The Double Drop Buff Surviving The Endless Ocean novel Chapter 5

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Someone in the group chimed in: [Don’t even try! Some dude named Ronald Stallings just posted he was about to croak from thirst and begged Jessica for her last half–bottle. She gave it up without a second thought.]

[Ronald? You mean that pretty–boy idol who’s all soft edges and eyeliner?]

Jessica: [Sorry y’all, I’m tapped out. Parched as heck over here now!]

Leeanne clicked her tongue. ‘Jessica’s got a heart bigger than her raft–dishing out wood, dishing out water. Doubt most of these people will ever pay her back.

Not her problem. She flicked over to private messages and found them already stacked.

She already had a bunch of private messages waiting for her.

Ronald: [I’m legit dying out here, pretty lady. Hook me up with just a sip?]

Ronald: [I’ll flash my abs for a drink.]

Ronald: [Miss, it’s your boy Ronny. I sing, I dance, I’m real good at keeping beds warm. Gimme water and I’m yours, whatever you need.]

Leeanne: [What the hell?]

Yeah, no. Creep alert, she thought, rolling her eyes. She then blocked him.

She scrolled past the usual noise–people fishing for free wood, trying to charm her–until Jessica’s message popped.

Jessica: [Leeanne, if you’ve got water, why not stash it? Out on the open ocean, water’s the only thing keeping us alive. Run dry and you’re not making it twenty–four hours.]

Leeanne: [Then why’d you just hand your last half–bottle to Ronald?]

Jessica: [He… he honestly looked ready to pass out, and, okay, I kinda love watching him dance.]

Leeanne couldn’t help teasing. [Oh, big fan, huh? Did he give you a private show? Flash those abs you’re clearly dying to see?]

Jessica typed back lightning fast. (No way! I’m not that kinda girl. I just think he’s stupid hot. When a guy

at you with actual tears in his eyes… my heart just folded.]

that

gorgeous looks

Leeanne was left speechless.

A fresh pile of junk messages had rolled in while she read. She blew past them and messaged Jessica again

Leeanne: [You sitting on any iron blocks?]

Jessica [Got three, but I’m holding them for the crafting bench Can’t let any gol

Leeanne’s pulse jumped.

Leeanne: How about just one?]

Jessica. [Sorry, no dice. I only need two more iron to finish the bench]

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Leeanne: [Sun’s dipping fast. Once it’s dark, no more chests to haul in tonight. You really wanna ride out the whole night thirsty? Tomorrow’s no sure thing either; you might come up empty again. That’s another full day of hell.]

Jessica: [But I’ve got the blueprint for a seawater purifier. Soon as I build the crafting bench, I can crank out a water filter.]

Leeanne’s heart raced. ‘A purifier that makes ocean water drinkable? Total game–changer.

‘Curious if my Double Bonus works on blueprints too.

She went for it. [Here’s an idea. Let me borrow the purifier blueprint and the iron blocks. I’ll take one fast look, hand everything right back, and you walk away with half a bottle of water.]

She wouldn’t try this stunt on most people, but Jessica struck her as the trusting type.

She sweetened it. [If you’re worried I’ll vanish, I’ll post collateral. Water, fresh strawberries, oatmeal–whatever makes you feel good.]

Jessica stayed quiet for a solid minute.

Leeanne nudged: [Come on, Jessica, girl to girl, I’m not here to screw you over.]

At last, Jessica finally replied: [Okay… but add me as a friend first. I wanna see who I’m dealing with.]

Friend request pinged. Leeanne accepted. Immediately, a video call invite followed.

‘Ah, so that’s the play. Wants to make sure I’m not some sketchy guy,’ Leeanne thought.

Leeanne tapped accept. Jessica’s face filled the holo–screen.

Leeanne cranked it up to full ninety–inch display, sharp enough to catch every detail. She could count the light freckles dusting Jessica’s nose.

It felt like they were sharing the same raft.

Jessica was cute in that wholesome, girl–next–door way: round face, big round eyes, neat bangs. Straight–up adorable.

All Leeanne could see was the basic info–no deep stats, just age twenty–four, matching her own.

Jessica’s eyes went huge, practically sparkling. “Holy crap, Leeanne, you’re insanely gorgeous! Like, drop–dead stunning with total badass energy!”

Leeanne knew she was easy on the eyes, but Jessica was full fangirl mode, starry–eyed and borderline drooling.

Jessica stared at Leeanne, absolutely floored.

Leeanne had the most striking vibe she’d ever seen.

Her high ponytail was sleek and tight, not a single strand out of place, eyes sharp and bright, forehead smooth and clean,

She rocked a simple short–sleeved tee and denim shorts that showed off her long legs and flawless skin. Everything about her screamed clean–cut, gorgeous, and straight–up cool

People would think someone with such a fresh, pretty face and slender frame would be all soft and delicate, but Leeanne moved with this practical, no–nonsense confidence that completely flipped the script.

And those eyes–bright and steady, packed with quiet determination, yet every now and then they’d soften with a flicker of

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warmth.

She was full of contradictions, but somehow it all clicked together perfectly.

Jessica was head over heels.

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She was an absolute sucker for beautiful people. Guys, girls, didn’t matter. If someone was stunning, she was done for.

Pretty faces were her ultimate weakness.

Today had been a solid win: great haul, helped a few folks out, and every single one of them, Ronald included, had been ridiculously good–looking. All easy eights, no question.

But Leeanne? A straight–up ten. Just looking at her felt like striking gold.

Jessica couldn’t tear her eyes away.

Leeanne was starting to feel seriously creeped out.

‘What’s this girl’s deal? Is she all there?‘ she thought.

She reached to end the call.

Jessica clenched her fist, cleared her throat, and blurted out, [Leeanne, you’ve got that honest vibe. I trust you. No collateral needed. Here you go: Beginner Seawater Filter Blueprint, Iron x3.]

She sent the trade request without a second thought.

Just like that?‘ Leeanne blinked, thrown off for a second, but she hit accept right away.

[Today’s Double Bonus Activated: Received Beginner Seawater Filter Blueprint x2, Iron Ingot x6]

It doubled the blueprint too.

Leeanne’s heart raced with pure excitement. She immediately traded one blueprint and three ingots back. “Hit me with another trade real quick.”

They swapped again. No double blessing this time, but hey, this was still basically a glitch in her favor, and a damn good one.

Leeanne asked for an empty bottle and poured half her fresh water into it for Jessica.

She’d deliberately turned away earlier, so Jessica had zero clue about the extra loot.

Jessica tilted her head, curious “Hey, what were you doing eyeballing my blueprint and ingots back there?”

Leeanne didn’t even blink. “Oh, I’ve got the exact same ones. Just wanted to double check they matched up.”

“Did they?” Jessica asked.

“Yep, identical, Leeanne replied with a confident nod.

‘As if, she added silently.

Jessica swallowed it whole and plowed ahead. “Leeanne, check this out!”

She scooted back proudly, giving Leeanne a full view of her ratt.

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She’d expanded it to roughly sixty–five square feet, with a handful of chests and loose planks scattered across the deck.

Jessica beamed with pride. “See that? My raft’s gotten pretty massive. I’m kinda killing it, right…”

Her words cut off as her eyes went wide. “Oh my God, Leeanne, what’s that behind you?”

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