Starting With a Reef [Global Survival]

Yun Luohe studied how to make the golden sailfish dish based on the introduction in the Fishing Compendium.
The book listed the golden sailfish dish under the name Sashimi Platter, so Yun Luohe began her research in that direction.
After several trials, changing the method multiple times, she finally succeeded by using lemon juice, sashimi soy sauce, and mint leaves to create the dish.
The experience gain was considerable, and there was an extra reward.
【Congratulations, player has successfully created a golden dish — Lightning Sashimi Platter】
【Reward: Wasabi Soy Sauce ×1】
[Lightning Sashimi Platter: High-grade golden dish. After consumption, Speed +50% for ten seconds, attacks gain Paralysis effect. Hitting an enemy has a 10% chance to immobilize them. Eating one platter allows the effect to trigger at most 2 times.]
This dish was incredible.
After eating it, combat strength would rise drastically. For Yun Luohe, Speed +50% was an absolutely terrifying stat.
For someone else it might not matter as much, but Yun Luohe had her [Perception] trait — her reflexes were already sharp. With speed skyrocketing on top of that, it meant that within those ten seconds she could deal explosive damage, and enemies might not even be able to touch her.
She had to make more of this dish, and keep producing it.
Excitement welled up in Yun Luohe — collecting the high-grade fish species across the entire compendium clearly benefited her greatly.
——
Once preparations were complete, Yun Luohe pulled out an Island Landing Card.
This time it was a random landing, and she had no idea where she would end up, but she was already prepared. No matter which island she landed on, she wouldn’t lack anything; if she did, she could always buy it at the Trading Center.
Soon, Yun Luohe arrived on this island.
【Welcome to Thunderclap Island.】
Just as she expected, it was one of the two main islands. She remembered most of the information on Thunderclap Island.
The island was struck by lightning all day long, the clouds overhead purple-black, and its surface covered with ores. It also had thunderstorm magnetic fields — stepping into one caused metal items to float and electronic devices to fail.
So equipment like metal detectors couldn’t be used here.
From a distance, Thunderclap Island looked shrouded in mystery.
The sky above was gray, filled with clouds. Lightning flashed frequently, thunder booming without pause.
The entire island was covered in a vast forest of lightning-struck wood, the trees twisted and deformed, their surfaces scarred with marks of thunderbolts.
They looked much like the lightning-struck wood she’d seen before, but with subtle differences.
Thunderclap Island’s beaches were pitifully small. She followed a path scattered with stones and dead branches into the depths of the forest.
It was eerily quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, she could hear almost nothing else.
She had noticed while still on the boat that the island’s overall terrain was very uneven, with towering peaks. Likely the mountains held even richer resources.
Thunderclap Island was divided into three areas: Thunderstorm Magnetic Field, Lightning-Struck Wood Forest, and Coolant Pool.
The Thunderstorm Magnetic Field ringed the island’s outer perimeter. Entering it caused all the metal equipment on one’s body to levitate uncontrollably.
Yun Luohe had deliberately stored away her weapons, carrying only a wooden stick for defense.
Lightning in the sky seemed guided by some unseen force, striking frequently. The ground was littered with craters, reeking of sulfur.
She even noticed strange energy vortexes — coming close would drag her in with terrifying suction.
Yun Luohe suspected the underground here might be rich in ores, but she had no tools to mine them.
Then she quickly thought of a way: let Yúntūn help.
Yúntūn’s limbs had gradually mechanized, incredibly hard but not metal, so the magnetic field didn’t affect it.
So Yun Luohe released Yúntūn, letting it dig through the earth.
Once ores were exposed, mining would be easy.
Obsidian wasn’t metal, so her Obsidian Pickaxe would work just fine.
Underground, instead of iron and copper, they uncovered magnetite.
Magnetite was a rare resource, essential for upgrading from Level 7 to 8. Almost every player stuck below Level 8 was missing it.
Yun Luohe began digging like mad. She had to bring back several hundred pieces. With these, she could make a fortune in trades.
But one vortex zone yielded only about thirty pieces.
With Yúntūn and Roubao helping, digging went quickly. In half an hour, Yun Luohe had mined over ten vortex pits across /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ the magnetic field, collecting more than four hundred magnetite. A bountiful harvest.
She planned to dig for another hour before leaving.
The magnetic field covered most of the island’s perimeter, but she couldn’t stay here forever if she wanted to explore the island’s depths, since the interior had no magnetic fields.
As the rain let up, more groups of players arrived on the island.
…
Though Yun Luohe was among the early arrivals, some had come yesterday or planned to stay overnight anyway. They figured whether they came early or late, they’d be here for 24 hours, so many chose to finish their Reef Base tasks first before landing.
Hearing approaching voices and footsteps, Yun Luohe’s expression shifted. She quickly stowed her tools, picked up all the magnetite, ate some food to restore stamina, and stood ready.
The magnetic field’s perimeter had no large plants or tall trees, leaving her nowhere to hide.
But she wasn’t planning to run — it was too late anyway. Instead, she watched the direction of the sound warily.
Soon, three players appeared together.

They wore full sun-proof gear, wielding weapons — all of them obsidian-made, so the magnetic field didn’t affect them. The weapons gleamed coldly in their hands.
Leading them was a burly man whose sharp eyes swept Yun Luohe up and down.
“Oh? Someone’s mining here alone.”
Yun Luohe looked at them calmly.
Another man with medium-long hair asked, “Yo, what’d you dig up?”
The shortest and thinnest one said, “Look, all these pits around us — she’s already dug up a lot.”
Under their gaze, Yun Luohe remained composed.
That surprised them. Still, in their eyes, three against one meant they had the advantage.
“Tell you what, why don’t you hand over half of what you mined? We’ll trade resources with you — won’t let you suffer a loss.”
Yun Luohe suddenly smiled.
“What are you laughing at?”
“Just that your words are amusing.” Her tone and eyes carried a trace of mockery, which irritated them.
“Hmph, cut the act. Hand over all your magnetite and we won’t make things hard for you. We’ll let you go.”
These players had used a designated Island Landing Card to get here, prepared in advance. They knew the Thunderstorm Magnetic Field was rich in magnetite. Seeing Yun Luohe’s haul, their greed flared.
“Hand it over? And why should I?”
“Enough talk!” The burly man waved impatiently. “If you don’t, don’t blame us for being rough!” His two companions immediately struck aggressive stances.
“Then whether you can rob me depends on your ability.”
Yun Luohe swiftly pulled a Sashimi Platter from her backpack and ate it without hesitation.
The three men stared at her, baffled.
What kind of move was this, eating sashimi at a time like this?
But they weren’t fools — they guessed she was trying to buff her stats.
“Haha, now you think about restoring stamina?”
“Even if you’re full, you’re still just one person!”
“Look, we don’t even want to bully a girl. We said we’d trade — just hand over the magnetite and we’ll swap with you.”
These three had paid a high price for their Island Landing Card and Teaming Card, all for the sake of magnetite. They’d prepared tools unaffected by the magnetic field.
But seeing all the pits she’d dug, they refused to let Yun Luohe leave with such a haul.
In an instant, current surged through her veins. Her speed jumped 50%, her whole body light as lightning.
She burst forward like a thunderbolt, striking the nearest man — the one with medium-long hair. Before he could react, her wooden stick slammed hard onto his shoulder.
He screamed, body flung aside, paralyzed. His limbs convulsed helplessly.
The other two rushed at her with weapons raised.
But Yun Luohe darted between them with blinding speed, striking their vital points with her stick.
Each hit carried a chance to paralyze, giving her the advantage.
Still, the [Lightning Sashimi Platter] effect only lasted ten seconds.
When it faded, her speed returned to normal.
But by then, all three men had been beaten bloody, clutching their heads and begging for mercy.
Yun Luohe raised her stick. “What’s this? Should I ask you for some benefits before letting you off?”
The men hadn’t expected her to be such a tough opponent — like kicking an iron wall.
But as they hurriedly offered resources, the shortest man’s eyes flickered. He suddenly pulled out a hidden weapon and triggered it at her face.
Thin stone needles shot forth.
If Yun Luohe hadn’t dodged in time, her face would’ve been hit.
One needle grazed her hair — and her strands instantly melted. Poison.
Her eyes sharpened like a hawk’s. She twirled her stick in her hand and cracked it down on the man’s head.
Blood streamed down his face as he begged for mercy, shoving resources out of his backpack.
They actually had quite a haul.
Loot included:
Obsidian Dagger ×1, Anti-Electric Leather Armor ×1, Bone-Corrosion Needle Tube ×1, Anti-Electric Potion ×5, Compressed Nutrient Paste ×10, Portable Insulated Tent ×1, Thunderclap Island Hand-Drawn Map.
The potions resisted low-voltage shocks, ensuring safety at the Coolant Pool. The nutrient paste quickly restored 50 stamina. The tent provided a temporary safe zone from night thunderstorms.
They had indeed prepared well for Thunderclap Island.
Each also carried dagger and armor sets, and the thin man’s poisoned needles were a hidden trump card.
Most important was the hand-drawn map, which marked ore-rich zones — including this one.
They had come straight here for the magnetite.
“You’ll let us go now, right?” they asked timidly, especially the burly man who, despite his build, looked most afraid.
Yun Luohe was about to answer when suddenly, from the dug pits, swarms of pale worms poured out.
Her pupils narrowed. Their bodies gleamed with eerie blue light.
They swarmed in masses, crawling from the magnetite pits.
“It’s Thunder-Eating Worms! Burn them with fire!” the burly man shouted in terror.
Before he finished, several worms shot out, their tails sparking as they lunged.
Yun Luohe drew the obsidian dagger she had just looted and slashed the nearest worm.
Sparks flew — the blade couldn’t pierce their shells. They were that tough.
“They fear heat — use fire!”
The medium-haired man shakily lit a torch, setting worms ablaze.
Their shrieks were ear-piercing as their bodies melted.
But more kept crawling out.
Yun Luohe tossed torches into nearby pits, burning what she could.
But there were too many. And killing them yielded no drops — pointless effort.
So she made the snap decision to retreat. She’d head to the Lightning-Struck Wood Forest.
She left swiftly, not caring whether the three men survived.
The forest was sinister. Twisted trees loomed like clawed monsters. Lightning struck them at intervals, sparks scattering.
The air reeked of burning, the ground carpeted with dead branches and leaves.
Her steps rustled softly. She kept her stick gripped tight, wary of every direction.
Lightning cracked again and again, danger everywhere.
Even with lightning-avoidance gear on her, Yun Luohe couldn’t relax.
Then a deep roar echoed from deeper in the woods.
Her heart clenched. She listened closely — and heard human voices too.
Someone was facing a beast in the forest.
But any beast able to survive here had to be formidable.
She decided to investigate. Carefully she crept toward the sound, peering through the gaps between trees.
A massive Thunderstorm Bear loomed. Six players circled it, unable to fight back.
It stood two men tall, covered in black fur that sparked blue arcs. Its eyes glowed red, violent and wild. With each swing of its massive paws, lightning-struck trees shattered like twigs.
Its strength was monstrous.
No wonder the six were trapped.
But if such a beast guarded this area, it must mean valuable resources were here. Or killing it would yield rich rewards.
She thought of her Lightning Sashimi Platter. Could this bear’s meat be a top-tier ingredient?
Her throat tightened at the thought of another golden dish.
Bear paw for stew, bear meat for premium roasts…
She crouched, pulling out the hand-drawn map of Thunderclap Island.
In the forest section, a small bear paw mark was circled in red, beside which was scrawled: “Thunderstorm Crystal.”
The mark corresponded exactly to this place.
In tiny script along the edge: “Core crystal protected by the Thunderstorm Bear. Can upgrade equipment or serve as rare ingredient for top-tier dishes.”
The roars shook the ground as the bear tore lightning-struck wood and devoured it, absorbing its thunder power.
It even held up wood to draw lightning down, channeling it into its body.
What a monstrous creature.
“This isn’t working!” cried a bespectacled man as the bear smashed his obsidian spear.
“Anyone have large traps or hidden weapons?!” A scream answered him — a girl was swatted against a tree, blood spraying.
“Don’t get close! Its body’s electrified!” a short-haired woman warned.
“Then what do we do? We can’t beat it!”
“Escape? It never leaves this spot — it guards this place.”
“But giving up now? How can we?”
“Better that than die!”
Hearing their argument, Yun Luohe hesitated.
Should she join forces, or wait until they left and claim the bear for herself?
The first option was safer. But…
She still had Yúntūn and Roubao. And several Lightning Sashimi Platters.
That buff was tremendous. With it, and if she seized the right moment, she might just take down the bear.
Split among six, the loot would be meager.
And the map suggested the Thunderstorm Crystal wasn’t abundant.
Better to act alone.
So she waited silently, watching from the shadows until the group, defeated, finally decided to withdraw.
Only then did Yun Luohe step out.
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