Chapter 7: Player 07
Backpack Expansion Coupon?
Ning Yun heard of it for the first time. She picked it up, and immediately a system prompt appeared before her eyes.
“Would the player like to use the Backpack Expansion Coupon?”
Just when she was worried about insufficient backpack space, and a pillow was handed to her as if to wake her from a nap.
Without hesitation, she used one coupon. Her backpack instantly expanded from 20 slots to 25 slots—far beyond her expectations!
As for the remaining coupon, she decided not to use it herself but carefully stored it away.
To think that even a bronze chest could yield such a great item.
This made her increasingly eager to see what surprises higher-tier chests would bring.
Time passed much faster than Ning Yun had imagined, and soon it was noon.
Like yesterday, she found a tree and sat on a branch to enjoy her lunch.
Today, there were fewer jokers in the chat channel; most people were sharing how many chests they had opened.
Where there were lucky players, there were naturally unlucky ones.
Yang Baiwei was the unluckiest of the unlucky.
She had spawned on a deserted island.
When she first stepped out, she almost thought she was playing an ocean survival game.
But it turned out she was the only one assigned to this tiny island.
And this island was very small, with only a small patch of coconut trees and no other plants.
Her only source of food was scavenging at the shore for fish, shrimp, oysters, or even seaweed—she didn’t mind.
Others had to hunt for chests in deep forests, snowy mountains, or deserts.
But for her, the chests floated in from the sea, and she only needed to scoop them up.
Yet no one told her that without a fishing net or boat, and being a landlubber, how was she supposed to swim out and retrieve the treasure chests?
More painful than not finding a chest was watching them drift past right before her eyes, powerless to reach them.
Today, she vowed to learn to swim—either learn or perish!
There were quite a few players like Yang Baiwei.
They could barely survive the first day without finding a chest, but if they didn’t find a way by the second day, death was inevitable.
Ning Yun watched these players complain in the chat channel, feeling a pang of sympathy.
But she was powerless too.
This damn system was clearly designed to let players fend for themselves, forbidding any mutual assistance!
---
She jumped down from the tree, ready to spend the afternoon playing the part of a bald woodcutter.
Unexpectedly, a text box suddenly appeared before her in the empty space.
“Player 07 invites you to enter a dungeon. Accept or decline?”
An invitation from someone else?
Was it random or targeted?
Ning Yun’s mind raced; her clenched fists betrayed her nervousness.
In a survival game, joining a dungeon with a stranger—enemy or ally—seemed a risky move.
What if the other was a strong man who would harm her? She wouldn’t stand a chance.
But what if the inviter was Xiao Qichen?
Seeing the countdown still had some time left, she tentatively asked the system,
“System, are players able to exit a dungeon mid-progress if they enter together?”
She was just testing; if the system didn’t respond, she would refuse the invitation, unwilling to take the risk.
To her surprise, soon a line of yellow text appeared in the chat channel:
“In dungeons, player attacks are disabled. Individuals may choose to exit freely.”
That single line eased Ning Yun’s heart.
In the game, dungeons were important sources of resources.
During the beta phase, dungeons would surely yield even greater rewards.
Resolute, she decided to take the risk—fortune favors the bold, and without life-threatening danger, why not give it a try? If anything went wrong, she could retreat immediately to save herself.
With that settled, she selected “Yes.”
The surrounding environment instantly distorted; Ning Yun felt dizzy.
Until a field of white appeared before her eyes, she instinctively closed them, avoiding the glaring light.
Her bodily senses seemed magnified infinitely. She lost track of time—whether it was a moment or an eternity.
Finally, her feet touched solid ground, and the floating, weightless sensation vanished.
“Phew,” Ning Yun exhaled, calming her nerves.
When she opened her eyes again, the scene before her surpassed all imagination.
A colossal tree stood at the end of a winding, secluded path, with a trunk unbelievably thick.
Most stunning was its canopy, wide as an umbrella, shading the sky and sun; its purple leaves glowed faintly under the sunlight.
The drooping branches resembled jellyfish drifting in the sea, imparting an eerie feeling.
Such a tree did not exist on Blue Star.
So, where exactly was she?
---
Just as Ning Yun was struck by the giant tree, footsteps echoed behind her.
Her hairs stood on end; she immediately turned around, alert, only to see a tall man standing not far away.
They were inside a winding cave, close to the entrance.
Outside, the sun shone brightly, and the man stood against the light, making it hard for Ning Yun to see his face clearly.
But he held an imposing long sword that inspired awe.
He stood straight, radiating an aura of solitude.
For some reason, Ning Yun felt he harbored immense sorrow within his heart; just sensing this faintly made her want to cry.
Ning Yun was highly sensitive to others’ emotions.
It was her gift, having helped her avoid many bad encounters but also brought her considerable trouble.
Her emotions were easily influenced by those around her.
Just as now, although there was some distance between her and the man, she still felt uneasy and instinctively wanted to avoid him.
She knew this man was likely the player who had invited her.
Yet she couldn’t help but tremble, her heart still shaken.
“You’re Player 07?” she finally couldn’t hold back and spoke first.
Her voice was soft, but due to the unique acoustics of the cave, it echoed for a long time.
The man didn’t respond.
Ning Yun frowned; this man was strange. Could he be deaf or mute?
“Can you hear me?” she asked again, stepping forward.
This time, the man moved—so fast it was almost impossible to react.
Ning Yun thought, “Oh no, did I run into a bad guy?”
She tried to exit the dungeon, but just then, the man finally revealed his face.
His facial features were sharp and angular, his gaze piercing, giving off a sense of aloofness.
Yet at that moment, he seemed like a volcano beneath the deep sea, about to erupt with immense power.
He was very tall, with a posture as upright as a pine tree, broad shoulders, and a strong, muscular forearm.
That face was both strikingly familiar and somewhat strange to Ning Yun.
Or rather, she had never imagined him looking like this now.
“Xiao Qichen!”