A huge thanks to GreenKiTea on Ko-fi for the support! Enjoy the bonus chapters!

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【Congratulations to the players who have passed the first round of the survival challenge. The second round will begin at the next full hour.】

All surviving players have received a notification on their survival panel.

What else?

Some rejoice, while others despair.

For Qiyu, the arrival of mutated creatures meant a resource package delivered right to his doorstep. But others were less fortunate:

【Exquisite Single Character ID: Again? Those rats have chewed through most of the wooden cabin’s durability. The reward wood is barely enough to repair it. I just got bitten several times while killing monsters, and my health is down to 50.】

【Little Old Me: Did the friend above not upgrade their shelter? If you’ve upgraded your shelter, these attacks won’t even chip away at the cabin’s durability.】

【Stop Showing Off Your IQ: Losers deserve to be weeded out. I’m using the long sword I got as a reward for killing mutants during the day—one swing takes out these little monsters. It’s so satisfying.】

【Little Old Me: Selling wood, stone, food, and other survival supplies. DM me if you need anything.】

【I Am Born Noob But Useful: Don’t trust that bandit selling stuff—he’s asking for blueprints and rare resources in exchange for a measly bit of wood.】

【Little Old Me: Why are you resorting to personal attacks? Wood is a lifesaving treasure right now. No matter how valuable the blueprints are, if you lose your life, you lose everything.】

【I Have A Short Temper: Isn’t this just taking advantage of the situation?】

【Little Old Me: It’s a willing exchange—I’m not forcing anyone to trade.】

【Little Old Me: Supplies are limited, so it’s first-come, first-served. There are only about ten minutes left until one o’clock.】

In the 01 survival squad, Civil Engineering Brother is also chatting:

【Civil Engineering Brother: That “Little Old Me” in the main group is such a nice guy. He could’ve just snatched it all for himself, but he actually gave some wood to others.】

【Civil Engineering Brother: Is everyone okay?】

【Civil Engineering Brother: @I Love Survival Game, big shot?】

Everyone else in the group had already checked in, but only Qiyu hadn’t responded.

【I Love Survival Game: I’m fine.】

【Civil Engineering Brother: I knew this little skirmish wouldn’t faze you.】

【Civil Engineering Brother: I wonder what the next round will be like? Based on the usual game pattern, the next attack should be even more intense.】

【Tranquility Yields Transcendence: Just from that one hit, the channel lost over five thousand people. I hope the kids who are left can all survive.】 His words caused a moment of silence in the group.

The ten or so minutes passed in what felt like an eternity.

Qiyu stood inside the fence, staring intently at the thick fog.

A minute passed. Two minutes passed. Several minutes passed.

All was quiet. Nothing happened.

He remained on high alert, but took a moment to open the area chat.

【Stop Showing Off Your IQ: Silver Chest! I just got a Silver Chest! Haha, I knew my life would never be ordinary—this survival game is my big break!】 

【I Want To Go Home: I can hear my grandma calling me from outside. Waaah, I miss her so much. I haven’t been home in three days; she must be worried sick.】

【Little Old Me: You bunch of idiots. You didn’t work hard a few days ago, and now you’re begging me on your knees to sell you wood. Tonight, I’m going to strike it rich tonight!】

【Living Is Suffering: Survival in this game is hell. What’s the point of struggling to stay alive? We’re all going to die anyway! We’re all going to die!】

【I Want To See How Long A Name Can Be: So many monsters, I can’t handle this anymore. Is there anyone who can save me? Help! Help!】

【Nori Seaweed or Kelp: Actually, Earth has already been destroyed. A more advanced civilization has taken control of our minds and locked us inside a game for their amusement! Nothing has any meaning—there’s no point in living, and no point in dying. We’re nothing but a string of data.】 

……

The chat content in the region-wide group is all over the place; it’s impossible to tell exactly what the players have encountered. Much of it sounds more like madness.

Qiyu didn’t believe so many people would go mad for no reason during such a tense moment.

He switched to the 01 survival squad.

【I Love Survival Game: Has the mental corruption outside the shelter intensified?】

After a few seconds, someone replied.

【Tranquility Yields Transcendence: Yeah, I hear a lot of people crying outside. They’re begging for help at the door.】

【Tranquility Yields Transcendence: But I know that’s not real.】

【Tranquility Yields Transcendence: I suppose your Mental attribute is quite high as well?】

【I Love Survival Game: Does it amplify inner fears and desires?】

Tranquility Yields Transcendence didn’t reply. Qiyu switched back to the zone channel.

He saw the player count dropping rapidly.

By the end of the first round, there were still over 94,000 players left in the zone.

Now, the number has dropped to the low eighties. It’s only been a few minutes.

Qiyu thought for a moment, then traded an item to the Civil Engineering Brother. He switched to the chat window and greeted his new friend.

【I Love Survival Game: How are you doing?】

Half a minute later, he received a reply:

【God Has No Form: Not bad. You think an illusion of this caliber can kidnap me?】

【God Has No Form: You snapped out of it that fast, buddy? Impressive.】

Qiyu, who hadn’t even noticed the illusion: …

【I Love Survival Game: Maybe it’s because I’m really happy with my life right now.】

Relieved to learn his miner friend was out of danger, Qiyu closed the chat window. 

Then he saw a string of updates from another friend:

【Civil Engineering Brother: Boss! Godfather! Family!】

【Civil Engineering Brother: What kind of amazing stuff is this!】

【Civil Engineering Brother: Thanks for saving my ass, boss!】

Qiyu expertly ignored the nonsense and asked only what he was interested in:

【I Love Survival Game: How much of the effect can the power of Basic Purification remove?】

He had already suspected this effect, so trading it to Civil Engineering Brother was a way to test it out.

【Civil Engineering Brother: Let me put it this way—I was in a really troubled state. Even though my rational mind knew those things were fake, my thoughts and body were still immersed in them, and I didn’t know how long it would take to break free. But with this bright sunflower by my side, those things were immediately separated from me by a barrier, as if I were watching TV.】

He broke free with ease.

【Civil Engineering Brother】 has initiated a trade with you.

【Civil Engineering Brother: Boss, I’m returning this to you.】

【I Love Survival Game: No need, I have more. Here, do you want to buy this?】

Civil Engineering Brother was delighted; of course, he wanted to buy it.

This bright sunflower does more than just purify mental pollution; placed inside a room, it’s like a massive 200-watt lightbulb. Such dazzling brightness is nothing a candle or kerosene lamp could ever match. 

He couldn’t say for sure if it was all in his head or if it actually worked, but in an environment as bright as daylight, he felt that if his bravery stat could be quantified, it would surely jump by +50.

No demons or monsters could scare him now!

The Civil Engineering Brother rummaged through his inventory for a long time, looking rather flustered, when suddenly something occurred to him.

【Civil Engineering Brother: I don’t have anything good right now, Boss. Could you use these?】 Civil Engineering Brother offers to trade you 【Basic Farmland x1】 and 【1 Packet of Chinese Cabbage Seeds】.

A few seconds later:

Civil Engineering Brother offers to trade you 【Basic Stamina Potion x1】.

All of these were just obtained from the resource pack.

Qiyu had asked him for seeds before, so the Civil Engineering Brother guessed that the other guy might have some special farming skills.