Novice Trial Begins

Survival Calendar Day 4, 11:58.

Disaster: Blood Moon Descending

Weather: Overcast, Temperature: 26°

Three hours still until the Novice Trial Dungeon opens. Ji Xinghe opens the Food Pack.

[Food Pack opened: Obtained Hotpot Set for one.]

A small hotpot materializes out of thin air on the wooden table before her, surrounded by skewers: Spicy Beef, Tripe, Hao'er Fish, Shrimp, Crab, Meatballs, Vegetables, and more.

What delights Ji Xinghe most is an Oil Dip packed full of Chili Peppers.

The spicy, fragrant aroma of the hotpot hits her nose, making her mouth water uncontrollably.

She lights the small stove, and in about ten minutes, the hotpot broth begins to bubble and gurgle.

She quickly drops the skewers in to cook.

She only stops when the small pot can't hold any more.

Grabbing a bottle of Iced Cola from the Refrigerator, she opens it and pours herself a full glass.

She sips it while watching the hotpot.

Suddenly, a Vine tip and a branch fork appear at the doorway.

They prop themselves on either side of the door, silently staring at Ji Xinghe.

Seeing her two pets leaning on the door with tilted heads, Ji Xinghe feels a bit awkward, like she's been caught eating alone by friends.

She lets out an embarrassed chuckle: "Hey~ Xiao Xi, Xiao Sha, want to come in and have some?"

Ever since the Shelter was upgraded, it's gotten much more spacious—the door is wider, and the ceiling is about a meter higher.

With Xiao Sha's current size, he can just barely squeeze in.

As soon as she speaks, the two pets walk in together.

The once-empty living room is instantly packed full.

Ji Xinghe hands them two skewers of Spicy Beef: "Eat up."

Xiao Xi takes them with her Vine, her voice soft and sweet: "Thank you, Master~"

Xiao Sha shudders at the sight, then takes the skewers with a youthful voice: "Thanks, Master."

The two pets swallow the skewers—meat and wood alike—in one gulp.

Ji Xinghe taps them: "Hey, this is how you eat it. Don't eat the skewers, just toss them in the trash."

"Oh~" They both nod in unison, but their eyes stay fixed on the hotpot.

They've never tasted anything so rich before; the meat slides down their throats, but the lingering aroma keeps drifting.

Seeing this, Ji Xinghe hands them another handful of cooked skewers, this time dipped in the Oil Dip seasoning.

The two pets eat with relish, and Ji Xinghe doesn't hold back either.

By the time the wooden table is cleared of dishes, one human and two pets are still savoring the aftertaste.

Ji Xinghe pulls out some cleaned Beast Meat and cooks it for them.

Another half hour of eating, and all three are stuffed with round bellies.

Patting her stomach, and sticking to the principle of not wasting anything, Ji Xinghe puts the Oil Dip and leftover hotpot broth into the Storage Box, saving them for when she craves them again.

After the meal, she looks at her two pets.

"I'm heading into the dungeon this afternoon. You coming with me?"

The Novice Trial should allow pets, right?

Even though she had no pets during her last life's Novice Trial, in later dungeons, unless the rules specifically banned pets, they were usually allowed.

Ji Xinghe strokes their leaves, thinking how nice it would be to have a Portable Pet Space—it'd make both dungeons and island exploration so much easier.

But Pet Spaces are incredibly rare; in her past life, she'd only heard others mention them, never even qualified to see one.

A cool touch brushes her hand. Ji Xinghe looks down to see a Vine curling around her fingertip.

"Going. Xi will fight alongside Master."

The branch above gently pats her shoulder: "Sha too!"

Ji Xinghe's lips curl up: "Alright, then we'll go together."

She's not worried about the island being attacked while she's away.

Because when entering a dungeon, time in the Survival World is relatively frozen.

No matter how long she spends in the dungeon—an hour, a day, or half a month—the moment she exits, time picks up from the instant she entered.

Not to mention her Shelter has a Protective Shield.

Two hours later.

A mechanical voice sounded in her ear.

Code
[The Novice Trial Dungeon is about to open. Now, the system will explain the dungeon rules.]

[Rule 1: This trial adopts a level-clear format. After each successful clear, players may choose to return to the island or continue the challenge. (Note: You cannot return to the island mid-clear.)]

[Rule 2: After each clear, time-limited rewards will be unlocked, including various buffs, weapons, items, etc. (Only usable within the dungeon.)]

[Rule 3: This trial consists of ten levels total, with difficulty increasing progressively. Clearing all levels grants a special reward provided by the system.]

[Rule 4: The trial uses a ranking mechanism. The more levels a player clears, the higher their rank.]

[Ultimately, the top 100 players in the entire server will receive generous rewards. The remaining players will also receive consolation prizes. (If multiple players complete all levels, the system will rank them fairly based on clear time.)]

[Rule 5: Death within the dungeon is true death!]

[Players, please prepare!]

Ji Xinghe checked her backpack again, making sure she had brought everything she needed, then took hold of her two pets.

Code
[Novice Trial Dungeon opening countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...]

As the countdown ended, Ji Xinghe suddenly felt dizzy. By the time she steadied herself, she and her two pets had already arrived in another space.

"Sizzle... crackle..."

Her nose twitched as she caught the scent of burning wax.