The scorching sun hung high above the vast desert, baking the sand grains until they were scalding hot.

A heat wave, seemingly tangible yet fleeting, permeated the air, surging restlessly and causing ripples to spread across the surrounding air, like a mirror distorted by the high temperature, refracting mesmerizing light and shadow.

The distant green shadows, rising and falling with the heat waves, seemed to be gradually receding, yet also slowly approaching, giving one an illusory and unreal feeling.

"Could this be the legendary mirage?" Xi Xi couldn't help but wonder.

She quickly returned to her car and set the basic treasure chest aside for the time being. Filled with intense curiosity, Xi Xi turned on the light screen camera.

She slowly pointed the camera at the blurry green shadow, trying to zoom in to figure out what it was.

However, due to the great distance, the magnified image was still not very clear, but with her keen observation and intuition, Xi Xi was still able to clearly identify the shapes of trees.

A mirage is a natural geographical phenomenon caused by the refraction and total internal reflection of light from distant objects. When light passes through the low-temperature, high-density atmosphere, it refracts downwards, causing the position of distant objects as seen by the naked eye to deviate from their actual position, thus forming a virtual image.

However, Xi Xi had lived in the original world for decades and had never witnessed a mirage in person. She was not entirely sure whether such a natural wonder could present such a realistic form.

After thinking about it, she decided to go there herself to find out the truth.

Before taking action, Xi Xi planned to finish today's "Daily Drawing" first.

Today, Xi Xi decided to draw wings. She had thought it through: to be skilled, one must be bold. Since this survival game doesn't restrict any viable survival methods or limit any way to reach the destination, wouldn't it be feasible for her to grow wings and fly there?

If it's a game, surely there's more to it than a back mount?

With that thought in mind, Xi Xi covered the feather pen tattoo wrapped in dark green vines on her left wrist again and said, "Xiao Fu, I want to summon the magic pen."

The familiar heat returned, and Xi Xi picked up the quill pen in one hand and the little dog ear pendant hanging on the rearview mirror in the other.

Asking her to draw wings out of thin air without any physical object is something Xi Xi could never do.

However, this plush keychain has a cute little wing on its back. Although it's a bit tiny, it really is a wing!

Xi Xi was secretly pleased, silently thanking herself for being so picky at the two-dollar store. Sure enough, everything was predestined.

She copied the design meticulously, stroke by stroke, pouring all her attention and patience into each stroke. Before long, she had drawn a pair of round, plump, and adorable little wings.

To be honest, although today's painting was a bit unnatural, it was still somewhat presentable compared to my previous works.

Looking at the result of her own handiwork, Xi Xi wiped the sweat from her forehead, nodded in satisfaction, and a smile involuntarily appeared on her lips. Sigh, she had never been this focused in art class before…

[System message: Identifying, please do not modify]

[...]

[System Notification: Congratulations, host, you have obtained 1 Light Feather Glove (Rare Quality)]

[Successfully acquired Rare Quality Item x1. Congratulations, adventurer, for gaining 40 Survival Points!]

"Huh?" Xi Xi's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the pair of transparent gloves in front of her, momentarily stunned.

She muttered to herself, "Wait, isn't the difference between wings and gloves a bit too big?" But after thinking about it for a while, she felt that they did look somewhat alike... especially the chibi wings.

[Item Description: This protective shield, when worn, can insulate against all negative damage such as extreme cold, fire, and electric shock. It is only effective within the area covered by the gloves.]

Xi Xi wanted to curse, "Artificial stupidity"... This is not what she wanted at all!

The gloves were round and large, just like the bulky silicone gloves used for washing dishes. The only difference was that they were made of completely transparent material, as clear and bright as crystal.

It looks delicious, but it doesn't seem very easy to wear...

Xi Xi frowned slightly, and after hesitating for a long time, she finally reluctantly decided to try on the gloves first.

The moment she reluctantly put on those slightly bulky gloves, suddenly, the originally loose and large gloves began to shrink rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Before long, the glove was firmly attached to her palm, as if it had become one with her hand.

Despite their bulky appearance, these gloves are surprisingly comfortable to wear without feeling stuffy.

On the contrary, it feels as smooth as silk, perfectly conforming to every curve of the palm, so comfortable that Xi Xi found it hard to believe.

Xi Xi even believes that even without any other special functions, it seems perfectly acceptable to use it as a regular glove.

After all, driving for long periods of time will inevitably cause hand fatigue. Just like bus drivers in the past, due to the frequent and strenuous operation of driving, wearing gloves can not only protect the hands from injury, but also increase friction to prevent the steering wheel from slipping, thus making the operation smoother.

"Okay, that'll do for now..." Xi Xi muttered to herself. Although the gloves looked mediocre, they didn't match her expectations, so she was still a little disappointed. This made Xi Xi even more determined; she wanted to learn to draw! She absolutely had to improve her painting skills.

My dream of flying to distant places to explore has been shattered. Sand getting into the car's chassis will wear down internal components. Driving on sand not only requires adjusting parts, but also deflating the tires depending on the softness of the sand, making it both difficult and impractical.

Therefore, Xi Xi had no choice but to pack up and walk there.

This journey seems quite long, and we must be well-prepared to reach our destination smoothly.

To avoid heatstroke or other dangerous situations, Xi Xi made a series of preparations in advance.

Direct sunlight on the head can cause the body temperature to rise and lead to rapid dehydration, so she rolled up her autumn coat into a hood and wrapped it around her head to block the sun.

She also filled several empty plastic bottles left over from last night with water and put them in her small bag, along with some candy to replenish her energy, and finally added two more woven snakeskin bags.

Xi Xi locked the car door tightly, took a deep breath, and, with her bag on her back, mustered her courage and stepped towards the faintly visible green shadow in the distance.