The waves lapped gently, crashing one after another against the golden sandy shore, not a single piece of trash in sight.
The air was fresh, and the cool breeze that blew past made one feel so comfortable that… it could almost put them to sleep.
Warm sunlight bathed the entire scene, giving it a shimmering glow and a special hue.
On the beach sat a young man around twenty-five years old, about 175cm tall.
He wore a white shirt, black trousers, with black hair. His face was somewhat delicate, yet still carried masculine, angular features.
At this moment, he sat quietly, enjoying the cool sea breeze carrying the scent of the ocean, muttering to himself: "Ah! So relaxing…"
"No need to work, no need to squeeze into a smelly bus, and no need to pay off those endless bank loans…"
[Ding! Congratulations, Survivor Noah, you have acquired an island.
Newbie Protection Period – 5 days. Please do your best to survive.]
"Heh?" Noah was startled by the mechanical voice that suddenly echoed in his head: "A system? Could it be the kind of system I always read about in novels?"
[Ding! Exclusive functions for island-owning Survivors have been unlocked.]
[Ding! The chat function with other Survivors has been locked and will open once the protection period ends.]
[Ding! You have received a newbie gift pack. Do you wish to open it?]
"Ah!" Noah frowned, his eyes glancing at the system interface floating before him, then looking off into the distance.
"System, what do you expect me to do after dumping me here?" Noah asked in confusion.
He knew well that in the novels he had read, the system was something only the protagonist possessed.
But it seemed that everyone who was brought to this world also had a system.
So… what was he supposed to do?
[Ding! You need to survive.]
"Survive?" Noah tilted his head, finding the reason utterly pointless, and said softly: "Oy! That's a bit redundant, isn't it? No matter where I live, I have to try to survive, right?"
[Ding! Each day, the sea level will rise a little higher. If you don't quickly upgrade and expand your island, this place will be swallowed into the depths.
In the end, you will become a meal for the terrifying creatures lurking within the vast ocean.]
Hearing this, Noah took a deep breath, his heart chilled.
Although the ocean appeared calm now, he knew well just how terrifying it could be beneath the surface.
Even on Earth, the ocean was a place that baffled countless scientists; humanity hadn't even explored half of it.
In this world, with nothing but oceans everywhere, Noah could imagine just how dangerous it was.
He sighed and said softly: "I thought that after coming here, I could finally chill, but in the end, I still have to struggle just to survive. Then… can you send me back to Earth?"
[Ding! Impossible!]
Noah: "…"
"Alright then…" Noah sighed, accepting the harsh reality, and asked: "So… what functions do you have?"
[Ding! The Survival Island System has the following functions:
Island Upgrade: Allows you to manage and upgrade your island. Population Management: View information and the number of residents on your island. ??? ???
Unlock more functions by upgrading your island.]
Noah willed the interface to shift, and another information panel appeared before him.
…
Name: Survival Island (Unnamed)
Level: 0
Area: 10,000 square meters
Residents: 01 (Noah)
Protective Barrier: 5 days (Provided by the System)
Upgrade Requirements: 10,000 exp; Population – 10 (Note: Loyalty of all residents must reach at least 70.)
…
"Hm…" Noah frowned as he looked at the panel: "Oy! Where am I supposed to get exp? And in this vast ocean, where am I supposed to find residents?"
Just then, another guide panel appeared in front of him.
…
Exp: To obtain exp, you may slay monsters within the ocean, or defeat/enslave other Survivors.
Residents: Any intelligent creature that accepts staying on the island and recognizes you as its master can become your resident (Note: Their loyalty must be above 70).
…
Noah looked at the information panel, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.
'According to this information… this world must be filled with countless monsters, and Survivors like me are supposed to kill each other?'
'And besides, the monsters here might even include many intelligent species, similar to humans.'
Noah sighed and muttered: "Oy! System, I volunteer to go back to Earth. Even if I have to work twelve hours a day and pay off debts, at least there I can live a safe life."
The System did not respond, so he continued to persuade it: "If you want, I can find someone else to replace me, alright?"
[Ding! Because you are talking too much nonsense, your island will sink by 10cm.]
"What?! Wait—" Noah shouted in shock, but it was too late.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
The island trembled violently, then slowly began to sink. Noah realized seawater was already flooding up to where he sat.
"Damn it!" He cursed once, then bolted backward.
Fortunately, a few minutes later, the sinking stopped. Seeing this, Noah let out a long sigh of relief.
However, when he saw that nearly half of the sandy shore had been swallowed by the sea, he had no choice but to accept the truth… he could not go back.
[Ding! Do you wish to open the newbie gift pack?]
"Ah!" Seeing the notification, Noah replied: "Open!"
[Ding! Congratulations on successfully opening the newbie gift pack. You have received:
Wooden House Blueprint – Basic: x1Storage Space: 5 x 5 x 5 metersUniversal Tool Box – Basic: x1System Function Card: x1
All items have been placed into 'Storage Space'.]
Noah immediately sensed that he truly possessed a space measuring 5x5x5 meters, and he could freely place items inside or take them out at will.
He opened the information panel of 'Storage Space' to check.
…
Name: Storage Space
Size: 5 x 5 x 5 meters
Description: Time within the storage space is frozen. Any item placed inside will not deteriorate.
Note: This space cannot contain living creatures. Usage radius: 5 meters.
…
"Ah! Amazing…" Noah grinned. "This thing is so convenient—just like in those Cultivation novels I used to read."
Indeed, in those Cultivation novels, he often read about people possessing rings with vast inner spaces used to store everything.
Now, he had something similar, and it genuinely excited him.
Next, Noah checked the 'Universal Tool Box'. Inside were all kinds of tools for farming and construction, though they seemed to be made of some strange material.
…
Name: Universal Tool Box
Rank: Basic
Description: Contains all tools necessary for farming and construction.
When using these tools, the user's strength increases by 50%, and efficiency increases by 50%.
…
"Ah!" Noah was genuinely surprised and laughed: "A 50% boost—this is really useful. The only problem is… there's only one of each tool, so it looks like only one person can use them."
Finally, his eyes fell on the 'System Function Card'.
"Hopefully it's a useful function." Noah silently prayed in his heart: "All the luck from the gacha games I've ever played, gather here…"
He clasped his hands together, his expression solemn and sincere: "All of my luck… I always lose the 50/50 in gacha games, I've never won the lottery… So please, just give me good luck this one time."
"Just this once is enough."
"Open!"
[Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained the one and only special function: OmniTrade.]