While Everyone Panicked, I Upgraded My Raft

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: The Second Island - Thesora

Day three of the extreme heat.

Rowan Rhodes had the best sleep since her rebirth. Because there were no sudden attacks from marine creatures that night, the rare sense of security allowed her to sleep peacefully through the entire night.

After getting up and stepping out of her room, Rowan saw the Seagull collecting mineral water next to the Seawater Desalinator. It was truly hardworking! Rowan felt she could really use a few more laborers like this Seagull. The next time she came across an island, she definitely had to check if there were any others stationed there.

As if sensing Rowan’s gaze, the Seagull looked up and let out a SQUAWK. Then, it tilted its beak up slightly in an arrogant, prideful manner.

”You’re too capable! Thank you!” Rowan’s praises flowed naturally.

Upon hearing this, the Seagull squawked at her again and hopped over to the Furnace. Rowan immediately understood that it was referring to the production of sand and glass bottles. Checking her inventory, she discovered that the sand she had traded for yesterday was completely used up. Obviously, this was the Seagull’s doing. Beautifully done!

Rowan quickly opened the trading hall. In an instant, she was blinded by a barrage of identical trade listings.

[Glass bottle with Abyssal Heat Bacteria *1, Trade: Glass bottle *1, Mineral water *1]

[Glass bottle with Abyssal Heat Bacteria *1, Trade: Glass bottle *1, Mineral water *1]

[...]

[Sand *2, Trade: Glass bottle *1 / Mineral water *1]

Many consecutive trade messages were exactly the same. Rowan paused. It was obvious that the players posting these listings were looking to earn extra mineral water. Although the temperature hadn’t risen further today, seventy-six degrees Celsius was already challenging the limits of the human body. Compared to the unknown Abyssal Heat Bacteria, mineral water was far more crucial.

Without overthinking it, Rowan began confirming the trade requests one by one.

As she processed the trades, countless players watched the glass bottles containing Abyssal Heat Bacteria disappear from their backpacks, replaced by empty glass bottles and mineral water. For them, it was truly like rain after a long drought. They practically wept with joy, relieved that the big boss had finally come online.

In reality, before Rowan had logged on, many resource-rich players had already traded mineral water for Abyssal Heat Bacteria. However, facing a massive player base in desperate need of hydration, they simply couldn’t keep up with the demand. Even those with Seawater Desalinators needed Wooden Boards for fuel, and empty mineral water bottles were required to collect the fresh water. Resources were needed everywhere, and they couldn’t afford the rapid consumption. Therefore, the vast majority of dehydrated players were counting on a major supplier like Rowan.

Only a top player holding a massive amount of precious resources could manage such widespread resource distribution. More often than not, as resources were traded back and forth, they would eventually flow back into Rowan’s hands. In this moment, she essentially acted as a central transit hub.

Of course, Rowan didn’t dedicate all her attention to the trading hall. She opted to dispatch the goods in large batches. Once this round of shipments was finished, she went back to salvaging supplies from the ocean. Plastic, fragments, Metal Ingots, leather... she fished up whatever she lacked in her inventory.

After going through the trades during this extreme heat disaster, Rowan truly felt the joy of having abundant resources. Those who were rich in resources and possessed special Equipment would only line their pockets further during trades. Realizing this, she became even more focused on obtaining the Operating Qualification Certificate located on the second island.

Given the uniqueness of the Operating Qualification Certificate, Rowan suspected that not every district had one; rather, a single certificate was shared across all districts. Just because players hadn’t claimed it in her previous life didn’t mean it wouldn’t happen in this one. District 122 had undergone earth-shattering changes due to her rebirth, so it was perfectly normal to assume other districts might experience changes as well. She didn’t want to gamble on unforeseen accidents; she only wanted to secure the item as soon as possible.

Rowan’s gaze unconsciously fell upon the Map showing the raft’s progress. As far as she knew, the second island landing was supposed to happen during the ”rest days” between the extreme heat and extreme cold. But now, thanks to its upgrades and the addition of a sail, her raft’s Speed was significantly faster. If she had to guess, the island might appear by evening—or perhaps even earlier. It seemed she needed to stay vigilant at all times.

Having sorted out her next steps, Rowan became even more patient. She simultaneously fished for resources and, once the Seagull finished crafting glass bottles and acquiring mineral water, listed those resources for trade.

Because of Rowan’s grand gestures, the players in District 122 began looking at the Abyssal Heat Bacteria on their rafts like precious treasures. After all, scooping it up took barely any effort. They just needed to constantly keep an eye on repairing their rafts and replenishing their Thirst Value.

Naturally, the players’ options weren’t limited to just catching Abyssal Heat Bacteria. They could salvage resources, craft items, cook food, act as trading middlemen... As long as a player was hardworking and a bit clever, they could basically obtain whatever they wanted.

Although the survival count displayed on the world channel was still dropping, the Speed of the decline had slowed down considerably. The hearts of the players in District 122 had completely settled.

Time ticked by, minute by minute.

In the afternoon, Rowan kept casting glances at the Map, watching to see if any islands appeared. However, before the Map showed any reaction, the Seagull suddenly squawked at her.

[Island!]

After using her natural skills, this was the word Rowan heard. The island was really about to appear. She hadn’t expected the Seagull to notice it before she did.

”In which direction? Should I adjust the position of the sail?” Rowan immediately asked.

In her memories, she mostly just remembered what was on the islands when she landed on them. Being able to recall the general conditions of each island was impressive enough; there was no way she could remember their specific locations or coordinates. She was waiting for the game system’s notification, but she would be more than happy to find it ahead of time.

Listening to her, the Seagull waddled over to the sail and pointed its head in a specific direction. Rowan followed its guidance, and the raft sped off in that direction.

But as she waited in anticipation, something even more surprising happened. Above her raft, several Seagull silhouettes suddenly appeared, circling in the sky. They were clearly here for her Seagull.

”SQUAWK, SQUAWK, SQUAWK...” The Seagull frantically communicated with the new arrivals.

Rowan only heard wave after wave of noise, but she didn’t interrupt, nor did she use her natural skills to eavesdrop. After the two sides conversed for quite a while, two large and two small Seagulls flew down from the sky. Glancing at Rowan, they strutted around, inspecting the entire raft with an arrogant swagger.

Rowan was speechless.

Promptly, she cast a questioning look at her Seagull.

[Stay.]

”You mean they want to stay here too?” Rowan asked in surprise.

[Work.]

”They’re going to help me work?” Rowan was even more astonished. Could this be considered a dream come true?

The next moment, Rowan scooped the Seagull into her arms and nuzzled it affectionately. ”Thank you for trusting me.”

It had actually brought its whole family over to help her with the labor. Not bad, not bad at all.

What surprised Rowan even more was that after inspecting the raft, the new Seagulls took off again and flew toward a specific direction.

[Island.] Her Seagull reminded Rowan once more.

Rowan followed the direction the flock was heading. Over there was... Thesora.