Before long, Gu Ning felt another tug on the line—this time, he reeled in an iron chest.
It was his first time fishing up a chest, and he couldn't help but feel a little excited. Rubbing his hands together, he opened it without hesitation.
[Congratulations! You've obtained: Chicken Drumsticks x5, Water x1000ml.]
Not bad—food and water, and most importantly, meat.
Gu Ning immediately took out a drumstick. The golden-brown piece was as big as his palm, its rich aroma making his mouth water. He took a big bite—the meat was tender and flavorful, growing more delicious with each chew.
"This tastes way better than chicken back on Earth!" Gu Ning couldn't help but marvel.
As he enjoyed his drumstick, he cast his line again, mulling over his next steps.
Water wasn't a concern anymore, and he could rely on fishing for food. But without fire, he'd need to trade for a way to cook.
He opened the [Trading] section. There were already plenty of listings—Gu Ning skimmed through them to see what others had and what they needed, getting a feel for the market.
Glass x3
Price: Wood x1
Straw x5
Price: Wood x1
Wall Blueprint (White) x1
Price: Wood x10
Rope x1
Price: Wood x1
Most of the trades demanded wood—everyone was rushing to upgrade their wooden boats. A Level 2 boat would come with a cabin, meaning no more sleeping in the rain.
The downpour hadn't stopped since he woke up, the sky perpetually overcast. Gu Ning guessed this rain was tied to the "Month of Calamity" Tianmu had mentioned.
I need to upgrade soon too, he thought. Sleeping drenched in rainwater wasn't an option.
He searched for [Fire], and several listings popped up. What caught his eye was a pair of flint stones, which he bought for one wood.
Flint Stones (White): Strike together to create sparks.
They were just two small white rocks, about five centimeters each.
With fire, cooking wouldn't be a problem. Shelter, however, would have to wait until he upgraded his boat.
Beyond the boat, his fishing rod and seawater purifier also needed upgrades.
He calculated the resources he'd need:
Boat Upgrade:20 Wood
Fishing Rod:1 Wood, 2 Copper Ingots
Seawater Purifier: 15 Plastic, 10 Wood, 10 White Stones
Right now, he only had 9 Wood and 9 Copper Ingots—none of the other basic materials.
Time to fish like crazy. He had to upgrade his boat today—starting with 9 extra Wood gave him a huge advantage.
As for the fishing rod and purifier, those could wait. Even though he couldupgrade the rod now, he didn't want to spend more Wood.
Besides, if the rod's level got too high, he might hook something too strong to handle. Better play it safe—he was only Level 1 and couldn't even see his stats yet.
Just then, the resource rod jerked. Another catch!
Gu Ning yanked it up—this time, it was a card.
[Congratulations! You've obtained a Legendary Hero Card.]
Before he could even inspect it, Tianmu's voice rang out. Gu Ning nearly lost his mind, hands trembling with excitement. Talk about beginner's luck!
This is amazing!
He immediately stashed the resource rod and used the Hero Card.
A golden light burst forth at the bow of the boat. When it faded, Gu Ning's jaw dropped.
Standing there was a stunning woman—tall (over 170 cm), with soft golden hair and piercing golden eyes. She wore a high-waisted white dress that accentuated her full, curvaceous figure. In her hand was a small wooden staff, about 40 cm long.
She glanced around before her gaze settled on Gu Ning. Seeing his dumbstruck expression, she frowned slightly but still gave a graceful bow.
Gu Ning quickly snapped out of it. Even knowing this was a fantasy world, seeing someone materialize out of thin air was mind-blowing.
"Greetings, Lord. I am Winsor," she said softly.
"No need for formalities," Gu Ning replied. "Can you fish?"
As a pragmatist, he had no use for a mere ornament—she *had* to be useful. Otherwise, what was the point of summoning her?
Winsor blinked, clearly not expecting *that* as the first question from her lord. She had mistaken his earlier dazed look for something else, but now she realized she'd misjudged him.
(Little did she know, Gu Ning *had* been ogling—it's just that utility outweighed aesthetics for him. Beauty was a bonus; usefulness was mandatory.)
With a gentle smile, she answered, "Yes, my lord. Would you like me to fish now?"
"Go ahead. Knock the fish unconscious—don't kill them," Gu Ning said, handing her the fishing rod.
He needed to sell as many fish as possible to upgrade to Level 2. Only then could he see his stats.
As Winsor knelt at the bow, her dress tightening around her curves, Gu Ning couldn't help but admire the sight. Beautiful people really do make everything look good.*
Wait—I should check her stats. He used [Spiritual Vision]: