterminator: +10% damage to crocodiles. Disassembling crocodiles has a chance to yield extra crocodile skin.][Golden Crocodile Skin Backpack: Has a maximum carrying capacity of 80 kilograms. As long as this limit is not exceeded, there is no burden felt.]Yun Luohe: “!”Her face was smeared in mud, looking utterly disheveled—but her smile beamed brightly.Looks like the gamble paid off.This was a massive win.With this backpack, collecting supplies in the future would be much easier.Eighty kilograms… roughly the weight of a crocodile.At that moment, Yun Luohe turned back toward her teammates. She saw Mu Zitang waving frantically, but they were too far apart to shout—doing so might attract unwanted attention. Yun Luohe understood at once and quickly pulled up the light screen to check messages.Sure enough, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Mu Zitang had sent several.They had seen Yun Luohe fighting something from afar. After a long look, Mu Zitang finally realized it was crocodiles. Both of them were terrified—but had no way to assist.Yun Luohe replied:“It’s alright. I will head over now. In a moment, pull back the rope and follow my path exactly. The last part is all water—hand me the axe, I will chop down a few trees to lay a road.”Yun Luohe got up and bought several ordinary ropes from the trading center. She tied the eight dead crocodiles together.Then she stepped on their corpses and crossed the mudpit.Only when her feet landed on solid ground did she finally let go of her breath.With all her strength, she dragged the ropes and pulled the crocodiles onto land, then disassembled them in one go.[Obtained: Crocodile Meat ×400, Crocodile Skin ×15]Yun Luohe’s eyes went wide.Four hundred portions of crocodile meat.She had truly struck gold this time.It was an absurd amount.That actually made sense, come to think of it. A single fish yielded five portions of fish meat, and each of these crocodiles weighed well over a hundred pounds. Only getting fifty portions of meat per crocodile was not much at all. The extra crocodile skins she had received, though, must have been thanks to the [Crocodile Exterminator] effect.Yun Luohe picked up a piece of crocodile meat to inspect it.It was quite a large chunk—snow-white with a slight pink shimmer, its texture delicate and smooth. Visually, it was not much different from regular fish meat, and it likely tasted good too, though she had never tried it before.[Crocodile Meat: Rich in protein and various vitamins. Promotes muscle growth and recovery. Highly beneficial for strength-type players. Can be cooked into various high-quality dishes.]Four hundred portions of such premium meat, all at once. When she returned, she could use it all for meals. She would not need to worry about food for a long time.Plus, it was perfect for strength-focused players—just what she needed.[Crocodile Skin: High-grade leather. Can be used to craft armor, backpacks, shoes, and more.]A single piece was massive—probably an entire crocodile’s hide.It had plenty of applications. She would study it properly once she got back. If she could make a few more Golden Crocodile Skin Backpacks, she would not have to worry about limited storage space during expeditions. As long as the pack did not exceed its weight limit, there would be no burden at all.She had already wasted enough time. Yun Luohe quickly went to chop trees. Qin Sisi had already made it halfway across.Caked in dirt, Yun Luohe bought a few units of purified water from the trading center to clean her hands and face, then rinsed her mouth. Earlier, her hands had been covered in mud, and she still ate. There had been no choice in that moment, but now that she thought about it, it was a little nauseating.Still, given the circumstances, there was no room for squeamishness.Yun Luohe chopped down five trees in short order, loaded the trunks into her backpack, and carried them back to the mudpit. She tossed one forward, stepped onto it, then threw the next. She tied two trunks together to stabilize them. One by one, she laid them across. In this way, they could all safely cross the swamp.Once everything was in place, she sat down to rest and catch her breath.Qin Sisi crossed without incident.Only Mu Zitang remained. Qin Sisi and Yun Luohe waited for him on the other side while having lunch.As Mu Zitang walked, he noticed some peat moss in the swamp.He had come to the island specifically to gather resources and hoped to bring back a full haul.Finding the moss lifted his spirits—maybe he could find something rare again.But the moss lining the path had mostly been picked clean by Yun Luohe. Not much was left. He found only a few pieces and, feeling it was not enough, took out a shovel to dig into the mud. The outer edge of the swamp had contained clay; who knew what might be hidden deeper inside?And just like that, he found something.A pitch-black chunk—it looked like coal!Wait, no.Mu Zitang picked it up and took a closer look.It was peat.[Peat: Moist, carbon-rich fuel material. Can be processed into Peat Bricks for burning, or refined into Activated Charcoal, Nutrient Soil, Seedling Pots…]This was clearly useful stuff.Mu Zitang messaged Yun Luohe, telling her he had found peat and wanted to dig up more before heading back. He asked them to wait ten minutes—it would not take long.Meanwhile, Yun Luohe was chatting with Qin Sisi and eating while resting. She did not even glance at the light screen and had no idea what was happening on Mu Zitang’s side.Only when too much time passed and it seemed Mu Zitang was not moving at all did she finally check the messages.She saw his message about digging peat—and suddenly had a bad feeling.Just as she sent a message urging him to stop, an enormous explosion rang out.Swamp gas beneath the mudpit had detonated.At first, Mu Zitang had only heard a strange fizzing and caught a whiff of something foul and rotten. But caught up in the excitement of finding valuable resources—peat and a large quantity of clay—he had ignored the warning signs.Then, a ghostly blue flame erupted out of nowhere, igniting the leaked swamp gas beneath the surface.In an instant, Mu Zitang had no time to react before a powerful shockwave blasted him away.At the explosion’s epicenter, the surrounding mud, rotting vegetation, and the strange trees rooted in the swamp were all launched into the air—high above—before raining back down in all directions.Yun Luohe and Qin Sisi were stunned.“What just happened?”Qin Sisi had no idea.But Yun Luohe immediately realized.This swamp had a massive reserve of swamp gas. Her earlier sense of unease had not been about the crocodiles—it had been about this gas.Once exposed and mixed with enough oxygen, swamp gas could explode violently.She could not help but feel lucky she had not tried digging in the swamp. But Mu Zitang…If he had been caught in the blast, he might not have survived.The explosion left a deep crater at the center, filled with scorched mud and belching acrid smoke. Fortunately, there was no surrounding vegetation, so the fire had not spread—only the trees were burning.Yun Luohe thought, What a shame about the mushrooms on that tree.Even if they had not burned, she would not have been able to retrieve them.However, the explosion had blasted open a deep pit, sending many buried materials flying out of the swamp and scattering them all over. Now, anyone could just walk around and pick them up.Yun Luohe could already see clay, peat, and even some strange bugs scurrying away. The bizarre tree, now burned to chunks of gray-black wood, might have uses of its own.But she ignored all of that.Her first priority was to find Mu Zitang.Please don’t tell me there’s nothing left of him…Yun Luohe’s face turned pale.She had brought him here. Even if the explosion was not her fault, she would definitely feel terrible if he died because of it.She searched frantically, and finally, at the swamp’s edge, spotted a charred figure half-buried in the muck.She stared for a moment to confirm—it was Mu Zitang.He was lying still, motionless, as if already gone.The mud had been blown away by the blast, and the searing heat from the swamp gas fire had instantly dried the swamp. The ground was now hardened, and Yun Luohe could walk on it freely.The flames had not reached Mu Zitang, thankfully. But his clothes were scorched, his body caked in filth—"dirty" was an understatement.She saw several burn marks on his body. He was just lying there, not moving at all.Yun Luohe softly called his name.“Mu Zitang…”To be honest, she thought he was already dead.To be caught at the center of a swamp gas explosion and survive? It was almost impossible.Yun Luohe approached, intending to carry his body somewhere and bury him properly.But the moment she touched him, she saw his fingers twitch. His hand clenched and then released, dropping several shriveled insect husks—dried, hollow shells of bugs, as if they had been squeezed of their flesh and blood.A dozen or more.“Mu Zitang! Wake up!”Yun Luohe cried out again and rolled him over so he was facing her.Qin Sisi had heard her and came running. As a doctor, she had been searching elsewhere for Mu Zitang.“How is he? Let me see.”Qin Sisi knelt and quickly examined him. After a moment, she let out a breath of relief.“He’s still alive.”She paused. “But his breathing is unstable. He’s extremely weak right now.”Being alive at all was already a blessing. Mu Zitang must have had the luck of a devil.Surviving something like that was a miracle in itself.Then Yun Luohe suddenly recalled his trait.Could it be… because of [Bloodthirsty]?The two of them carried Mu Zitang away from the swamp and laid him down on a patch of clean grass. Qin Sisi said that all they could do now was wait for him to wake up on his own.Yun Luohe fed him a little water, but beyond that, there was not much they could do.They decided to leave him there to rest while they went to pick up the resources that had been blasted out of the mudpit. There was no way they were going to leave such a treasure trove behind.It was a bit ironic—Mu Zitang’s explosion had sent the swamp’s resources flying, and she and Qin Sisi were the ones to benefit… while Mu Zitang himself ended up seriously injured.The swamp was large, so Yun Luohe and Qin Sisi split up. Yun headed toward the trees that had caught fire—she was especially interested in the mushrooms that had grown on them and still hoped to gather a few more. Besides, the tree itself looked unusual. Now that it was burnt, perhaps even its roots or husk could be of use.When she arrived, the tree had been completely blasted apart at the base. The mushrooms were either burned or had fallen into the muddy water and were now too filthy to use.A real pity.The trunk and branches had been charred into blackened logs. Only a few twigs had not burned completely. Yun Luohe walked over and used her shovel to extinguish the remaining flames.Then she noticed a particularly shaped root on the ground.It was all that remained of the tree’s root system.[Rotwood Mire Root: A lifeless root from the strange swamp tree. Maybe you can find a way to bring it back to life.]Yun Luohe had no idea how to revive such a thing, but since she had the Trash Can, she figured she would bring it back and try.She continued collecting roots, as well as a large amount of clay and peat.The mudpit was full of bug corpses. It looked pretty revolting.Once she had gathered enough, she left that area.Time was running short—they had other places to explore.Qin Sisi was a bit slower and still collecting, so Yun Luohe decided to check on Mu Zitang.When she got there, she saw him opening his eyes.“How do you feel?”“I…”Mu Zitang’s voice was weak—barely audible.“If you cannot talk, just message me.”Yun Luohe opened her light screen. “We’ll type.”Mu Zitang gave the faintest nod and began composing a message to her.“While I was digging, it just exploded. I remember getting blasted into the air and grabbing a handful of mud…”Yun Luohe frowned. “Mud?”“Yeah. There were a lot of bugs in it. I think… as I was going down, I heard the system say something.”Mu Zitang sent her a screenshot.It was a character trait notification.[Bloodthirsty Trait Awakened: Skill 1 – Blood Fury: When HP instantly drops to 1% + Burn status, triggers Auto-Leech effect]This skill had apparently saved Mu Zitang’s life.He now had only 3 HP left. A light fall could finish him off.Yun Luohe did not know whether to call him incredibly unlucky or just impossibly lucky.Mu Zitang: “Sis Yun, are you two alright? You’re not hurt, are you? This is my fault… If I hadn’t dug around, none of this would’ve happened.”“We’re fine. The swamp blew up and launched a ton of materials into the open. Qin Sisi’s still picking them up. I got some too.”Mu Zitang felt a pang of regret—but he could not show it on his face. He was still too weak to move. Regenerating his HP would take time and food.“Don’t worry. Once we’re back, I’ll share some of it with you.”Mu Zitang: “Thanks, Sis Yun. But really, you do not have to. We agreed that I’d split my harvest with you—how can I accept your stuff?”Honestly, if it had not been for Mu Zitang, the swamp would not have exploded, and Yun Luohe would never have collected so many resources. Her backpack now held over 150 units of clay.Yun Luohe did not argue. “We’ll talk about it later.”Mu Zitang looked at the new line that had appeared beneath his character traits and blinked slowly.Achievement: Rebirth in Blood (Survive death using the Bloodthirsty trait and kill 10 targets)It had really been dumb luck.Who would have thought—while tumbling midair from the blast, he grabbed a fistful of mud… and it just happened to be full of bugs. Among them were over a dozen midge larvae, which sucked his blood and helped him survive just long enough to trigger the achievement.These midges lived in swampy wetlands and fed on rot. They were tiny and barely drained any blood—if they had been stronger, he would have gained more than 2 HP.But those 2 HP were what saved his life.Even Mu Zitang himself found it hard to believe.He might be unlucky, but somehow, he always scraped through at the last possible second. Just when everything went to hell—he pulled off a comeback.This time, the achievement reward was going to be something special.They had given him a blueprint—for crafting a Lifeblood Weapon, a personal, blood-linked item that could synergize with his [Bloodthirsty] trait. From now on, each monster he killed would grant him bonus damage—and a small amount of HP recovery.Mu Zitang's combat stats, previously unimpressive, had now increased dramatically.All in all, this disaster had turned out to be a blessing in disguise.He did not tell Yun Luohe about the achievement, feeling a little guilty inside. But everyone needed to have their own trump cards. Just because he did not share everything did not mean his trust in Yun Luohe had changed.If not for her, he would never have encountered this opportunity at all.Having survived this ordeal, he was determined to grow stronger—strong enough that Yun Luohe would not have to keep protecting him. He wanted to help her too, in any way he could.Now that he had awakened the [Bloodthirsty] skill, all he needed was to craft his Lifeblood Weapon, and he would become much more formidable.Mu Zitang slowly clenched his fist—but found he had no strength left in his body. All he could do was let out a helpless, bitter smile.Yun Luohe had no idea he was thinking so much. She only sensed that something about his aura had changed.Once Qin Sisi returned, they decided to find a safe place for Mu Zitang to rest while the two of them continued exploring. They would come back to pick him up around four o'clock.They had already made it past the swamp; the other side of the island was just ahead. The entire island was roughly circular—heading right for a few kilometers would lead them straight to the coastline.Mu Zitang had no grounds to object. He could not ask them to abandon exploration just for his sake. Besides, he could not do anything in his current condition—he could only rest.It was better for him, too.Yun Luohe promised she would come back for him, so there was nothing to worry about.Besides, if they really left him behind for good, he had no way to stop them anyway.—Yun Luohe and Qin Sisi continued deeper into the island.Ahead was a ring of trees—it looked like a natural barrier, enclosing something within. A thick white mist curled through the woods, completely obscuring whatever lay inside.It was eerily silent.Not even the chirp of a bird or a single insect buzz.So quiet, it felt… unnatural.Yun Luohe stared into the mist and said in a low voice, “If we run into danger, fall back immediately.”Qin Sisi’s expression was grim. “Got it.”She held a longsword in one hand, likely made of refined steel.She had not taken it out until now—Yun Luohe silently noted that Qin Sisi’s background must be substantial as well.—Yun Luohe had already retrieved all her arrows earlier. She now carried her bow on her back and kept a dagger in hand, ready to enter combat at any moment.They walked for quite a while without encountering any threats. As they advanced, the number of trees visibly decreased.Yun Luohe began chopping trees. She still wanted to find some special timber to collect and bring back—not only would it boost her reef's rating, but high-grade wood had all kinds of uses.For example, she needed hardwood to upgrade her bow.Most of what she chopped down was ordinary wood, but she did find several pine trees.From those, she collected a few pinecones—the seeds of the pine.There was also pine resin, which she gathered carefully.[Resin: Applied to wood surfaces for waterproofing, helps maintain fire, increases durability of wooden tools. Can be used to craft weapon coatings and various items.]Qin Sisi began chopping trees as well. After all, wood was always in demand.But just as Yun Luohe was about to eat something to recover her stamina—She suddenly frowned, alert. Something felt off.She scanned the area but saw nothing.Qin Sisi, standing nearby, noticed her expression. “What’s wrong?”“It feels like… something’s coming…”The next second, Yun Luohe heard it—a strange buzzing sound.“Do you hear that?” she asked quickly.Qin Sisi blinked. “Hear what?”Yun Luohe had no time to explain. She immediately stowed her dagger and opened the trading center interface to purchase a fire torch.Her hands moved quickly—but even so, it might already be too late.A massive swarm of bizarre wild bees was flying straight toward them.Their bodies were vivid orange and red, clustered together in a dense, deafening mass.To make matters worse, the ground had also started to shift—countless bugs appeared from nowhere, crawling in dense, wriggling clusters from every direction.Qin Sisi went pale.Yun Luohe was better off, but still looked visibly shaken.This… this was worse than crocodiles.There was no way she could fight them one by one with a dagger.Her weapons—and her physical strength—were no match for this kind of threat.

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