After careful consideration, Xi Xi finally decided to take the risk and be greedy.

She deftly put on her baseball cap, carefully packed all her belongings, then slung her backpack over her shoulder and resolutely got off the bus.

Fortunately, by this time, the setting sun was gradually approaching the horizon, and the unbearable heat had lessened considerably.

Xi Xi opened the light screen map and placed it beside her for easy reference. Then, she quickly walked forward, closely following the directions indicated by the map markers.

It has to be said that the power of the buff is not to be underestimated. After just crossing a sand dune, Xi Xi was already out of breath, her legs felt as heavy as lead, and she almost collapsed on the scorching sand.

Fortunately, she eventually reached the location of the treasure chest.

Just then, Xi Xi suddenly noticed a red dot lit up on the map not far from where she was.

Hostile creatures!? This thought flashed through Xi Xi's mind like lightning, instantly sounding alarm bells in her heart and sharpening her gaze.

Ignoring her exhaustion, she mustered her strength, entered a state of high alert, and then quietly and quickly opened the treasure chest.

Congratulations on obtaining a paper fan*1

Congratulations on obtaining a hair clip*1

Congratulations on receiving 1 tissue!

[Successfully obtained a beginner treasure chest x1. Congratulations, adventurer, for gaining 10 survival points!]

"..." Xi Xi was speechless for a moment. Hadn't the negative effects of the ominous sign already been neutralized? How could it have to be like this?

However, now is not the time to complain. Dragging the treasure chest might make a loud noise. In order not to alert the enemy, Xi Xi took out the paper fan, hair clip and tissues and quickly stuffed them into her bag. Then she prepared to quietly leave the place.

Just as Xi Xi finished tidying up and looked at the map again, the red dot disappeared.

Xi Xi's heart tightened, and countless possibilities flashed through her mind.

She recalled the giant scorpions she had encountered before; these creatures would burrow into the sand, and once they left the ground and disappeared into the sand, the automated components could no longer detect them.

She couldn't stay put any longer! Xi Xi quickly turned back, and as she climbed to the top of the sand dune, she took a breath and squatted down to relieve her tired body.

Xi Xi turned her gaze back to the map, and the red dot suddenly reappeared. Just as Xi Xi was wondering what was going on, the red dot flickered briefly a few times before mysteriously disappearing again.

With a dark cloud hanging over her brow, Xi Xi quickly calmed down, first assessing her location, then standing atop the sand dune and peering out. In the direction where the red dot had been, there was only a small patch of not-too-dense thorn bushes.

Xi Xi had some doubts. She turned on the light screen camera and zoomed in on the suspicious area not far away. This thorny species was covered in thorns, and its shape was not within her knowledge.

Immediately afterwards, the light screen camera turned, and a brownish figure appeared in the lens. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a lone camel.

The camel looked extremely unwell; it was emaciated and looked as if a gust of wind could knock it over.

Even more terrifying was that the camel was stuck between two strangely shaped thorn bushes and could not move.

Xi Xi was full of suspicion. Camels are known for their thick and tough fur, so they shouldn't be easily hurt by these thorns.

She hesitated for a moment, but finally crouched down and quietly groped her way over.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the camel was lifeless, with even its hump shriveled up, and its entire body appeared unusually thin and frail.

The thorny branches were wedged tightly around the camel's neck, leaving gruesome bloody marks, clearly signs of a violent struggle.

Xi Xi was relieved. She stood up and looked at the dead camel. She found that the camel had a limp hind leg and the other leg was pierced by huge thorns. It looked terrible.

Xi Xi felt no emotion. She took out her light-blade scythe and chopped off the camel's head, scalding blood splattering everywhere.

Unable to avoid the splatter of blood, Xi Xi wiped the blood from her face, suddenly realized what had happened, and breathed a sigh of relief.

The blood was warm and hadn't clotted, indicating the person had just died. It seems the red dot on the map earlier was this guy.

The red dot appeared and disappeared intermittently, probably representing the camel's desperate struggle against the thorns, a near-death experience.

Xi Xi glanced over coldly. Even if the camel hadn't been strangled by the thorns, it was still an enemy creature, so there was nothing to sympathize with.

She leaned closer to examine the thorns embedded in the camel's body and gasped in shock.

Xi Xi cut off a section of thorn and carefully rubbed it in her hand. She found that the thorns were dark purple, layered and intertwined, denser and harder than the desert plants in her original world, and could be described as sharp as a knife.

The barbs seemed to sense the camel blood on her hands, wriggling closer and quickly drinking the blood in one gulp.

Upon seeing this, Xi Xi immediately put away her knife and cut down all the thorny plants around her. The curled thorn bushes fell to the ground, raising clouds of dust.

After eliminating the threat, Xi Xi used all her skills to drag the camel carcass to an open area.

This camel was far too thin; to say the least would be to describe it as emaciated. Xi Xi shook her head as she looked at the camel carcass on the sand.

But no matter what, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.

Xi Xi secretly wondered if she could find something valuable on it, like some kind of golden key.

With that in mind, Xi Xi began to butcher the camel without hesitation. She started by deboning and cutting the flesh from the limbs, carefully examining every corner, afraid of missing any detail.

Camel fur is said to be warm like a thick cushion, soft and rich in texture, but unfortunately this camel's fur has been ravaged by blood-sucking thorns, leaving it riddled with holes and almost unbearable to look at.

As time ticked by, night quietly fell. The once bright sky gradually darkened and became gloomy, casting a faint shadow over the surrounding environment.

Xi Xi sighed, hesitated for a moment, then decisively threw the camel's internal organs aside, and then swung her knife to cut off the camel's limbs and neck, before removing the heavy bones one by one.

After a careful inspection, she stuffed the remaining large pieces of camel meat into the sack, then mustered all her strength, gritted her teeth, and with great effort, finally managed to drag it back.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they approached the road, they spotted a private car they had never seen before in the distance.

The unfamiliar car was parked next to hers, and she could vaguely make out a few blurry figures wandering around there.

Xi Xi paused involuntarily, pulled down her hat brim and frowned slightly, then dragged the heavy sack straight ahead.