Volume 1, Chapter 25: The time has come to gamble on luck.

After muttering a few complaints to himself, Lin Yifan closed his personal information screen with a sense of satisfaction. Although the system's evaluation was far from flattering, at least he was finally a healthy individual. He was content with that for now.

However, he found himself craving more attribute fruits. They were nothing short of miraculous elixirs! If he could get enough of them—even if he were limited to three a day—that would mean an increase of six attribute points daily. That would be 180 points a month, which meant by the end of the year, he’d be practically a Super Saiyan. The mere thought was exhilarating!

Yet, Lin Yifan knew this was nothing more than a fantasy. If not for his sheer luck in exploiting a loophole to secure that blue treasure chest, no one could have easily bypassed the mosquitoes guarding it. Moreover, he had triggered a triple-yield critical hit when opening the chest; otherwise, a blue chest would typically contain only a single attribute fruit. It was clear just how rare these items were.

Still, no matter how rare, if there was an opportunity to obtain them, it was a matter of capability. As long as one had the strength, treasures would eventually fall into their hands. Lin Yifan remained clear-headed; he pushed aside thoughts of the attribute fruits and moved on. After all, the blue chest held more than just those—there were four other items.

The [Intermediate Iron Blocks] were, as expected, just like the primary ones, only with higher purity. Unfortunately, they couldn't be broken down into primary iron blocks, so he could only stow them away in his storage space for now. He would definitely need them eventually; while upgrading his shelter to level three currently required primary iron blocks, higher-tier upgrades would surely demand these intermediate ones. Saving them up was never a bad idea.

As for the compressed biscuits, they were strategic survival supplies. Whether they tasted good was irrelevant; their strategic value was paramount. Lin Yifan might trade bread for supplies, but he would never trade away his compressed biscuits. These fifteen packs could sustain him for a month or two if he were just trying to stay alive; keeping them as a reserve was the right call.

That left the [Radiance Stone] and the [Random Attribute Spirit Crystals]. Between the two, Lin Yifan instinctively checked the former first.

[Radiance Stone]
Effect: Dispels dark fog; provides illumination in the wilderness at night.
Duration: Two hours.
(Special Note: The wilderness at night is teeming with endless danger. Even with a Radiance Stone to dispel the darkness, it remains perilous. Unless absolutely necessary, survivors are advised not to go out at night and to stay safely within their shelters.)

Reading the description, Lin Yifan’s eyes lit up. His experience traversing the wilderness tonight had left him truly shaken. Total loss of visibility was enough to strike fear into anyone, and he was no exception. Not to mention the beast attacks at night, but what haunted him most was that eerie, whispering murmur. What on earth was that? It was capable of causing someone to lose control of their emotions little by little, eventually driving them to madness. It was terrifying. Physical attacks could be defended against, but he had no idea how to counter mental ones. Could increasing his Intelligence help? Perhaps he could test that later.

Lin Yifan pondered this, but he resolved that he would not wander out at night unless absolutely necessary. Still, the Radiance Stones were essential to keep on hand; even if he didn't want to be caught in the wilderness, accidents happened. With only nine stones, he had a total of eighteen hours of light. He wondered if he’d ever find more; each one was precious.

After storing the Radiance Stones in his ring, Lin Yifan took a deep breath and looked with anticipation at the final item from the blue chest. It consisted of six black stones, each about the size of a fist. While their shapes were irregular, he could confirm they were all of equal weight.

[Random Attribute Spirit Crystal] × 6
(Special Note: These spirit crystals are encased within raw stones. The attribute can only be revealed by removing the outer layer. It is time to test your luck!)

Seeing the description, Lin Yifan immediately understood. This was essentially "stone gambling." Back on Earth, he had heard of gambling on jade, where raw stones were encased in a thick crust, and no technology could determine if there was jade inside. Each purchase was a gamble—a win meant instant wealth, a loss meant bankruptcy. It was said that a single cut could lead to heaven or hell. He had only seen it in novels and on television, never experiencing it himself. To think that even here, in this survival realm, he would be forced into stone gambling. It seemed this world was truly obsessed with luck.

After a few internal grumbles, Lin Yifan took out the [Golden Eagle Egg] he had found earlier. He had been wondering what a spirit crystal was, and now, he had them. The egg required one Wind-attribute and one Fire-attribute crystal to hatch. Now, his luck would truly be put to the test. With six chances, he wondered if he could get what he needed.

Lin Yifan clasped his hands together and offered a prayer to the heavens before picking up his axe to lightly tap the outer shell of the first raw stone. He had expected the stone crust to be difficult to remove, but it shattered easily, which was a relief. As the shell broke away, the spirit crystal inside was revealed—a translucent, crystal-clear gem with a tint of color.

The first crystal was blue—a Water-attribute. Not what he needed. He sighed and moved on to the second, which was yellow—an Earth-attribute. The third was another blue Water-attribute crystal.

Only three chances left! Lin Yifan took a deep breath and continued. The fourth crystal finally glowed red—a Fire-attribute! He let out a sigh of relief; now he only lacked the Wind-attribute.

Calming his nerves, he shattered the final two stones at once. A green crystal and a transparent one appeared before him. The green one was clearly not what he needed. But the transparent one... it was the Wind-attribute crystal.

Lin Yifan exhaled heavily. This gambling business was truly draining. Thankfully, he had succeeded! He quickly gathered the [Golden Eagle Egg] and the two necessary crystals. Instantly, the words "Ready to Hatch" appeared beside the egg. Without a moment's hesitation, he initiated the incubation.