Chapter 3
The hideous and twisted figure suddenly stopped eating.
It staggered to its feet, and Jiang Zihan finally saw the whole picture. He saw that the head was swollen and deformed, and the flesh and blood were kneaded into a ball like mud. There were pustules all over the surface of the skin, and some broken skin was still oozing mucus.
She crouched down quietly, but she was no longer a human being.
Calling up the system panel, the figure was scanned by invisible data. The distortion value jumped wildly, and finally froze at a despairing black number.
100%, there is no hope.
For the first time, Jiang Zihan felt that bright red was so full of vitality.
Only after the unknown monster disappeared from sight did Jiang Zihan dare to step with weak feet towards the area filled with blood.
The wreckage on the ground was beyond recognition. The chest cavity was like a can that had been violently torn open, with all the internal organs missing.
A sour feeling surged in her throat, and she couldn't help but look away. As she stepped back, she suddenly stepped on something hard, and there was a "crack".
In the silence around, the sound was particularly harsh.
She lowered her head. It was a black bracelet stained with blood. As her fingertips brushed across the surface, a screen of light suddenly appeared: [Current Viewers: 1]
The barrage of comments that had been floating by sporadically suddenly stopped for a few seconds.
She noticed that the intermittent comments all came from the same ID, from the initial panicked "Run!!" that filled the screen to the deep sense of powerlessness that was revealed between the lines.
【Thank God, I finally read the comments. 】
[Little girl, please help me deal with the anchor's body. I can give you a reward.]
Jiang Zihan tilted her head. It turned out that there was a way to communicate with the outside world on the island. This was much better than her previous live broadcast state where she knew nothing.
She fiddled with the bracelet: "How do I use this thing?"
[Just put it on. The previous host has passed away. If there is no successor, the live broadcast room will be cancelled immediately. Put on the bracelet and you will be the new host.]
She said nothing more and clasped the bracelet around her wrist.
“Beep—”
A mechanical voice sounded:
【Confirmation of anchor identity change】
[Multiple live broadcast signals detected, do you want to merge the live broadcast rooms? ]
The moment she clicked confirm, the number of viewers jumped from 1 to 17. A few welcome comments floated by, but were quickly drowned out by new questions:
【New anchor? 】
[What was that monster just now?!]
[The person above is the newcomer, right? That's the evil beast. It's obvious you haven't watched enough livestreams. That thing is terrifying.]
Jiang Zihan put down the bracelet and saw a ditch nearby. He planned to drag the body over there, push the nearby mud and sand on top and pat it up, so that the former anchor could rest in peace.
[Ah, thank you. Host, please leave now. There aren't many beasts here, but it's still very dangerous. See you again someday.]
[[Predator] gave a box of energy supplement as a reward.]
The other party took a last look at the pile of dirt and then exited the live broadcast room.
It turns out that when the distortion value reaches 100, it is called an evil beast in the outside world?
Jiang Zihan did not stay there, fearing that the thing would come back again. He quickly dismantled the racks and tied them into a pile. Then he tied all the things he could carry to the back of the bicycle and pedaled back.
This area is too dangerous. Although there may be many useful items, whether it is the anchor or the evil beast, it is not something a newbie like her can handle.
She probably won't come here easily again until she earns enough points to improve her strength.
Jiang Zihan's hand paused on the button to turn off the live broadcast, but when he thought about not having enough food for the winter, he decided to give up.
After she returned to the cabin, she first put the shelves together and placed the sundries in wicker baskets. Suddenly, there was a lot of space in the cabin.
This looks much more comfortable now.
Jiang Zihan began to stock up frantically. He first went to the bushes, wrapped his hands with extra cloth, and quickly picked the sea buckthorns.
After a few days of absence, the thorns of the sea buckthorn tree began to grow rapidly again. She had been accidentally pricked by one of them once before, and the pain was so severe that she couldn't sleep. She suddenly became terrified and used a scalpel to remove all the thorns.
After plucking the points, she uprooted the smallest one and planned to plant it closer to the cabin. This deformed prickly pear tree's branches would be quite useful as a protective fence.
She cleared a lot of deformed plants along the way, which seemed like she was venting to the audience, but she could hear the constant reminders from the system.
[Ding Dong—Congratulations to the host for reaching 100 points. The system has been upgraded to level 2, and an additional bronze treasure chest has been awarded. The mall has been refreshed. I wish you a happy life!]
Have a nice day.
Jiang Zihan raised his hand to turn off the live broadcast and opened the system panel. A blue light flashed, and a [Mall] icon appeared on the interface.
Her original low-pitched complaints escalated into cursing after she saw the mall's rules.
It costs 10 points to open a shelf, and there are 5 free refresh opportunities every day. After using up all the points, it will be refreshed once every 10 points. Isn't this a complete profiteer?
Just think of ways to deduct her points!
Jiang Zihan cursed as he opened a shelf. A white light flashed, and an item appeared on it - 5ml of cultivation solution, 5 points.
The fist is hard.
It could have just snatched it away, but it still gave her a bottle of cultivation liquid. That's pretty good.
Her eyes fell on the box that shone with bronze light. This was the first time she saw a reward other than the Iron Rank. She couldn't help but rub her hands. There were 10 treasure chests in total. After opening them with a single click, the system's congratulatory voices rang out continuously.
Bandage +1, Cultivation Solution +1, Bandage +1, Purified Water +1, Hand-cranked Flashlight +1, Lunch Box +1, Fire Stick +1, Multi-purpose Shovel +1, First Aid Blanket +1, Medical Kit +1
Jiang Zihan's eyes lit up. Sure enough, the bronze-level treasure chest was different. Although one point would be deducted for opening it, it had to be said that this 1 point was still worth it.
There are a lot of things in the medical kit, including some common basic medicines, and even several rolls of bandages that can be opened from the iron-level treasure chest. It is truly ten times the size of a full set.
Although the remaining iron-level treasure chests did not contain any food, they solved the problems of insulation and lighting. There was still one last bronze-level treasure chest left, which had just been given to her. She tried to be patient and put it in the warehouse until next time.
She poured the culture solution into an iron bucket and diluted it with fresh water. She carefully shook a few drops into the seedling pot that had been modified from a metal box, and then poured a small bowl of it into the transplanted thorny shrub.
This thing is a bit expensive, so you have to save it. You can use the rest next time.
Seeing that it was still early, Jiang Zihan decided to explore some more. Since he couldn't go to the ruins area for the time being, he decided to change direction and explore the mountains and forests.
She tied up her sleeves and trouser legs to avoid being bitten by poisonous insects, then put on a mask, carried a shovel on her back, and walked out.
Zhizhi led the way in front. After all, it had lived here for quite a while and was quite familiar with the place.
Jiang Zihan was led to a clump of trees. The plants here looked strange, perhaps due to the distortion, but they all grew very tall. However, the land was dry and cracked, and it looked like there was not enough water.
Along the way, she casually scraped away some of the deformed spots with a scalpel, earning a good amount of points and curbing the deterioration of some plants. Once the deformations were under control, the fruit production of those plants increased significantly. If the deformations could provide her with food, then that would indeed be more useful than points.
When she was brought to the banana tree, her eyes lit up instantly. There were many bunches of bananas hanging from it, heavy and green. With these, she would not have to worry about going hungry in the short term.
The deformed parts of the banana tree were the moldy outer skin. While cleaning it with a scalpel, she listened to the clanging sound of the system reducing the distortion and began to calculate how many treasure chests could be opened from it.
After finishing the process, she didn't know if it was an illusion, but she always felt that the moisture around her was thicker.
But how to pick the bananas was a problem. The banana tree was too tall and there were no branches to climb. She was so anxious that she walked around in a circle but still couldn't find a place to rest.
Zhizhi tilted her head and glanced at her, seemingly not understanding what this human was hesitating about. She looked up with her small eyes, and seeing that she didn't move for a long time, she rushed over and cut off a whole bunch of bananas with a wave of her claws.
Bang!
A bunch of bananas fell down, and Jiang Zihan was delighted: "Zhizhi! You are so great!"
Zhizhi hung on the banana leaf and couldn't help but puff out her chest, then went around to the other side and cut a bunch down, causing another scream.
Zhizhi almost lost herself in the praise and wanted to continue, but Jiang Zihan quickly stopped her: "Okay, Zhizhi, this is enough for today, save some for next time." Before she finished speaking, she added, "Zhizhi, you are awesome!"
The big-eared mouse was very proud. He landed on Jiang Zihan's shoulder and rubbed his face, enjoying the biped's riding service.
Jiang Zihan saw a few smaller banana trees nearby. Next time if there was a shortage of water, he could come over and get some banana cores to replenish the moisture. However, the taste might not be very good.
The fresh water resources she can get now are still not enough, but the bucket of pure water that came out of the treasure chest is enough for her to use for a few days.
On the way back, a bright green suddenly came into view, which looked a bit like mountain pepper.
Jiang Zihan's eyes lit up, and without a word, she plucked some more back. These spices, when dried, would make an excellent seasoning, adding a bit of flavor to the grilled fish. These didn't take up as much space as banana leaves, so she expertly wrapped them in leaves and stuffed them into the gaps of her backpack, eliminating any wasted space.
Back at the cabin, the unripe bananas were neatly stacked on metal racks waiting to ripen, while the mountain peppers were taken out to dry. She suddenly felt a little greedy, thinking that the grilled fish with seasoning would surely be even more delicious.
The most important thing right now is to improve my sleeping environment. I slept on the cold floor last night, and my lower back still aches.
Jiang Zihan spread out a thick layer of hay that had been drying all day, put some clean cloth on it, and covered it with an emergency blanket. It was a simple bed. With this arrangement, she should be able to survive at least until winter.
There were some spare cloths piled in the corner. Jiang Zihan was planning to make herself a thick coat. The one she was wearing was too thin and she would definitely not be able to survive when the temperature dropped. She sighed inwardly, thinking that it would be better if she could find some cotton.
Jiang Zihan rubbed his aching neck and was about to spray some more water on the seedling pot. When he saw the situation clearly, he was stunned for a moment. He saw that the originally bare soil in the pot was densely packed with tender green leaves!
The seedlings seemed to be cast by magic, popping out overnight, their leaves glossy and stretching out in the sun.
She looked at the cultivation solution in disbelief. This was not cultivation solution at all, it was simply plant growth hormone!
The thought immediately struck her, and she immediately went outside with a shovel. The space in the seedling pot had severely restricted the root development. If it were planted in a larger area, perhaps it would grow even larger.
Jiang Zihan cleared a small piece of land next to the wooden house, loosened the soil, and carefully planted the seedlings there. She then diluted the culture solution with some water and watered the soil.
After processing this batch of seedlings, she suddenly remembered something and immediately walked towards the transplanted sea buckthorn tree next to it.
Distortion value: 40%.
The leaves were lush and the branches were upright, looking much better than before. She breathed a sigh of relief, her lips curling up unconsciously. Since the culture medium was so useful, she might as well bring back some more plants to plant, so that she could harvest enough food without having to travel far.
She patted her muddy palms, looked towards the distant jungle, and began to plan her collection in her mind.
In the next few days, Jiang Zihan was frantically moving things into the wooden house. The fish cages on the beach could also harvest some small fish and shrimps every day. Zhizhi was fed well every day, the distortion value was steadily decreasing, and the hair was becoming visibly shiny.
It knew that it could make a living by following Jiang Zihan, so it rushed to the front line of harvesting wild fruits every day. More and more people gathered around it, and the news that a lifestyle anchor had emerged in the Land of Exile spread.
As soon as they entered the live broadcast room, they were stunned to see the wooden house that had been tidied up in an orderly manner.
[No, does she still plan to live here permanently? ]
[It's not impossible. This place is too remote, with few supplies, and even evil beasts don't want to come. It's relatively safe.]
[Please stop posting comments, it's blocking my view of Zhizhi! Ah, Zhibao is so cute, I really want to get one!]
There aren't many rats left in the outside world, and even fewer that can be used as war beasts. Seriously, is this one really a Deformed Beast? Why doesn't it look like one...?
When the helicopter came again, Jiang Zihan was already very calm. She silently moved the metal box into the house. The camera in the corner was covered with a thick layer of dust. Without the interference of the live broadcast room, she quickly looked at the list and compared it with the rewards on the screen.
Sure enough, there were more things inside.
Sometimes it was a few pieces of fruit, sometimes a few packets of seasonings. It wasn't much, but Jiang Zihan wrote them all down. The shelves were already overflowing with supplies, and if she kept tipping like this, she'd be turning it into a small shop.
Zhizhi squatted on Jiang Zihan's shoulder, slowly nibbling on a small piece of bread. They were going to a farther forest today.
Jiang Zihan lifted some weeds and began to search carefully. The moisture in the forest had been more abundant recently, and many new species had appeared.
She discovered that not all deformations are harmful. For example, the wood ear mushrooms growing on trees are not harmful in themselves, but they are deformations to the trees themselves.
But she accepted these aberrations with a smile.
Jiang Zihan bent down and searched on the ground. He stepped on the soft soil and felt something foreign. He dug it up decisively. It turned out to be some strange-shaped mushrooms.
She was so ecstatic that she was about to introduce herself on the screen, but she found that the barrage of comments told her to throw it away quickly.
[Ahhh, host, throw it away! This thing must be a freak, it looks eerie!]
"That's right, you already eat a lot, so stop doing this kind of weird stuff."
Jiang Zihan pursed her lips and said, "This is a pine mushroom. From what I've observed, it shouldn't be deformed."
She has tested it and found that newly born things are rarely infected by deformation. The older the tree, the more serious the deformation. The probability of mushroom deformation is very small.
However, the barrage of comments did not buy it. The interstellar people who had been troubled by deformed plants for years had not been in contact with nature for a long time. Seeing these strange things had made them panic.
Jiang Zihan shrugged and put them into the backpack without caring. She was eating her own food and not stuffing it into the audience's mouths.
She dug deeper and deeper into the dense forest, and the barrage of comments became fewer and fewer. When she was about to turn on her bracelet to check the time, she found that the screen was black.
What's going on? Did the audience all run away because she refused to listen? Is the tolerance of netizens this generation so poor?
But there were still quite a few people online. She looked up at the dimmed environment around her. Could it be that this mountain was not within the live broadcast range?
Zhizhi suddenly pricked up its ears and its hair stood up. It straightened its upper body and looked around. Jiang Zihan also heard some unusual movements. It was the rustling sound of branches and leaves rubbing against each other, but with an unnatural rhythm.
As soon as she gripped the shovel tightly, the uninvited guest came up with lightning speed. The vines wrapped around her ankles like a poisonous snake. The huge dragging force instantly knocked her to the ground and dragged her away in an instant.
"Squeak!" Zhizhi fell from her shoulder, screamed quickly, rolled over and immediately caught up with her.
The little beast burst out with astonishing speed and leaped onto the vines in a few jumps. However, its sharp claws were not put to good use here, and with its efforts, it only scratched a layer of bark.
Jiang Zihan struggled to pull out the scalpel amidst the turbulence. The system's rapidly increasing distortion value reminders gave her a headache.
【Warning! Highly distorted response detected! 】
Current distortion value: 40%...60%...80%...
…
The value soared like a wild horse, and finally stopped slowly at the terrifying number 90.
At this time, the speed of the vine dragging also stopped, and Jiang Zihan was hung upside down.
Amidst the throbbing pain of blood rushing to her head, she looked up at the giant banyan tree from an upside-down position.
The treetops that should have been lush and green are now only left with dead branches. The tree is covered with scabs and abscesses, and a sticky black-red sap is oozing from the cracked skin. Each of the hanging aerial roots flashes a dazzling red light.
Jiang Zihan's heart sank.
Pill, this tree must have gone crazy.
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