【Congratulations! Player has successfully crafted Strength-enhancing dish — Garlic Lobster】【Reward: Wolf Fang Potato ×1】【Congratulations! Player has successfully crafted Luck-enhancing dish — Sweet & Sour Fish】【Reward: Chocolate Ice Cream ×1】【Congratulations! Player has crafted Dark Cuisine — Flatbread Wrapped with Potato Chips and Stinky Tofu】【Reward: Kale-Bitter Melon Juice ×1】【Cooking Skill leveled up — Lv.4】【Reward: Oven ×1】Yun Luohe cooked more than a dozen dishes in one go, unlocking three additional achievements. Her Cooking Skill finally leveled up again.Just as she was about to open the Cooking Skill details panel, a new message popped up.【Congratulations! You are the first player to reach Level 4 Cooking Skill】【Reward: Star Book of Cooking Skill】Yun Luohe lit up with delight and quickly retrieved the Star Book.It was filled with content, providing detailed explanations on how to level up Cooking Skill, as well as how to use it to craft more dishes with special effects.It even explained how to link other skills together to make strange and creative food.This Star Book of Cooking Skill could be called a complete development guide for mastering the skill.Once the skill reached Level 5, she would be able to develop special-effect foods like cold-resistance, heat-resistance, or agility boosts.Right now, her focus was crafting more high-star dishes.Each dish gave experience—Ordinary-quality food granted 2 EXP, High-quality gave 5 EXP, and Superior-quality gave 10 EXP.To craft high-quality food, ingredients were crucial.But just as important were balanced pairing, nutritional value, and of course, flavor.The Star Book also mentioned that upon reaching Level 5, players could choose a specialization path or a Star Recipe Book.That book would contain various achievement-based dishes.Once obtained, it only required gathering ingredients over time and cooking through its listed recipes to drastically increase Cooking Skill.Perfect!Yun Luohe held the book and studied it carefully for a good while, memorizing all the key points.She reviewed the details of all the dishes she had just made and found that Sweet & Sour Fish had the best effect:+3 Luck, +1 Agility, and +20 Stamina Points — perfect for eating before island exploration and resource gathering.She would make several more tomorrow.What was more, Ròubāo seemed to be in much better spirits after eating it.Of course—it was always happy when eating.It had already devoured the entire pot of Garlic Lobster.Now it lay on its back at Yun Luohe’s feet, belly full, exposing its soft tummy.Yun Luohe squatted down and gave it a gentle rub.So soft—all meat.Yun Luohe said, “Ròubāo, did you eat too much? You need to exercise more. If you get too fat, you won’t even be able to jump.”“Meow! I will not!”Its mouth still carried the lingering smell of Garlic Lobster and Sweet & Sour Fish, looking utterly content.Before going to bed, Yun Luohe performed her usual task of organizing the Resource Crates.She checked which materials were running low, which were in excess and could be traded or used for crafting tools.She gained new resources every day.There were blueprints she had not been able to craft before due to missing materials—now she could.If she did not check frequently, something would surely slip through the cracks.After flipping through her inventory, she even found a high-level blueprint she had forgotten about—[VERTICAL PLANTING RACK:Three-tier steel structure with built-in automatic sprinkler system.Triples the planting area compared to a regular garden plot.Encased in protective glass cover to shield crops from corrosion.][Materials Required: Iron Ore ×30, Glass ×15, Obsidian ×5, Plastic Tubes ×3, Fiber Ropes ×50, Mycelium Soil ×8]She had not been able to build this earlier due to a shortage of Obsidian.Now she had enough—and all the other components too.But whether or not to build it now was the question.Her existing planting area was still sufficient.If she used up the Obsidian now and suddenly needed it urgently later, she would be in trouble.Maybe it was better to wait until the need arose.Instead, she could make a few more Multi-Function Outdoor Engineer Shovels.They had proven highly useful during the Bat Island expedition.And Obsidian was sharper than Refined Steel.Some hardwoods could not even be cut with a steel axe—She would need a higher-grade axe, so crafting an Obsidian Axe was also worth considering.Everyone in the Trainee Group had made it into the Top 100 in Zone 2 and had signed up for the Wilderness Survival Competition.Yun Luohe planned to equip everyone with a Combat Shovel.If they did not have Obsidian, she could provide it in exchange for materials—or they could repay her later when they got some.Cheng Xuening had ranked 89th.For a new player to make it into the Top 100 was already impressive.There were fewer than ten new players in all of Zone 2 who made the Top 100.So Cheng Xuening was within the top ten on the New Player Leaderboard.She had also earned many rewards, including Obsidian and a PET CONTRACT SCROLL.The Tree Monkey she had brought back from the island had mostly recovered from its injuries.Upon learning the benefits of forming a pet contract, Cheng Xuening had gone ahead and contracted it.Now that Yun Luohe had obtained the SHADOW-PIERCING NIGHT HUNTER KNIFE,if Cheng Xuening wanted, she could also craft her a PET SATCHEL, so she could bring the Tree Monkey along.Having a pet meant another helper, and it also gave a chance to strengthen the bond and coordination between pet and owner.Day 24, early morning. Yun Luohe—She had gathered all the required resources, thanks to the entire SURVIVAL MUTUAL AID ASSOCIATION working together.The Association now /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ had over one hundred members.Each person had contributed dozens of logs, and combined with the stockpile she had gathered from Trash Bin recycling, Yun Luohe had managed to gather all 10,000 units of Wood needed for the upgrade.The rest of the materials were collected by over ten members assigned by Mu Zitang.Of course, Yun Luohe had provided raw materials and exchanged for most of the tools—she had not taken anything for free.This upgrade had emptied half her backpack, and cleared out several resource crates.But when she tapped the Upgrade button, a message popped up—Her Reef Score was not high enough.To upgrade to Level 6, in addition to the materials, there was a hard requirement:Reef Score must be at least 120.She currently had only 109.Still more than ten points short.And Reef Score was not easy to increase.She had fought hard just to raise it for yesterday’s Ranking Leaderboard.She checked the Reef Scores of others on the leaderboard.As of yesterday, no one had surpassed 120.That meant no one had upgraded yet.If she could just increase her score quickly—she might become the first to upgrade.The temptation of being first left Yun Luohe unable to simply go to sleep.She searched the Trade Center for any furniture or decorations that could raise the score.She even threw some useful materials into the Trash Bin in hopes of getting lucky through recycling.All for the sake of the upgrade—she went all in.[Crocodile Skin + Redwood + Cotton + Cotton Cloth + Furniture Blueprint recycled → Acquired: Plush Leather Sofa ×1][Seabird Feathers + Coral + Pearls + Butterfly Phosphor Powder recycled → Acquired: Luminous Coral Ornament ×1][Blood Crystal Shards + Blood Bat Wings + Crimson Moss + Carpet + Pearl recycled → Acquired: Crimson Night Carpet ×1]She attempted fifteen different combinations.Twelve of them failed, wasting a lot of materials.Most of the items she got were useless.Only these three were high-quality.But when Yun Luohe saw their item descriptions, she was overjoyed.Plush Leather Sofa: +5 Reef ScoreLuminous Coral Ornament: +1 Reef ScoreCrimson Night Carpet: +6 Reef ScoreThat last burst of effort had pushed her score up just enough.As long as the goal was achieved, the spent materials were worth it.She immediately tapped Upgrade.When the system prompted [Upgrade Countdown: 20 hours], Yun Luohe finally relaxed.It would take some time, but at least the upgrade was underway.Whether she was the first or not—she felt her chances were high.Yun Luohe thought for a moment and made her decision—Tomorrow, she would go ashore.There was still a day left before the Competition began.She had just enough time to spend a day on the island and return in time.What was more, she had finally crafted the PET SATCHEL.She had gotten the final CRYSTAL STONE from Qin Sisi, in exchange for a Combat Shovel.This time, Yun Luohe would bring Ròubāo with her.She only had one PET SATCHEL, so only one pet could go.If she brought Yúntūn instead, Ròubāo would definitely be upset.For so many days, Ròubāo had been left behind to guard the reef.Now that she finally had the means to carry a pet, if she took the new one and left it again—it would never stand for that.So even though Yúntūn was especially clingy, Yun Luohe chose to take Ròubāo this time.She promised Yúntūn it would go next time.Ròubāo was smug.As it walked, it struck a proud pose, lifting its chin to glare at Yúntūn.But Yúntūn was well-behaved too.It knew Yun Luohe had left it to guard the reef, and obediently said it would wait for her return.“Hiss hiss! Héhé, what do you want me to do? I can dig and plant crops!”Last time, it had learned how to garden while helping Yun Luohe.Yun Luohe chuckled, “No need. I won’t be staying overnight on the island.If I don’t return by nightfall and any fish beasts show up, you’ll need to kill them—but don’t use poison, because I’ll be using the fish meat for cooking.Also, if there’s anything caught in the fishing nets, pull it up for me, then cast it back out—basically, do what Ròubāo used to handle.”Yúntūn thought for a moment. “I got it!”Yun Luohe said, “Still, I’ll show you once, just to be sure.”Before setting off, she led Yúntūn to the edge of the reef and pointed to the fishing net. “This one. If there’s something in it, just pull it up.”Yúntūn spat out a strand of silk, hooked it onto the rope of the net, and hissed as it pulled. Very quickly, it had dragged the fishing net out of the water and up onto the reef.“That’s right. Just like that. Good job. We’re leaving now—be good and stay home.”Yun Luohe left it two BLOOD CRYSTALS along with some REFINED STEEL and IRON ORE, just in case it got hungry.As for the Symbiotic Crystal Powder, Yun Luohe decided to wait until it grew a little older before trying that. It was still in its juvenile stage, and if the mutation got out of control, it would be a disaster.She really liked Yúntūn’s soft and sweet personality—she did not want it to mutate into something else. Even if its strength increased, if its personality changed too, wouldn’t that be a terrible tradeoff?【Welcome to: Frog Call Island…】Yun Luohe had done her homework on Frog Call Island as well—she had studied all eight Resource Islands, and this one was no exception.The moment she set foot on the island, she pulled up the intel on Frog Call Island and reviewed it again.Frog Call Island did not have many dangers. The area was not large, but the resources were decent—especially the abundance of wild vegetation.It was springtime, the perfect season for foraging wild greens.Frog Call Island was teeming with them—just what Yun Luohe needed.According to the intel, the island had three main zones.Zone 1: Shallow Marshland.After rainfall, temporary wetlands would form here. The area was thick with reeds and mud pits. Bullfrogs and frogs laid their eggs here.There was a clay-rich patch near the mudflats—though small in area, it was a good spot for harvesting Clay.Zone 2: Cave Zone.Mostly bat caves and natural caverns, rarely any mineral deposits. Little to no useful resources inside.Zone 3: Hot Spring Basin.Formed by geothermal activity, this zone contained warm waters.It attracted large numbers of insects and frog species. Due to sulfur compounds from the hot springs, few plants grew around it.Yun Luohe’s first destination was the Shallow Marshland.If by afternoon she felt like there was nothing else of interest, she might just return to the reef early and catch up on sleep.Unless something special showed up, it was not worth spending the night here.That said, she was quite interested in the frogs of Frog Call Island.Frog meat was an excellent ingredient.Whether bullfrogs or regular frogs—they were all edible.And there were many ways to prepare them.Spring was peak season for frog mating and activity.Yun Luohe had heard the chorus of frog calls as soon as she landed.If she were to spend the night on this island, sleep would be impossible.The chorus of frogs was practically on par with a bat’s sonic assault.She crossed the beach and entered the forest, heading toward the area where the frog calls were loudest.Then she realized—she forgot to let Ròubāo out.It was still inside the PET SATCHEL.Yun Luohe retrieved the satchel—it resembled a brocade pouch.She pulled the drawstring, and Ròubāo leapt out with a spring.“How was it? Was it stuffy in there?” Yun Luohe asked with concern.Ròubāo replied, “Meow~ Didn’t feel anything. I fell asleep right away.”Not bad, then.She had been worried it would be dark and cramped inside.“Let’s go.”Yun Luohe walked ahead, motioning for it to follow.But of course, since it had finally made it to an island, how could it behave?Before she even finished speaking, Ròubāo had already sprinted off ahead.Its speed was far faster than hers.All she saw was a blur darting through the woods, and in moments, it was gone.There was no danger on Frog Call Island, so she let it roam.Ròubāo had been a wild Leopard Cat to begin with—this environment was like coming home for it.She only called out once, “Don’t go too far!”Thanks to the pet contract, she had a psychic link with her pet.She could sense its proximity, and Ròubāo could easily find her again, so she was not worried about it getting lost.Right now, her goal was to gather resources.After about thirty minutes of walking, Yun Luohe arrived at a shallow marshland.She was immediately greeted by a thick patch of reeds.The reeds were growing in shallow water—just enough to reach the tops of her feet.She was wearing rubber waterproof boots, so she could move freely through the marsh.These reeds could be harvested and turned into Reed Stalks and Fibers.Yun Luohe pulled out her GOLDEN SICKLE and began cutting, storing them as she went.If it were just Fiber, it would not be worth collecting too much.But Reed Stalks were valuable.[Reed Stalk: Usable in medicinal recipes. Has heat-clearing, detoxifying, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects.Also used for weaving baskets, sieves, and other daily-use items.]While harvesting the reeds, Yun Luohe noticed many Field Snails clinging to the stalks.Field Snails were great.Her mind was already buzzing with recipes.Spicy Stir-Fried Snails, Braised Snails, Snail Soup, and of course—River Snail Rice Noodles used snails exactly like these!This entire reed patch was crawling with them.She took out a Plastic Bucket and harvested snails while cutting reeds.Many snails were just hanging from the stalks—she only needed to brush them lightly and they would drop into the bucket.It was quick and easy to gather.After collecting several hundred bundles of Reed Stalks, Yun Luohe had half a bucket of Field Snails.That much would last her for quite a few meals.Snail meat could also be dried and made into Snail Jerky—nutritious and flavorful when boiled.Besides the stalks, there were also snails in the water—just reach down and grab.The feeling of food being everywhere, just waiting to be picked up, was truly intoxicating.Yun Luohe filled a whole bucket before finally stopping herself.If she kept going, she would waste the entire day here.She still had to catch frogs.Snails were delicious—but Yun Luohe loved frog meat even more.Dry Pot Bullfrog, Chopped Chili Frog, Spicy Jumping Frog, Mouthwatering Frog…The mere thought made her drool.Following the sounds of croaking, she quickly located the marsh.This one was unlike any marsh she had seen before—far too lively and verdant.Most swamps she had encountered were muddy and murky.But this one looked more like a vibrant wetland ecosystem.Still—when she saw the frogs in front of her, her expression faltered slightly.This place was a frog paradise.And there were simply too many of them.The water in the swamp was not deep, but it was very murky, covered in aquatic plants and duckweed.Only small patches of open water peeked through the gaps.Even those tiny open patches were floating with clusters—sheets—of frog eggs.Packed tightly together.Different colors.Though translucent and jelly-like, they were still a little nauseating to look at.Some of them had already begun to hatch, and tadpoles could be seen darting around underwater.The frogs—dense and endless—croaked in synchronized rhythm.Their overlapping calls formed a bizarre natural symphony.From a distance, the sound had not seemed so bad.But up close, it drowned out everything else.There was no other sound in her ears now—only the deafening chorus of frogs.No wonder they called it Frog Call Island.

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