Chapter 85: Eating hot pot and singing songs at the supply point
The supply point looks close, but it's actually quite a distance away.
A tent stands diagonally above, accessible only by traversing a short, steep path and climbing up the mountainside.
Fang Zhiyi walked out of the cave, and his toe kicked a piece of gravel. The stone rolled away and disappeared from sight.
He keenly sensed the danger, slammed on the brakes, and shone his flashlight.
Ahead was a dead end, at the end of which was a cliff and abyss. The supply point was diagonally opposite the cliff. To climb up, one had to cross over the abyss and grab the opposite rock face.
Fang Zhiyi shone the flashlight around, then looked down at the cliff below.
The cliff was bottomless and dark, like a gaping maw, making one dizzy from looking at it.
Fang Zhiyi swallowed hard. Staring into the abyss for so long, his fear of heights kicked in, and his legs went weak. With a start, he grabbed a nearby rock and slowly squatted down.
Chu Zhao asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Fang Zhiyi said sullenly, "It's nothing, I'll be fine after a while."
Chu Zhao patted his back.
Fang Zhiyi recovered a little and stood up again, leaning on the stone.
The supply point is just ahead, and retreating is impossible now. There's no other way to get around it, so we have no choice but to grit our teeth and go forward.
Fang was looking for something that could be of use.
Jumping directly across is too dangerous; this isn't the way to risk your life. If only there were a safety rope... A rope, yes, there's a rope in my backpack!
He hurriedly opened his backpack and, sure enough, found a climbing rope inside.
The rope, when unfurled, is 10 meters long and can withstand a pulling force of 600 kg, enough to cross to the other side of the abyss. The rope was untied, one end was fixed to a rock, and the other end was hung around the waist. The rope was given a strong tug to test its strength, and once deemed sufficient, the person looked diagonally across again.
After preparing himself mentally, he said to Chu Zhao, "I'll go first, you watch the rope."
If the stone securing the rope to Chu Zhao on the cliff loosens, it can be repaired in time.
His skills mostly enhance speed and strength, allowing him to unleash tremendous physical potential in a short time, making him more suitable than Chu Zhao for dealing with the current situation.
Chu Zhao tightened his grip on the rope and nodded: "Don't worry."
Without a word, Fang Zhiyi took two steps back, sprinted a short distance, and then leaped up, landing high above the abyss. He soared into the air, using his core strength to slam into the opposite stone wall.
Bang!
After a brief pause, his body slammed into the stone wall. Fang Zhiyi's vision blurred, and before he could react, he grabbed a protruding rock. He tried to steady himself on the wall, but he didn't expect that the place he was holding onto couldn't bear his full weight. The rock shattered, and a feeling of weightlessness washed over him. His body slid down uncontrollably for a distance.
"careful!"
A gasp came from the cliff, and the rope hanging in mid-air suddenly tightened.
Fang Zhiyi looked up as gravel rained down, and a sharp pain shot through his cheek as it rubbed against the stone wall.
In this situation, he remained remarkably calm, grabbing onto everything he could to try and slow his descent.
What title would be useful at this time?
【I want to be number one!】No, I used it when I was diving, and it's still on cooldown. 【Dragon Slayer】is the same. Even if it's useful, it can only make the stone walls freeze into frost, which is completely useless... There are only a few useful titles in total. His thoughts raced, and he looked at the last title—【Snow Hunter】.
Will it be useful?
At this point, he couldn't care less about anything else and decided to try anything, switching to the [Snow Hunter] weapon.
Passive skill Insight activated!
Hunters traverse the mountains and forests, facing harsh weather, treacherous terrain, and dangerous wild animals. Familiarizing themselves with the forests, finding water sources, and surveying the terrain are all things hunters excel at.
At the critical moment, a beam of light shone from the cliff of the cave, making everything in front of him clear. With the enhancement of his perception ability, he could see the distribution of footholds on the stone wall, where he could get a foothold, and where he could climb up faster... It was as if a flowing point of light appeared in his eyes, precisely guiding him upward.
[Snow Hunter] Active Skill: Use stealthily!
The stealth skill's effect is to conceal one's presence, allowing one to approach prey silently. Essentially, it makes the body lighter and one's steps as light as a feather for a short period of time.
Now, suspended in mid-air, he used his concealment to slow his descent, seized the opportunity to grab the nearest foothold, and with a powerful push, landed firmly against the stone wall.
The flashlight beam moved down onto the cliff face of the cave.
Chu Zhao tightened the climbing rope, his voice a little strained, and asked, "How's it going?"
Fang Zhiyi had barely opened his mouth when he was met with a mouthful of sand, rendering him speechless. He could only give an "OK" sign to the person behind him. After regaining his balance, he didn't rush upwards but leaned against the sand to catch his breath.
There was no way around it; the series of actions he had just performed looked dangerous, and in fact, they were not safe at all. If he had made even the slightest mistake, he would probably have been smashed into a pulp.
A chilling wind swept in from the abyss, making people sway precariously.
Fang Zhiyi closed his eyes, refusing to look down, and strained to climb upwards.
Following the optimal route planned by the Snow Hunter, each foothold was the most stable and reliable. In no time, he climbed to the highest point, grabbed the edge of the platform, lay his entire upper body on it, lifted his right leg, and rolled and crawled up to the ground.
He looked disheveled, but he still managed to get up there.
[Awarded the title "Rock Climbing Expert"]
[Use your feet to push off, use your arms for support, and seize every point of contact!]
[Passive: Climbing speed +10%, Stamina consumption while climbing -10%]
This is a good name; it will come in handy in the cave.
Fang Zhiyi got up, and before he could even check the situation at the supply point, he untied the climbing rope and found a place to secure it at the supply point. After securing it, he waved to the opposite side, signaling Chu Zhao to come over.
Chu Zhao grabbed the rope and shook it hard, fastened the safety rope around his waist, took a few steps to run up, and then jumped towards the other side.
Fang Zhiyi knelt on the edge and looked down.
Chu Zhao, with a flashlight in his mouth, was climbing upwards.
When they were still some distance apart, he reached down and pulled hard. Due to inertia, the two of them rolled together.
Fang Zhiyi lay on her back on the ground, and when she turned her head, she saw Chu Zhao panting heavily.
Having survived the ordeal, they didn't need to say anything, just exchanged smiles. After recovering, Fang Zhiyi got up, brushed the dirt off his clothes, and checked the situation at the supply point.
There's a tent at the supply point, covered in a layer of ash, and an extinguished campfire in front of it; it looks like it hasn't been used in a long time.
Fang Zhiyi opened the tent and crawled inside.
The space inside the tent was very small, and once inside, you could see everything at a glance. You could immediately spot a small box in the corner, and when you opened it, you found some supplies inside.
[Received 8 energy bars, 4 bottles of mineral water, and 2 cans of food]
[Received 2 waterproof jackets, 2 thermal blankets, 1 high-powered flashlight, 2 hiking boots, 2 trekking poles, and 2 digital watches]
[Obtain Cave Map Fragment x1]
Such a small box can hold so much stuff. But then the problem arises: what fits in the box may not fit in a hiking backpack.
There is no game backpack in the Cave Survival World; you have to carry everything with you. The capacity of the backpack is limited, so you can't carry everything you need or not like before; you have to make choices.
Fang Zhiyi tidied up her hiking backpack.
Actually, with supermarkets around, there's no need to bring some food items in your bag, especially canned goods and bottled water, which take up space and are heavy, so you can just leave them out.
Fang Zhiyi shared this idea with Chu Zhao.
Chu Zhao hummed in agreement: "Take all the food out and exchange it for other useful equipment."
The two of them took out a total of 4 bottles of mineral water, 6 cans of food, 4 energy bars, 8 candies, and 4 compressed biscuits from their backpacks, and laid them out in a row on the ground, taking up most of the space.
After clearing out the food, Fang Zhiyi stuffed his backpack with his windbreaker, mountaineering gear, and other equipment, filling it to the brim again.
Fang Zhiyi patted his backpack, looked at the food scattered all over the ground, and didn't know what to do.
They have plenty of food, even with fresh produce supermarkets, but it's such a waste to just leave so much food here.
Chu Zhao seemed to read his mind and said, "I'll go check the channel to see if anyone wants to change their food."
Waste can also be recycled.
Fang Zhiyi nodded, handed all the food to Chu Zhao, and went to the supply point to see if there was anything else useful.
The supply point was very rudimentary, with nothing but tents and a campfire. After walking around, I returned to find that the food laid out on the ground was still there.
Chu Zhao shook his head: "I couldn't find anyone to replace him."
In the cave survival world, everyone starts with a backpack containing enough supplies to survive for three days. It's only day one, and unless you're one of those unlucky souls who loses their backpack right away, very few people will lack supplies. And those unlucky souls who have lost their backpacks have even less to offer in exchange for food.
In short, nobody wanted the food, and what everyone lacked was mountaineering equipment.
Fang Zhiyi scratched his head, his brows furrowed as he pondered what to do.
Inside the cave, there was no distinction between day and night, and time seemed to stand still in the dim light. Fortunately, Fang Zhiyi had a digital watch. He took one out, put it on, and glanced at the time. It was almost dawn.
"It's over!" Fang Zhiyi suddenly stood up, looking anxious.
Chu Zhao, thinking something had happened, also looked grave: "What's wrong?"
Fang Zhiyi said, "The number of items picked up at the supermarket is about to break records!"
Chu Zhao: "..."
I thought it was something serious.
Fang Zhiyi said with great distress, "There are still several pickups scheduled for today. Wouldn't it be a waste to update the count?"
Chu Zhao said, "You've taken too much; we can't take it with us."
Fang Zhiyi thought about it and agreed.
The backpack has limited capacity, so it's not practical to take out and store supermarket items; I can only take what I need as I go.
Fang Zhiyi was in a hurry, and while taking things out, he urged, "Hurry up and light the campfire, let's hurry up and eat."
Chu Zhao took out solid fuel and relit the extinguished campfire. Soon after, a wisp of black smoke rose into the sky above the supply point.
There was already a simple stand and a pot on top of the campfire. Chu Zhao rinsed the pot and then poured mineral water into it.
Fang Zhiyi poured in the hot pot base. As the flames heated up, the beef tallow melted in the pot, releasing a rich and powerful aroma along with the Sichuan peppercorn base.
Fang Zhiyi watched eagerly as the broth boiled, then impatiently poured in the hot pot ingredients. Tripe, beef slices, shrimp paste, bok choy... red, white, and green ingredients mingled together, bubbling and gurgling, with chili peppers rolling around—it looked incredibly tempting.
Fang said regretfully, "It's just that the conditions are limited, and there aren't enough condiments." As he spoke, he regretfully opened a box of Hailao sesame sauce seasoning.
Chu Zhao: "..."
They're already eating hot pot in a cave, what more could they ask for?
Fang Zhiyi picked out a piece of blanched tripe, coated it with sesame sauce, and without fear of the heat, stuffed it into his mouth. He chewed it nonstop, the tripe was crisp and crunchy between his teeth, and the sesame sauce was rich and sweet. He was reluctant to speak, and after a while, he finally exclaimed, "...Delicious."
God knows what it's like to enjoy a hot pot meal in a cold, damp cave.
The journey involved diving and rock climbing, a near-death experience that left me cold, exhausted, and hungry. But now, with the spicy and flavorful hot pot in my mouth, I feel like I've been reborn.
Fang Zhiyi kept making "hissing" noises, temporarily forgetting the dangers of the survival world. He ate hotpot and sang songs, his eyes slightly curved, his smile clean and clear.
The two of them sat around the campfire, each taking turns eating with their chopsticks, and finished off all the side dishes in the hot pot.
Fang Zhiyi said, "Don't rush, there's more." As if by magic, he pulled out another packet of instant noodles for hot pot, put the noodles into the hot pot, and the snow-white noodles rolled around in it.
Fang Zhiyi slurped up a mouthful of noodles and broth. The noodles, soaked in the essence of the hot pot, were cooked until exceptionally soft and flavorful, each strand coated in bright red broth, filling every empty space in her stomach.
The hot pot meal was only over after we finished the noodles.
Fang Zhiyi touched the corner of her mouth, still feeling unsatisfied: "Let's rest a bit, take a nap, and then set off again."
The time on the digital watch showed that today was already day two. Since the mission required them to reach the supply point within three days, it meant that the supply point would not be flooded during those three days. They could rest here for a while and see where to go next.
Fang Zhiyi huddled inside the tent, remembering that she had also found something in the small box.
[Cave Map Fragment]
Who tore it to pieces?
[Perhaps only by completing a corner of the map can we find the exit of the cave.]
A small fragment appeared in my hand, no bigger than the palm of my hand. It had several winding underground routes drawn on it, but only one of them was marked as the correct path.
Fang Zhiyi studied the area for a long time with a flashlight, and found a "U"-shaped passage in the corner. Following the signs, he went up and saw the path they had come from, and finally found the supply point where they were now.
The green line indicates the correct path, while the red line is a dead end or a dead-end road. The areas marked with flags are supply points. The map doesn't indicate the location of the next supply point; there's only a green line winding upwards that ends halfway up.
The map fragments are only this big, so it's normal that they're not marked. Just follow the route on the map, and you'll definitely find the next supply point.
Fang Zhiyi leaned against the tent, nodding her head as sleepiness washed over her.
After a long journey and a hotpot meal, I felt a bit dizzy from the heat and fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes. There was no day or night in the cave, and I slept for ages, not knowing how long I slept. When I woke up and checked the time, it was almost noon.
Fang Zhiyi sat up abruptly, a tuft of hair on his head sticking up uncontrollably and trembling slightly with his movements.
You have arrived at the first supply point.
Please proceed to the second supply point within one day.
Fang Zhiyi instantly regained her senses.
They're getting less and less time; now they only have one day.
As Chu Zhao stepped outside the tent, he also received the message: "Let's go."
Fang Zhiyi: "Hmm." He scratched his head and quickly made a decision, "Take the energy bars and compressed biscuits with you, leave the rest here."
There's only one supply point, and other players will definitely arrive here as well. They don't lack supplies; they just need to bring emergency food for the journey, and leave the rest to the other players.
Fang Zhiyi said, "There's also a map."
The information in the map fragment was important, and he wanted to take a picture of the map and post it in the channel to help other players reach the supply point, but the game notified him that the message failed to be sent.
Special items cannot be sent.
Fang Zhiyi had no choice but to give up and try another method. He took out paper and pen and drew a simple route on the paper.
Chu Zhao rummaged through his backpack: "I don't need the trekking poles, I still have the thermal blanket in my backpack, and I only need to bring one digital watch."
The backpack has limited capacity, and carrying so much weight is inconvenient, so it's better to keep it all.
Fang Zhiyi picked and chose, took out a large pile of things, and put them all into the tent.
The tent was only so big, and it was quickly filled with supplies.
Fang Zhiyi moved a small box in the corner, and with a "thud," something fell out from under the box. Looking down, she saw a diary about the size of her palm.
A Mountaineer's Diary
Who keeps a diary? But the owner of this diary is an unlucky guy trapped in a cave. Unlike you, he doesn't even have any teammates. Faced with the cold and lonely cave, he can only pass the time by writing in his diary.
Fang Zhiyi opened the notebook.
Day 1
I got separated from my teammates in the cave, but that's okay. I know there's a supply point nearby with enough supplies to last me until my teammates come looking for me.
Day 3
Why haven't my teammates come looking for me yet?
Day 5
I think I have to leave the supply depot. It's been so long since anyone talked to me that I'm even hallucinating. I can hear footsteps coming from below, but... there's a cliff outside the supply depot. I must be going crazy.
Day 6
I left the supply point with enough supplies. God help me find the exit, or at least my teammates.
Day 7
Why do I hear footsteps again?
The handwriting in the diary was neat and clean at the beginning, but gradually became messy and manic later on, which corresponded to the diary owner's mentality, from cheerful and optimistic to mad and desperate.
【day11】
They came to find me.
The handwriting stopped abruptly.
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