Chapter 16: Strange people

“What do you mean? You’re saying you woke up near that manor in the center of the island?”

But this should have been a fortunate thing—so why did he look so terrified?

“Woke up? What woke up? I’ve been surviving here for ten days. You’re not a survivor, then who are you!”

As he spoke, the man’s eyes grew fierce, and he immediately reached out to grab An Ling.

Fortunately, there was some distance between them, and An Ling had already sensed something off from his unusual behavior.

She immediately took a step back, putting space between them.

“You’re not a survivor? Then who are you?”

An Ling was shocked. Someone who seemed perfectly normal wasn’t a survivor? How was that possible?

The atmosphere instantly became tense, the man seeming a little unhinged as he thought of something terrifying. He shouted, “This is all your fault! I want you all dead!”

Click!

The sound of a gun being cocked rang out. The cold barrel pointed straight at the man’s head. He froze for a moment, seemingly coming to his senses, but there was still a trace of hatred in his eyes.

“You think you can scare me with a toy gun?” he snarled viciously.

“You can try—if you have a second life.”

An Ling held the gun steady, her face icy. Anger suppressed her fear, making her less afraid.

The man stood frozen, not daring to make a rash move.

“Get lost!”

An Ling’s sharp command made him shudder. He turned on his heel and fled into the depths of the forest.

Once he was out of sight, she lowered the gun, breathing heavily. A cold sweat had already broken out on her forehead.

She lived in a law-abiding society, but now she was in this lawless place. She knew that in moments like these, she couldn’t show weakness.

“He’s not a survivor? How is that possible?”

An Ling found it hard to accept. Indeed, this so-called Newbie Island system was full of abnormalities.

She entered the cave. The space inside was small, dry, and warm. A campfire burned in the center, with clear signs of fire-making by friction nearby.

The innermost area was covered with thick branches and leaves. Judging by the marks, he hadn’t just arrived here recently.

On the other side lay a pile of wood, clearly to keep the fire going.

“This is… his backpack?”

An Ling brushed aside the leaves and found his backpack buried there. It was brown, very worn and sagging, clearly empty.

Still, she opened it. A strong stench of blood hit her face. The inside was stained with dried blood, but there was nothing inside.

She checked the other compartments and surprisingly felt three cards.

Holding them, all three were silver-white with identical patterns on the front.

A cube-shaped grassland pattern.

“These are three Foundation Cards.”

An Ling realized these could be any item, but she never expected all three to be Foundation Cards.

The only way to get Foundation Cards so far was through exchanging points. If he wasn’t a survivor, how could he have these cards?

Without hesitation, An Ling tossed the backpack into the fire, then turned and left the cave to continue deeper into the forest.

Though this cave was a good place to spend the night, there was no telling if the man might come back. She couldn’t take that risk.

Along the way, countless questions puzzled her.

The island’s supplies weren’t just scarce—they were barren.

Unknown beasts, strange humans—could all this be connected to some hidden mission?

Or was the truth hidden within the manor at the island’s center?

The sky was darkening fast. An Ling needed to find shelter soon. After a full day, besides picking a few coconuts along the shore, she hadn’t found any other food.

Tomorrow, she had to explore the manor.

But finding another cave wasn’t easy, and the simple tent she had unlocked was too flimsy, offering no sense of security.

Most importantly, An Ling had no thatch. There was none on this island either, so building one was impossible.

Marking her path, An Ling hurried deeper into the forest. Along the way, she passed a giant boulder with a hollow underneath, like a natural eave.

It was suitable as shelter, but clearly not the best option. So she pressed on, searching for a better spot.

If she couldn’t find one before nightfall, she’d have to make do under the boulder.

‘At this pace, I should reach the manor by tomorrow,’ she thought.

Her only worry was what kind of blessing she’d receive tomorrow. If it was a “good things come in pairs” blessing, it would be almost useless here.

The dense white birch forest towered above, the ground covered in leaves with light filtering through, creating a dappled effect.

Yet not far ahead, there was a large shadowed clearing, completely enveloping the area.

A clearing in the middle of the forest was unusual, and standing there was a dilapidated wooden cabin—looking so fragile it could be smashed with a single kick.

No sign of trees having been cut down nearby, as if no trees had ever grown there.

Pushing open the cabin’s wooden door, a musty, decayed smell greeted her, just as she had expected—it had been abandoned for a long time.

Inside was simple: a rough wooden bed and a wooden chest, nothing else.

She pushed on the cabin walls; they weren’t as fragile as she’d imagined.

‘This will do for tonight,’ An Ling thought. ‘Though it smells bad, it’s better than spending the night exposed under the boulder.’

She quickly tidied up. The cabin didn’t offer much real protection, but at least it gave some peace of mind.

Besides, she didn’t plan to really sleep here like she did on her own island. She had to stay alert.

Of course, if she had teammates now, they could take turns keeping watch and sleeping.

But An Ling didn’t mind. Lone wolves had their advantages.

Night was fast approaching. She set down her backpack and hurried outside to gather branches and leaves.

She had tried chopping a birch tree earlier but it was too hard, draining her stamina and wasting time. Probably because of her axe.

Soon, she lit a small campfire inside the cabin, dispelling the darkness.

If there truly were fierce beasts on this island, she hoped they feared fire as much as she did.