As soon as the announcement ended, the public chat exploded with activity, with everyone processing this massive amount of information.

Jian Xingyi opened his mailbox and, sure enough, the system had sent him an axe! This was the “Universal Axe” from his shop—it seemed it was now available to regular players as well. However, Jian Xingyi now had a full twelve of them, while others only had one.

The guild channel also became lively.

Heiye: 【Wait! I received the system statistics; I’ll send them to everyone】

Heiye: 【/file/】

Jian Xingyi clicked to open it and saw a 3D blueprint that intelligently highlighted the bricks their guild needed.

The system had divided the guild’s walls into four sections, corresponding to the four cardinal directions.

The number of bricks required for each direction was…

0 / 40,000,000

A shortfall?

400,000 bricks—that doesn’t sound like much.

But…

They’ve been working for ten days and managed to gather 5,000 logs; now they need 1.6 million logs.

Are they trying to make players cut down every last tree in Dawnbreaker, then fast-forward from the Zombie Crisis to the Nature Crisis?

And that’s not all—bricks require not only wood but also dawn coins. Each brick costs 1,000 dawn coins to craft. Multiply 400,000 by 1,000, and that’s 400 million dawn coins for just one direction. Add it all up, and it comes to 1.6 billion!!

Jian Xingyi: “……”

Could he take back what he just said?

Dawn coins… I don’t have enough!

His current stock is 40 million—that’s 0.4 billion—but his goal is 1.6 billion!

Jian Xingyi nearly fainted.

To be honest, he’s already considered a tycoon in this game. If even he’s struggling this much, how are others supposed to survive?

Jian Xingyi stammered, “Is this a real number… I’m not… hallucinating… am I…”

Great, that grinding pain is back.

And so is the competitive drive that kept me up all night grinding to max out my management level!

Shuixi smiled and said, “It really is a lot, which is why the system opened a backdoor—otherwise, it would be impossible to complete.”

Shuixi pointed to the three changes on the general chat and patiently explained, “Look, right now players don’t really have a clear idea of the scale, so the first change is for the system to let everyone know just how big the gap is, giving them a goal to strive for. It also grants players the freedom to build their own fortresses.”

Jian Xingyi blinked. “Free construction permissions…”

“What that means is, even though the system recommends 400,000 bricks per side, players can choose how to build it, how to leave gaps, and how to save materials. But that takes some figuring out.”

“That makes sense,” Jian Xingyi nodded. “This way, we don’t have to rigidly follow the system’s instructions brick by brick. We should be able to save a lot.”

Jian Xingyi continued, “Plus, players have axes now—they can not only collect materials from the map but also chop their own. As for merging guilds…”

How fascinating—can guilds actually merge?

Jian Xingyi and Shuixi clicked on the details in their inboxes to read further.

As they chatted, Jian Xingyi naturally drifted closer to Shuixi’s side. Xingyi, however, remained oblivious, completely unaware that he was pressed tightly against Shuixi, having already crossed the line of personal space.

Shuixi hadn’t paid much attention to this before, but now… He took a deep breath, trying his best to steady his breathing and hide his unease.

Pull yourself together!

You’ve even defeated an S-rank evil dragon—why would you be afraid of a mere Xinghe?

Jian Xingyi didn’t notice Shuixi’s expression; he was focused solely on reading the email.

Nominal Guild Administrators can access guild resources and privileges, but this merger operates under a different mechanism.

After studying it for a while, the two of them understood.

Rather than a merger, it was more like becoming neighbors.

After the merger, Guild A and Guild B would still operate independently in terms of permissions, resources, and members. The only difference was their geographical location.

Even within the same district, guild bases are usually some distance apart, but after the merger, the two guilds would be right next to each other.

“I get it,” Jian Xingyi said. “If we merge, the point where Guild A and Guild B meet becomes part of the base’s interior. In other words, instead of building four walls, we’d only need three!”

“Exactly.”

“Then…” Jian Xingyi clapped his hands. “Let’s have Grapevine Peak gather all the guilds in the server together. That way, there’ll never be any borders.”

Jian Xingyi thought to himself, I’m really clever.

Shuixi raised an eyebrow.

If Jian Xingyi could think of it, would the system not have considered it?

【The system currently only supports mergers within the same server region, with a maximum of 3 guilds allowed.】

【Mergers require the consent of all Guild Presidents, vice-masters, and Guild Administrators. After merging, the location will be determined by the highest-level guild’s location. Relocation takes half a day, during which players cannot access the guild】

【Mergers cannot be reversed or canceled; the merged guild’s location will remain permanent】

Jian Xingyi thought to herself, “These rules are actually quite detailed.”

Jian Xingyi pondered, “So that means a merged guild can have a maximum of three members, and it’s restricted to a single region. For example, ‘Long Live for A Hundred Years’ can only merge with ‘Grapevine Peak,’ but not with ‘Wildfire.’”

“Hmm.”

Jian Xingyi scratched his head. “Hmm, that example is a bit odd. ‘Long Live for A Hundred Years’ wouldn’t merge with ‘Grapevine Peak’ anyway.”

“Why?”

Jian Xingyi laughed, “Grapevine Peak is a top-tier guild, you know! The number one guild in the entire server! There’s no way they’d merge with us.”

Shuixi thought to himself, Not necessarily…

Jian Xingyi probably didn’t realize just how powerful and sought-after he was—after all, he was the one who led Long Live for A Hundred Years to the top of the server’s survival rankings.

In other words, if Jian Xingyi can’t gather enough resources, other guilds will struggle just as much.

Grapevine Peak isn’t particularly interested in high-power guilds—they’re already at the top of the game—but resources and supplies… who doesn’t need those?

So Shuixi speculated that the Guild President and the Guild Administrators would either choose not to merge or opt for “Long Live for A Hundred Years.”

There’s a reason for not merging, because…

Jian Xingyi said, “The system’s wording is ‘currently supports only three’ and ‘currently open only within the same server,’—‘currently’!”

Shuixi nodded.

“Exactly. That means more options might open up in the future.”

This is a bit of a trap, so we must be cautious about merging. Who knows how many will be allowed in the future? What if the limit remains at three, but cross-server mergers are permitted? Then everyone’s choices might change.

After all, the system did say that once a merger is complete, there’s no going back.

Jian Xingyi sighed, “This system really is… I don’t know how to describe it. It feels like it’s trying to drive us to our deaths, but then it panics when it realizes we might actually all die.”

It is indeed strange.

And what exactly do those so-called “two safety locks” mean?

This is quite concerning, especially for Grapevine Peak, who’s been searching for a way to leave the game. So far, one of the two safety locks has already been used, and the only one remaining… is also a major concern.

“Ah, well, there are so many unsolved mysteries anyway; one more won’t make a difference…” Jian Xingyi sighed. “I wonder what the outside world is like now. We’ve been trapped in this game for so long—why haven’t we found a way out yet…”

At this point, they could only take things one step at a time.

The system’s interruption perked Jian Xingyi up. It was almost dawn, and Meimei and the others should be arriving soon. Jian Xingyi decided not to sleep after all; instead, he lay down and opened his terminal to tend to his fields and farm.

Meanwhile, Shuixi went outside to start a fire and signal to Meimei and the others.

At this moment, all the crops—both in the old and new fields—had ripened at once.

Jian Xingyi looked at the bountiful fields and felt utterly satisfied.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t unlocked the Snow Mountain region yet, so he could only list items in the three available zones: Peace Mountain, Lava Volcano, and Flag Mountain.

But there was good news: the supply of lamb had reached a substantial amount. So Jian Xingyi tapped on Firelight and asked if he should upgrade the meat in the “Potato Stir-Fried with Sliced Meat” dish to lamb.

Firelight agreed, which meant the order from Grapevine Peak changed to 160 boxes of Potato Stir-Fried Lamb, and the price doubled again.

As for the remaining two guilds, they refused the upgrade—not because the lamb wasn’t good; in fact, they were craving it—but simply because… they lacked the funds. So, they could only have members go to the marketplace individually to snap it up when needed.

The honeymoon period was over. Now that the system announcement had been released, all guilds had to tighten their belts again to prepare for the fortress.

This time, Jian Xingyi listed a lot of cheap roasted potatoes alongside the relatively expensive potato and meat stir-fry. Of course, it was just ordinary beast meat; the Dodo beast meat he and Shuixi had obtained from the Fire God’s Belly had sustained him until now, and the quantity was still substantial.

Jian Xingyi has also listed quite a few watermelons.

The rest consists of a small amount of side dishes—pickled radish, chili bamboo shoots, and mung beans exclusive to the Lava Volcano region.

Jian Xingyi also tried listing some stir-fried mutton and beef. Since the quantities were small, they sold out despite the high prices.

Mutton and beef are different from ordinary beast meat—not only do they provide a whopping 50% attack power bonus for both cold and hot weapons, but they’re also… delicious!

【Wow, why does it feel like Big Shot Xinghe’s food inventory… is getting tastier and tastier?】

【Oh my god… Big Shot Xinghe doesn’t just have farmland—now he has a livestock farm too?】

【A 50% weapon damage bonus… Holy crap!!! I’m buying this to stockpile and save for high-difficulty dungeons!】

【Seriously, with that bonus and how delicious it is, this price is totally worth it! Plus, the portions are generous!】

It’s not that the game meat is bad, but it always has that synthetic taste—it’s not real meat. Lamb and beef, on the other hand, have a distinct meaty aroma. Coming from a Grade B livestock zone, the meat quality is exceptional; one bite and you’re in heaven.

So Jian Xingyi sold these meats for 7,000 per box, which was already a very high price.

The loaches aren’t ready for harvest yet, and Jian Xingyi hasn’t listed the lychees or milk for sale either.

This time, thanks to having plenty of farmland, Jian Xingyi also planted a fair amount of wheat and rice. He’s always had plenty of seeds for these crops, but previously didn’t have the resources to grow them; now he can finally give them a proper try.

With wheat and milk in hand, Jian Xingyi also harvested coffee beans, unlocking many new slots in his recipe book—including purple A-rank recipes.

These complex recipes, such as Mexican Bread—made from coffee, milk, and flour—provide a coffee-induced energy boost, a milk-derived immunity boost, and another buff: speed!

Jian Xingyi only realized this after crafting it: A-rank recipes can boost speed—that is, a person’s agility and reaction time.

If he ate this Mexican bread, he could simultaneously boost both his mental focus and physical agility!

That sounds absolutely amazing!

There were also the hazelnuts Jian Xingyi had just picked up, which could be used to make coffee hazelnut cookies, hazelnut milk, hazelnut bread…

Cakes can’t be unlocked yet, because the system still hasn’t given Jian Xingyi the egg he’s been waiting for.

After some deliberation, Jian Xingyi selected the Mexican bread and canned coffee recipes to mass-produce and list for sale.

However, he didn’t list too many of them. After all, with such high prices and combat bonuses, their market lies in the zombie hordes—not right now.

Right now, the only people who can afford them are either big-time hoarders or high-level players who just happen to need them.

【? Xinghe’s goods… are getting better and better! That Mexican bread looks so good… paired with coffee—I’m having afternoon tea in the apocalypse! It’s a bit over the top!】

【And the coffee actually tastes good? Oh my god… is this really the apocalypse?】

【The coffee buff smells so good! Ever since the Grapevine Peak guide was released, I’ve been dying to go there and gather wood, but it’s just too cold… Such a tough map, but with this coffee, it should make the work twice as efficient, right?】

【To the person above… here’s a food item even better suited for snowy mountain maps! Check out the ginger soup!】

【Huh?? Huh??? Holy crap!】

That’s right, Jian Xingyi took the guide into consideration and listed ginger soup as well.

Large quantities of potatoes and game meat.

Moderate amounts of two types of pickles, lamb, and beef.

Small amounts of mung beans, ginger soup, Mexican bread, and coffee.

Jian Xingyi made a killing.

Last time, Jian Xingyi listed items in three zones, including transaction fees and payments from the three guilds; the total came to over 7 million. This time, since Jian Xingyi was, after all, a nominal Guild Administrator of the 【I Can’t Hear You】 guild, and the guild was now starting to raise funds, he didn’t want to put them in too difficult a position, so he adjusted the transaction fee from the initial ten times to three times.

The initial tenfold rate was set by Lei Gong to retain and win over the guild’s members, but now that the situation has stabilized, after all the calculations, Jian Xingyi made a total of 18 million, and he also kept a substantial stockpile for himself.

This profit was more than double what he had made before.

Jian Xingyi was extremely satisfied.

As his “farm” grew larger and more areas were unlocked, the money he earned kept increasing!

With only 20 days left until the second zombie tide, he had to earn even more!

After listing the food, Jian Xingyi took a look at his newly harvested green vines.

This seed was an A-grade seed he’d obtained in the Windchaser dungeon; logically, it should be a valuable item. But strangely, the seed had no description to begin with, and even after planting and harvesting it, there was still no information available.

Jian Xingyi scoured the entire synthesis machine’s recipe list—even checking recipes outside the food category—but found nothing that used green vines as an ingredient.

Jian Xingyi was at a loss, so he didn’t plant any more; he simply stored the green vines away.

The system wouldn’t give him something useless; perhaps the time just isn’t right yet!

Jian Xingyi replanted the fields. The livestock area didn’t need to be changed yet; one sheep could be harvested five times, which was still quite cost-effective.

Not only that, but after discovering Jian Xingyi’s new products at Grapevine Peak, Firelight, and Jian Xingyi received additional orders.

—In addition to 160 boxes of potato and lamb stir-fry, they also wanted 160 Mexican breads.

No doubt they were craving the speed and mental boost.

The stamina boost from watermelons was very popular, but for the big shots at Grapevine Peak, stamina was the last thing they lacked.

But speed… Humans do have their limits after all, and you can’t force your mental stamina either.

Jian Xingyi happily agreed.

Xinghe: 【No problem. We offer discounts to regular customers—I’ll give you a good deal on the Mexican bread, cheaper than market price!】

Firelight: 【Thanks, thanks!】

Firelight: 【By the way, does your guild plan to merge with anyone?】

Xinghe: 【I’m not sure about that yet. Maybe everyone still needs some time to think it over?】

Firelight: 【Oh, okay】

Jian Xingyi didn’t think much of it; Firelight was practically a friend to him, so he asked in return.

Xinghe: 【What about you guys?】

Firelight: 【We’re still discussing it.】

Merging isn’t a small matter; everyone needs time to weigh their options.

After Jian Xingyi finished handling his goods and farm, he heard a “Ding!” the next moment.

Huh?

【Congratulations to player 【Xinghe】 for earning over 30 million in the Marketplace! Your Merchant Level has been upgraded to 4. Please open the Grand Merchant page to claim your rewards!】

Jian Xingyi had earned a full 15.7 million since reaching Level 3, and with this latest 16.5 million hitting his account, he finally broke through the 30-million mark and reached Level 4!

This meant he had finally unlocked the Thousand Bells Snow Mountain region! Just in time before his negotiations with the guild, 【Really Cold】 and others.

And… what kind of goodies would the Level 4 marketplace have?

Jian Xingyi clicked it open with glee.