We won… right?

Jian Xingyi stared blankly around him.

As the night and mist dispersed, dawn did not break, but the sky regained its clear, blood-red hue.

Everyone stood as dumbfounded as he did. Moments later, someone started cheering—no one knew who began it—and soon everyone joined in. Some embraced those beside them, tears streaming down their faces, while others collapsed onto the ground in a sense of relief.

Jian Xingyi felt himself being pulled into a tight embrace by those around him, layer upon layer of bodies nearly crushing the air from his lungs.

But joy was contagious. Only then did Jian Xingyi begin to process what had happened. The delayed wave of emotion swept over him, making his breathing heavy. This emotion was mostly… exhilaration!

He had truly succeeded!!

The enchanted mushroom had been just one strategy among many for the boss battle. Jian Xingyi hadn’t believed it guaranteed absolute victory. If it failed, they’d have to find another way to win.

But… he succeeded.

They succeeded.

The Long Live for A Hundred Years group… had triumphed over the zombie horde!

The system announced to everyone that Long Live for A Hundred Years had boarded the Ark. Yet simultaneously, Jian Xingyi received another announcement audible only to him.

Savior System…?

This voice and process mirrored exactly what he experienced when activating the Merchant System earlier. Following the prompts, Jian Xingyi saw a new section open on his terminal interface—Savior.

What was this?

Before Jian Xingyi could click in for details, the zombie tide’s settlement rewards began clearing.

【Guild 【Long Live for A Hundred Years】 has accumulated over 100,000 zombie kills. Reward…】

【Guild 【Long Live for A Hundred Years】 has eliminated all Giants. Reward…】

【Guild 【Long Live for A Hundred Years】 has eliminated all Vanguards. Reward…】

【Guild 【Long Live for A Hundred Years】 accumulated kills of 【Generals】, reward…】

【Guild 【Long Live for A Hundred Years】 collected all 【Defense Barriers】 and 【Cannons】, reward…】

【Guild 【Long Live for A Hundred Years】…】

The system kept dishing out rewards. Everyone listened to the nonstop notification sounds, feeling both exhilarated and delighted.

Heiye directed everyone to the office to tend to their wounds and rest. Jian Xingyi also planned to distribute his last stockpile of meal boxes as a celebratory feast—otherwise, the food would spoil.

Heiye summoned several Guild Administrators and Jian Xingyi to the conference room beside the office to discuss reward distribution.

Jian Xingyi pointed at himself. “Do I get one too?”

Heiye gave him a look of utter bewilderment. “Of course! Why wouldn’t you?”

The reward list was displayed in the guild channel. After sitting down, they first reviewed the scrolling list of rewards.

Holy crap… The Corpse Tide Feast event was tough, but the rewards were seriously sweet…!

So tempting!

The most abundant reward was undoubtedly Dawn Coins. Each achievement granted a million coins, and their achievement list was so long it barely scrolled to the bottom.

Heiye addressed Jian Xingyi: “As per our original agreement, we’ll reimburse you double the amount of dawn coins you advanced during this event.”

“Alright…!” Jian Xingyi’s eyes sparkled as she awaited the settlement.

Without Jian Xingyi, the outcome of this battle would have been uncertain, so Heiye and the others didn’t press the issue with her.

Regarding the fence repairs, Jian Xingyi had carried out six rounds of maintenance. While not every repair was fully funded, everyone treated it as such, totaling 9.6 million.

The cannon cost 8 million, and the Ark Beacon 2 million.

Combined, this totaled 19.6 million—a colossal sum.

The remaining Plants vs. Zombies items were incalculable. After deliberation, Heiye and the others decided to deduct Jian Xingyi’s double dawn coin bonus (39.2 million dawn coins) from the guild’s earnings, then allocate 10% of the remaining dawn coins to him.

The remaining 30% went to the captain, while 60% was divided equally among regular members.

Jian Xingyi ultimately received 45 million dawn coins. Before this, his personal account held less than 10,000 dawn coins.

Jian Xingyi was still a bit stunned.

This was a massive sum; he needed to carefully consider how to use it.

Next came the battle vouchers. There were many of these. All members received 3 battle exchange vouchers, while Jian Xingyi and the Guild Administrators received 5 each.

Five vouchers were equivalent to directly summoning one firearm.

As for the remaining 30 business exchange vouchers, everyone gave them all to Jian Xingyi, whose profession matched them perfectly.

Receiving so many exchange vouchers at once was a first for Jian Xingyi. Combined with the balance in his account, this unfamiliar sense of affluence felt utterly strange.

Too strange…!

Jian Xingyi was nearly moved to tears.

For the first time since entering this game, he held such a profound sense of security in his hands!

Finally, there were some random upgrade materials and accessories. Heiye click allowed the system to freely distribute them.

As they scrolled to the end, they discovered individual rewards. The system seemed to have conducted quite a few personal assessments, but these fell outside their discussion scope. Each player could check their mailbox later to see what they received.

After wrapping up their discussion, Jian Xingyi looked at his newly abundant funds. First, he paid off his VIP store loan, then bought out all the fruit in the store to treat everyone.

Even though they were holding only stir-fried potatoes with pork slices and fruit, it felt like they were feasting on delicacies from the mountains and seas.

Some even cried while eating.

“Waaah, thank you, Xinghe! I’m sticking with you forever…!”

“Xinghe, you’re my eternal god!!”

Jian Xingyi was gradually growing accustomed to everyone’s adoration and exaggerated praise. He simply smiled and nodded at them before slipping away silently and stealthily.

“Huff…”

Stepping away from the crowd, Jian Xingyi stood outside the office, staring blankly at the sky, still feeling somewhat detached from reality.

These past five days had felt interminably long for everyone.

“Hey.”

Jian Xingyi turned, meeting the gaze of Cola and Firelight.

Firelight smiled. “We’re leaving. We just wanted to say goodbye before we go.”

Jian Xingyi handed them a small bag of fruit, saying solemnly, “Thank you for your assistance.”

The reinforcements sent by Grapevine Peak for this zombie tide had truly accomplished their mission—and then some.

“Oh, no need! Actually, we should be thanking you,” Cola chuckled. “Even if we had the money, where would we find a chef?”

Contrary to Jian Xingyi’s assumptions, Grapevine Peak had actually arrived bearing gratitude and intentions to forge alliances. Otherwise, why would they have dispatched Cola and Firelight? One was among the guild’s three full-strength combatants, while the other was Firelight—the workhorse handling all Grapevine Peak affairs.

Firelight added, “After this zombie wave, both surviving guilds and currency will surge. When that happens, we’ll likely increase both price and quantity to order more food from you. Here’s to a fruitful partnership!”

Jian Xingyi was overjoyed, nodding vigorously at his patrons. “Great! I look forward to it! Happy cooperation!”

After bidding farewell, Jian Xingyi headed home.

Rather than celebrating with everyone, he had other matters to attend to—he was eager to redeem his rewards!

Back home, Jian Xingyi first savored the sight of his business exchange vouchers and cash.

First were the 30 exchange vouchers. Jian Xingyi checked the system to see what else he could exchange besides land.

【Player 【Xinghe】 has a Business Level exceeding 8 and owns over 20 plots of land. Available business items for exchange are listed below:】

【Land Development Certificate: Pay to convert any plot into your personal property】

【Farmland Development Certificate: Pay to convert your land into cultivable farmland】

【Aquaculture Development Certificate: Pay to convert your land into cultivable aquaculture zones】

What did this mean?

Only after carefully reading the details did Jian Xingyi slowly grasp it.

After grasping it, he felt nothing but shock and… disbelief.

Mainly, he thought: No way, there’s such a good deal?

Here’s the thing: in the game, farmland is pre-allocated by the system. Each plot is neatly divided and ready for direct sowing and harvesting. For better yields, players only need to tend crops during growth—meaning a simple tap to water or apply pesticides.

In other words, the farmland players could obtain was restricted. Farmland in the game only existed in two places: the plots within the Homestead System and the shared Guild Farmland, both connected to the management system.

If he wanted more farmland, Jian Xingyi would have to spend 50,000 dawn coins to expand his plots.

As for other areas… even if players don’t want to rely on the system’s auto-management and attempt manual cultivation, it won’t work. Land that’s been tilled in the game reverts to its original state—it has self-repair capabilities. Plus, the seeds provided by the system won’t take root there.

But with a Land Development Certificate, Jian Xingyi can freely claim any plot of land under his name, linking it to his account system.

Subsequent Farmland and Livestock Development Certificates would then transform this empty plot into cultivable or livestock-ready land—meaning the system would grant him farmland and livestock zones.

This is way too sweet!

Alright then, now he was truly a landowner.

Jian Xingyi attempted to use it, applying the Land Development Certificate to his own backyard.

【Player 【Xinghe】 failed to use the Land Development Certificate. Detection shows this land already has an owner: Player 【Xinghe】.】

Alright.

Meaning to expand the farmland in his yard, besides exchanging coupons for plots, he’d have to spend 50,000 dawn coins to expand.

But now that exchange vouchers could be used for other, more worthwhile items, Jian Xingyi decided buying more farmland was the only option.

Previously, 50,000 dawn coins felt like a rip-off to him, but now… 50,000 dawn coins for a plot of land? That was a steal!

After all, with his high-level crops, he could easily earn back that 50,000, and farmland was a long-term investment.

In any case, Jian Xingyi had plenty of money now, so he decided to expand directly.

The expanded fields were D-grade, but Jian Xingyi could now directly purchase Synthesis Potions from the VIP Shop to upgrade them. After tinkering for a while, he gained several B-grade fields.

However, after creating 35 additional B-grade plots, the system alerted him that his homestead had reached its maximum plot capacity and could not be expanded further.

The loans from the VIP store, the Synthesis Potion for upgrading D to C and C to B grades, plus the land costs… all told, Jian Xingyi spent 2.2 million.

But since he earned 45 million this time, it wasn’t a significant amount for him.

What mattered more was that Jian Xingyi now possessed 5 A-grade and 45 B-grade plots.

His homestead system was already maxed out. After expanding his homestead to the absolute limit of 50 plots, acquiring more land would require cultivation outside.

This meant that going forward, the purpose of operating exchange vouchers would shift from exchanging for plots to purchasing new land!

Jian Xingyi decided to experiment with how the various vouchers in the exchange coupons could be used.

Jian Xingyi teleported to the guild’s vacant lot, only to find he couldn’t purchase it either.

【Player 【Xinghe】 failed to use the Land Development Voucher. Detection shows this land already has an owner: Guild 【Long Live for A Hundred Years】.】

Jian Xingyi thought to himself, That makes sense. Otherwise, he could just go mess with other guilds or NPCs’ properties.

Looks like only wilderness maps will work, like Peace Mountain?

No wonder his Merchant System VIP Shop gave him a magic shovel and axe. After all, shops need to gradually stock items based on player level and needs.

So that’s why he gained permission to develop new land. If he developed land in the wilderness, to avoid zombies and ensure safety, he’d definitely need to hire people to build security measures around his fields—like trenches and fences. Plus, if he wanted to upgrade greenhouses or build anything else, the sheer amount of wood required would make hiring help essential.

Jian Xingyi promptly left the guild and headed outside. After all, it wasn’t far from Peace Mountain. He tapped on several plots of land and immediately saw their area calculations, boundary red lines, and quality ratings appear.

Some plots were smaller, so their prices were lower, ranging between 50,000 and 100,000. Others were larger, with prices soaring up to 500,000.

Not only that, but the land at the base of Peace Mountain had a quality score of 50, while the land outside the guild was rated 20. Thus, Peace Mountain’s land was more expensive, as quality directly impacted yield.

Jian Xingyi thought to himself that the land in the lava volcano area must be cheap, but its yield might be low.

Jian Xingyi activated his “social animal” mode and considered his market sales strategy.

With only 30 vouchers, each land purchase required two vouchers—one for the plot and one to cultivate it. To avoid losing out, he naturally wanted the largest, highest-quality land possible.

But that would be costly, and vouchers weren’t as scarce as SSR items.

After weighing his options, Jian Xingyi decided to test the waters first.

He found a secluded corner of Peace Mountain, spent one voucher, and purchased a modest plot for 150,000 credits—just large enough to run a small lap around.

Truthfully, he wasn’t worried about being seen. After all, the system was under his name; no one could steal it. As for sabotage, there was no way to damage it unless they possessed that magical shovel from Jian Xingyi’s VIP store.

He chose the secluded spot purely to avoid trouble.

After purchasing the land, Jian Xingyi used a Field Development Certificate.

Several D-grade fields instantly appeared on the plot. After synthesizing them, Jian Xingyi ended up with ten B-grade fields.

He planted the most basic crops—carrots and daikon radishes—for his experiment.

After completing all this, Jian Xingyi headed home.

Having dealt with the rewards, Jian Xingyi remembered there was still one mailbox left unchecked!

With a mix of excitement and trepidation, Jian Xingyi opened their personal page.

【Savior】

Upon clicking, Jian Xingyi discovered three small pages he could open. One displayed his profile and level, another was 【Quest Achievements】, and the last was 【Wish Mall】.

The newbie guide first introduced Jian Xingyi to the level system.

【Player 【Xinghe】 has rescued and assisted over 1000 players, unlocking the 【Savior】 system. Current level: 0. Continue helping others to level up!】

Jian Xingyi glanced at the progress bar—not particularly long, yet not short either.

But what exactly constituted “helping others” in the system’s definition?

Jian Xingyi felt confused. Had he helped anyone? How had he helped? And how was it even calculated?

He proceeded to check the Quest Achievements section, hoping for more detailed explanations.

Clicking in, he found he’d already completed numerous achievements with rewards awaiting claim.

【Assisted 1025/1000 strangers in fending off the zombie tide. Reward: 666 dawn coins, 6666 Savior EXP, 【Wish Bottle】 x1】

【Achievement Method: Selling food and Pot Sprouts】

Ah…!

So players who bought his food and pot sprouts, and then used or consumed them during zombie waves, counted as him helping them.

Makes sense. After all, he started just to make money, but those people genuinely ate his food to gain strength to survive and fight, and used his items to fend off zombies.

【Help 54/50 guild members survive. Reward: 666 dawn coins, 6666 Savior EXP, 【Wish Bottle】x1】

【Achievement Method: Purchase Cannons, Ark Lanterns, and Upgrade Barricades】

Jian Xingyi thought to himself, it seems the system’s calculation method is purely mechanical. It doesn’t factor in emotions; it only looks at what you’ve concretely contributed.

Jian Xingyi glanced at the subsequent achievements—they all boiled down to helping more people.

So this Savior System, the Merchant System, and even what he was doing now were all interconnected.

He needed to maximize his business skills—farming, raising livestock, trading to earn money—to strengthen himself and establish a firmer foothold. After all, the zombie hordes and survival challenges would only grow tougher. Naturally, through these transactions, he would fulfill the requirements of the Savior System.

It was just the name…

Jian Xingyi felt inexplicably uneasy. Recalling the distressing emotions from his dream, he had even delayed opening it until now, after handling all the rewards.

Fortunately, it seemed unchanged for the moment—at worst, it would simply grant him more rewards.

Jian Xingyi opened the Wish Shop page.

Inside, it was completely empty except for a single pool.

Checking the description, he discovered this system awarded rewards in a very different way. Unlike shopping in a mall, this place contained nothing—it relied purely on… making wishes.

Jian Xingyi: “…”

Ah, he knew this well. It was basically Fire God 2.0!

Jian Xingyi asked the system if any wish would do. The response mirrored previous interactions: wishes were granted based on the player’s current capability. For instance, since Jian Xingyi could only obtain A-grade seeds initially, wishing for S-grade seeds was impossible.

As players grew stronger over time, the rewards they could obtain increased accordingly. For example, Jian Xingyi’s previous exchange vouchers couldn’t be used to redeem land deeds.

The tutorial stated players could make countless wishes. If achievable, the system would notify them, asking if they wished to redeem using the Wish Bottle from Achievement Rewards.

Jian Xingyi proceeded to make wishes of varying difficulty levels.

Wish for 1 SS-grade seed.

Wish for the entire Peace Mountain to become land under his name.

Wanted to leave this game.

After Jian Xingyi wrote them down, none lit up.

However, these wishes were all recorded into the pool, waiting to be activated.

Jian Xingyi: “…”

Fine then.

Jian Xingyi pouted. He’d survived the zombie tide, yet still hadn’t earned SS-tier qualifications?

Fine, S-rank it is. S-rank seeds are still pretty god-tier.

Jian Xingyi thought to himself. Last time he’d requested two S-rank seeds from the system, and it was approved, so this time… Jian Xingyi wrote down three S-rank seeds, but still nothing lit up.

Hmm, seems S-rank seeds really are precious and not easily obtained.

Jian Xingyi reverted to requesting two S-rank seeds, and the wish list lit up.

Jian Xingyi clicked to redeem this wish.

【Player 【Xinghe】 successfully redeemed wish! The reward will be delivered within 15 minutes. Please check your inbox!】

Jian Xingyi was overjoyed.

He sensed this Savior System differed from previous mission wishes in that… it seemed more capable?

If it could record and await activation, it proved that this system could genuinely fulfill the wish to leave this game!

Jian Xingyi felt a surge of determination. What Savior System? It had nothing to do with him. Whoever’s savior was this weak? If Shanhai became a savior, that would make sense. But him? A guy who just wanted to survive and eat his fill every day? No way.

But maybe this Savior System was his savior!

Meaning if he worked hard to level up himself, maxing out both the Merchant and Savior systems—essentially growing and selling more goods—he might just save himself and escape this game!

If any wish could be granted…

Jian Xingyi thought to himself, since it was practically effortless, he might as well ask for the moon.

So he added another line to his wish list.

【I wish for the day the apocalypse ends, and everyone can safely leave the game】

Yes!

A distant, unattainable wish begins with small efforts now!

Like farming!

Jian Xingyi stared at his 50 plots of land, feeling troubled.

He already had 50 at home, plus 10 in the Lava Volcano area, and currently has 10 in Peace Mountain.

Setting aside the external plots, these 50 fields in his homestead could yield a substantial harvest. He needed to plan what to plant and how to trade.

His merchant level had now surpassed 3, meaning he could list items in a third region.

The closest region to Peace Mountain was Lava Volcano. Beyond that lay Flag-Raising Mountain, a popular resource gathering spot—his next potential listing location.

This area boasts the highest concentration of man-made structures on the map outside Dawn Town, featuring an arena, hospital, and abandoned military base—abundant in resources. Unlike Dawn Town, however, none of these facilities operate with NPCs.

Further south lies Thousand Bells Snow Mountain.

Jian Xingyi checked the data on Flag-Raising Mountain and Thousand Bells Snow Mountain.

Flag-Raising Mountain had abundant resources but little open space; Thousand Bells Snow Mountain was mostly open terrain, described as “the purest and most sacred place,” containing numerous sacred bells, colorful flags, and temples.

Jian Xingyi could sense the design contrast between Thousand Bells Snow Mountain and Lava Volcano.

One was extreme cold, the other extreme heat.

One was sacred ground for holy teachings, the other a stronghold of heresy with high pollution levels.

Jian Xingyi pondered. Perhaps he could launch an expedition first to Flag-Raising Mountain for gathering, assess the trading conditions there, then head to Thousand Bells Snow Mountain to scout available plots for purchase and cultivation?

Pure land… just the sound of it was enticing! It seemed well worth spending his exchange vouchers on—the value for money looked excellent!

After all, only the first land purchase required his personal presence; afterward, he could remotely manage his fields.

Plus, he still had plenty of seeds in his backpack to soak in the Thousand Bells Snow Mountain!

…Soak them, right?

Surely the NPC Shuixi wouldn’t deceive him?

Shuixi…

Jian Xingyi wondered inwardly: Could Shuixi accompany him on the expedition? How should he notify him?

Though Shuixi had given him three Unity Anchor Points, Jian Xingyi wasn’t about to waste them. These were his lifesavers—best reserved for critical emergencies.

He could handle Flag-Raising Mountain. After all, he’d gained more experience fighting zombie hordes now. He still had unused battle exchange vouchers to upgrade his gun, and his backpack was stocked with plenty of items.

But the difficulty of Thousand Bells Snow Mountain… He probably couldn’t handle it alone. Rumor had it that this was a harsh, high-difficulty dungeon with high-level monsters.

If Shuixi couldn’t make it, Jian Xingyi would feel awkward and reluctant, but he’d have to call on others for help—possibly several people.

Just as Jian Xingyi was deep in thought, the system’s “ding” notification sound interrupted his train of thought.

【Personal Special Reward for Corpse Tide Dispatched! Player 【Xinghe】 defeated 【General】, obtaining an S-grade item! 【Click to View Inventory】】

【S-grade Seed x2 Dispatched! 【Click to View Inventory】】

Jian Xingyi: “?!?”

Here we go!