Compilation of intel arrived via Mu Zitang.Yun Luohe noticed that Lin Zhu had recently been investigating the whereabouts of Symbiotic Crystals. Last time, when Tianji Pavilion ran a promotion saying you would get intel on Crystals with the purchase of an expensive package, Lin Zhu had bought that high-tier package. He had also looked into which islands had Obsidian and was coaxed by Mu Zitang into purchasing quite a lot of island intel.Just yesterday, he had spent heavily again, buying up a large amount of intel related to Traits.Now, he was already an A-rank member.It seemed that Lin Zhu had started researching Traits as well.But for him to suddenly start digging into all of this, there had to be some special reason.After Lin Zhu shared intel on Bat Island in the group chat, Zhao Xuan spoke up.“Bit too little,” Zhao Xuan commented.Lin Zhu replied, “True, but intel on Volcano Island is scarce too.”“Still, Bat Island has something I want, so let’s head for Bat Island.”Yun Luohe said, “Why don’t we discuss the division of tasks and what supplies to bring in advance?”Lin Zhu responded, “You’ll need to bring extra food. If we run out of supplies, we will trade with you later.”Yun Luohe replied, “No problem.”“Also, if we do not gather enough resources, Zhao Xuan and I plan to spend the night on the island to collect more materials. Are you alright with that?”“Overnight?” Yun Luohe was surprised.She had never stayed on an island overnight before. Every time, she would leave as soon as it got dark.“Yeah, back then we did not have proper lighting equipment. But now we have lamps, and I made a camping tent. In theory, spending the night should not be a problem—as long as we pick a safe spot. Or, frankly, we do not even need to sleep at all. We can power through the night by eating to restore energy, then rest after we get back to the reef.”What Lin Zhu said made sense.Staying overnight was risky, but it would provide significantly more time to gather resources from the island.The longer the exploration, the higher the chances of finding hidden supplies. The Four Seasons Islands were vast, and even after a few hours of landing, exploration had barely begun.Lin Zhu added, “Besides, I was thinking—maybe some resources only appear after nightfall.”“But the risk factor is extremely high. Have you considered safety?” Yun Luohe asked.Lin Zhu replied, “Of course safety matters, but fortune favors the bold. I am willing to take the risk.”Yun Luohe hesitated for a moment. If Lin Zhu dared to do this, he probably had some level of confidence. After all, who would gamble their life without any backup plan?But he was lucky enough to turn misfortune into fortune. She, however, was notoriously unlucky.“Since you two have already made up your minds, I have nothing more to say. Spending the night is fine—but before departure, we need to sign a Life and Death Agreement. Guarantee that if anyone is in danger, everyone gives their full effort to help.”Yun Luohe was alone, and the other two were together. If she got into trouble, they might ignore her—or worse, kick her while she was down. If that happened, how could she make it back alive?Better to set the rules clearly upfront. Sign the agreement first, then discuss the cooperation details.Lin Zhu and Zhao Xuan had no objections.After all, Yun Luohe’s combat capability was not low. Having her full support would greatly increase their own safety. ****Since they were leaving tomorrow, Yun Luohe had to produce a Military Shovel tonight.Only players with the Forging skill could craft a Military Shovel. Yun Luohe had previously asked Mu Zitang to search for Forging players. But even if they found one, she was unwilling to hand over the blueprint. Once they had the blueprint, they could craft Military Shovels themselves.The Military Shovel blueprint was different from the Soul-Drinking Twin Blades blueprint Mu Zitang had given out. It was not a personal exclusive weapon—anyone could craft it.The materials were not complicated either, making it fairly easy to produce.It was better to keep the blueprint for herself.So, she had been waiting, hoping the Association would obtain a Forging skill book internally.Or they could pull a player with Forging into the Association’s Management Trainee Program.Since Yun Luohe had personally given the order, Mu Zitang was paying special attention to the task.Though he had assigned subordinates to search, he frequently checked in for progress. Just now, he received a reply—there was a level 3 Forger willing to join the Association. But the player had conditions: the Association needed to provide large quantities of high-grade Forging materials to ensure he could consistently craft high-grade weapons.Mu Zitang immediately went to negotiate with the person himself.He never expected it to be someone he already knew.A player who had once ranked in the system’s top ten leaderboard.Yang Mian had proposed one condition—he would not become the Association’s exclusive Forger. He would only craft weapons he wanted to make. He would not waste time and effort crafting low-end weapons just for the sake of leveling up Forging. If he was going to forge, it had to be quality items.The main reason he was even willing to join the Survival Mutual Aid Association was that he had seen the Association provide a lot of support to regular players recently. Unlike the Emperor’s Luck Association, which made excessive demands.Moreover, Tianji Pavilion was also managed by the Mutual Aid Association. Everyone with half a brain knew the two were linked, especially with Mu Zitang constantly promoting them together.By joining the Association, he could probably gain access to plenty of insider intel from Tianji Pavilion, which would benefit him.He did not want to join the Emperor’s Luck Association, but being a lone wolf forever was not an option either.After weighing the pros and cons, he agreed.For a high-level player like Yang Mian, there was no way Mu Zitang would turn him away—regardless of the demands, he agreed.Plus, he had never planned to make Yang Mian craft weapons for all Association members anyway.Mu Zitang said, “No problem. As long as you join, you will enter our core group immediately. Everyone there has high-level skills. You will see for yourself that our benefits are excellent. And if we ever ask you to craft a weapon, it definitely will not be an ordinary one.”Mu Zitang also had his eyes on his own Twin Blades. If Yang Mian joined, maybe he could commission him to craft them.After securing Yang Mian’s agreement, Mu Zitang pulled him into the main Association group chat. Then he went to inform Yun Luohe, as her approval was needed before adding Yang Mian to the Management Trainee Program group.Yun Luohe was surprised.The world really was small—the circles intertwined. To think the Forger they had found turned out to be her acquaintance.She and Yang Mian had just talked last night. Yun Luohe had traded him some food for a few materials.“Alright, you can add him to the group. He is on my friends list. I will chat with him myself.”—Yun Luohe opened her chat with Yang Mian.She composed her words carefully. How should she tell him about her relationship with the Survival Mutual Aid Association? She was not in the main group chat, so currently only a few core members in the Management Trainee Program knew that Yun Luohe was one of the Association’s leaders.With Yang Mian joining, he was bound to find out.Rather than let him figure it out himself, it was better to tell him directly.“I just heard from Mu Zitang that you joined the Mutual Aid Association,” Yun Luohe messaged.Yang Mian had not closed his interface, so he saw her message immediately.He was puzzled but mostly curious. It seemed like Yun Luohe’s relationship with Mu Zitang was not ordinary, considering Mu Zitang had informed her so quickly. And now it appeared Yun Luohe was part of the Association too.“Yeah, I did. You are in the Association as well?” he replied.Yun Luohe answered, “I am. Right now, Mu Zitang and I are managing the Association together. Welcome aboard.”In the early stages, Yun Luohe had more or less been a hands-off boss. Only now that the Association had grown did she gradually start getting involved.“I see,” Yang Mian replied.Although surprised, things made sense now.It really was quite the coincidence.But knowing a familiar person was running the Association made him feel more at ease.While he and Yun ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) Luohe were not exactly close, his impression of her had always been good.“Now I will add you to our Association’s core trainee group. Everyone in there is a priority candidate for development, but at the moment, they are still potential talents—their growth has not yet taken off. You probably know this already, but most of our Association members are notoriously unlucky.”Yang Mian asked, “So I’m the only one with Forging?”“That’s right. The other key skills are already covered. You are the first with Forging.”Cooking and Forging skills were rare across the entire Zone.Probably because food and weapons were the two most essential resources.Skill books themselves were scarce, and nurturing skills required massive material support.Cooking paired naturally with Gathering, and Forging could not exist without Mining.Yun Luohe had already learned both Cooking and Gathering, which made her development much faster than others.Fortunately, Mu Zitang had learned Mining. The two of them could team up effectively in the group.After a brief exchange, Yun Luohe took a screenshot of the Military Shovel blueprint and sent it to him.“Since we’re in the same Association now, I’ll be straightforward. I have a good weapon blueprint here—take a look.”Anyone who saw the Military Shovel blueprint would know it was top-tier.It could be classified as both a weapon and a multifunctional tool. One shovel, endless utility—its advantages shone through anywhere.The only catch was the high material cost—it required Refined Steel and Obsidian. Luckily, the quantities were small, making it feasible to craft.“I’d like to ask you to make a shovel for me. I’ll give you the blueprint, I’ll provide the materials—but on one condition: next time I need one, you have to forge it unconditionally. Also, if any player from the core group needs one, you must help them too. Of course, they will supply their own materials.”Yun Luohe only had one piece of Obsidian left. If it were not for this expedition, she would have been reluctant to use it.Yang Mian replied, “No problem.”Yun Luohe’s terms were completely reasonable—not excessive at all. Besides, Yang Mian was thrilled when he saw the blueprint. With this tool, he could handle countless tasks and skip the hassle of constantly switching equipment.“Can you have it ready for me tonight? I’m in a rush.”Yang Mian said, “Should not be a problem.”Just to be safe, they conducted the trade through the system. Once Yun Luohe sent the blueprint and materials, Yang Mian was obligated to fulfill the agreement.After adding Yang Mian to the Management Trainee group chat, Yun Luohe introduced the new member.She also took the opportunity to inform the group about the Association’s training plans for trainees.Taking Forging as an example:The entire group—and even the broader Mutual Aid Association—would prioritize resource support for them, such as distributing Iron Ore and Refined Steel first for Forging.Other players in the group would help them complete daily Forging tasks to boost their EXP gains.Additionally, Yun Luohe or Mu Zitang would issue skill-related missions in the group every few days to push them to improve. Completion would yield extra rewards. There were no punishments for failing, but future resource allocations would naturally favor those with higher completion rates.The same principle applied to players with other key skills.With Yang Mian added, the group now had ten members.Two more had joined recently—one with Gathering, the other with Beast Taming.Considering Yang Mian had come aboard, Yun Luohe thought she might as well sound out Qin Sisi.Qin Sisi had not joined the Emperor’s Luck Association, and her personal development seemed strong. If they could bring her into the Mutual Aid Association, it would be a major advantage.She decided to have Mu Zitang send someone to approach Qin Sisi. If Qin Sisi refused, Yun Luohe had no intention of revealing her connection to the Mutual Aid Association for now.—The next day, Yun Luohe organized all the supplies she needed. After drinking a bowl of oatmeal milk porridge, she received an invitation from Lin Zhu to form a travel team.After accepting, she quickly appeared on an island.The moment she set foot on Bat Island, a chilling, eerie aura hit her. The sight before her eyes made her uncomfortable.The entire outline of Bat Island resembled a massive bat with its wings spread wide. Towering white mountain ranges flanked the east and west, like two insurmountable walls.A vast stretch of black sand beach looked particularly sinister.However, black sand beaches were typically formed by volcanic basalt and basaltic lava. Those fine black grains of sand could very well be a usable resource.

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