After returning to the room, Gu Ning first asked Windsor to dry herself with light elements, then went straight to bed.
Looking at Windsor standing motionless under the bed, Gu Ning asked directly, "Windsor, why don't you come up? Aren't you resting?"
"Lord, I plan to go fishing again tonight," Windsor said with a red face. The thought of lying under the same quilt as Gu Ning made her feel hot all over.
"Fishing? Go to sleep now. Work tomorrow," Gu Ning said firmly. "We hugged this morning anyway—don't be shy, come up."
Windsor blushed deeper but shuffled onto the bed. Gu Ning lifted the quilt, pulled her into a hug, and covered them both: "You've been busy all day—rest now."
Windsor started slightly when first hugged but didn't struggle, burying her face in Gu Ning's chest and closing her eyes. Her slightly heavy breathing betrayed her inner turmoil.
Gu Ning hugged her naturally because their affinity had increased—he wouldn't have dared yesterday. As he held her, he sorted through the day's gains:
- 102 white stones from selling fish (thanks to the tier-3 fishing rod's higher chance of catching premium fish).
- A ship thermal technology blueprint, a bottle of oil, and steamed buns for dinner.
- Basic resources: thatch and two pieces of wood. Windsor's luck made Gu Ning wonder if harvests correlated with talent quality.
Time to use his talent. He took out the white staff and activated it. A green light flashed, revealing an emerald hairpin:
Hairpin (Green): +5 Agility, +10% Base Strength.
He tried using "Morph" again, but it didn't change. Disappointed, he handed it to Windsor. She took it, stored it under her pillow, and unexpectedly hugged him back.
[Tip: Windsor's Affinity +3.]
Next, he used talent on a copper ingot, getting a white-quality fishing rod—apparently copper was too low-grade. Finally, he tried a white stone (his first "cash" withdrawal).
[Congratulations: Acquired Mall Discount Coupon (10% Off).]
Perfect! This would save money on future expensive items. He vowed to try purple or gold stones later.
Cuddling Windsor's soft form, feeling the warmth of the bedding, Gu Ning smiled as he heard others complaining in the chat. He closed his eyes, content.
Day 3:
Waking to heavy rain, Gu Ning guessed it was a downpour—but the ship was safe for now. Windsor woke up, and he bought eggs and steamed buns from the trade channel. After collecting rainwater and checking the drainage system (working well but needing upgrades), he got soaked and had Windsor dry him.
Searching the trade for rain gear, he bought two raincoats (4 white stones each) and placed them by the seawater converter. He sighed—no one was buying water; everyone drank rainwater. Risky, he thought.
Activating the ship thermal technology blueprint, he found building it required 500 white stones—costly. With less than 500 left and upgrade materials needing 910, he felt the pinch.
Just then, a system announcement blared:
[All Announcement: Demon Realm opens in 30 minutes. Prepare, novice lords.]
[Notice: Demon Realm opens monthly.]
[Rewards: White stones for killing monsters; contribution points + white stones for killing novice lords (Spirit Realm lords yield no contribution).]
[Tip: Contribution points = Tianmu City currency, usable at month-end.]
[Announcement: Contribution leaderboard activated.]
So it was a two-faction confrontation. Gu Ning wondered if the opposing "Demon Realm" lords were also from Earth. The battle was coming—and he needed to prepare.