Keqing poked the belly of the pufferfish, and it instantly puffed up like a balloon.
So cute~
Her bright eyes sparkled like starlight.
"A'Qu, let's not eat this one. Can we keep it at home instead?"
"Don't worry—even if you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have eaten it. The organs of a pufferfish contain neurotoxins, which can't be neutralized by heat like protein-based toxins. Only chefs familiar with its anatomy can prepare it safely. It's not something we're equipped to handle."
"Mmm... I don't really get it."
Keqing blinked innocently, her confusion only adding to her charm.
"Ahem. Anyway—let's keep fishing. I just know there's more than pufferfish in this lake!"
Gong Qu's face remained serious, but his heart was pounding wildly.
Damn, this woman is just... unbearably sweet.
Time always slips away when fishing. A few more hours passed, and dusk settled over the lake.
But Gong Qu's expression turned stormy even faster than the encroaching night.
Yes, he had caught more than just pufferfish...
Seaweed. A broken bow. A cracked fishing rod. A worn-out leather cap.
But not a single edible fish.
Meanwhile, Keqing had already packed away her rod. Her haul was far more respectable: aside from pufferfish and the occasional trash item, she had managed to reel in a dozen salmon and cod.
Plop!
The bobber dipped again.
Gong Qu held his breath and reeled in his line with perfect form.
And then, breaching the surface—
A tattered bow shimmered with a faint violet glow.
"Ugh. Another enchanted bow. Useless junk."
He had already caught a dozen of these and couldn't even muster the will to inspect it.
"Wait—'Infinity'? That's a new enchantment, right?"
Keqing picked up the discarded bow and examined it with curiosity.
"Infinity?!"
Startled, Gong Qu snatched back the rod he had just cast and rushed to check the item stats.
csharp
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[Item: Bow]
[Durability: 10]
[Enchantment: Infinity]
"Whoa! It really is! Alright, so maybe I didn't catch any fish... but pulling in an Infinity Bow? I'll take it."
"From your reaction, I take it this 'infinite arrows' thing is kind of a big deal?"
"It's not just rare—it's powerful. If I can get a Power V enchantment on it too, I could one-shot skeleton archers without breaking a sweat."
"That doesn't sound too impressive. Ganyu and Yelan can one-shot Hilichurls, even Hilichurl Chieftains. For Vision-wielders who specialize in bows, isn't infinite ammo just... standard?"
Keqing's deadpan sarcasm landed like a critical hit.
Direct hit. Gong Qu is stunned.
She was basically calling him out for being skunked all afternoon.
Gong Qu could only seethe in quiet indignation.
And now he was starting to wonder... Did "infinite" in this world mean elemental power? Or was it like in Minecraft, where Infinity Bows could summon iron arrows from thin air?
Whatever the case, the mood around them turned light and lively.
Nightfall.
Dinner was served courtesy of Keqing—the famed grilled fish chef of Liyue.
At the table, Gong Qu devoured the fish with a vengeance, crunching the bones like they were his enemies.
"No need to rush. I caught plenty today, and there's more in the pond."
Keqing had no idea how deeply those words cut into the pride of a fisherman.
With a dramatic cry, Gong Qu dove into her arms, seeking emotional solace.
Though still inexperienced in matters of intimacy, Keqing didn't push him away. Blushing furiously, she gently held him, offering her quiet comfort to heal his empty-hearted humiliation.
A few days later.
The clock struck midnight.
[Weekly Random Shop refreshed. New items now available:]
Recycling Bin – 100 World Coins
Night Vision Potion (20 min) x12 – 100 World Coins
Water Breathing Potion (20 min) x12 – 100 World Coins
Country Farm (Building Blueprint) – 500 World Coins
Hot Spring (Building Blueprint) – 500 World Coins
Teleport Anchor (Unlinked) – 1000 World Coins
Lucky Draw (11 tries) – 1000 World Coins
Lucky Draw (120 tries) – 10,000 World Coins
[Current Balance: 900 World Coins]
Teleport Anchor?! Wait—Recycling Bin?!
Gong Qu shot upright in bed.
"A'Qu? What's wrong?"
To Keqing, it was late. But for Gong Qu, this was prime time—his mind sharp and alert.
"Ah, sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."
She shook her head—no harm done. She'd already noticed the system screen glowing before them.
Curious, she sat up and leaned against his shoulder.
Silky smooth skin brushed against him.
Truly, sleeping naked is a superior cultural tradition.
"Even teleport anchors? That's crazy. But… we don't have enough to buy it."
Though they'd been in this world for a full week, their exploration was still limited. Despite achieving some iron-tier accomplishments, they had only managed to save up 900 coins.
This Minecraft-like world they inhabited was far more expansive and realistic than any game map.
Distance, not danger, had become their biggest limitation.
After all, they couldn't just abandon their luxury villa in search of a village, temple, or dungeon.
"And even if we bought one anchor, we'd need at least two to actually make use of it and expand our reach."
"So unless we can earn over 1100 coins in a week, we might miss our only chance at getting these again, right?"
"Exactly."
"That's kinda brutal. Didn't you say World Coins can only be earned by completing certain achievements? Should we speed things up and dig down toward that lava layer you mentioned?"
Gong Qu waved it off, shifting his gaze to the first item in the shop—the Recycling Bin—and began explaining.
"So far, we've only scratched the surface of this world. Its realism is no joke. Lava here isn't just a few blocks underground—it's probably buried deep like it is on Earth."
On Earth, magma is typically found dozens of kilometers beneath the crust.
Even in volcanic zones, you'd need to dig down 10 to 20 kilometers to reach it.
But more than that, what caught Gong Qu's attention was that the Recycling Bin cost the same and appeared in the same slot as the original Starter Pack.
[Purchase Successful]
[Balance: 800 World Coins]
[Item: Recycling Bin]
[Description: Insert crops, rare ores, livestock products, or other valuable items. Converts to World Coins after 6:00 the next day.]
Just as he thought—like the Starter Pack, this was clearly a beginner's essential tool!
This couldn't be a coincidence. The first few shop refreshes weren't as "random" as they seemed.
The first time offered a Starter Pack—basic survival support.
The second gave the Recycling Bin—a way to earn currency.
So what about the third?
Finally willing to spend, Gong Qu tapped "Refresh" for the first time.
[Spent 100 World Coins. Refresh Successful.]
Aside from the usual Lucky Draw options, most of the items were junk...
Except—the first slot now displayed a third unique item:
[General Store – 100 World Coins]
He bought it. Balance dropped to 600.
[General Store]
[Description: Use World Coins to purchase basic supplies.]
Bingo.
His hunch was correct.
The Random Shop clearly followed a pattern of early-game assistance. But when Gong Qu refreshed the store again, none of the special beginner items returned.
"So it's just the first three times, huh? Well… it's more than enough."
"A'Qing, get dressed. Let's go try them out downstairs."
Keqing, who had been watching from the start, was now wide awake—her eyes gleaming with curiosity.