Chapter 188 - 165: Players Are Different From Each Other

Chapter 188: Chapter 165: Players Are Different From Each Other

Vivian Joyce was the player who had just sent a message in the Sea Survival Shop’s main group chat. The moment she laid eyes on the Void Isle, she had immediately bragged about it to the group.

She didn’t know the situation in the other zones, but at the very least, she was the second person to publicly announce such a discovery. After all, her current idol was Rowan Rhodes. She admired his commanding aura as a master strategist. He had been ranked first since the Sea Survival Game began and had never dropped from that position. Such skill was truly not something an ordinary person possessed.

After sending the message, she felt her heartbeat quicken significantly. She secretly hoped others would mention her name in the same breath as Rowan Rhodes. To her delight, the exact scenario she had imagined played out.

"The second Rowan Rhodes!!!"

Seeing these words, she felt that her bragging had been completely worth it. It was just a pity that the interface didn’t allow screenshots, or else she would have definitely saved the moment to prove she had shared the same spotlight as the great Rowan Rhodes.

After quietly admiring the chat for a moment, Vivian shifted her attention back to the Void Isle. She sincerely hoped to successfully trade with the Void Beast and secure a stable supply channel. What would that mean? It meant she could use this achievement as a stepping stone to join Rowan Rhodes’s team.

She had already applied with Zelda Parrish, but since Zelda seemed to still be reviewing the candidates, Vivian had no choice but to wait. However, she couldn’t help but wish she had more bargaining chips in her hands.

After dropping the anchor, Vivian secured her raft beside the Void Isle. As she hopped off, the seawater soaked her feet, but she steadily marched up the sandy beach. Standing on the shore, she instinctively looked up at the massive mountain plateau that seemed to erupt straight out of the ground. The sheer scale of it almost gave her a bout of megalophobia.

Starting from the fourth island, there was a fundamental difference in appearance, resources, and everything else compared to the previous three. This shift likely signaled an increase in the difficulty of the Sea Survival Game. Yet, at this moment, Vivian felt no fear whatsoever.

After all, the Sea Survival Game wouldn’t change just because she was scared. There was only one thing left to do—go all out!

Gripping her weapon tightly, Vivian embarked on her exploration. Glancing at her inventory, which had doubled in capacity, she felt confident that she finally had enough space to store her loot. With that, she followed the winding, rugged path up the mountain, inching her way to the summit while carefully observing her surroundings.

She remembered reading in Rowan’s guide that players were the target of the Void Beast’s quests. If she was the first to land on the island, it was highly likely the creature would actively seek her out. Therefore, she decided to prioritize gathering resources for now. If it was meant to be, they would cross paths.

If she didn’t encounter it later on, she would start actively searching. Thanks to her real-world experience as a backpacker, navigating the steep, rugged trails was a breeze.

The moment she reached the peak, Vivian spotted a forest sprawling across a flat expanse. She plunged right in, her eyes darting around as she quickly scanned the area. She needed to determine the priority of the various resources available on the Void Isle.

Sweeping her gaze over the landscape, she immediately memorized the resources that came with special explanations on her system panel. As she pushed forward step by step, she suddenly felt as if something was watching her. Yet, whenever she turned around, the feeling vanished.

Acting on a hunch, Vivian retrieved a small dining table from her inventory and laid out an array of delicious food and fruits.

"Is there a Void Beast around? I want to make a trade with you," she called out.

Rowan’s guide had mentioned that Void Beasts could be won over with good food, so she had brought plenty. And clearly, her approach was working.

Just as her words faded, she noticed rustling in the nearby grass, and the sound was drawing closer. Suddenly, a black, coal-like ball flew onto her small table with a SWISH, letting out a series of "PEEP PEEP" sounds at her.

Vivian was speechless.

She wondered, "What is the Void Beast saying?"

She was certain this little soot ball was a Void Beast because Rowan had described its appearance in his guide. However... he didn’t seem to have mentioned exactly how one was supposed to communicate with it.

Hesitating, Vivian took out a Space Stone from her inventory. She pointed at the Space Stone, then pointed at the food on the table.

"PEEP PEEP." After making that noise, the Void Beast glanced at the feast, waved its little nub of a hand, and swept all the food into its own storage. In return, a single, solitary Space Stone appeared on the small dining table.

Vivian was speechless.

After a moment of silence, she began placing the food, vegetables, and fruits she had brought onto the table in batches. The Void Beast handed over a corresponding number of Space Stones based on the quality and quantity of the offerings. It ranged from one to three stones per batch.

Once her entire stockpile was depleted, Vivian asked, "If I want to establish a long-term trade with you, will I be able to contact you after I leave the Void Isle?"

The Void Beast looked at her and wiggled its entire body. Uncannily, Vivian somehow understood exactly what that gesture meant: *No.*

Following that, she and the Void Beast engaged in several back-and-forth exchanges using body language. Slowly but surely, she confirmed a few things.

First, she could trade food, vegetables, and fruits with the Void Beast while on the Void Isle, but once she left the island, trading would be impossible. Second, the amount of empty stones the Void Beast had on hand was strictly limited.

Having confirmed this, Vivian felt a bit helpless.

She wondered, "Just how exactly did Rowan Rhodes conduct his trades with the Void Beast in his zone? How did he manage to get such a massive quantity? This doesn’t make any scientific sense!"

Then again, unscientific phenomena surrounding the great Rowan Rhodes were a dime a dozen; he was a walking unsolved mystery. Furthermore, Vivian made another discovery.

The moment she could no longer provide food, vegetables, or fruits, the Void Beast vanished into thin air right in front of her, without the slightest warning.

Left dumbfounded on the spot, Vivian shifted her gaze back to her control panel. In the main group chat, many players were discussing her, and some were outright asking if she had managed to find the Void Beast and strike a deal.

Looking at the intensely curious players, Vivian sent a message.

"Just as Rowan Rhodes’s guide stated, the Void Beast sought me out on its own. After I took out the food, vegetables, and fruits, it directly traded Space Stones with me. But as soon as the trade was over, it left. As for any deeper cooperation, I don’t think it’s possible. There’s no way to communicate with it—it only goes ’PEEP PEEP’ at me."

As far as Vivian was concerned, since a deeper partnership couldn’t be achieved, she wouldn’t force it. After all, she had mentally prepared herself for this outcome early on. Her real-life experience had taught her that being overly obsessive brought no benefits.

It was the same in the game. Compared to many other players, she was blessed with plenty of Luck; holding on to what she already had was enough. However, Vivian’s balanced mindset didn’t mean the other players felt the same way.

Reading her message, the main group chat completely blew up.