Volume 1, Chapter 8: Facing Death? Who?

At that moment, Lin Yuyu’s personal terminal gave a sudden "beep."

She glanced down. It was a notification that the daily period of intense heat and high radiation was about to begin, warning islanders to prioritize their safety.

Seeing this, Lin Yuyu recalled that the original owner of this body had been unable to tolerate high heat or radiation. However, since she had taken over, the body seemed to have become much more resilient. Could this be the "cheat" granted to her by the gods of Blue Star as compensation? After all, she hadn't written any scathing manifestos or saved anyone from disaster; she had simply prayed for a stable job, only to be tossed into this post-apocalyptic survival scenario. That was truly excessive. If she wasn't going to get a system, a spatial inventory, or some other supernatural advantage, why drop her into this wasteland—a fragile human who knew nothing of wilderness survival, lacked martial arts skills, and possessed no medical knowledge? Was she just meant to be a tourist in a wasteland survival game?

Yes, this had to be her cheat. Having a relatively strong body wasn't such a bad starting hand. There was potential here. She had to believe in herself!

With that thought, Lin Yuyu pressed her palms together and bowed to the void. "No offense intended! And thank you, my god!"

*Ancient Virus:* "Hmph! It’s actually me who’s doing the real work here, you know! If you hadn't fallen into the deep sea and become infected by me, would your body have undergone these changes? So annoyed!"

*Jellyfish Toxin:* "Yeah, so annoying!"

Lin Yuyu suddenly felt a chill behind her. She turned around immediately to look, but there was only a small tree hollow she had found earlier, intended as a shelter from the heat and radiation.

Since she was now immune to radiation and was already in the forest where the canopy provided shade, there was no need to force herself into that cramped hollow. She could use this time to get some real work done.

Two or three hours passed. Lin Yuyu had finished weaving fish baskets and nets, and the roasted chicken she had left resting near the fire was ready. The period of extreme heat and radiation was nearly over. Earlier, out of respect for her own safety, she had tested the few animals that had "collided" with her, and only the multicolored bird had registered as edible. Now that she had gone to all the trouble of roasting it, she felt a bit conflicted.

After all, she only had one life. If her own poison could kill her, wouldn't this be a case of "testing it to death"? But if she didn't try, how would she know if it was safe?

*Gurgle, gurgle…*

The chicken was roasted to perfection. It smelled so good.

Just one bite. She would try just one bite. Lin Yuyu swore it. Someone once said that talking about toxicity without mentioning dosage is just a form of hooliganism. She would only take a tiny bite; even if her own toxins affected her, she would likely just fall asleep for a while—nothing too serious.

Lin Yuyu managed to convince herself. She took a small bite, chewed and chewed, and after swallowing, she couldn't resist taking another. Just like that, bite by tiny bite, she ended up eating half the bird.

A while later, Lin Yuyu looked at the remaining half of the roasted chicken in her hand, feeling a bit guilty. She casually wrapped it in a clean leaf and tucked it into the net she had just finished. She took the leaves that had held the chicken’s innards and stuffed them into the fish basket. Then, carrying her net and basket, she headed toward the stream.

*Cough, cough.* Time waited for no one; she had to get those baskets in the water.

...

By evening, at the stream, Lin Yuyu sighed at the pile of "inedible" creatures she had netted all afternoon. No wonder this place was teeming with fish but devoid of people—it turned out none of them were safe to eat. She wondered if she, now immune to radiation, could eat high-radiation food. If not, her entire afternoon of effort had been wasted.

Ever since the fever two days ago, Lin Yuyu felt as though her brain hadn't been working quite right. She didn't know this, she didn't know that, and yet she kept wanting to try everything. In just a few days, she had already encountered so many "uncertainties." Would she eventually have question marks sprouting from her head? The original owner's memories were the same—fragmented, missing pieces, no beginning or end. It felt like they were filled with traps.

It was truly worrying. "God, could you send a senior to guide me? Surviving on my own is just too hard... Or maybe you could give me a system? If that’s not possible, how about a guidebook for my 'cheat'?"

However, the only answer Lin Yuyu received was a low rumble of thunder and the rustling of the forest.

...

"The sun is almost down, why on earth isn't that girl packing up to head back?"

Li Duocai had originally planned to act in the forest, but he worried that the tangled paths would allow her to escape, alerting her before he could succeed. So, he had decided to stick to the previous plan: tail her, drive her toward the outskirts, and corner her in an empty alley near the shelters before striking. Disposing of the body would be a hassle, but it was safer.

But this time, they had been watching Lin Yuyu for half a day, and she showed no signs of packing up to leave. She was even roasting fish by the river.

"Has she been beaten stupid by us last time, or is she just brainless? Does she not know how dangerous the forest is at night? Is she planning to stay the night out here?"

Even now, she had the leisure to roast fish. Everyone else on the island knew that if you found something edible, you hid it away securely and only dared to eat a little in secret once you were safely home. She, on the other hand, was boldly roasting fish by the river. She was truly, maddeningly unique.

Li Duoshun didn't know how to answer his brother's question. He was currently mesmerized by the aroma of the roasted fish. He couldn't even remember the last time he had eaten meat. As time passed, edible food on the island had become increasingly scarce. A year ago, people could still find low-radiation plants or animals every few days. Now, finding a medium-radiation food item once a week was enough to make everyone celebrate. Even then, they rarely ate it themselves; they usually traded it at the administrative center or grocery stores for nutrient paste. A single tube of paste, which only provided enough energy for one adult's daily activities, was often stretched by adding water into three tubes, consumed over three days. As for the brothers, even the watered-down version was a luxury; they only drank a sip when they were starving, just to fool their stomachs.

The roasted fish on the fire seemed to have transformed into a glamorous dancer, deeply captivating Li Duoshun’s soul and making him nearly forget why they were lurking there. He only snapped back to reality when Li Duocai shoved him.

"Brother! What are you spacing out for? I'm talking to you!"

"Slurp… Let's move. She can afford to wait, but we can't. If we don't get back to the shelter before dark, we'll be in danger too."

Most importantly, why was she eating fish when she was about to die? That fish belonged to them!

Perhaps Li Duoshun couldn't imagine that someone like Lin Yuyu existed—someone who would meticulously cook things that couldn't be eaten. It wouldn't be until long, long after that those around Lin Yuyu realized: the more enticing her cooking looked and smelled, the more poisonous it was—to everyone except her.

At that moment, Lin Yuyu, sitting by the fire, suddenly felt the stray hairs at her ears stir without a breeze. She immediately stooped to grab a piece of firewood still tipped with flame and swung it behind her. She used the momentum to rise and retreat a few paces, finally confronting the intruders.

Staring at the two slightly familiar faces, it took a few seconds for Lin Yuyu to retrieve their information from the corners of her memory. They were two habitual thieves who spent their days stealing from others.

Lin Yuyu narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled at the Li brothers. "Isn't it a bit rude to attack without even saying hello?"

Li Duocai snorted. He took a few steps to the right, attempting to circle the fire and pincer her with his brother, while speaking to distract her. "Who says hello before an ambush? Are you stupid?"

"But I don't even know you. If you're going to deal with me, you should at least let me die knowing why."

"You're at death's door, why are you talking so much?"