Desert Island Survival Arc

Zhang Heng had been on this desert island for over a year, and this was the first time he had seen a so-called game item.

But aside from that mysterious voice suddenly appearing in his ear, nothing else happened.

He had no idea how to use the thing or what effect it had. The voice did not seem inclined to give him any further instructions either. It simply notified him that he had obtained a game item, then vanished.

Zhang Heng examined the rabbit's foot but could not find anything special about it, so he could only tuck it into his waistband for the time being.

When Bear saw the wound on his shoulder, he did not dare take it lightly. He immediately disinfected it with salt water and frowned. "Your wound is too deep. Wild animals living in the wilderness usually carry plenty of germs on their claws. It could cause an infection."

Of course Zhang Heng knew how terrifying an infection could be. In the city, it would only take an antibiotic shot. But on this desert island, where there was nothing, once an infection set in, the odds of survival became extremely slim. Ed had died of a high fever caused by the wound on his leg. Although there had undoubtedly been some plot-induced death involved, it was also a reminder from the game's designers that players needed to be wary of such dangers.

But knowing something in advance did not mean he could do anything about it.

What could he have done in that situation?

Managing a desperate counterkill had already been an exceptional performance. Clearing it without taking any damage had never seemed remotely possible.

The explorer comforted him. "It doesn't mean it'll definitely get infected. Maybe nothing will happen at all."

Zhang Heng gave a bitter smile. That was all he could hope for now.

The two rested where they were for a day. Since they had already come this far, Zhang Heng suggested that they might as well continue all the way to the other end of the island. Naturally, Bear had no objections.

So they spent another two-odd days crossing the primeval forest.

The moment he saw the beach and the ocean, Zhang Heng unexpectedly earned a minor achievement for touring the island, gaining another 3 points.

But he was in no mood to care about that right now.

Two things were giving him a headache. One was the possibility of his wound becoming infected, and the other was that Bear's plot-induced death was fast approaching.

The first was entirely a matter of luck, and there was nothing he could do about it. As for the second, after spending so much time together—and after the explorer had saved him from the giant python's jaws—Zhang Heng had come to see the latter as a friend. He decided to give him a warning.

Of course, he could not just tell him outright that this was a game, that he was an NPC with a buff that guaranteed his death on the nineteenth day. Leaving aside whether that would trigger some unknown reaction, Bear himself would have a hard time believing it. He would probably just think Zhang Heng had spent too long alone on the island and lost his mind.

So Zhang Heng merely told Bear to be especially careful the next day.

The explorer did not seem to take it too seriously. After all, they had killed the jaguar and left the primeval forest. They had passed through the most dangerous period, so even if something happened later, it could not possibly be worse than that.

His reasoning was not exactly wrong.

But after Shorts Kid's poisonous mushroom incident, Zhang Heng knew that anything absurd could happen tomorrow. He persuaded Bear not to go hunting the next morning and kept him within his sight for twenty-four hours.

Zhang Heng also wanted to use this opportunity to see just how far this so-called plot-induced death would go—and whether it could be changed at all.

Nothing happened that morning.

Zhang Heng followed behind the explorer like a creepy stalker, staring at him so intensely that Bear's back began to tingle. At noon, Bear suggested going to the edge of the forest to pick some wild vegetables and mushrooms for a seafood soup, only for Zhang Heng to sternly refuse.

Was he kidding? They had already used that trick once and wanted to use it again?

Zhang Heng had developed a psychological aversion to mushrooms. Besides, even if they really wanted to eat them, they could wait one more day.

Bear was helpless. He had originally planned to take a walk along the shore that afternoon, but seeing how determined Zhang Heng was, he decided to cancel it to avoid causing him more trouble. The two silently headed back toward where they lived.

For once, neither of them spoke along the way. Bear had a fairly good temper, but even he felt Zhang Heng was making a mountain out of a molehill.

Then, as they passed through a stretch of shallow water, the rock wall to Bear's left suddenly collapsed without warning. Caught off guard, Bear watched as falling rocks came crashing toward his head. But at that critical moment, a figure suddenly lunged at him, knocking them both into a roll to the side.

The falling rocks smashed into the nearby coral reef, scaring the explorer into a cold sweat.

Then he saw blood in the seawater and Zhang Heng lying there without moving. His heart immediately sank. "Zhang, how are you?"

Only after a while did Zhang Heng's voice come.

"...I'm fine, Bear. I pounced too hard just now and hit my nose. It's bleeding." Zhang Heng sat up, covering his nose.

The situation had indeed been dangerous, but Zhang Heng had been on high alert the entire time. The instant he heard a sound overhead, he threw himself forward, ultimately pulling off that perilous rescue.

"My God, are you a fortune-teller? You actually knew what would happen in advance. That's incredible!" Once the danger had passed, the explorer remembered someone's warning from yesterday and could not help exclaiming in amazement.

"Don't celebrate too soon. This isn't over yet," Zhang Heng reminded him.

In truth, he did not know when it would count as over. Would it be once they made it through the day, or only when Bear died? If it was the latter, then the explorer was truly beyond saving.

Zhang Heng did not think he could maintain today's level of concentration for the next hundred-plus days.

Fortunately, this brush with danger gave his earlier warning some credibility, and Bear began to take his prediction seriously.

To be safe, neither of them slept that night. When the sun rose over the horizon, Zhang Heng froze for a moment. He had not expected that, with his help, the explorer would actually make it to the twentieth day.

Bear yawned. "So? Am I safe now?"

"I don't know." Zhang Heng shook his head. "But you can move around freely now."

They had made it through the most dangerous nineteenth day. No one knew what might happen afterward, but it was like the wound on Zhang Heng's body—if it truly became infected, he could only accept it.

However, both Bear and Zhang Heng seemed to have good luck. The former never encountered another life-threatening danger, while the latter's wound scabbed over without any pus, swelling, or inflammation.

A week later, the two returned to the front of the tile-roofed house. Seeing Mickey Mouse sunning himself in the enclosure, Zhang Heng felt a sense of warmth. He even felt that the other guy did not seem quite as ugly as before.

The trip had not taken long, but it had been full of danger. Fortunately, the rewards had been considerable as well.

Not only had he gained 13 points and an item whose purpose he did not know, but most importantly, Bear was still alive and kicking.

This also meant that for the next hundred days, he would finally no longer be alone on this deserted island.

Zhang Heng cleared out a room for the explorer to use as a bedroom, then asked, "Bear, can you be my teacher?"

"Sure. What do you want to learn?"

"English. I have a CET-6 exam in December."

"..."