NOVEL NEXT chapter 62 - Day 21 of Survival 02
The toxicity of the Blue-Ringed Octopus was something Yun Luohe was well aware of.
The moment she spotted the creature, her vigilance spiked. She absolutely could not let its tentacles touch her.
However, this particular Blue-Ringed Octopus seemed to be guarding the giant Giant Clam. As long as Yun Luohe approached, it immediately attacked.
Its tentacles lashed toward her at a speed difficult to evade. Yun Luohe wielded a dagger in one hand to deflect the strikes while pulling out her Dual-Band Advanced Speargun with the other.
Seizing the opportunity, she retreated beyond the octopus's reach, quickly pulling back the rubber bands, aiming at its body, and firing. The first shot missed, but Yun Luohe instantly reloaded, closing the distance this time.
Just as the tentacles swept toward her, she drove the spear directly into the octopus's body.
The tentacles spasmed wildly, losing all coordination, and the octopus's body convulsed, curling into a tight ball. Yun Luohe yanked the spear, dragging it further away, and stabbed its body twice more with her dagger, only relaxing once she confirmed it was dead.
Yun Luohe returned to the front of the Giant Clam.
There were no visible mechanisms, no buttons or switches. How was she supposed to open it?
She remembered the Corrupted Mer Pearl she carried.
Might as well give it a try.
She took out the Corrupted Mer Pearl and approached the clam. At that moment, an eerie glow shone from the gaps in the shell, tinting the surrounding seawater with a faint golden hue.
Moments later, the pristine shell of the clam slowly opened, releasing an even more dazzling light.
[Mission 2 complete. Reward: Tidal Windmill Blueprint ×1]
Yun Luohe's focus remained on the inside of the clam.
Within the clam was a passageway.
Sensing no immediate danger, Yun Luohe slipped inside without hesitation.
Passing through a long corridor, she entered a sealed chamber.
At the center of the room sat a treasure chest.
It required no key to open. Yun Luohe flipped it open, revealing several pieces of equipment along with a stone disc covered in glowing runes.
[Damaged Merfolk Luminous Crown: After repair, increases underwater vision by 50 meters, grants night vision effect]
[Repair Materials: Mother-of-Pearl ×20, Obsidian ×10, Luminous Squid Ink Sac ×5]
[Damaged Pearl Blue Sea Belt: After repair, holds up to 80KG, provides preservation effect]
[Repair Materials: Giant Jellyfish Membrane ×1, Blood Crystal ×10, Crystal Stone ×5]
[Damaged Wave Fins: After repair, increases swimming speed by 120% (Activates burst sprint mode, doubles oxygen consumption)]
[Repair Materials: Lava Obsidian ×5, Elastic Seaweed Fiber ×10, Sulfur Fuel ×10]
[Stellar Compass: Can consume Obsidian at night to locate mineral caves based on star patterns]
The loot from this Giant Clam was excellent. Though most items besides the compass were damaged, they all came with repair methods.
Yun Luohe packed everything neatly into her backpack. After waiting briefly to confirm that no new system missions appeared, she decided to search the area for additional clues about the Merfolk.
The Corrupted Mer Pearl likely still carried traces of Merfolk energy, which must have triggered the throne. She wondered if there were other remnants nearby.
Soon, the two-hour dive extension ended.
The effect of the Night Vision Potion was also beginning to fade.
Her body was already showing signs of discomfort from being submerged for so long.
Prolonged exposure to seawater caused skin wrinkling and damage.
Even with the option to extend her dive again, she could only last another two hours at most—her fingers were already swollen and pale.
Yun Luohe quickly returned to the Coral Zone, using her tools to harvest Coral that was free of mucus or fish eggs.
The quantity was not large, but these were high-grade Corals.
They could be refined into superior Lime.
Under the Coral Reef, Yun Luohe also found several lobsters and a large octopus. The octopus weighed roughly seven or eight kilograms and hid deep within the reef, refusing to come out. Yun Luohe forcefully yanked °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° at it, snapping two of its tentacles in the process.
In the end, she stabbed it over a dozen times with arrows before managing to drag the octopus out.
The lobsters, on the other hand, were much easier to catch. This time she did not even use the Speargun—they were captured alive.
Yun Luohe planned to bring them back and release them into the fish tank to see if they could be raised.
——
It was already past 11 p.m. when she returned to the reef.
Yun Luohe took a shower to rinse off the seawater, changed into clean clothes, and immediately headed to the trash recycling station to max out its usage limit.
Now that she had switched to the "trash-for-currency" skill, she tossed fifty pieces of garbage into the machine, converting them into Sea Stones, then started the lottery.
[Lottery successful]
[Acquired: Dryer Blueprint]
[Dryer: Used for drying fruits, vegetables, fungi, or meats]
[Crafting Materials: Black Metal Fragments ×2, Deep Sea Flint ×2, Iron Ore ×5]
At first, Yun Luohe assumed it was a dryer for clothes.
Considering the constant rain lately, her laundry was taking forever to dry. If—
She reviewed the day's underwater haul.
[Treasure Map Fragment: Collect all five to unlock rewards]
[Tidal Windmill: Harnesses energy from deep currents and surface ocean flows to generate electricity and enable irrigation functions]
[Crafting Materials: Shark Skin ×5, Iron Birch Wood ×2, Cement ×10, Obsidian ×5, Magnet ×2]
The Tidal Windmill was definitely worth building.
But several of the required materials, Yun Luohe had never seen before and had no idea where to obtain them.
It would likely take time to gather everything.
She would have to rely on Mu Zitang to search via Tianji Pavilion, slowly collecting intel and materials.
Meanwhile, Yun Luohe had her own intel to pass along to Mu Zitang for sorting and sale—clues about the Deep Sea Ruins, information on the Treasure Map, and comprehensive details from Bat Island, including the Bat Priest's Journal. It could all be packaged as a set.
Hopefully, she could trade all of it for more high-grade upgrade resources in a short time.
Yun Luohe was close to a breakthrough.
If she managed to level up within the top ten again, she would receive substantial rewards.
If she hurried, maybe she could even break into the top three.
She sent today's harvested Coral to the Management Trainee group chat, assigning three people to help deconstruct and process it into Lime.
The Coral yield would produce a considerable amount of Lime, with the extras given as payment to those assisting.
The lobsters and octopus would have to wait—Yun Luohe had no time for cooking tonight. Instead, she used her workstation to build a Dryer, planning to dehydrate the octopus meat into jerky, and the fish into small dried fish snacks.
Maybe Ròubāo would love them. Preparing some feline treats might boost Ròubāo's happiness and increase her Pet Taming Skill experience.
Yun Luohe stayed busy until after 1 a.m. before preparing for bed.
Just as she was about to head to her bedroom, she noticed a red glow emanating from her resource storage box.
A powerful energy pulsed outward—something was about to emerge.
Yun Luohe recalled that box contained her exclusive materials from Spider Island and Bat Island.
The Blood Crystal Core was inside as well.
The red glow deepened in intensity. Yun Luohe frowned—was something happening?
Suddenly, the entire box began to shake, producing rhythmic clicking sounds.
She cautiously approached and lifted the lid.
In the next instant, she heard the distinct sound of something cracking.
Dark red liquid oozed from the surface of the Blood Crystal Core.
The amber surface was veined with web-like cracks, and inside the Spider Egg, a spider-shaped shadow writhed violently. The amber pulsed with a blinding crimson light.
The red liquid from the Blood Crystal Core seeped into the Spider Egg, dissolving the thick stone-like shell, revealing the semi-transparent Wolf Spider Egg within. As it absorbed the Blood Crystal energy, the egg rapidly expanded, dark golden patterns resembling the Spider Queen emerging along its surface.
Everything happened in an instant.
Yun Luohe stared, dumbfounded.
The entire amber egg burst apart, sticky fluid splattering everywhere.
Moments later, a blood-red Wolf Spider Hatchling crawled out.
Its body grew rapidly, reaching palm-sized in mere seconds—and it showed signs of growing even larger.
Yun Luohe's expression tensed.
What was happening? Why did it hatch so suddenly?
The spider's body was encased in a soft gray exoskeleton. Its fine, downy hairs were still delicate from the recent hatching. It turned toward Yun Luohe, spitting a thin strand of silk, then glanced cautiously around its surroundings.
Finally, it fixed its large, dewy eyes on Yun Luohe, unmoving, before letting out a soft sound.
“Hiss hiss...”
Yun Luohe: “...”
It seemed very interested in her.
Though she could not understand its language, Yun Luohe could sense a distinct friendliness in the spider's gaze. Its voice was filled with excitement and affection.
Could it be... because she was the first person it saw upon hatching? Did it imprint on her as its mother?
“Hiss hiss...”
Yun Luohe felt a bit at a loss. This was no ordinary spider.
Having kept it for so long, it suddenly hatched—likely due to the Blood Crystal Core being stored with it.
The Blood Crystal Core's seepage must have activated the Wolf Spider Egg.
For now, Yun Luohe had no idea how to deal with this Wolf Spider.
The spider slowly crawled over, spitting silk onto her clothes, then climbed up onto her shoulder, gently rubbing against her, its pincers softly brushing her collarbone.
“Hiss hiss~”