Dawn broke.
The dark shadow from last night now fully revealed its true form.
This was no ordinary island.
It was a colossal beast crouching on the sea surface.
Lush vegetation covered the entire island like a thick coat of green fur.
Towering trees intertwined with each other, vines hanging down like snakes, making it difficult for sunlight to penetrate.
Silence.
That same unnerving silence remained.
The raft was less than five hundred meters from the shore.
With the push of the waves, this distance continued to shorten.
Qin Yu stood on the second-floor balcony, holding a cup of freshly boiled S-grade purified water.
Steam rose from the cup.
But the light in his eyes burned hotter than the steam.
"It's huge..."
The island was at least the size of over a dozen football fields.
Compared to the previous barren islands with just a few rocks and coconut trees, this place was an untouched treasure trove.
And also a massive graveyard.
"Qin Yu."
Footsteps sounded from behind.
Yao Xue emerged.
She had changed out of her curve-hugging silk pajamas into a form-fitting black jacket obtained earlier from a treasure chest.
The tactical jacket accentuated her breathtaking waist-to-hip ratio, while she still wore her signature Black Silk Stockings underneath, now covered with shin guards.
She clutched a scalpel tightly in her hand.
Her knuckles were pale.
"Is what we need... really up there?"
Yao Xue looked at the ominous jungle, her voice tense.
"Don't know."
Qin Yu's reply was blunt.
He placed the empty cup on the railing and turned to face Yao Xue.
"But there's definitely something more valuable here than what we're looking for."
"Before Wang Meng died last night, he said this place was full of trees."
"You know what that means?"
Qin Yu pointed at the raft beneath their feet.
"It means we don't have to survive by scavenging garbage anymore."
"Wood, fresh water, wild fruits, even medicinal herbs."
"If we can conquer this island, our base can leap straight past the primitive era."
His tone carried an undeniable fervor.
Yao Xue fell silent.
She was smart.
She knew Qin Yu was right.
In this damned world, stagnation meant waiting for death.
Only by constantly plundering resources and strengthening themselves could they survive.
"System."
Qin Yu called out in his mind.
A new day.
Before starting work, he needed to check his luck.
"Draw."
No fancy prayers.
For Qin Yu now, drawing prizes was as routine as eating and drinking.
The wheel spun.
No golden light appeared.
No purple light either.
Only a steady blue glow flashed.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations host for obtaining B-grade vehicle: Two-Person Amphibious Assault Boat (Black Hawk)]
[Description: Even at B-grade, this is military-grade quality. Made from high-strength carbon fiber composite material, puncture-resistant, impact-resistant, with silent motor. Comes with small storage compartment. The essential steed for home travel and shady business.]
[Includes: Full fuel tanks x2]
Qin Yu's lips curved.
He smiled.
Just when he needed to sleep, someone handed him a pillow.
He'd been worrying about how to land on the island.
Although the current raft offered decent defense, Qin Yu wasn't foolish enough to beach their only "aircraft carrier" directly on the shore.
If something from the island charged out and stole their home, they'd have no time for regrets.
With this assault boat, they could advance to attack and retreat to escape.
Perfect.
"Get ready."
Qin Yu clapped his hands, interrupting Yao Xue's contemplation.
"What?"
Yao Xue snapped out of her daze.
"We're landing on the island in half an hour."
Qin Yu's gaze sharpened like an unsheathed blade.
"You're coming with me."
"Me too?!"
Before Yao Xue could respond, a head popped up from the stairwell.
Yao Qian emerged with messy hair, looking at them with terror.
"Brother Qin Yu, I want to go too!"
"I don't want to stay alone on the raft!"
The girl was panicking.
She hadn't even properly put on her shoes as she rushed upstairs and clung to Qin Yu's arm.
Her large eyes instantly welled up with tears.
"There are monsters up there!"
"Wang Meng screamed so horribly—he must have been eaten!"
"If you leave and don't come back... no, what if I disappear?"
She was genuinely afraid.
Not just of death.
But more of being left behind.
Out in this vast ocean, watching the two people she relied on most depart—that loneliness was more terrifying than death itself.
Qin Yu looked down at her.
He didn't push her away as usual, nor did he offer comfort.
He just stared coldly.
Until Yao Qian grew uneasy under his gaze and unconsciously loosened her grip.
"Yao Qian."
Qin Yu's voice was flat.
"Do you want to be our accessory forever?"
Yao Qian bit her lip, tears swirling in her eyes.
"I... I can cook, I can do laundry..."
"That's not enough."
Qin Yu cut her off.
"In this world, there are only two kinds of people."
"Hunters and prey."
"I'm taking your sister because she's a doctor. She has a calm mind and can help me in critical moments."
"What would I bring you for?"
"When you scream at the sight of monsters, should I save you first or shoot first?"
The words were cruel.
Like a dagger stabbing into Yao Qian's heart.
But she couldn't refute them.
Because they were true.
When facing the wild boar yesterday, she had done nothing but scream and tremble.
"Listen."
Qin Yu's tone softened slightly.
He reached out and placed a hand on Yao Qian's shoulder.
"Staying behind is no easier than attacking."
"This raft is our only retreat, our lifeline."
"We're going to fight up ahead."
"If you can't even guard our home, what's the point of us capturing mountains of gold and silver?"
Yao Qian sniffled.
"Is it... really that important?"
"More important than life."
Qin Yu stared into her eyes.
"If you see our signal flare, immediately start the winch and pull up the anchor."
"If anything tries to climb onto the raft..."
Qin Yu drew a Fine Iron Dagger from his waist and pressed it into Yao Qian's hand.
The cold touch made her shiver.
"Don't hesitate."
"Stab it to death."
"If you can't kill it, hide on the second floor and lock the iron door."
"As long as you don't open it, nothing in this world can get inside."
Yao Qian gripped the dagger.
Her hand was still shaking.
But the fear in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by the resolve of someone entrusted with a crucial task.
"Alright."
"I'll guard our home."
"If... if you and sister don't come back..."
"Then cut the anchor."
Qin Yu smiled, a cruel twist to his lips.
"Take the supplies and survive on your own."
"Don't think about revenge. Run as far as you can."
After speaking,
he stopped looking at Yao Qian and turned toward the weapon rack.
Click!
A crisp sound echoed.
The pitch-black S686 shotgun, radiating an aura of death, was now in his hand.
Its barrel was thick—
a testament to the aesthetics of violence.
Qin Yu pulled a box of shells from his backpack.
One by one, he methodically loaded them into the magazine.
Each clink of a shell being chambered sounded like death's countdown.
"Take this."
Qin Yu turned and tossed something to Yao Xue.
She caught it reflexively.
Her hand sank under the weight.
It was a blade.
Not some lightweight scalpel,
but a half-meter-long Machete.
The back was thick, the edge gleamed coldly, and the handle was wrapped in anti-slip rope.
"A scalpel can't save your life."
Qin Yu looked at Yao Xue.
"This can."
"Chop through vines, clear paths, split the skulls of wild beasts."
"No skill needed—just enough strength."
Yao Xue gripped the handle.
It was heavy.
But that very weight gave her an inexplicable sense of security.
She took a deep breath, slid the machete into her belt,
adjusted her glasses,
and her gaze sharpened.
"Let's go."
...
Main deck.
With a wave of Qin Yu's hand,
Whoosh!
A sleek, all-black assault craft appeared on the water.
A Grade B two-person assault boat.
No flashy decorations—just pure industrial design.
Two leather seats, with a small storage compartment at the back.
A silent outboard motor hung at the stern.
"Get on."
Qin Yu leaped aboard first.
The boat barely rocked, astonishingly stable.
Yao Xue followed closely.
Though not as agile as Qin Yu, her movements were clean and decisive.
With a long stride, she settled firmly into the passenger seat.
"Brother Qin Yu..."
Yao Qian leaned over the railing,
clutching the dagger tightly.
Tears finally spilled, tracing paths down her cheeks.
"You have to come back!"
"Sis! You have to come back too!"
"For dinner... I'll make braised pork! I'll use all the leftover boar meat!"
The sea wind tangled her hair,
making her look like an abandoned child.
Qin Yu didn't look back.
He pulled the starter cord.
Vroom—
A low engine hum filled the air.
No jarring noise, just a powerful vibration.
"Hold on tight."
Qin Yu barked, twisting the throttle.
The black assault boat shot forward like an arrow, tearing through the calm sea.
White foam churned in its wake.
The Raft grew distant.
Yao Qian's figure shrank until it was a mere speck.
Ahead,
the massive island loomed closer.
The sense of oppression intensified.
The air grew damp and stifling.
The sea shifted from deep blue to a murky, dark green—
the distinctive hue of shallow waters,
a color that signaled danger.
"Scared?"
Qin Yu steered, eyes fixed ahead, his question sudden.
The wind tore at his words, scattering them.
Yao Xue's hands gripped the fabric of her pants, resting on her thighs.
"Yes."
She was honest.
"My heart rate is at 120 right now."
"As a doctor, I know this is a sign of adrenaline surging."
"But..."
She turned her head, looking at Qin Yu's sharply defined profile.
"Following you, it doesn't seem so scary anymore."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Qin Yu's mouth.
"Good."
"Remember this feeling."
"Fear will keep you alert, and trust will help you survive longer."
"We're here."
Qin Yu abruptly cut the throttle.
The assault boat executed a sharp drift across the water's surface, sliding sideways for a distance.
The sound of the hull scraping against the sandy beach echoed.
"Screech—"
It came to a stop.
This was a pebble beach.
Jagged rocks littered the area, black stones protruding from the sand like fangs.
Further ahead.
Lay the primal jungle that seemed capable of swallowing everything whole.
Tall ferns stood as high as a person.
Unidentifiable bird calls, sharp and piercing, echoed through the woods, yet no birds were visible.
The air was thick with the sour stench of decaying leaves fermenting.
"Get off the boat."
Qin Yu, carrying his gun, was the first to jump into the shallow water.
Seawater submerged his calves, icy cold.
He warily scanned the surroundings.
The muzzle of his gun remained poised, ready to fire at any moment.
No monsters charged out.
No zombies.
Only the rustling of leaves in the wind.
But that was precisely what made it most dangerous.
If the enemy were out in the open, he could simply shoot them.
But this invisible danger was like the Sword of Damocles hanging overhead.
Yao Xue jumped down as well.
Seawater soaked her Black Silk Stockings and shin guards.
She drew her Machete, staying close behind Qin Yu, half a step away.
It was the safest distance.
Neither hindering Qin Yu from shooting nor too far to provide immediate support.
"So this is land..."
Yao Xue stepped onto the gravel.
The sensation underfoot was hard and real.
Though it was land filled with danger, the long-lost feeling of "standing on solid ground" still made her feel like crying.
"Save the sentiment."
Qin Yu lowered his voice.
His gaze fixed on a patch of grass at the edge of the beach.
There.
Was a dark red stain.
And some scattered strips of torn cloth on the ground.
"That's..."
Yao Xue followed his line of sight, her pupils contracting sharply.
She recognized those cloth strips.
They were fragments of some cheap windbreaker.
Still clinging to them...
Shreds of flesh.
"Wang Meng."
Qin Yu walked over.
Used the gun barrel to push aside the grass.
A strong, foul stench assaulted them, overpowering even the sea breeze.
No corpse.
Only a pool of long-dried, blackened blood, and a few chewed white bones.
The broken ends of the bones were jagged.
They had been snapped apart by some immense biting force.
"Seems we're in luck."
Qin Yu looked expressionlessly at the pile of bones.
"In luck?"
Yao Xue's stomach churned, fighting back nausea as she asked.
"Dying here means that thing considers this place its dining spot."
Qin Yu crouched down, extended two fingers, and pinched a bit of the blood-soaked soil.
"The blood still smells fresh."
"Meaning it ate not long ago."
"A satiated predator usually finds a place to sleep."
Qin Yu stood up, his gaze shifting deep into the jungle.
It was pitch black there, like a gaping maw.
"Let's go."
"While it's sleeping."
"We'll raid its den."
Qin Yu kicked aside the bone fragments on the ground.
Strode purposefully toward the jungle.
Yao Xue watched his retreating back.
Clenched her teeth.
Gripping the machete in hand.
Follow closely.
Madman.
He's truly a madman.
But in this man-eating world.
Only by following this madman could they get meat to eat.
The moment they stepped into the jungle.
The light instantly dimmed.
The dense canopy overhead blotted out the sky.
Underfoot was a thick layer of humus, soft and spongy, oozing black water.
Every step felt like countless insects squirming beneath their feet.
"Watch your step."
Qin Yu's voice came from ahead.
"Don't step on brightly colored things, don't touch thorny vines."
"And."
"Don't look back."
"Why?"
Yao Xue instinctively asked.
"Because looking back is useless."
Qin Yu stopped walking.
Raised the S686 in his hand.
The barrel aimed at a large tree to the left front.
"If something's chasing you from behind, looking back only wastes your escape time."
"But if it's in front..."
"Then kill it."
"Crunch."
The bushes rustled.
A colorful spider the size of a washbasin hung upside down from the tree trunk.
Its eight compound eyes fixed intently on the two intruders.
Mouthparts still writhing continuously, dripping green venom.
It was an F-grade Mutated Poisonous Spider.
Though low in level.
Its ferocious appearance was enough to make any normal woman scream and faint.
Yao Xue's face turned pale.
Her breathing instantly quickened.
The knife in her hand trembled.
She was a doctor, had seen countless bloody wounds.
But this monster beyond comprehension still shocked her nerves.
"Scared?"
Qin Yu didn't fire.
Instead, he turned to look at Yao Xue.
"Scared..."
"Think of it as a big, hairy tumor."
A cold smile curled at the corner of Qin Yu's mouth.
"Director Yao."
"Removing tumors should be your specialty, right?"
"Go."
"Chop it."
"With your knife."
Yao Xue widened her eyes.
Looked at Qin Yu.
Then at the spider still dripping venom.
"I... I can't..."
"You can."
Qin Yu's voice turned icy.
"If you don't take this step, you'll always just be deadweight carrying a knife."
"What I want to bring out is a comrade."
"Not a nanny."
"Kill it."
"Or we go back now, continue drifting at sea waiting to die."
Qin Yu stepped back.
Giving up the battlefield.
But the gun in his hand remained steadily aimed at the spider.
It was the final insurance.
Also a silent coercion.
Yao Xue looked at the spider.
Then at Qin Yu's cold eyes.
A surge of inexplicable anger welled up from her heart.
Why?
Why should I only be deadweight?
I'm human too.
I want to survive too!
"Ah—!!!"
Yao Xue suddenly let out a scream.
Not a scream of fear.
But of release.
She closed her eyes, raised the heavy machete with both hands.
Charged forward like a madwoman.
"Die!!!"
"Thud!"
The sound of blade cutting into flesh.
Green fluid splattered.
Yao Xue felt something warm spray on her face.
It was the spider's blood.
Foul-smelling.
But she didn't stop.
One chop.
Two chops.
Three chops.
Until the spider was hacked into a pulpy mess.
Until her arms were too sore to lift anymore.
"Huff... huff..."
Yao Xue collapsed sitting on the ground.
Gasping for breath in huge gulps.
Her face smeared with sweat, tears, and that green fluid.
Utterly disheveled.
But in her eyes.
That trace of timidity had vanished.
Replaced by a light she had never possessed before.
It was the glow of wildness.
"Not bad."
Qin Yu walked over.
Handed her a tissue.
"Welcome to the apocalypse."
"Comrade Yao."
Yao Xue took the tissue.
Wiped her face roughly.
She looked at the disgusting corpse on the ground.
And suddenly laughed.
A somewhat hysterical laugh.
But it felt liberating.
"Let's go."
She stood up, leaning on her knife.
This time.
She didn't hide behind Qin Yu.
But stood shoulder to shoulder with him.
"What's ahead?"
"Don't know."
Qin Yu reloaded his gun.
His gaze burning as he stared into the depths of the jungle.
"But whatever it is."
"It won't stop us from getting rich."
The two exchanged a look.
Two figures, one tall and one short, one robust and one slender.
They plunged resolutely into that profound darkness.
And behind them.
The assault boat resting on the beach.
Waited quietly for its masters to return laden with spoils.