Cabin in the Woods – Underground Supply Room
It had been half an hour since the full integration pack finished loading.
Just after 8 AM, Gong Qu roused Keqing from bed.
They had a simple breakfast, then headed into the basement to begin selecting supplies for their journey.
Gong Qu was finally ready to start mapping the world.
In the Dragon's Adventure integration pack, players come equipped with a full-scale map and even a biome radar that functions like a satellite.
But unexplored areas remain cloaked in darkness—only stepping foot into them would reveal their secrets.
That's where the teleport anchors came into play.
Gong Qu's plan was to place a teleport anchor roughly every 50 kilometers.
The spacing wasn't fixed, though. If he came across a village or temple, even placing two or three anchors within 10 kilometers would be worth it.
"Bread, grilled fish, iron ingots, anvil, cobblestone, planks… yeah, that should do."
"How's it going on your end, Keqing?"
"Ugh… give me a second, I'm not sure what to bring."
Keqing sounded genuinely conflicted.
Gong Qu walked over and found her comparing two swords.
"The Dragonbone Sword has one more point of attack than the Diamond Sword and higher durability. What's there to hesitate about?"
"Of course there's something! Don't you think the diamond sword is prettier? All shiny and elegant. The dragonbone one's powerful, yeah, but it gives off a creepy, corpse-like vibe. It's unsettling."
Gong Qu blinked, then followed Keqing's earlier instructions and activated his elemental sight.
Buzz!
A pulse of verdant energy swept through his vision. In that instant, the seemingly ordinary bone sword transformed.
Dark crimson energy coiled ominously around its silver-gray blade. The flickering, ghostly flames weren't real—but they radiated an unbearable heat, like the curse of some ancient, furious beast.
"What is that? The lingering wrath of a dead dragon?"
Keqing turned, puzzled. "Didn't you say you'd played this game before? It didn't have this back then?"
Gong Qu shook his head. "No… But if the Dragonbone Sword really is cursed by a dead dragon, wouldn't wielding it in front of another dragon be seen as a challenge?"
"Mmm… yeah, probably."
Keqing imagined someone waving around a sword made from a human spine in front of her. Yeah… enemy vibes for sure.
Gong Qu frowned slightly.
He'd never considered how damaging some of the flavor text in the game might be.
Still, that wasn't reason enough to ditch the dragonbone line of weapons.
Sure, he couldn't yet wield the Dragonbone Sword (8 ATK), but once they were strong enough to slay a dragon, the Dragonflame Boneblood Sword (9.5 ATK), and eventually the Dragonflame Steel Sword (26 ATK), would far outweigh the risks.
"Good thing I didn't enchant the Dragonbone Sword out of excitement over a 1-point damage boost. We've got plenty of enchanted books—one Sharpness IV Diamond Sword (7+2.5 ATK) should be enough for early-game. You use that until we can properly maintain your Mistsplitter."
Although the Dragonbone Sword rivaled Netherite in strength, that passive "taunt" effect was nothing to celebrate.
After finalizing their gear, Gong Qu and Keqing headed to the general store to buy six more teleport anchors. They installed one at the cabin, leaving them with seven.
After selling the wheat harvest that day, they had a balance of 7,300 World Coins.
Around 10 AM.
Outside the Cabin
Gong Qu closed the arched door with a solemn motion, eyes fixed on the far-off sky.
"Let's go, Keqing. Time to see what this world has to offer!"
The sun hung high overhead.
Yet the air wasn't hot.
The path ahead unknown, Gong Qu and Keqing set off side by side, following the birch forest eastward.
When they came across a small lake and decided to take a break, Keqing spotted something unfamiliar beneath a large tree.
"Huh? What kind of animal is that?"
She pointed toward a small creature resting in the shade.
It looked vaguely lizard-like—six legs, scaled skin, horned, and a vibrant crimson all over.
"That's a Lesser Drake. Killing it drops low-grade meat, which fills your hunger bar more than chicken but less than beef."
"Low-grade meat, huh? Makes sense. Doesn't look too tough."
Keqing had been itching for action ever since learning they'd be venturing out. This unknown monster was a perfect warm-up.
Gong Qu understood and immediately cast an elemental skill on her.
[Nature's Blessing: Grants increased attack speed and emits mild Grass-element damage around the target. When reactions like Intensify, Overgrow, or Supergrow are triggered, the attack speed bonus is doubled.]
A flash of green flickered above Keqing's head, and she felt her body suddenly lighter.
With one step, she lunged nearly five meters forward.
"Hah!"
A fierce cry rang out.
Three or four sword strikes landed in perfect sync—before the red drake even realized what happened, it lay in pieces, staring blankly with lifeless eyes.
A white flash. The body vanished.
In its place lay chunks of meat, likely tail cuts.
"Ssshh—"
Nearby drakes, seeing the carnage, turned tail to flee.
But Keqing, now in the zone, gave them no chance.
In short order, they too were reduced to chunks of meat.
Keqing gathered the spoils and walked back to Gong Qu.
"Just like cattle or sheep—killing them directly drops pre-butchered meat. But the texture looks different. Think it's safe to eat?"
"Should be fine once it's cooked."
As they debated whether to roast a few samples, the grass ahead rustled suddenly.
"Careful! Something big this time."
Gong Qu immediately stepped in front of Keqing, ready to summon his shield.
Rustle rustle…
"Rrrawr?"
A round, fuzzy head poked out from the grass.
It was a brown bear.
Two cubs soon followed behind.
"Aww, these are even cuter than the drakes—so fluffy!" Keqing's eyes lit up at the sight of the bear cubs.
"RRAWR!"
Sensing potential danger from her, the mother bear let out a warning growl, locking her gaze on Keqing with a mix of fear and threat.
"Brown bear. Neutral mob. Around 40 HP. Can't be tamed. In the vanilla game, it attacks players wearing the Seven Curses Ring, but deals no damage in Peaceful mode."
Still, those sharp fangs made Gong Qu doubt anyone would volunteer to test whether they could pierce human skin.
"This world's already strayed far from the original game. If you really want, Keqing, you can try taming them."
"Okay! I'll give it a go!"
Keqing kept her weapon in her left hand. With a flick of her right, she pulled out a piece of cooked beef.
The savory aroma spread instantly.
The bears twitched their noses.
Eventually, the allure of food won them over, and they cautiously approached.
With the aid of Gong Qu's calming Grass-element energy and a steady supply of meat…
A few minutes later.
The bear family was happily chewing away on rare treats like grilled steak. Keqing knelt beside the cubs, gently running her hand through their soft fur.
"Rrrawr~"
The mother bear let out a friendly-sounding call.
"The elemental sense from the Grass element tells me that was a gesture of goodwill. Do you want to try taming one of the cubs?"
Keqing shook her head.
"If I take one, won't the other be left behind? It'll get lonely."
"Bear cubs don't have feelings that complex."
"They do! No—they definitely do!"
Suddenly, Keqing grabbed Gong Qu's hand, her expression serious.
Huh?
Gong Qu picked up on a swell of compassion and sadness in her tone—aimed at him.
He smiled faintly and gave her nose a playful flick.
"Sentimental Keqing, imagining things again? I told you, I'm really fine with my orphan days from my last life."
"Liar! I've seen you late at night, staring at the moon with that melancholy look."
That's called post-harvest enlightenment! …Not worth explaining.
Overwhelmed by her sudden motherly warmth, Gong Qu hesitated—
Then leaned in and silenced her worries with a deep kiss.
The bears: "These two are literally all over each other. Do I keep being cute and begging for food, or…?"