As the deafening wind howled around him, Qin Ming clung tightly to the plane's metal frame. His fingers dug into the steel, leaving deep marks as he crawled slowly toward the parachute pack snagged on the plane's lower edge.
The plane was now in full freefall, entirely out of control. With the pilots dead, the cockpit destroyed, and gaping holes in the fuselage, there was no chance of stabilizing it.
Gritting his teeth against the fierce airflow, Qin Ming inched along the exterior of the plane, stretching out his hand to grab the parachute. Once he secured it to his back, he paused for a moment to catch his breath. Using his strength, he maneuvered back toward the cabin opening. He wanted to prepare himself properly before jumping; after all, he'd never parachuted before, and taking a moment could be the difference between life and death.
But just as he neared the opening, he spotted a familiar figure ahead.
It was Mary, who'd been sucked out of the plane's cabin earlier. She was clinging to a metal ledge, her fingers frozen in place, her body covered in frost, and her clothes stained with blood.
Mary's eyes fluttered open when she saw him. At first, she looked stunned, but relief spread across her face, and she opened her mouth to call out to him. However, the moment she relaxed, her frozen hands slipped from the ledge.
With a scream, Mary was ripped away from the plane, tumbling like a kite with a broken string.
Qin Ming shook his head, not particularly inclined to help her, and continued making his way back inside. But as he neared the cargo hold, he spotted yet another unwelcome sight: the spotted dog staring at him from inside a cage on the cargo deck.
"Of all the bad luck," Qin Ming cursed.
He broke the lock and grabbed the dog by the scruff. With the animal tucked under one arm, Qin Ming let go of the plane, turning into a streamlined shape as he fell, adjusting his angle to chase after Mary.
Seconds later, he spotted her, caught in freefall. Their eyes met, and they drifted toward each other until she clung tightly to his waist, arms wrapped around his neck. In return, Qin Ming thrust the squirming dog at her, shouting, "Here! Your dog!"
Finally, with his hands free, Qin Ming reached for the parachute's release cord and pulled.
The parachute burst open above them, slowing their descent just enough to avoid instant death. But their combined weight far exceeded the parachute's capacity. The massive parachute shuddered under the strain, swinging wildly in the wind, making their descent unstable and unpredictable.
Qin Ming fought to control the parachute, but no amount of tugging could stabilize it. He looked up in alarm as a snapping sound echoed through the air—the cords were fraying under the weight.
Desperate, Qin Ming pulled out a wad of cash from his inventory, biting down on it to activate his fusion skill, hoping to strengthen the cords. Fortunately, he managed to pull it off just in time.
Ding! Parachute upgrade complete! The damaged white parachute has been upgraded to a rare collectible deluxe green parachute! Unfortunately, the cords are still broken.
The parachute was now luxurious, but utterly useless.
"Damn it!" Qin Ming bellowed as they broke free of the parachute, tumbling down in freefall once more.
Seconds later, a dull thud echoed over the ocean as all three hit the water hard, sending up a massive spray.
A few minutes later, Qin Ming crawled up to the shore of a small island, dragging the unconscious Mary behind him. Gasping for breath, he collapsed beside her and tore a roasted chicken leg from his inventory, biting into it to speed up his recovery.
Once he was breathing normally, he glanced over at Mary's unconscious form. She was still clutching her dog protectively. Qin Ming briefly considered drawing his gun. He lifted it, aimed it at her head, and paused. After a moment, he sighed and holstered the weapon. She wasn't worth killing over a silver loot box, especially in a world where he had no guarantee of a decent drop.
He collected a pile of sticks, lighting them to start a fire. As he warmed himself, Mary stirred, her eyes opening as she slowly came to.
She bolted upright, her eyes wide as she looked around. Realizing she'd survived the fall, she exhaled in relief. Her gaze shifted to Qin Ming, her tense posture softening.
"Looks like we both made it," she said.
"For now," Qin Ming replied flatly.
"What do you mean, 'for now'?" she asked, confused.
"This island has nothing—no food, no fresh water. If we can't find a way off soon, we're dead anyway."
At this, Qin Ming turned and looked at her dog, who was still lying unconscious nearby.
"There is an emergency food supply here," he said, "but it would barely last us two days."
Mary stiffened, clutching her dog tightly. "No way! Antonio is not food!"
"Exactly. He's barely a snack."
"Oh, so you weren't serious?" Mary relaxed, but quickly froze as she realized her predicament.
She looked around the deserted, barren island, her face paling as the reality of the situation dawned on her.