Starting With a Reef [Global Survival]

Yang Mian: “I’ll stay up late tonight and get it done for you as soon as possible.”
Yun Luohe: “You really don’t have to rush.”
Yang Mian: “Didn’t you come to me to get it done before tomorrow’s evaluation? With a good weapon in hand, your overall score will probably increase significantly.”
Yun Luohe thought about it and agreed. “Alright then, I’ll trouble you. Let me know if you need anything.”
She had already given him plenty of rare materials—some of which Yang Mian had never even seen before. He would have to spend time and effort studying them, but knowing where they came from would help him understand their properties. “Where did you get these materials? Do they have any special uses?”
Yun Luohe casually forwarded him the full set of intel on Bat Island she had previously sent to Mu Zitang. “Take a look at this, you’ll understand.”
If it weren’t for being part of the inner circle, getting that intel would have cost a hefty amount of resources.
Yang Mian only glanced through a few lines before his expression turned to surprise.
It seemed joining the association had been a wise decision after all.
Earlier today, Yang Mei had managed to fish up a Designated Island Landing Token. Originally, Yang Mian planned to have Yang Mei head to Bat Island, but seeing the intel now, caution was clearly necessary.
Bat Island’s danger level was simply too high. Heading to one of the Spring Season Main Islands was safer, with better resources as well.
That said, with the Wilderness Survival Competition happening, selecting an island within the resource islands might yield the greatest rewards. What if the competition ended up taking ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) place on the very island Yang Mei visited?
The Management Trainee group could contact Tianji Pavilion directly for intel, but Yang Mian decided to review the available information on all eight islands himself.
Truth be told, Yang Mian wanted to get his hands on a Teammate Grouping Card to team up with Yang Mei, but she was reluctant. She said she could not rely on her older brother forever and wanted to prove herself. Besides, she planned to participate in the Wilderness Survival Competition, too.
They shared a single reef, so their Reef Points were identical. If her individual player score combined with the reef score entered the top 100, she would qualify to register.
Given Yang Mian had previously ranked in the top ten, Yang Mei getting into the top 100 should not be a problem.
 
Currently, players only received three Shells per day.
Ròubāo always placed the shells inside the house after finding them, and Yun Luohe waited until evening to open them all at once.
She got two White Pearls and one Grey Pearl.
【Opened White Pearl, acquired: Soybean Paste ×1, Stinky Tofu ×1, Damaged Tire ×1, Mashed Potato Salad ×1, Mapo Tofu ×1, Chicken Feed ×1, Peeler ×1, Cat Villa Blueprint ×1】
【Opened White Pearl, acquired: Hemostatic Potion Recipe ×1, Iron Ore ×2, Torn Doll ×1, Chipped Coffee Table ×1, Moldy Eggplant ×1, Cola ×1】
【Opened Grey Pearl, acquired: Burlap ×2, Cotton ×1, Old Broom ×1, Sea Stone ×10, Chipped Vase ×2, Vinegar ×1, Deep Sea Flint ×1】
【Cat Villa Blueprint: Three-story solid wood cat villa, includes cat bed, climbing frame, scratching board, litter box, and other facilities to meet a cat’s daily needs.】
【Materials Required: Pine Wood ×10, Plastic ×5, Cotton ×2, Cotton Cloth ×2, Hemp Rope ×2, Iron Ore ×3】
The blueprint was pretty good. She could build a Cat Villa for Ròubāo. But that thing was used to the wild—who knew if it would even like it?
Yun Luohe pulled out the Hemostatic Potion Recipe. One glance at the materials, and there it was—Crimson Moss. Now she understood why Lin Zhu had been so eager to get his hands on it.
She now had the recipe, but lacked the Medicine Crafting Skill.
Might as well hand it over to Si Qi to produce.
It was getting late. Yun Luohe quickly did her daily lottery before midnight, after which she planned to swap out her Trash Bin skill.
【Lottery Successful】
【Acquired: Bread Kiln Blueprint ×1】
At last, the Bread Kiln she had been hoping for had arrived.
【Bread Kiln: Multifunctional device for baking, smoking, and fermentation.】
【Materials Required: Refractory Bricks ×80, Volcanic Ash ×30, Copper Chimney ×2】
But seeing the materials required, she realized it was impossible to make it at the moment.
She would probably have to figure out a way to visit Volcano Island.
First, she crafted the Cat Villa, then started throwing things into the Trash Bin.
Her oyster population had grown too large. If left unchecked, they would devour all the Seaweed daily.
Since the Trash Bin could convert resources into higher-grade materials, Seaweed was valuable. Yun Luohe had no choice but to remove over a hundred oysters daily, preserving enough Seaweed in one area to prevent depletion.
Oyster Meat could be dried into Dried Oysters or used in soup.

Oyster Shells had multiple uses—tossed into the Trash Bin for recycling or processed into glass. Crushed Oyster Shell Powder made excellent fertilizer, and with the right recipe, she could create high-grade Anti-Acid Lime.
Members of the Lucky Emperor Association had already successfully produced it.
They were now bulk-collecting Oyster Shells, but Yun Luohe had no intention of selling to them.
She kept a portion for herself, and the rest she had Mu Zitang distribute to association members.
The Acid Rain had been falling for a week, growing increasingly harmful.
With High-Grade Anti-Acid Lime, some of that danger could be mitigated.
Most player-built houses had enhanced resistance after reaching Level 5. Even though she had yet to hit Level 5 herself, she needed her structures to be just as durable.
Si Qi had successfully mutated a large batch of earthworms through Symbiotic Crystal experiments. The mutated earthworm materials were distributed partly to association members and partly as recruitment incentives for new players, attracting many to join.
Mu Zitang had divided the association into two branches: the Mutual Aid Association for players with low Luck, and the Hand-in-Hand Association for those with decent Luck.
This division made management much easier.
After all, resource contributions differed between members. Handing out the same rewards to everyone would be unfair.
However, managing two branches also significantly increased complexity.
Fortunately, several new managers had been promoted.
Two of them were selected from veteran members who had joined the association from the start, assigned to assist with managing the Mutual Aid Association. Meanwhile, Cheng Xuening was entrusted with overseeing the Hand-in-Hand Association.
Her Luck Value was 81 points—considered quite high within the group.
Moreover, she was meticulous and level-headed. Despite being a new player, her development had been impressive from the start, and with her close friendship with Yun Luohe, Mu Zitang had every reason to entrust her with major responsibilities.
At 1:00 AM, most players were already asleep. After a full day of labor, getting rest was necessary to replenish Physical Stamina, but nearly half the high-ranking players were still grinding away.
All to prepare for the 10:00 AM ranking assessment.
If sacrificing one night of sleep meant climbing even a single place in the rankings, it was worth it.
This period was also the prime window for upgrading reefs. With new players joining, competition within each region had intensified significantly. While veteran players still held the advantage, new players had various newcomer bonuses and buffs. It was not impossible for them to catch up quickly.
Yun Luohe dumped materials like Coral, Oyster Shells, Fish Bones, Iron Birch Bark, and Bat Wings into the Trash Bin, producing a variety of strange decorations.
 
She crafted several sets of High-Grade Furniture using Mutated Redwood and Iron Birch Wood.
The moment she replaced the old furnishings with the matching, high-grade set, her Reef Points instantly increased by 50.
Realizing that having matching color schemes and complete sets significantly boosted her score, Yun Luohe quickly became addicted to decorating—completely unable to pull herself away. She had no desire to sleep at all.
She went on to craft several Bone China Vases, bought fresh flowers from the Trade Center, and arranged them beautifully. She also replaced her curtains and bedsheets to match the same color palette.
By the time she was done with all that, dawn was already approaching.
She had also finished repairing several damaged blueprints; all that remained was the synthesis.
Yun Luohe combined different types of blueprints, successfully creating:
Fluorite Lantern Blueprint
Retractable Drying Rack Blueprint
Plum Blossom Hidden Weapon Blueprint
【Fluorite Lantern: Provides continuous illumination without electricity or fuel, emits light through fluorite's natural properties.】
【Materials Required: Fluorite ×4, Resin ×2, Deep Sea Flint ×2, Glass ×1】
【Retractable Drying Rack: Practical foldable floor-standing rack for drying clothes.】
【Materials Required: Iron Ore ×10, Plastic ×15】
【Plum Blossom Hidden Weapon: Sleeve-concealed mini crossbow, worn on the arm for easy use, holds 6 arrows per load, arrowheads can be coated with poison.】
【Materials Required: Iron Ore ×6, Refined Steel ×2, requires Level 5 Forging Skill to craft.】
At present, she could only craft the Drying Rack, but she was not in a rush to use it—it could wait for later.
Yun Luohe yawned, glanced at the time—it was already 5 AM.
Unexpectedly, Yang Mian had also stayed awake. He had genuinely pulled an all-nighter to finish crafting her weapon.
But Yun Luohe was far too exhausted to admire it properly. She accepted the weapon, rubbed her temples, washed up quickly, and collapsed into bed.
All she needed to do now was wake up at 10 AM to check the ranking results.
 
Yun Luohe slept soundly, and if it were not for the system’s loud voice, she probably would have kept sleeping into the afternoon.
【Ranking results have been released. Please check your mail for your personal ranking...】
【Top 100 players, please register within 24 hours and cast your votes to select the target island.】
Yun Luohe groggily opened her eyes, saw the text projected on the light screen, and her mind instantly cleared.
【Congratulations, player has achieved a total score of 206 points in the first comprehensive evaluation: Reef Score 108, Personal Score 98, Ranked 1st in Zone 2. Luxury Gift Pack awarded, please check your inventory.】
【Zone 2 Comprehensive Ranking TOP 10】
【1st: Yun Luohe — 206 points (Reef Score: 108, Personal Score: 98)】
【2nd: Lin Zhu — 200 points (Reef Score: 109, Personal Score: 91)】
【3rd: Wu Jing — 193 points (Reef Score: 110, Personal Score: 83)】
【4th: Du Ruan-tian — 189 points (Reef Score: 113, Personal Score: 76)】
【5th: Yang Mian — 180 points (Reef Score: 105, Personal Score: 75)】
【6th: Meng Tu — 177 points (Reef Score: 107, Personal Score: 70)】
【7th: Tan Qian — 176 points (Reef Score: 105, Personal Score: 71)】
【8th: Wang Zhifei — 170 points (Reef Score: 102, Personal Score: 68)】
【9th: Si Qi — 168 points (Reef Score: 100, Personal Score: 68)】
There was also a separate ranking for New Players. Yun Luohe glanced through it and saw Cheng Xuening had made the list, ranking seventh.
Yun Luohe had been confident she could break into the top ten, but she never imagined she would outright take first place this time.
She carefully analyzed everyone's scores.
The top four all had higher Reef Scores than her, but her advantage in Personal Score was so significant that it pushed her total score to the top.
Yun Luohe was quietly thrilled.
Taking first place on her first try—it almost felt unreal.
She eagerly opened the Luxury Gift Pack. The first-time, first-place reward had to be packed with good stuff!
【Opened Luxury Gift Pack: Acquired Random Skill Book ×1, Intermediate Pet Contract Scroll ×1, Pet Satchel Blueprint ×1, Island Landing Token ×1, Crystal Stone ×2, Obsidian ×10, Random Trait Set Blueprint ×1】
Yun Luohe’s eyes sparkled.
These rewards were incredible.
Every single item was something players dreamed of obtaining.
She used the Random Skill Book immediately.
【Learned: Mining Skill】
Not bad. Once the Mining Skill leveled up, her mining speed would increase significantly, with a chance to obtain double ore drops.
Next, Yun Luohe examined the Random Trait Set Blueprint.
【Feathered Cloak: Increases sprint speed by 20%, conceals scent, provides camouflage based on the environment.】
【Materials Required: Mist Crystal ×10, Hawk Feather ×100, Silver Web Spider Silk ×20】
This item was tailor-made for her.
Combined with her Perception Trait, she could detect danger in advance. Add enhanced evasion and movement speed, and her combat effectiveness would soar.
Two of the required materials were currently unavailable, but with the blueprint in hand, she would craft it eventually.
Yun Luohe was beyond pleased.
Of all the rewards, she was most focused on the Intermediate Pet Contract Scroll.
She had been considering whether to contract the Wolf Spider Hatchling.
【Notification: Eligible contract target detected. Proceed with contract?】
Yun Luohe looked down—the Wolf Spider Hatchling was lying beside her bed, gazing up at her with soft, harmless eyes.
【Detected bond level between player and target: 60 points. Contract success rate: 75%. Proceed with contract?】
The success rate for an Intermediate Pet Contract Scroll was fairly high.
Yun Luohe softly asked the spider, “Do you want to bond with me? Follow me from now on, okay?”
“Hiss hiss!”
Who knew whether it understood, but judging by the excited hissing, it seemed more than willing.