Chapter Seventeen: Water in the Movement?

The moment Gu Xi firmly set foot on solid ground, she felt an instant redemption both mentally and physically.

[Congratulations, host. You have completed the full Ratman compendium. Would you like to initiate the prize draw?]

Before Gu Xi could even attend to Su Chen beside her, the system prompted her about the recent draw.

Had she truly left the floating island?

For a moment, she was dazed.

But what did leaving the floating island really signify?

She stared blankly at the system’s prompt before her.

Since the crisis erupted on the floating island, barely three days had passed.

Yet those three days felt like a lifetime.

Logically, someone as love-struck as she was shouldn’t be this calm, this resolute in the face of danger.

Her gaze fixed on the reward notification, her mind wandering.

She wondered what the prize might be.

Previously, in order to escape the island, she had thrown away some food and daily necessities by the shore.

What could this time’s reward be? At the thought, her stomach began to growl.

“Initiate the draw!” Gu Xi commanded the system with the last bit of breath she had.

The system, sensing her struggle, delivered a generous reward.

[In recognition of the host completing the highest-level Ratman compendium, the rewards are as follows:]

[500 cases of 50 liters each of bottled mineral water]

[500 jin of rice]

[500 jin of flour]

[500 jin of millet]

[100 boxes of compressed biscuits, assorted flavors]

[50 boxes of self-heating rice, assorted flavors]

[50 boxes of instant noodles, assorted flavors]

[50 boxes of canned food, assorted flavors]

Gu Xi was dumbfounded by the sheer amount of food.

The fleeting feeling of being in a different world vanished instantly, replaced by a bright lightness in her heart.

“Hahaha!” She laughed aloud, surprised that the system wasn’t finished yet.

The announcements continued:

[50 packs of hot pot base, assorted flavors]

[50 jin of hot pot meatballs, assorted flavors]

[50 jin each of fresh pork, beef, and lamb]

Good heavens, was the system trying to help her open a restaurant?

And there was more. Beyond the food, the system also gifted:

[100 jin of Chinese cabbage]

[100 jin of potatoes]

[50 barrels of cooking oil]

[50 bottles of various seasonings]

...

This dazzling array of provisions made Gu Xi laugh again.

But how on earth was she supposed to carry all this?

The headache was real.

Just as this thought crossed her mind, the system finally finished distributing the food.

[In recognition of the host’s record-breaking speed in completing the Ratman compendium among all players in history...]

Good grief! Worried about storage space? The system even awarded her a dedicated warehouse!

Receiving food was thrilling.

Yet, amidst her excitement, Gu Xi noticed the system’s subtle reminder: “Among all players in history, the fastest.”

That hint was delicate.

Without it, she might have forgotten she was but one of forty-two players.

“System, display current player information.”

[Apologies, no detailed data available.]

[Host may visit Lingdu, Taolin Town, to view player information.]

Taolin Town?

[A friendly reminder: If the host dies en route to Lingdu, the game ends immediately.]

[Lingdu is a place of great freedom. The people you meet might be other players. Please exercise caution.]

[It is recommended to form your own team when necessary. Lingdu’s tranquility does not extend to useless individuals.]

Good heavens, so the real game began only after she fell from the floating island?

“Can I consider the rewards I just received a beginner’s welcome pack?”

[Unable to interpret host’s intent. If the host wishes to communicate with other players, please proceed to Taolin Town to activate the free communication system. There, you may interact with other players.]

Alright, so it’s Taolin Town again.

After retrieving two large bottles of mineral water and two boxes of self-heating rice from her space storage, Gu Xi closed the warehouse.

Now was not the time to indulge.

It seemed this was a survival game after all.

But Gu Xi was unbothered; after all, she had been reborn.

Staring at the two portions of self-heating rice before her, she suddenly realized she had forgotten something.

A man? What about Su Chen, who was with her just now?

At that moment—

“Cough, cough, cough,” a man’s cough snapped Gu Xi back to reality.

Only then did she remember there was a man beside her.

Right, Su Chen.

She had forgotten him the moment she landed.

Su Chen coughed violently, expelling the water she had given him.

He couldn’t stop coughing!

Gu Xi only heard the sound but couldn’t find him anywhere.

“Where are you?” she called loudly.

No response.

She looked around—only covered grass and eerily shaped trees.

No sign of a person.

Strange. There had been so much water in the ponds when she first arrived.

Now it was gone too?

She hurriedly glanced behind her.

The passage she had come down through was still there.

It resembled the mouth of a towering giant robot.

Unlike the other passages, this one was square-shaped.

Gu Xi stood up and ran back.

She searched for the sound.

Sure enough, it came from inside the passage.

Fortunately, the water inside had already drained.

Su Chen lay there, drenched, like a bedraggled chicken.

What was worse, on his arm, circuits seemed to be touching water, emitting a sizzling sound.

What was going on?

“Su Chen? Su Chen? Wake up.”

Gu Xi was a little frightened to see Su Chen’s tightly shut eyes.

Though coughing, he wouldn’t wake no matter how she called.

Moreover, the earrings on his ears emitted strange, flickering lights.

[Host’s mentor: Su Chen’s current status—water has entered his mechanical core. Please take Su Chen to Lingdu for repairs before he can function normally.]

A line of blue text flashed before Gu Xi’s eyes.

She removed and put back on her immersive glasses repeatedly to confirm the message.

????

What did “water in mechanical core” mean?

Could Su Chen be a robot?

But he didn’t seem like one from his usual teasing demeanor.

He was flesh and blood!

No, she couldn’t accept it.

“Where do we get him repaired?” Gu Xi hurriedly asked.

Though reborn, she had never dealt with medical emergencies or mechanical repairs.

[Navigation to the nearest prosthetic repair shop in Lingdu has been set. Would you like to proceed?]

Gu Xi glanced at the system’s heads-up display, which marked the distance clearly.

1.3 kilometers away! Not too bad.

With that, she stepped forward and dragged the waterlogged Su Chen onto dry ground.

If only she’d known he couldn’t get wet, she wouldn’t have taken that approach.

“Su Chen, you’re so foolish! You’re a machine and you never told me!” Tears quietly streamed down Gu Xi’s cheeks...