025

After Lingling left, no other animals visited the island.

Several more days passed in this manner until the system issued another notification:
【17 days remaining until the [Day of the Full Moon].】

Liyue did not know what this [Day of the Full Moon] event entailed, but she knew that being prepared was never a mistake.

By now, she had hoarded enough [Iron Ingots]. The iron ingots and other iron weapons that had previously been bottlenecked by a lack of materials were now all unlocked.

【12 days remaining until the [Day of the Full Moon].】

Liyue simply forged a large batch of weapons and set traps for wild beasts around her small wooden cabin. Feeling that this was still not secure enough, she crafted a set of armor, though its defensive bonus was not as significant as her [Busoshoku] (Armament Haki).

Through massive amounts of equipment manufacturing—and because she had nothing better to do, she made some junk gadgets to boost her island construction rating—Liyue's [Busoshoku Haki] finally reached Level 3.

Great, great! She was one step closer to unlocking [Haoshoku Haki] (Conqueror's Haki)!

【10 days remaining until the [Day of the Full Moon]. System Prompt: Danger is gradually approaching; please prepare your defenses.】

Liyue stopped wandering and focused on crafting items by hand. Her inventory for all usable items had basically reached 999.

【6 days remaining until the [Day of the Full Moon]. Is your weapon inventory sufficient? Please strengthen your island’s defenses to handle any contingencies.】

Liyue did not feel much of a sense of crisis; she simply continued with her tasks as planned.

Until her inventory overflowed and the repetitive clicking process became too boring, Liyue decided to scavenge the forest for materials and began researching cooking.

【2 days remaining until the [Day of the Full Moon]. Danger is imminent! Please secure your precious items and prepare enough food!】

A safe place?
The place where the player is, is the safe place! To the NPCs, the player is the most dangerous character of all!

Liyue continued her gaming goal:
A player who doesn't want to become a Master Chef is not a good Island Lord!

Next up is—
Cooking Time!

Liyue took out the rare items she had pulled from the system. She had long wanted to try using these rare items and was looking forward to seeing what kind of effects the resulting dishes would have.

However, when she actually took out the shimmering [Hundred-Year Ginseng]—her only SSR-grade material at the moment—she hesitated.

Aside from a small portion of [Hundred-Year Ginseng] that wouldn't even fill half a palm, Liyue did not have many SR-grade materials.

Between the SR-grade [Dragon Egg] produced daily by the Oviraptor, the [Durian] gifted by the system, and the strange SR-grade items occasionally found in the forest, all her materials combined totaled only a dozen or so.

Even Liyue, given the scarcity of materials, was reluctant to waste them on dark, unappetizing culinary experiments. Mainly, based on her cooking (testing) over the past few days, the additional effects of a dish increased with its deliciousness.

Using rare ingredients meant she had to maximize their value; if she could roll some god-tier effect, that would be ideal...

Liyue stood before the pot, hesitating for a long time, before finally deciding to practice with some SR-grade materials first.

As for the combination of ingredients...
There were six segments of [Durian] flesh; Liyue tossed one in first.
She added an R-grade [Apple], [Pear], and [Coconut Meat].

【Congratulations, you have obtained an R-grade dish: [Fruit Platter]!】
【Description: Made with the freshest fruits, it looks very delicious and is perfect for digestion after a meal.】
【Effect: Increases HP by 5, increases Satiety by 5.】

She clicked to eat it.
Obtained: Max HP +5, Satiety +5.

She continued cooking.
Thinking about the [Dragon Egg] stockpile, she decided she might as well use them. This time, Liyue was quite generous, adding five at once.

She cracked the shells, put the eggs in the pot, and whisked them until the mixture turned a uniform golden yellow.

Because of the large quantity of egg, Liyue felt she could make multiple servings, though she only had large stocks of R and N-grade materials.

This time, Liyue chose cleaned R-grade [Lily Bulbs] and [Ginkgo Nuts], along with chopped N-grade [Japanese Parsley] and [Small Mushrooms].

She chose [Steaming] as the cooking method.

【Congratulations, you have obtained an R-grade dish: [Lucky Egg Custard] × 20!】
【Description: The Japanese Parsley adds fragrance, while the tender, silky steamed egg pairs perfectly with the soft, glutinous Lily Bulbs and Ginkgo Nuts—a truly enjoyable culinary experience! There are even small mushrooms here to bring you luck.】
【Effect: Increases Satiety by 15. After eating, you will become luckier for one hour.】

Liyue ate 5 servings at once. Mainly because eating any more would cause her Satiety to overflow, which would be a waste.

The Lucky buff duration was extended to five hours. Time to keep cooking!

She added R-grade [Pine Nuts], [Hazelnuts], and [Chestnuts], along with the SR-grade [Matsutake], and chose [Roasting] as the cooking method.

【Congratulations, you have obtained an R-grade dish: [Wild Game Appetizer]!】
...Still no SR dish? How is it still R-grade? Is this "Luck" buff even real?
【Description: The heat is just right; the roasted tree nuts are crispy and fragrant, and the Matsutake is refreshing and chewy. Whether as an appetizer or a snack with drinks, it is an excellent choice.】
【Effect: Increases Attack Power by 5 and Attack Speed by 5. After eating, trigger [Inspiration]: You will feel your mind opening up, with exceptionally rich imagination. You will gain a flash of insight, but whether you can seize the opportunity depends on your own destiny.】

Forget it, she wouldn't dwell on it. She clicked to eat it immediately.
Attack Power +5, Attack Speed +5. Triggered [Inspiration] effect (remaining duration: 4 minutes and 59 seconds).

She continued cooking... She didn't really feel particularly inspired, though.
She tossed in [Durian] once more.

Delicious food is fine, but it’s too boring! And most importantly, no matter how good it tastes, I can't taste it anyway!

Bathed in the unique fragrance of the durian, Liyue suddenly had a flash of insight. She felt she should return to her original path and try making dark, cursed cuisine!

As expected, dark cuisine is eternal!

Liyue rummaged through her inventory and found the [Purple Mushroom (Highly Toxic)] she had obtained with great difficulty a few days ago.
She threw it in without hesitation.

Liyue watched the pot turn purple and had another flash of insight.
[Hundred-Year Ginseng], it’s your time to shine! I’m counting on you to raise the average rarity of the whole pot!

She cut off a piece of [Hundred-Year Ginseng] and tossed it in.
The dish was gradually being dyed a multicolored black. As a cooking effect, the pot began to emit a silver-gold glow.

But with just these materials, the dish seemed too plain. She really needed to add more meat, right?
She tossed in [Centipede], [Stink Bug], and [Aconite].
The dish maintained its silver-gold glow, unchanged.

Was it still not enough... what exactly was missing?

Liyue searched her inventory and her eyes lit up.
She was cooking in a cave, so naturally, she should add some of the cave's local specialties!
What does it mean to live off the land? What does it mean to adapt to local conditions! (Tactical lean back)

She added [Iron Nails] × 3!
Then added [Sulfur]!
And had to add a piece of [Saltpeter]!

That still wasn't enough. Liyue found the one rare material she had gotten after mining for so many days—the SSR-grade [Mercury]!

Previously, Liyue thought these materials dropped from stones were only meant for infrastructure construction.
Now, she had a sudden realization: it wasn't the scarcity of materials that hindered culinary development, but human imagination!

As long as the imagination is infinite, the possibilities of cooking are, of course, infinite!

Liyue didn't hesitate at all and poured her only portion of [Mercury] into the pot.
With that finishing touch, the pot suddenly erupted with a dazzling golden light! Liyue was almost blinded, but she couldn't suppress the excitement in her heart!

Was another SSR-grade dish about to be born?!

【Congratulations, you have obtained an SSR-grade dish:】
Liyue felt a bit nervous, subconsciously holding her breath as she continued to read.
【[The Emperor's Elixir].】

Look at that name! It sounds prestigious just by hearing it!
It must be a top-tier dish!!

【Description: It is said that ancient emperors, in their pursuit of immortality, would add various heavy metals to their alchemy furnaces to refine and consume them. However, a reminder: you are cooking, not practicing alchemy.】

Ugh, the system description only spits out trash talk. Ignore, ignore.

But this time, perhaps because the materials were so abundant and included two SSR items, the description was unusually long. Liyue scrolled down; it wasn't over yet:

【Do you know how those ancient emperors died suddenly? As a modern person, you must surely know the dangers of heavy metals! Once again, a cooking pot is a cooking pot, not a crucible, nor an alchemy furnace. Please do not use it to refine murder weapons!】

【Effect 1: After consumption, there is a 95% chance the user will enter the [Severe Poisoning] state: reduces Max HP by 1% per day until Max HP becomes 1.】
【Effect 2: After consumption, there is a 5% chance to trigger [Instant Death]: The user's HP drops to zero, taking effect immediately.】
【Note: The two states do not stack; one is triggered based on probability.】

Whoa!
Isn't this a god-tier item! It's much stronger than that last SSR effect, which felt like a handout!

The finished dish was a round, golden pill. Liyue thought it was so beautiful; the color was so radiant it made one feel refreshed and happy.
An elixir! This is an elixir!
I am a Master Alchemist, the King of Alchemy—surely no one has any objections?

Liyue held the golden pill aloft, running around the alchemy furnace—no, the cooking pot—a dozen times in excitement.

Outside, the sky grew dark.
Liyue saw the system notification:
【0 days remaining until the [Day of the Full Moon]. The full moon has arrived.】
【Danger! Danger! Please hide in a safe place as soon as possible!】

(Rumble, rumble, rumble...)

The game screen shook. Liyue heard a massive sound, but it lasted only for an instant, so fast she thought it was an illusion.

Liyue thought for a moment and put away her crucible. She cautiously saved her game manually before stepping out of the cave.

The full moon hung in the sky, inexplicably stained with a blood-red hue.

"Huh, why is there an island here?"
Liyue heard voices coming from below the cliff.

The lead male voice sounded familiar, and trailing behind him were a dozen noisy, clamorous sounds—definitely more than one person had landed on the island.

"Where is this? It’s not marked on the map, and the magnetic field on this island is chaotic; the needle is spinning wildly."

Liyue poked her head out to look.
It wasn't humans who had landed, but a group of small animals. Liyue immediately relaxed, her favorability toward these strange creatures rising.

Moreover, she spotted three familiar figures among them.

Little cow Kaido trailed at the end of the group, looking displeased and carrying a spiked club, as if the whole world owed it a million bucks.

Little pig Lingling stood far away from the other animals, looking as if she disdained to be with the main party:
"Stupid Rocks, do you really think you're a captain? Don't order me around; I'll act on my own."

White bear Newgate stood at the front of the line, wearing a long coat, his expression indifferent but tinged with disdain for the leader:
"There is no way such a remote and barren island has [that thing] you are looking for. Don't waste time here; let's leave quickly."

And the small animal standing at the very front, who appeared to be the leader—
Liyue finally saw its appearance.
It was a pitch-black lion with a fierce look on its face.

The moment Liyue peered at it, it looked back with extreme sharpness.

System Prompt:
(Rocks D. Xebec has discovered your presence.)
(Run!)
(Run away!!)