Starting on a Desolate Island [Doomsday/Survival]

While Nie Yangguang was helping her ask about the key fragment, Yun Mianmian had already begun making a water purifier.

A piece of cotton fabric, a bag of activated charcoal, and a disposable water bottle.

The fabrication process was simple. After placing the materials on the workbench, she quickly produced a brand-new water purifier.

As soon as it was finished, Yun Mianmian put it to use.

The device's operation was straightforward. Seeing the seawater being filtered into clean drinking water, dripping into the bottle, filled Yun Mianmian with joy.

It took ten hours to fill one bottle, which meant it would be ready to swap out first thing tomorrow morning.

Once she had emptied the five-liter plastic bucket, she could start filling it up, saving her the trouble of changing bottles for several days at a time.

Drinking two bottles of water per day would be more than enough for her needs.

The water she received from opening chests could be used to barter for other resources. At a rate of thirty pieces of wood for two bottles of water, she could earn an extra thirty pieces of wood every day. If water became even more scarce, she could demand something better in exchange.

However, this business model likely wouldn't last long. Eventually, everyone would have access to workbenches and water purifiers. But she couldn't worry about that now; for the time being, she was the only one with this idea.

Lying in bed, Yun Mianmian began planning out her tasks for tomorrow.

The first thing to do was roll the dice, and the second was to fish for treasure chests.

At this time, Nie Yangguang sent a message.

Nie Yangguang: "My friend hasn't responded, so he's probably asleep. Let me reply to you tomorrow when he wakes up and tells me."

Yun Mianmian: "All right, I'll wait for your response."

Nie Yangguang: "Mm-hmm, goodnight."

With the blanket and pillow from Yun Mianmian, Nie Yangguang could finally have a good night's sleep, and he was grateful to Yun Mianmian.

Seeing the friend request from Nie Yangguang, Yun Mianmian accepted it.

She washed her hands and face with seawater, then used a bit of fresh water to dampen a towel and wipe herself down. After all, saltwater wasn't comfortable to leave on the skin.

Only after changing into warm underwear did she collapse onto the bed.

She had to admit that sleeping on a bed was truly a wonderful feeling—it made her feel as though surviving at sea wasn't such a difficult thing after all.

Having accomplished so much today, she rewarded herself by taking out the bottle of milk from the backpack and gulping it down.

The milk had a silky texture and a naturally sweet taste, smooth and pleasant to drink.

Delicious.

Too bad there was only one bottle.

Yun Mianmian closed her eyes contentedly, falling asleep almost instantly.

Nie Yangguang, wrapped firmly in the blanket with his head pillowed on a cushion, took a photo and sent it to the chat channel.

In the photo, Nie Yangguang's plump figure was bundled tightly in the blanket, and his head rested in one hand, his elbow resting on the soft cushion beneath. Though his face wasn't visible, his posture made it clear that he was enjoying himself immensely.

"Damn, Nie Yangguang, you're living the high life, huh?"

"I'm freezing here, and you've got a blanket?"

"Big shot, where'd you get the blanket? Is there more? I'll trade you for materials!"

"No trades, this is my treasure," Nie Yangguang replied.

Zhang Jincheng chimed in, "Wait until I unlock the workbench, and I might be able to craft blankets and quilts. Feel free to PM me then for trades."

He had managed to snag a beginner-level workbench design earlier in the day. One more iron ingot and he could craft it. He was confident that he'd obtain the iron ingot tomorrow, at which point he'd be able to make many things.

In the real world, he was a real estate sales manager; within two days of entering the game, he had successfully added two new members to his team using his silver tongue.

He wanted to take advantage of this opportunity before everyone else had access to workbenches, stockpile materials, and upgrade his base. By the time everyone caught on, he would be the strongest person in District 3.

As an experienced gamer, he knew how important leveling up was. He also wanted to establish his own faction. If he could make it big enough, every member would have to pay their dues in materials, and he could sit back and collect without having to lift a finger.

"Ours is the first team with a workbench," Jin Baoquan said. "Once it's operational, we'll have access to more resources and materials. Welcome to join our team! All you need to do is contribute five pieces of wood per day, and you'll be prioritized for tool production."

"Workbenches can produce anything," Ge Hui said. "There's a limited number of spots, so sign up quickly!"

Nie Yangguang originally wanted to show off his blanket and pillow, but now he saw Zhang Jincheng trying to flex.

Unable to resist, he commented, "First? Someone already made a workbench. It's just that some people aren't as loud as you about it."

Zhang Jincheng's eyes widened at this message, but he quickly scoffed, "Who? Surely not you?"

"No, not me, but someone else has already done it."

Jin Baoquan said, "There's no way. Our boss was the first to have it; I've never seen anyone else mention having a workbench blueprint."

Ge Hui agreed, "That's right, if you're going to brag, at least have some proof. Put up or shut up."

Nie Yangguang didn't respond immediately. He couldn't simply reveal Yun Mianmian's name, and he assumed she wouldn't want her identity exposed either.

"I never lie, whether you believe me or not," he finally said.

His words did influence some people, but there were still those who privately messaged Zhang Jincheng to request tools.

Surviving at sea required many things. Some wanted torches, while others wanted axes or fishing nets. Those who had elevated their wooden rafts to level 2 wanted a canopy, so they could have shelter from the wind and rain.

It was the third day of the common era of the sea.

The weather started as a clear sky but quickly became overcast.

The sun wasn't as scorching today, with scattered clouds and breezy weather, making it quite pleasant out on the ocean.

Yun Mianmian woke up and checked the water purifier—it was almost full. She had only slept for eight hours, not yet reaching her usual quota.

Taking out her lucky dice, she tossed them into the air, and soon the number she needed came up.

It was a 1!

1: Double Dip: All rewards will be doubled.

This one's not bad either.

Yun Mianmian took out her fishing rod, ready to snag a treasure chest while eating breakfast. She had a pancake with green onion today, freshly cooked and fragrant. The golden-brown exterior was crispy, cooked through on both sides, making it extra crunchy.

A bite burst into a symphony of flavors, the taste of green onion melding with the dough, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. The layers of dough and green onion were rich and aromatic, and each bite released more flavor. Yun Mianmian was surprised to find that she wasn't full after finishing the whole pancake.

So delicious.

For some reason, everything in the game tasted better than the real world's food. This was the first time Yun Mianmian had tasted such an exquisite pancake, and she wished she had a cup of milk to go with it, like she had last night.

Unfortunately, there was only one of each item, and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to snag more in the future.

By eating the milk and pancake, she hoped to make space in her backpack, which only had ten squares of storage. Since perishable items couldn't be stored outside, they had to be kept inside the backpack, leaving no room for anything else.

She needed to consume some of the food and drink.

There was also an apple juice bottle.

Apple juice was a good thing, containing lots of nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin E, potassium, etc. It helped maintain the body's normal physiological functions.

Yun Mianmian took out the apple juice and took a sip. The taste was refreshing, the sweet and slightly tart juice lingering on her tongue for a while.

Before she could finish the juice, she noticed the chat window continuously glowing. She tapped it, revealing many new messages.

The latest one was from Nie Yangguang.

NIE YANGGUANG: My friend woke up. He says he can trade, but he wants something you may not have.

YUN MIANMIAN: What does he want?

NIE YANGGUANG: He wants a weapon, like a machete or axe. If you can give him one, he can trade you more supplies.

She did have a machete, but she was keeping it for a purpose, such as cutting watermelons. However, she could make more.

With her workbench, she could craft plenty of things.

"Sure, ask him if he has any iron blocks," she replied.

To craft an axe or machete, iron blocks were needed.

Aside from Nie Yangguang, Luo Luo had also sent her a message.

"Morning! Here's the loot I caught today. I've left you the wood, nails, and food, and everything else is in here."

[Five bamboo stalks, two cotton fabrics.]

As soon as Yun Mianmian opened the chat, the items were already in her backpack.

【 Double Luck - Continuous Happiness: All Resources Doubled! 】

[Ten bamboo stalks, four cotton fabrics.]

This was also acceptable?

Yun Mianmian was a little surprised.

Luo Luo only had a beginner's fishing rod, so she could only fish once a day. She had gone fishing as soon as she woke up, caught the treasure chest, and sent it to Yun Mianmian without delay.

"Thank you. If you need anything, feel free to ask," Yun Mianmian replied.

Luo Luo's response was simple: "Mm."

At that moment, Yun Mianmian's fishing rod also had a bite.

She reeled it in and saw it was a bronze treasure chest.

【 Bronze Treasure Chest Obtained 】

【 Double Luck - Continuous Happiness: All Resources Doubled! 】

[Wood x 10, nails x 5, cotton fabric x 2, silk thread x 2, tung oil x 1]

[With Double Luck and Continuous Happiness, all resources are doubled! Wood x 20, nails x 10, cotton fabric x 4, silk thread x 4, tung oil x 2]

Yun Mianmian was overjoyed. All the materials she obtained today had doubled. Her smile stretched across her face. If she could trade with others, she could double her stock again. That would keep her busy today, for sure.

As she thought this, Nie Yangguang sent her a message, informing her that he'd added her to a group chat with one of his friends.

Nie Yangguang: This is my friend, Shi Nancheng. He's the one with the key fragments.

"Hello," said Yun Mianmian. "If you can provide me with iron, I can make you a weapon. Three iron pieces and a key fragment for an axe, or five iron pieces and a key fragment for a machete."

"Deal," said Shi Nancheng.

Without any further negotiation, he traded the iron pieces with her.

Yun Mianmian hadn't expected him to be so straightforward.

"Um...should I give you something as collateral?" she asked. "What if I take the iron pieces and don't give you the weapon?"

"What could you give me as collateral?" Shi Nancheng replied.

"How about this—I'll give you a haitang fruit in exchange, and when I'm done crafting the weapon, you can return it to me."

For five iron pieces, Yun Mianmian thought exchanging one haitang fruit was a fair deal.

Shi Nancheng would be at a slight disadvantage, but with fruit being so rare, Yun Mianmian wouldn't run off.

And so, the deal was struck. Yun Mianmian received five iron pieces.

【

 Luck doubled! 】

【 Gained iron pieces x10. 】

She'd made a killing.

Yun Mianmian immediately got up to craft the machete.

A single machete required two iron pieces and one piece of wood.

In truth, Yun Mianmian had asked for extra iron pieces, as the cost of labor wasn't included.

She had thought that perhaps her luck would double, but when she really received twice the amount, she was still quite excited.

After putting in the materials, she swiftly crafted the machete.

【 Luck doubled! 】

【 Gained machetes x2. 】

【 Name: Ordinary Machete 】

【 Quality: Ordinary 】

【 Durability: 22/22 】

【 Equipment Effect: +5 Attack 】

Yun Mianmian's eyes widened.

She declared that from now on, her lucky number would be 1!

She handed over the machetes to Shi Nancheng.

"So fast?" Shi Nancheng asked.

"Mm-hmm. It wasn't difficult," Yun Mianmian replied, staring at the screen intently.

Shi Nancheng handed over the watermelon and another piece of the key.

Only after Yun Mianmian clicked confirm did the machetes disappear and the items appear in her inventory.

【 Luck doubled! 】

【 Gained key piece x2. 】

The watermelon didn't double. It seemed that only items given directly to her, not crafted by her, would double when returned to her unconditionally.

But that was enough.

Everything she obtained today, everything she crafted, and everything others gave her would double.

She couldn't wait to put the key pieces together, open the locked treasure chest, and double its contents as well!

---

You can read more of this novel, updated to at least 40 chapters, at this link below.

Starting on a Desolate Island [Doomsday]