The bottom of the pool was pitch black. The tangled snake tail loosened in the water, and its body would sink and then quickly float back up.

The snake's tail thrashed about, and the water in the pool was bone-chillingly cold, with only the surface layer still having some warmth.

Shekh wasn't injured by the impact, but he almost got frostbite from the sudden shock.

The two swam outwards from the center of the pool, and by the time they had fully adapted to the water temperature, they finally reached the shore.

The ground was warm from the sun, so he took out a banana leaf, spread it on the ground, and let Shekh sit on it.

Is the tail injured?

"No." This wasn't a big deal. Shekh sat down, ate a couple of bites of fruit, rested, and then stood up to continue walking.

The shore was difficult to walk on, but there was no other way but to take big strides on the gray-white bedrock that was exposed above the water.

After walking for more than three hours, the bushes thinned out, and the two stepped onto dry, firm ground.

Where the soft soil meets the slightly reddish rock, Shi Jinzhe decided to rest in the transitional zone between the two types of landforms tonight.

After dinner, he took stock of the supplies for the second time. The food for the past ten days was taken from the forest and not much was consumed, only the water was used up rather a bit.

The rain delayed their progress, and they only collected rainwater for one day. The river water was too dirty to use, but fortunately, they consumed mostly the snow water they had previously stored, which was enough for drinking water.

Shi Jinzhe took out a few of the empty buckets and put about ten fish in them for Shehe.

Their fuel packs were less than a third full, so there was plenty of fuel and no need to worry about fuel or electricity consumption.

Besides what you get at the start, there are also many kinds of wild fruits in the space, which can replenish vitamins at any time.

Sheh picked out a wax apple from the categorized fruits, saying, "It tastes the same as a pear that isn't very sweet, just juicy and thirst-quenching."

"It can supplement nutrition, so it's okay to eat more."

Time was running out, so they lit a fire for her to light a way, and then left the rainforest, where the night grew cool.

Holding his toolbox, he began inspecting the car.

Shekh sat on a rock. "One hundred players. I wonder how the others are progressing."

"Why are you suddenly concerned about other people?"

"It's not that I'm worried, but something's going to happen to them. They probably have a lot of props, and I feel like you'll be at a disadvantage if you don't get them."

Each dungeon contains helpful items, but Shi Jinzhe can only plunder those activated by others because he can't pick them up himself. It would be easier if he could get the items.

Shekh pondered a solution, and after much deliberation, decided to threaten the system.

[Come out, why can't Shi Jinzhe find the items? Give him permission.]

[I can't do it.]

What does "not reaching" mean?

"It's just not possible." Seeing Sheikh about to raise his hand again, the system quickly said, "Even if you threaten me, I can't do it. This vulnerability can't be fixed."

If it can't be fixed, then what were you talking about fixing the game bugs you mentioned before at the bomb field?

[It's different. That only forcibly brought back players who were trying to evade the game, but the loophole still exists. There will still be cheaters and evasive players in the game, and all the system can do is keep trying to bring them back and force them to participate in the game.]

[Useless.]

The system tried to save face: "...This is all to teach them not to easily trust others."

Ultimately, this is still your problem, so why should he bear the blame?

So this isn't compensation for you being given to him.

Schech's expression softened slightly, but he still had a question on his mind.

[If he can't get the item, then what am I? Are you lying to me or to him? Give me an explanation.]

[...]

They really dug their own hole and jumped right in.

After careful consideration, the system chose the easiest target: "Lie to him, you're not entirely a tool."

Tell me, what did Shi Jinzhe do that deeply touched you, that made you...?

A crackling sound of electricity interrupted Shech; she called out to the system twice, but there was no response.

I pulled the ribbon up a little, but the system didn't respond. I pulled it up a little more, but still nothing.

Shekh lowered his hand. "He actually left..."

"What? You're really gone?"

Shi Jin closed the hood, thinking that Sher was talking to him.

“System, I asked it something.” Sheh told Shi Jinzhe about the conversation they had just had. “I’m not entirely a tool; the system can’t fix the loopholes that cheat players exploit.”

"Incompetent?"

Shi Jinzhe put down his tools and sat down next to Sheh. "It wasn't intentional?"

"He said he was incompetent, and when I asked him any more questions, he ran away. He didn't even make any threats."

Shi Jinzhe thought to himself, "If such a system, which is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people, can't do something, is it really not just fooling Shekh?"

"This vulnerability..."

“This vulnerability doesn’t do the game any good,” Shekh remembered what Shi Jinzhe had told her.

"The game needs players to do things for it. Since items and skills are random, it doesn't matter whether they are given to normal players or cheaters."

"One card for two people—that's like one person paying for two people's work. Why wouldn't they do such a profitable business?"

“Indeed, the game is so stingy, why wouldn’t it use this opportunity?” Shi Jinzhe muttered to himself, “It’s probably not a bug that the game created.”

As I pondered, I heard the sound of stones rolling in the open space.

The two looked back and saw that a small monkey had wandered into their territory. It was still a baby.

Startled by Shekh, it rolled around and ran into the darkness, scrambling to escape the dangerous place.

Shi Jinzhe tossed a banana leaf from behind, the sole of his shoe grinding against the red soil beneath his feet: "There are fewer animals in the back. This geology is like sandstone, not suitable for most animals to live in."

"As long as the car can move, it's fine."

"Are you tired from walking around these past few days?"

"If I can sit, I don't want to stand; if I can lie down, I don't want to sit." When Shekh saw the monkey come back to pick up bananas, he threw two more over to it.

Little monkey, ignorance is bliss. When you grow up, you won't be so careless.

Shekh turned around: "Go back to sleep, I want to leave here as soon as possible."

Shi Jinzhe followed the person's gaze, took a step, and picked them up from behind, saying, "If you can hold them, don't walk anymore."

Shekh lay down comfortably, looked up at the sky, and said, "I thought stars could be as big as animals."

“The animals here are large, but the plants are of normal size.” Shi Jinzhe walked past the window, where the peony and lisianthus were still in full bloom, protected by the power of life.

"The fruit we've eaten along the way hasn't been unusual; this is a world where only animals have mutated."

"I wonder if there are any people in this world, and if they are giants." Shekh was still thinking about this question when he was put back in the car.

"Don't think about anyone else, just think about me."