Thanks to “Need A Little Money To Save Me’s” persistence, he finally got the top-ranked big shot to owe him money, just as he’d hoped. 

Qiyu didn’t understand why the other trusted him so much.

Even though “Need A Little Money To Save Me” repeatedly assured him of his trust, he still asked the Civil Engineering Brother for a trade contract. It specified the amount owed to “Need A Little Money To Save Me” and promised to deliver 400 units of lumber in 400 days. 

The other resources mentioned earlier were transferred via direct trade.

“Need a Little Money” readily traded over 40  first-tier magic crystals and 40 second-tier magic crystals.

【Need A Little Money To Save Me: Big Shot, if any life-saving gear or items ever go on sale, please don’t forget about your little brother here.】

“It doesn’t matter who I sell it to,” Qiyu agreed. By the time he was done with all that, it was already getting late.

Strangely enough, in the survival game, “day” and “night” are fixed, and the transition from light to dark happens in an instant.

But on a gloomy, rainy day like today, it felt just like the weather in the real world—the light visibly dimmed as the day wore on. Qiyu walked to the kitchen on the left side of the first floor of the small house.

When the shelter was upgraded to Level 2, the structures and furniture inside the room were upgraded along with it. The once-rudimentary stove had now been transformed into a separate kitchen. 

The kitchen had two doors: one leading to the living room, and another smaller door—Qiyu pushed it open and saw a wooden staircase winding downward.

This was a bonus structure that came with the shelter’s recent upgrade to Level 2.

The previous upgrade to the wooden cabin included a bathroom. This time, it came with a cellar that could be used as an underground storage area. He had previously placed the storage area given to him by God Has No Form on the surface because he was worried that an underground storage area might be flooded by rain. Unexpectedly, after all these twists and turns, he now found himself with an underground storage area after all.

【Cellar: Waterproof, fireproof, for storage and preservation.】

Great, that’s one more storage space.

The lower warehouse was enclosed and unlit, making it rather uncomfortable to stay in, so Qiyu took a quick look and returned to the surface. He checked his personal panel:

Shelter: Level 2 Shelter, a two-story building. Durability 500/500, upgradeable.

Upgrade Requirements: Tier 3 Shelter Blueprint ×1, Blue-Quality Wood ×1,000, Blue-Quality Stone Materials ×600, Magic Crystals ×100, Basic Structures ×5, Mutant/Magical Plants ×5. 6

Upon seeing these upgrade requirements for the first time, Qiyu was struck by the rare thought: “Have I been training so hard that my eyes are playing tricks on me?” or “Is this survival game messing with me?”

The level one shelter was manageable—aside from the Level 2 blueprint being hard to obtain, the other resources could be gradually saved up, and eventually, he’d have enough. But the upgrade requirements for Level 3 were on a completely different level of difficulty compared to the previous tier.

Blue-quality basic resources—perhaps they could be obtained through other channels later on.

100 Magic Crystals.

Mutant/Magical Plants x5.

Qiyu pondered: He possessed a mutant talent for cultivation, which was why he was able to gather five or more types of mutant or magical plants. But what about the others? Where would they find them? 

Or perhaps there’s another possibility: once you reach a Level 2 Shelter, do the requirements for upgrading vary from person to person? Unfortunately, none of the people he knew had upgraded to a Level 2 Shelter yet, so he could only push this doubt to the back of his mind. He’d have to find an opportunity to slowly accumulate resources first; only then would he be able to find the answer.

Just then, a sharp, piercing sound disrupted Qiyu’s train of thought. It was the screaming lily of the valley.

Qiyu immediately rushed outside the small building.

The screaming lily of the valley was trembling violently in the wind and rain, its bells ringing and screams coming in an unprecedentedly frantic rhythm. 

What’s going on?

Had some powerful enemy arrived? Qiyu’s expression grew grave.

Still clad in his Guardian’s robe, he gripped the Heart of the Great Tree Staff tightly in his hand and surveyed the surroundings with a serious expression. The sky suddenly darkened.

It wasn’t even six o’clock yet—it couldn’t be nightfall.

Server 01 Regional Channel:

【Cockroach Taste Is So Weird: Hmm, why did it suddenly get dark? Is a heavy rainstorm coming?】

【The More I Involution The Bitterer My Life Becomes: My heart is pounding so hard—I just have this feeling that something big is about to happen.】

【Tranquility Yields Transcendence: Everyone, please stay in the shelter as much as possible and make sure to put on all your gear and protective equipment. My friend and I have a strong sense that some major disaster might be about to happen.】

【Civil Engineering Brother: Yes, everyone, stay safe.】

【Liver Emperor: I was actually planning to head into the forest today to farm some resources, but thankfully the heavy rain all day kept me from even stepping outside.】

【I’m Handsome: Here you go again, spreading alarmist talk and talking about omens—not even our boss has said anything. What are you guys so scared of? I’m outside right now; let’s see what kind of danger there is.】

Qiyu saw it.

A massive black cloud surged out of the Star Forest.

It wasn’t a dark cloud—it was a massive shadow, surrounded by hurricane-force winds and frost. Qiyu tilted his head back, his enormous dark-gold eyes gazing upward.

It let out a long, piercing roar toward the heavens, and a black hurricane, like a dragon, roared toward Qiyu’s territory. 1

Yet the hurricane was not a physical entity; it passed through fences and farmlands without harming even a single green leaf.

At the same channel 82498, 82000, 81222, 80038……

The channel was deathly silent.

“My fate is determined by me, not the heavens,” stood there blankly in the shelter.

He stared at the rapidly dwindling number of players in the zone chat, his bloodshot eyes filled with confusion and dread. 

How could this be happening?

Ever since he heard the server-wide announcement that “I Love Survival Game” had triggered its first Level 2 Shelter, the scales of indecision in his heart had begun to tip in one direction.

What finally sealed his resolve was the change at the top of the individual combat power rankings. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

He was a reincarnator; he had every advantage.

Clearly, everything had been going smoothly at the start.

How could this happen? He couldn’t hold onto the Shelter Rankings or the Combat Power Rankings—only the Wealth Rankings remained, and even that was just a matter of time!

If he couldn’t take first place on any of the three leaderboards, by the end-of-month settlement, “I Love Survival Game” would directly claim three diamond chests—what would he have left to compete with them then!

The little old man’s deception of needed a little money to save me was down because of one item—the cursed item from “My Fate is Determined By Me, Not The Heavens.” He’d obtained it from a silver chest when he first entered the Survival Game.

【Disaster Fruit: Cursed Item. Silently recite the name of the person you loathe most, then use it to bring utter ruin upon them. Note: Calamity cannot be predicted or controlled; use with caution.】

Ever since he used this disaster fruit a quarter of an hour ago, he had been on edge. The moment he sensed the shift in the celestial phenomena, he felt a sense of unease.

On the regional channel, a lot of people are talking about this, including the warning from the “Tranquility Yields Transcendence” group—he saw it.

How could this happen?

Wasn’t he only targeting “I Love Survival Game”? 

He heard that roar, as if it were echoing from the deepest recesses of his mind, accompanied by a pain that felt like his soul was being torn apart.  

A set of high-stat gear saved him. 

As he snapped out of that agony, he noticed that the number of players in the zone chat was steadily dropping.

How could this happen? How could this happen?

He clearly only wanted the life of “I Love Survival Game.” 

These people had nothing to do with him. 

Something occurred to him, and he hurriedly opened the leaderboard, his eyes filled with hope as he scanned it.

If even the collateral damage was enough to take down so many people, what about the main target?

As long as “I Love Survival Game” was dead—his panicked expression suddenly gave way to calm—it would all be worth it. 

Those who died had only themselves to blame for their bad luck and lack of skill. 

【Combat Power Leaderboard #1: I Love Survival Game】 

The golden letters at the very top of the list completely shattered his delusions.

It was a mental attack.

Just as he realized he had clearly dodged that hurricane, yet it still appeared right beside him without fail and engulfed him, Qiyu became aware and realized this.

There was no escape.

Because the “hurricane” didn’t actually exist. 

It was merely an illusion created by his own imagination upon seeing the enemy.

The moment he was engulfed by the storm, his body shattered with a thunderous crash and turned to dust. 

His consciousness went blank for an instant.

He felt as if he had dissolved into the hurricane, becoming part of it—just like the silver specks of spiritual light, transforming into ubiquitous particles of nothingness.

Yet the Manual of Spiritual Cultivation had guided him on how to absorb, condense, and shape.

A silver flicker—his vacant gaze regained its luster.

That seemingly endless process of dying and being reborn had, in reality, lasted no more than a single second. 

The dark clouds paused for a moment, and a hint of surprise seemed to flicker in that dark-gold eye. But this was its only chance to strike.

Above the territory, from the Advanced Magic Energy Tower—which had stood in silence since its construction—surging energy converged, transforming into a long, blue river that instantly pierced through the black cloud. 

The dark cloud began to dissolve silently, and black rain began to fall from the sky.

【Disaster rain: An ominous celestial phenomenon. Contact with the disaster rain will cause your fortune to decline for the next three days.】

The system notification interrupted Qiyu’s reverie. Disaster rain, declining fortune?

His first thought was of the plants in his domain—they were all getting drenched in the rain.

Qiyu didn’t even have time to check; he cast several Bless spells in quick succession, trying to wash away some of the calamity. But it seemed too late.

Abnormalities had already appeared above the rainbow pumpkin and the honeydew melon that was about to ripen. Unlike the faint golden specks that usually drift from mutated plants,

Instead, these plants were shrouded in a wisp of pale gray mist, making them look as if they had faded.

【Nightmare pumpkin: An ominous fruit. Upon consumption, the victim will suffer from continuous nightmares for fifteen days, and their Mental Strength will be reduced by 5.】

【Evil honeydew melon: An ominous fruit. After mutation, its taste becomes sweeter, luring prey into eating it. Effects upon consumption: Vitality -10, Mental Strength -3, Attack Power -3. Lasts 2 minutes.】

After carefully reviewing the mutation effects, Qiyu’s anxiety subsided for a moment.

It seems… not that bad? 

The other plants have not mutated yet.