The Double Drop Buff Surviving The Endless Ocean novel Chapter 21

hapter 21

Chapter 21

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Everyone was envious. Leeanne had received a message from Emmett: [Hey Leeanne, Rodger and I are buddies. Can I get a slice of that watermelon? I’ll give you 30 wood and 30 nails too.]

Leeanne replied: [Are you really friends with Rodger? Get Rodger to confirm it himself.]

She couldn’t ask for a better deal. Only someone loaded with supplies and a serious love for food would trade that much just for a watermelon.

Not long after, Emmett messaged her again: [Hey, did Rodger talk to you?]

Leeanne replied: [Yeah. Let’s trade!] Good thing she hadn’t cut it yet. She sliced off an eighth and traded it for 30 wood and 30 nails.

But rich fools like that were few and far between. Afterward, over a dozen people came pestering and bargaining with her for a slice.

The folks who came later barely had any supplies left. So she dropped her prices a bit.

In the end, she kept only half a watermelon for herself, selling the rest of both melons. She got 320 pieces of wood and 360 nails in total.

Now that Leeanne had enough wood and nails, she went ahead and upgraded her raft.

The raft stretched into a long rectangular shape, measuring roughly 15 feet wide and 60 feet long, with a total area of about one thousand square feet.

A notification popped up: [Raft expanded to one thousand square feet. You can now upgrade your wooden gazebo to a wooden pleasure boat.

[Raft expanded to one thousand square feet. Your workbench now unlocks more items to craft.

[Congratulations, player Leeanne Dillion! As the first player to expand your raft to one thousand square feet, you’ve earned a rare plant: the Sea Demon Vine (Unique). Please place it.]

This time, there was no announcement, just a direct reward of a plant. Leeanne felt a bit uneasy. ‘No announcement at all? Maybe this thing isn’t that great?‘ she thought.

She didn’t have time to dwell on it and just set the sea demon vine down next to her wooden gazebo.

The sea demon vine was growing in a regular flowerpot. Its leaves were oval, thick, and a bright green. It looked pretty good. Right now, it was only about 2 feet tall, just one little bunch.

A notification popped up: [Survival Tip: The Sea Demon Vine is a golden rare plant, the only one in the world.)

The only one in the world? And it’s rare?‘ Leeanne thought. She didn’t dare underestimate the sea demon vine anymore.

But after giving it a good look, Leeanne still couldn’t see anything unusual about the sea demon vine, so she shrugged it off.

She had been busy all the way until it was already after nine in the evening. Leeanne took a quick look at both the construction menu and her workbench.

It read: [Wooden Pleasure Boat: You can upgrade your wooden gazebo to a wooden pleasure boat. It looks way nicer and is more enclosed, offering better protection.

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Chapter 21

[You’ll need 500 wood, 80 nails, and 20 glass. It’s recommended to build it soon to earn a reward.

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[Smelting Furnace: Smelt certain minerals into specific items. Requires 1 Basic Smelting Furnace Blueprint and 10 iron.

[Grill: You can grill meat, fish, or veggies. It’s delicious! Requires 1 Grill Blueprint and 5 iron.

[Charcoal: Requires 1 wood.

[Handsaw: Break down wood into sticks and firewood. Requires 1 iron and 1 wood.

[Brazier: An iron basin filled with firewood. Once lit, it can keep a fire going, keep you warm, and even cook food. An essential item for survival. Requires 1 Brazier Blueprint, I iron, and 2 wood.]

There were also things like storage units and a bunch of other stuff she could make.

Sure enough, after expanding to one thousand square feet, her workbench was loaded with new stuff.

And now she could make charcoal herself, so she’d never have to stress about charcoal for her water filter again.

Leeanne remembered how that sneaky Rodger had once tried to swap a single piece of charcoal for a bottle of water.

But right now, what Leeanne really wanted to build was the wooden pleasure boat. After all, there was a reward for it.

And the system had said something about building it quickly. So she figured that if she dragged her feet, the reward might disappear.

Leeanne was itching to get started, but when she checked the materials needed, she felt a bit frustrated. ‘500 wood? That’s not easy to come by,’ she thought.

As she mulled things over, she shivered. For some reason, it felt way colder than usual today.

She hugged her arms, looked at how grimy she was, and thought, ‘Nope, I can’t stand it anymore. I need a shower first.

‘If I wait any longer, it’ll just get colder. And getting out of the shower into this cold, I’m definitely going to catch a cold.

Leeanne headed for the automatic shower cubicle, scrubbed herself down, washed her hair, and even did her laundry. By the time she finished, it was already past ten.

She stepped out in just her usual shorts and tee, and the second she left the shower cubicle, she couldn’t help but sneeze.

Jeez, it’s even colder out here, Leeanne thought. ‘Seriously, what’s going on with the weather today?‘ Leeanne hurried over to her bed, shivering, and bundled herself up in a blanket.

Hugging her pillow, Leeanne opened up the chat channel, hoping to score some wood. But everyone was talking about the weather, not trading supplies.

Someone complained: [Why is it so cold? I’ve sneezed a bunch of times already. I’m definitely catching a cold. What should I do? I’m so scared.]

Another person chimed in: [I’m wearing shorts and a tee, and the raft’s got wind blowing in from everywhere. I’m freezing out here.]

Someone else groaned: [Man, my raft’s only 70 square feet, totally exposed. I’m already half–starved, and now it’s getting even colder? Tonight might be my last.]

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10:20 am PM M

Chapter 21

Someone wondered: [Isn’t it supposed to get warmer out on the water at night?]

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Another person warned: [Seriously, after all the crazy stuff we’ve seen in this game, you’re still talking about real–world logic?

Heads up, the three–day newbie protection ends at midnight. No one knows what’s coming next.]

Someone else asked: [Wait, newbie protection period’s ending? What’s going to happen to us?]

Chaos crupted in the chat. Just then, a system announcement flashed across everyone’s screens.

It read: [Dear players, the three–day newbie protection period is ending soon. Tonight, the temperature will drop to around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Please get ready.

[After midnight, things are about to get dangerous. Be vigilant. Your raft may come under attack by beasts.

[Of course, if your raft already has a wooden gazebo, or you’ve got torches or a bonfire going, you might dodge disaster tonight.

[After tonight, any district with fewer than 50,000 survivors will be merged with another. Hang in there, everyone. Hope you all survive the night!]

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