RITW 9: Crocodile Season

“Crocodile, uh, Master Crocodile?”

Yu Qunqing imitated the way the older generation called out and held crocodile feed in his hand. The original plan for the 3rd floor was a swimming pool, but now these pools were occupied by a massive crocodile.

It was 3 meters long, with special protrusions above its eye sockets, somewhat resembling the deep-set eyes of Europeans and Americans. Its snout revealed sharp teeth along the edges. Rows of scales were arranged in a highly regular pattern, perfectly embodying the mathematical aesthetics of nature. Its long tail swayed, indicating that it might be in a good mood.

This all started at noon.

At noon, Yu Qunqing finished moving a large amount of supplies, including 12 bags of rice, 5 boxes of biscuits, and 64 catties of dried meat. The most surprising thing was finding some vegetables like potatoes and pumpkins. They were scattered in various dusty corners, but Yu Qunqing didn’t dare to be picky. He picked them up one by one.

Then he returned to his house to play the game “Joyful Match”. At this time, the red envelopes from the “Congratulations on Wealth Tree” were ripe again. Yu Qunqing followed the instructions on the red envelopes and went on another trip. The road was a bit far, leading him directly to a collapsed jewelry store. The facilities inside were all destroyed, and it was even weighed down by the top floor of a building. Yu Qunqing crawled inside and finally managed to grab a pearl necklace.

After spending some money, he had a total of 70 diamonds!

The safest option was to save it for next month’s monthly card.

But there was more than one jewelry store in the city center. With his ability, he shouldn’t be unable to afford next month’s monthly card, right?

Why not… activate the riverside track of the Crocodile Season?

His Crocodile Season had already accumulated to level 36. The upgrade rewards for the riverside track were generous, including several infinite stamina apples, which were what he needed the most at the moment.

As for the gifted crocodile and the accompanying structures, Yu Qunqing has always been indifferent.

Until he actually obtained a crocodile.

“The crocodile that lost its home has found a new one here! Please build more activity areas for its habitat!”

Yu Qunqing clicked to claim all the season level rewards at once, watching his inventory become abundant, feeling a great sense of satisfaction in his heart.

Upon returning to the 3rd floor, he saw that the three pools of different depths had been filled with water by the power of the game. One of the pools was a trendy infinity pool, creating the illusion of a pool edge as a cliff. The overflowing water cascaded down to the 2nd floor. A rockery with lush pine trees had been specially created on the 2nd floor to blend it in. Now the crocodile was lying in it, fitting in with the surroundings more than humans.

The other two pools were filled with props gifted from the riverside track, such as the Crocodile Hut, a log cabin with mud inside for the crocodile’s comfort. There was also the Rolling Fish, an entertainment prop for the crocodile. And the Happy Bubble Pool, a place specifically for the crocodile to bathe…

The Crocodile River is the mother river of Jiangbei City, and this creature holds special significance locally, being referred to as the “water lion.” In ancient times, there were stories of green crocodiles delivering babies, crocodiles fighting evil bullies and devouring monsters, and crocodiles shedding tears on the execution ground to cry out for justice… Now it is an endangered species, and the locals cherish it dearly. Many art pieces depict its fame.

Of course, in other places, this crocodile is famous as the “man-eating crocodile.” It really does eat people.

Yu Qunqing approached the crocodile step by step, holding the game’s gifted crocodile food (in infinite quantity). He wanted to taste a bite, but unexpectedly, the game wouldn’t allow it. It’s not that Yu Qunqing couldn’t defeat a crocodile, but the emotions involved were too complex.

The so-called “natural disaster” refers to a disaster that comes from beyond the sky. Monsters from the universe have invaded the entire ecosystem, and all the native inhabitants of Earth are victims. In the previous life, large animals and plants were almost extinct, and even the most tenacious insects saw their numbers reduced by two-thirds. Humans cannot survive independently of the ecosystem. In some of the remaining well-equipped shelters, certain wild animals and plants require high levels of protection.

After pouring the food, the crocodile smelled the fragrance and crawled over, wagging its head and tail. Its movements were swift, indicating a healthy crocodile.

Seeing that there was no danger of it attacking humans? Since it’s a game product, it should be able to coexist peacefully with him…

Yu Qunqing flipped through his rewards and said, “I reached Level 20 and got a sea dragon skin as a reward this round? Let me try…”

Suddenly, the crocodile in front of him transformed into an ancient creature measuring 12 meters in length! Its front webbed feet became stronger, and its thick scales resembled armor. The water in the pool instantly overflowed onto the ground. Unaware of its transformation, the crocodile continued to eat the feed.

Yu Qunqing silently switched the crocodile back to its normal skin. After observing for a while to ensure everything was fine, he continued downstairs to search for supplies.

This time, he was looking for various tools such as chainsaws, hydraulic jacks, as well as materials useful for insulation, water storage, and building houses. These tools were essential for long-term survival. Along the way, he came across a pharmacy and quickly cleared it out.

Now, his second floor served as his warehouse. Half of it was stocked with rice, noodles, oil, vegetables, and meat, while the other half contained miscellaneous items, including a considerable amount of winter clothing.

As it was approaching dusk, Yu Qunqing returned with the last batch of supplies. He planned to go farther tomorrow, preferably acquiring some weapons.

Back home, Yu Qunqing was exhausted and lay down on a beach chair, continuing to play the game with his mind.

He claimed 6 unlimited stamina apples from the Riverside Raceway rewards, one of which had a duration of “1 hour”!

Soon, the bathroom was renovated with separate dry and wet areas and an oversized bathtub! He even added a partition for a drying room.

The next area was the small living room, which served as the dining area. Yu Qunqing chose relatively simple decorations. He custom-made a large storage cabinet that concealed some folding chairs. Several potted plants were also placed in the room.

The last area was the entrance hall. It featured a double-sided shoe cabinet, a new carpet, and a new lock.

After repairing the front door, the entire house was completely renovated! He could leave the lights on as long as he liked at night, as long as he wasn’t overwhelmed by fear from the calamities crawling outside the windows.

In his previous life, he lived in a shelter. The shelter rooms were converted from shipping containers, with only a place to sleep, resembling coffins. Sometimes he had to share a room with teammates. Later, after escaping the shelter, he slept more casually, or he didn’t really sleep at all; he had to remain vigilant at all times. But now, he truly owned a fortress with a 360-degree unobstructed view.

In the living room, Yu Qunqing muttered, “It’s not enough, I need to do more…”

After a while, he spent one hexagram to clean the dust from the entire floor, and the corridor became as clean as if it were new. With one hexagram, he repaired various lights on the floor and used two hexagrams to unlock the elevator. The entire residential building became unobstructed.

The next task was: “The fountain in the garden is blocked. Quickly spend one hexagram to repair it!”

Finally, the time had come. Yesterday, the game system said that after repairing the fountain, the function of “game substantialization” could be updated, and the materials obtained from the explosive activity building materials would also be usable after repairing the fountain.

Yu Qunqing touched the screen, but the game did not respond. Instead, the hexagram flashed. He thought for a moment, then placed his hand on the screen. This time, he actually caught the hexagram!

As soon as he let go, the hexagram automatically floated back. He had to hold the hexagram in one hand, take the elevator downstairs, and then flip out from the second floor with one hand.

He walked to the giant music fountain in the garden. The main design of the fountain was a crocodile stepping on a planet, with a deep crack in the middle.

Yu Qunqing inserted his hand into the crocodile’s mouth, then released the hexagram. Suddenly, his vision entered a reverse-color world, and the system’s voice seemed to come from a distance.

“Download path established… Environmental network unobstructed… Downloading game resources…

Game defense wall substantialization in progress,

Checking game installation environment,

20%

80%

Download successful! Game substantialization progress 100%!”

In the blink of an eye, countless grids spread out from under Yu Qunqing’s feet, covering the entire residential area. Every blade of grass and every tree here seems to be deeply connected to Yu Qunqing. Moreover, a spherical transparent dome burst out from his body, passing through the fountain, deep into the underground parking lot, and towering over the four residential buildings.

Suspicious remains of calamities were thrown away.

He instantly felt refreshed. A heavy downpour was about to arrive, and the air humidity in the entire Jiangbei City had increased significantly. Many people felt tightness in their chests and shortness of breath, making it difficult to breathe. However, within the game (residential area) boundaries, the temperature remained the same as before the apocalypse.

The game system reminded him, “If you are a monthly card user, you can also enjoy the game background seasons of spring, summer, autumn, winter.”

The fountain at Yu Qunqing’s feet underwent even greater changes.

It was a tiered combination fountain. The main fountain’s crocodile sculpture had been repaired, and the weeds had been cleared, but it remained dry, and the cracks were still unfilled. The subsidiary fountains began to flow, immersing the green stone slabs below in water.

However, upon closer inspection, neat calamity stones were arranged in the center of the cracks in the main fountain.

Yu Qunqing jumped in and cautiously touched them, but couldn’t pry them out. There were 88 white clam-shaped calamity stones and 33 rainbow-colored seashell-shaped calamity stones in the cracks…

Weren’t these the latest clearance objectives?

So, the “game substantialization” means… the in-game environment becomes the same as what is displayed on the screen. And the game objectives are also manifested? Can others see the game objectives too?

“Does that mean if I encounter a level that I can’t pass, I can ask someone else to throw calamity stones here?” Yu Qunqing asked the system.

System: “Ding dong, that’s right! Multiplayer games and mutual assistance are also part of the charm of the game!”

Yu Qunqing remembered that he still had the “Ethereal Moonlight Lamp” in his backpack. The sun was already setting, and it would soon be completely dark. There was a sound of wind in the distance, a sign of the moths’ action.

The Ethereal Moonlight Lamp is a floating lamp in the shape of Saturn. Yu Qunqing currently has three of them, all placed next to the main fountain. The Saturns surround the massive planet sculpture, and the lights are as soft as moonlight. He lifted one of the lamps and looked up. The silk-like aurora flipped on the surface of the river. Those were the moths seeking their light. They were sensitive to light but paid no attention to moonlight. They didn’t notice the small lights in the garden. It seems that these floating lamps truly possess ethereal moonlight.

“It seems that the greatest use of the monthly card is actually these lamps. It will be feasible to go out at night in the future.” Yu Qunqing tried it out, and these lamps could be taken out of the garden.

Yu Qunqing then clicked on the “Material Explosion” event, and there was an additional line of instructions for the obtained materials – used for room decoration.

With a blink of his eyes, he easily switched to the inverted color mode. This time, he went to see the four residential buildings. He could surprisingly see the structures inside them clearly! However, most of them were locked, and no one could enter without 1000 materials to unlock them. If he wanted to build another fortress as sturdy as Yu Qunqing’s home, he would need more materials for decoration.

“Can it be that stingy, with only three days to obtain materials in a week?”

System: “By completing game assistance, friends and the player themselves can obtain an equal amount of materials.”

Yu Qunqing continued to observe the entire residential area in inverted color mode. He stood next to the fountain and saw his own beach chair. With a thought, the chair appeared next to him. Even the crocodile bathing in the pool could move, so he dragged it nearby as well. The crocodile seemed to be sleeping and woke up as soon as it was moved, swinging its head left and right.

“Ding dong! It seems the crocodile can’t find its way back home, but it really wants to play in the garden. Please spend 3 Hexagram Stars to build a crocodile-exclusive elevator!”