Chapter Fifty-Eight: Garlic-Roasted Giant Scorpion

As the card vanished, the diamond-shaped crystal on Qin Fei’s wrist began to change as well. A tiny backpack icon, no bigger than a grain of rice, appeared on its surface.

[Sample Implant / Ancient Artifact has been upgraded: Backpack Expansion]
[Backpack capacity increased. Current backpack maximum load: forty kilograms. Exceeding the weight limit will result in reduced movement speed.]

The dense forest was thick with various shrubs and weeds. Occasionally, animals would pass through, but none were predators. The jungle was populated mainly with small herbivores like the Oligocene elephant and the Protoceratops. The only real threat came from fist-sized ants that sometimes appeared. Though larger than their modern counterparts, their habits were much the same—they were scavengers, not hunters. Their aggression was minimal, so as long as Qin Fei kept his distance, he could avoid an attack.

When Qin Fei had looked down from the sky, the island had seemed modest in size. But now, wandering within its depths, he realized it was several times larger than the version in the game. According to the mission prompt, as time passed, the surrounding sea would gradually rise, shrinking the survivors’ available territory. Building a raft and setting out onto the water was out of the question—the ocean in Ark was home to terrifying prehistoric creatures capable of swallowing both man and raft whole.

As the land diminished, conflict among survivors would grow more intense. But for now, things remained relatively peaceful. With a hidden refuge and enough caution, it was difficult for anyone to find him on such a vast island. Qin Fei needed to secure a hiding place—a shelter that offered some measure of safety.

After leaving the dense woods, Qin Fei found himself in a rocky expanse. The stones here came in all shapes and sizes—some towered skyward, others were flat enough to build a small hut atop. In the game, this area was known to players as the Stone Forest. Carnivorous dinosaurs rarely appeared here, aside from the occasional Emperor Crocodile basking on the shore. Many chose to build their shelters here.

However, this spot wasn’t ideal for Qin Fei. Its proximity to the beach made it easy for other survivors to find, and when the sea rose, the shoreline would be the first to flood. But he remembered that opposite the Stone Forest, there should be a hidden cave. It was deep and crawling with poisonous insects and snakes, but the entrance was relatively safe.

Night was drawing near, so Qin Fei quickened his pace toward the direction of the cave. Thanks to the island’s greater-than-expected size, he walked until nightfall before finally locating it. The cave was well concealed, its entrance masked by shrubs and weeds. Even standing right at the mouth, one might not notice it without careful observation.

Only Qin Fei’s familiarity with the Ark map allowed him to find the place so easily—proof of the immense advantage granted by knowing the game’s plot and mechanics.

Night in Ark was fraught with danger. Survivors caught outdoors after dark might encounter ferocious predators like the Injured-Toothed Dragon or the Raptor. Spending the night outside was unwise.

Switching on his flashlight, Qin Fei ventured into the cave. Inside, it was cold and damp, with droplets occasionally dripping from the walls. Just a few steps from the entrance, he spotted several glowing, transparent crystals embedded in the stone. They were pure, almost like naturally formed glass. With his expanded backpack, he could carry more items, so he decided to collect some crystals, thinking they might be useful later. Carefully, he took out his iron hammer and knocked off a few pieces, storing them away.

Tap-tap-tap-tap.

At his feet, Qin Fei heard something moving. Instinctively, he shone his flashlight down. There, at his feet, was a giant scorpion the size of a housecat!

The sight made his skin crawl—the creature was simply repulsive.

This scorpion was aggressive; as soon as Qin Fei’s light fell upon it, the barbed tail struck his lower leg. But Qin Fei was quick. In the same instant, he pulled a shotgun from his backpack and fired two blasts at the giant scorpion. Its shell was tough, but at such close range, the shotgun blasts were too much for it. With a hissing shriek, it collapsed to the ground, oozing thick green fluid.

Exhaling deeply, Qin Fei calmed his nerves. That had been terrifying.

Clearly, venturing deeper into the cave was out of the question. There were likely even more dangerous creatures further inside. Most crucially, the scorpion’s sting had left his right leg numb and lifeless—he could no longer walk.

The venom was potent. After being stung, perhaps because his leg nerves were completely paralyzed, Qin Fei felt little pain. But his head began to spin—the poison was taking effect.

Other survivors might have been helpless against such venom.

Yet Qin Fei had a solution. He pulled out the white berries he’d gathered earlier and ate a handful. In Ark, these berries had powerful detoxifying properties. Whether snake, scorpion, spider, or toad venom, a few of these would neutralize it all. The only side effect was a rapid depletion of water and food reserves, as well as mild diarrhea.

After eating the berries, Qin Fei’s stomach began to growl. He needed something to eat. His stock of dried rations was for emergencies, so he hesitated to use it. The berries alone weren’t enough to satisfy his hunger.

Glancing at the dead scorpion on the ground, he wondered—was it edible?

Ten minutes later...

Qin Fei sat before a campfire, roasting the peeled carcass of the giant scorpion. To avoid poisoning himself, he’d removed not only the shell but also the venom sac, tail, and mouthparts, tossing them aside. He kept the shell for later.

Soon, the roasting meat began to sizzle. The scorpion itself contained little fat; the oil came from butter Qin Fei brushed on. He also sprinkled it with salt and garlic powder scavenged from the Seven Days to Die world.

Suppressing his revulsion, Qin Fei took a bite.

If one ignored the fact that it was scorpion meat, the taste was surprisingly good! The flesh was tender, reminiscent of crab meat, though a bit tougher.

After eating his fill, Qin Fei set up a tripwire trap around his camp to ensure safety, then crawled into his sleeping bag.

As Qin Fei—and the other survivors on the island—slept, a photograph appeared in the sky, marked with a giant X. It was clear: another had died on the first night after arriving in Ark.

Survivors remaining: twenty.

At the same time, three enormous towers appeared quietly above the island, floating in the sky—one blue, one red, one green.

With their appearance, a new message appeared on the diamond crystal on every survivor’s wrist, including Qin Fei’s:

[Ark is now complete. Survivors who reach the Ark may randomly gain different imprint skills!]