The Sea Fortress sailed steadily across the ocean.
The signal on the Core Radar grew stronger every hour.
After nearly an entire day of travel, Lin Chen finally saw something different on the horizon.
Land.
A dark silhouette rose from the sea.
His eyes immediately sharpened.
Ever since humanity entered the Island Survival Game, all players had been surrounded by endless water.
This was the first real island he had discovered.
The Core Radar continued flashing.
Target Detected
Distance: 8 KM
At the same time, a Team Chat message appeared.
[Su Yao] : I can sense it now.
[Lin Chen] : The island?
[Su Yao] : Yes.
[Su Yao] : My Talent is reacting strongly.
[Lin Chen] : Diamond clue?
[Su Yao] : Definitely connected.
Lin Chen smiled.
Everything pointed toward this island being important.
As the fortress approached, the island became clearer.
Tall trees covered most of the land.
Rocky cliffs surrounded the coast.
Several hills rose from the center.
Compared to the endless ocean, it almost felt like another world.
When the fortress reached the shoreline, Lin Chen jumped onto the sand.
The moment his feet touched land, a notification appeared.
First Island Discovered
Experience +100
The corners of Lin Chen's mouth rose.
Even discovering new locations granted rewards.
The game clearly encouraged exploration.
He looked around carefully.
The island wasn't large, but it wasn't small either.
More importantly...
The resources here were completely different from those found at sea.
A nearby stone caught his attention.
He picked it up.
Stone
Basic construction material.
Lin Chen's eyes widened.
Stone.
A completely new resource.
Until now, players only had access to wood, rope, plastic, and monster materials.
Stone would unlock new possibilities.
As he continued exploring, he found even more resources.
Medicinal herbs.
Hardwood trees.
Iron ore deposits.
This island was practically a treasure trove.
No wonder hidden islands were valuable.
Suddenly—
Rustle.
A sound came from nearby bushes.
Lin Chen immediately grabbed the Thunder Spear.
The bushes exploded apart.
A wolf-like creature jumped toward him.
Its body was nearly twice the size of a normal wolf.
Sharp claws gleamed in the sunlight.
Island Fang Wolf
Level: 14
The wolf lunged.
Lin Chen didn't retreat.
The Thunder Spear flashed.
Crack!
Lightning erupted.
The wolf was sent flying.
Before it could recover, Lin Chen pierced its chest.
The monster collapsed.
Dead.
Experience +35
Monster Core Obtained
Lin Chen nodded.
Monsters on the island seemed stronger than ordinary ocean monsters.
That meant better rewards.
As he stored the Monster Core, another Team Chat message appeared.
[Su Yao] : Did you encounter a monster?
[Lin Chen] : Yes.
[Su Yao] : Be careful.
[Su Yao] : I sense several powerful lifeforms.
Lin Chen became alert.
Several?
That meant the island wasn't as simple as it appeared.
He continued deeper into the forest.
The further he traveled, the stronger the pressure became.
After nearly an hour, he reached the center of the island.
There stood an enormous stone pillar.
Ancient symbols covered its surface.
The moment Lin Chen approached, a notification appeared.
Diamond Chest Clue Found
Clue Progress: 1/3
Lin Chen's heart jumped.
Success.
The first clue had been obtained.
Words slowly appeared on the stone pillar.
The Diamond Chest sleeps beneath the sky where land and sea meet.
Collect all three clues to reveal the location.
The message disappeared.
Lin Chen memorized every word.
One clue down.
Two remaining.
At that moment—
ROOOOAR!!
A deafening roar shook the entire island.
Trees trembled.
Birds scattered into the sky.
Lin Chen immediately turned toward the source.
Something powerful had awakened.
Several kilometers away, a gigantic beast emerged from the forest.
Even from this distance, its size was obvious.
The creature resembled a massive bear.
Its height exceeded ten meters.
Dark-red fur covered its body.
The pressure it emitted far surpassed the Island Fang Wolves.
Island Tyrant Bear
Level: 20
Elite Monster
Lin Chen's eyes narrowed.
This was the strongest monster he had encountered since the Sea Devourer.
Fortunately, the beast hadn't noticed him yet.
Fighting it now would be unnecessary.
His goal today was exploration.
Not a difficult battle.
He quietly retreated.
The island would not disappear.
He could return later.
As Lin Chen headed back toward the coast, the Regional Chat suddenly became unusually active.
[Player 712] : Is anyone receiving strange invitations?
[Player 289] : You mean the organization invitations?
[Player 445] : Sea Wolf Alliance?
[Player 167] : Yeah.
[Player 883] : They invited me too.
Lin Chen paused.
Sea Wolf Alliance.
So they were expanding aggressively.
The chat continued.
[Player 521] : They said they'll provide protection.
[Player 614] : Protection isn't free.
[Player 888] : Something feels wrong.
Lin Chen frowned.
Organizations weren't necessarily bad.
However, ambitious leaders often caused trouble.
Especially in survival games.
Back on another part of the ocean, Zhao Feng watched the Regional Chat with satisfaction.
The Sea Wolf Alliance had already surpassed two hundred members.
Their growth was accelerating rapidly.
One of his subordinates spoke.
[Wang Jie] : More players accepted.
[Zhao Feng] : Good.
[Wang Jie] : Current membership is 213.
Zhao Feng smiled.
Two hundred members today.
Five hundred tomorrow.
A thousand after that.
Eventually, the entire region would know the name Sea Wolf Alliance.
And when that happened, resources would naturally flow toward them.
Back on the island, Lin Chen returned to his Sea Fortress.
The first expedition had been a complete success.
New resources.
New monsters.
Monster Cores.
And most importantly—
The first Diamond Chest clue.
As the fortress slowly left the shore, another Team Chat message appeared.
[Su Yao] : Did you get it?
[Lin Chen] : Yes.
[Su Yao] : First clue?
[Lin Chen] : First clue.
A rare moment passed before Su Yao replied.
[Su Yao] : Good.
[Su Yao] : Because I found something too.
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow.
[Lin Chen] : What?
Several seconds passed.
Then the message arrived.
[Su Yao] : I found the location of the second clue.
Lin Chen smiled.
Things were moving faster than expected.
One clue obtained.
A second clue discovered.
The Diamond Chest was no longer just a rumor.
It was becoming a real goal.
As the sun slowly set across the ocean, Lin Chen looked toward the horizon.
The survival game was changing again.
The age of simple treasure hunting was ending.
The age of exploration had begun.