Volume 1, Chapter 37: The Ultimate Anti-Raid Artifact.

This world is a place where the weak are prey to the strong; only the powerful can hope to thrive.

With billions of people from across the globe thrust into this situation, even though their former nations and political allegiances have vanished, the instinctual tendency to gravitate toward one's own countrymen remains etched in their bones. Lin Yifan was no exception. Even knowing full well that he and Chen Jinlong were now competitors, seeing a familiar Chinese name still stirred a faint, involuntary sense of kinship.

But that was as far as it went.

Only seconds after the leaderboard appeared, the long-awaited rewards finally arrived.

[Dear survivor Lin Yifan, congratulations on being among the first tier of powerhouses to enter the racial leaderboard. Having achieved fourth place, you are hereby granted your rewards!]

[Reward 1: A Qingling Flower seedling (Effect unknown; vaguely associated with calming the mind and stabilizing the soul.)]

[Reward 2: A 300-square-meter illusionary light barrier (Effect: Once activated, all scenery within the barrier can be altered at will. Unless special access is granted, outsiders will only see the altered projection.)]

[Reward 3: 1,000 catties of rice (Effect: Fills the belly.)]

[Please select two of the above three rewards as your ranking prize!]

Lin Yifan stared at the message, rubbing his eyes for fear he had misread it. Every one of these rewards was top-tier!

Judging by the description, the Qingling Flower was surely the best defense against the eerie, whispering murmurs of the night. While the wilderness was dangerous at night—with predatory beasts hunting for any living thing—the truly lethal threat was that insidious whispering. It could directly erode one’s sanity, driving a person into a state of raving madness.

Lin Yifan had tried plugging his ears and even intentionally dulling his hearing to ignore it, but these methods were useless. The whispers sounded as if they were resonating from within his very soul; no matter how tightly he covered his ears, the voices echoed incessantly in his mind. They shifted from near to far, from above to below, with no traceable source.

The unknown is the most terrifying, especially when it threatens one's sanity. Even Lin Yifan felt a chill in his heart whenever he recalled those ghostly murmurs. If this Qingling Flower could truly negate that influence, it would be a divine artifact for him.

As the daylight hours grew shorter, finding supplies would only become more difficult. While Lin Yifan’s current resources meant he wouldn't starve, in a world fraught with crisis, failing to grow in strength meant being slowly eliminated.

In the logic of the Survival World, sooner or later, every survivor would have to venture into the wild at night to scavenge for supplies. Otherwise, the brief daylight hours were simply insufficient to sustain oneself. Since Lin Yifan intended to become stronger, he naturally wanted to seize this advantage.

He had to have the Qingling Flower.

After firmly selecting the first item, Lin Yifan turned his attention to the remaining two. The 1,000 catties of rice were straightforward—it was food. For a healthy young man, with a bit of rationing, this would last two or three years. Anyone else in his position would likely have chosen it.

But Lin Yifan decisively chose the second option. Nothing was more important than protecting his den. Given the signs of wild men roaming about, it was clear that shelters were likely not far from one another. Sooner or later, someone would come prowling; he didn't want his base to be raided while he was out scavenging.

Besides, a 300-square-meter illusion barrier! This was a godsend for preventing home invasions! Lin Yifan had always worried about his shelter being discovered and cleaned out; if that happened, he would have nowhere to vent his despair. Now that this anti-raid artifact had appeared, how could he pass it up?

He chose the second option without a second thought.

Before he could even examine his chosen rewards, another notification flashed.

[Congratulations on being the first survivor in this district to upgrade your shelter to Level 3. You are hereby granted a reward!]

[Reward 1: One Bronze-grade piece of equipment]

[Reward 2: One random blueprint]

[Reward 3: One hint regarding an upcoming hidden crisis!]

[Please select one of the above three rewards.]

(Special Note: Hidden crises are often related to environmental changes and may involve extreme natural disasters. Survivors are advised to pay close attention, as this may concern your very life!)

Seeing this familiar prompt, Lin Yifan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that receiving the leaderboard reward would disqualify him from the "first in the district" prize.

Although the leaderboard rewards were generous, Lin Yifan’s current sphere of activity was limited to District 10086. He couldn't be certain if every district faced the same disasters, but he absolutely needed to know what was coming for his own.

More importantly, being the first to achieve this milestone granted the right to view the personal information of whoever completed such achievements. If this perk were snatched up by someone else, it would be bad news for Lin Yifan. Given his current assets, he was well on his way to prosperity. If that were discovered, many would surely want to come and loot his home.

Having been through this process once before, Lin Yifan knew exactly what to do. He chose the third reward without hesitation.

As soon as he made his selection, the text on his screen flickered and rearranged into a new message.

[Current Hint: In 32 hours, the Survival World will face its first extreme natural disaster—a Mosquito Swarm outbreak.]

[Mosquito Swarm Outbreak: Danger Level ★★★]

(Note: Do not underestimate mosquitoes. One is not scary, but what about hundreds of millions? Are you afraid yet?)

[Because this hidden crisis hint has already been triggered by this survivor, a new crisis hint is provided.]

[Current Hint: In 5 days, the Survival World will face its second extreme natural disaster—a Torrential Rainstorm.]

[Torrential Rainstorm: Danger Level ★★★★]

(Note: Danger levels range from one to ten stars. The higher the star count, the greater the danger. Survivors must take this seriously. Additionally, the rainstorm may cause massive flooding, which could potentially submerge your shelter!)

Lin Yifan’s face turned deathly pale as he read the message. He had anticipated a pest outbreak, and he had already suspected the rain. It had been growing heavier, from a light drizzle to the moderate-to-heavy rain he saw now. In a few days, it would likely be a full-blown deluge.

He wondered how many people would lose their lives when that day arrived.