Chapter 13: Three Priorities

Logan Lane opened the damaged yellow shell he had found in the remains of the Dragon Armor Beast. A line of text materialized in his vision:

[Pearl x3]

[Crafting Table Drawing x1]

[Four-Piece Clay Paper Set on Down Bed x1]

[Mai Drawing x1]

[Encyclopedia of Basic Marine Biology of the Advanced World of Civilization x1]

[Floating Stone x6]

He felt a surge of excitement at the sight of the [Encyclopedia of Basic Marine Biology of the Advanced World of Civilization]. Knowledge was power—if the book contained valuable data, he could gain a serious advantage. The only downside was its ridiculously long title.

He stashed the thick encyclopedia in his thatched hut, saving it for later reading. Right now, he had more important priorities: hauling in additional treasure chests. After pondering his next move, Logan used the [Floating Stone x6]. Rather than letting the system randomly expand his island, he chose to extend the island's edge by 6 meters in a specific direction. This put him only about 8 meters away from a cluster of hundreds of crates floating offshore—close enough for safe retrieval.

By around 4:30 PM, Logan had fished up 102 crates. He lost five or six due to their sinking before he could snag them, but he decided not to get greedy and headed back to shore immediately.

He dragged all the crates to his hut, using them to form a circle around his position. He then put away any fresh meat or bloody items into his backpack to minimize the scent. For extra safety, he took 500 grams of F-rank Frost Serpent Meat, exchanged it for realgar powder, and sprinkled it around the hut. Lastly, he crawled into one of the larger wooden boxes, locking himself inside.

To keep watch, he carved a few holes in the crate. Through these narrow gaps, he could peer outside and get fresh air. Shortly after 5:00 PM, the sky darkened and the sea grew ominous, with rolling waves crashing against the shore. Logan spotted a long black shape in the water, gradually slithering toward his island.

He held his breath, not daring to make a sound. A colossal snake head rose from the surf, each eye the size of a truck's wheel. The creature's body, covered in black scales as thick as three water tanks, appeared to be at least three hundred meters in length. A protrusion near its forehead hinted that it was on the verge of sprouting horns.

The giant serpent slid onto the shore, venomous green eyes scanning its surroundings. It sniffed about for half an hour, apparently failing to detect Logan's presence. In the end, it left empty-handed, sliding back into the ocean with a frustrated swish of its tail.

Logan let out a shaky breath. He was dripping with sweat, causing the damp hospital gown clinging to him to feel even more uncomfortable. Yet he dared not move or make a sound until he was certain the snake was gone.

An hour later, he used his Breeze Sword to split the wooden crate open and stepped out. The encounter had taught him a valuable lesson: during the novice protection period, some invisible force shielded him and his island from monstrous threats unless he drew attention to himself. That explained why so many dangerous sea beasts had not attacked him outright. Even the Dragon Armor Beast had ignored him initially; it only fought back once he attacked first.

He rested for a moment, then turned his attention to the mountain of wooden crates. He spent an hour opening them all and organizing the contents. Ten crates he kept intact for storage; the rest he dismantled. The combined materials filled him with a sense of triumph:

[550ml Unlabeled Mineral Water x51]

[Bread (50g–110g) x129]

[xxL Couple's Coat x1]

[Soap x3]

[Toiletries x1]

[Plant Ripening Liquid 3L x3]

[Thatch x392]

[Thatched House Drawing x2]

[Cabin Building Drawing x3]

[Floating Stone x39]

[Ordinary Water Purifier Drawing x1]

[Milk (Carton of 24 Bottles) x1]

[Universal Metal Sheet x12]

[Anti-inflammatory Drug x3]

[Refined Iron x32]

[Luck +1 Card x1]

[Small Refrigerator x1]

Logan rolled his eyes at the refrigerator. Without power or an electrical outlet, it was just a bulky ornament. However, the [Luck +1 Card] intrigued him. He still had no idea what "Luck" really did, but used the card anyway. The little slip of paper dissolved into a thin strand of light and disappeared into his brow.

He glanced at his status panel:

Name: Logan Lane

Gender: Male

Age: 20

Base Attributes: Strength 72, Agility 61 (adult male norm ~10 before enhancement)

Constitution: Normal (G-rank)

Luck: 14 (normal mortal up to 50)

Nothing else had changed. He shrugged and turned his thoughts to what he should do next. The giant sea serpent's visit that evening made three priorities clear:

Advance His Constitution to F-rank as soon as possible. Leveling up might grant greater power or reveal new system features. He also needed to create or upgrade his fishing nets.

Expand His Island further. The newly sprouted trees suggested that more land area might unlock new growth and resources. If everyone else caught on to the value of Floating Stones, competition would skyrocket.

Stabilize Basic Survival: Collect enough food, water, and other necessities to weather the oncoming storm once the novice protection ended.