Chapter Twenty: The Great Event

As evening fell, Wang Xiao and the others slowly woke from their slumber. The day had passed by in a flash. Yang Ming was the first to awaken; seeing the others stir, he spoke in a calm voice.

"You should check the area messages."

Wang Xiao and the rest were puzzled. Why bother looking at the area messages? Was there any point in reading people’s complaints? Still, since Yang Ming had suggested it, they decided to take a look.

[Attention, all survivors!]
[Some restrictions of the mist have been lifted—certain monsters will emerge from the mist!]
[Upgrade your shelters as soon as possible; staying in tents is a death sentence!]
[As the mist recedes, new weather phenomena will occur.]
[Slay as many monsters as you can! The Slaughter Leaderboard will settle every month, with generous rewards!]
[A new leaderboard will soon be released—stay alert, survivors!]

Only one word echoed in their hearts: shock.

So many changes had taken place in just a single morning.

Firstly, even the areas cleared of mist were no longer necessarily safe. Tents were now insufficient to meet survival needs. Secondly, weather would now appear, and no one knew what kind of weather this world would bring. Thirdly, the Slaughter Leaderboard had become crucial, as it promised substantial rewards. Fourthly, a new leaderboard was about to be introduced.

Wang Xiao also noticed other survivors' messages. Just yesterday, an entire team had been wiped out. While team wipes were not uncommon, what stood out was that this team was far from weak. According to rumors, their leader ranked ninth on the Slaughter Leaderboard. That was truly unsettling—if even the ninth-ranked survivor hadn't made it, what had that team encountered?

"Let's hear your thoughts," Wang Xiao said, pulling a bench over and sitting down.

The other three found seats as well, not bothering with formalities.

"Nothing much to say. It's natural selection—survival of the fittest," Yang Ming replied coolly.

Wang Xiao and the others knew he was referring to the wiped-out team. There was little to refute—it was simply the way of the world here.

"I think our priority should be getting stronger. The Slaughter Leaderboard is an opportunity," Xia Mengsi said.

Wang Xiao nodded. Judging from the messages, the rewards for the leaderboard would be substantial.

"Ji Weijie, what about you?" asked Wang Xiao, noticing him deep in thought.

"Well… The notice told us to upgrade our shelters, and mentioned some restrictions on the mist have been lifted. That’s probably why that team was wiped out. I think we should strengthen our defenses, but that’s easier said than done," Ji Weijie sighed.

Wang Xiao laughed, and he did so with genuine delight. Yang Ming and Ji Weijie were puzzled, while Xia Mengsi's lips curved into a smile.

"Come outside and see for yourselves," Wang Xiao said, rising and stepping out of the bone house. The others followed.

Yang Ming and Ji Weijie stopped in front of a peculiar building: the Knight’s Workshop. Under their astonished gaze, a fifty-strong knight squad appeared before them. The sheer pressure of their presence left Ji Weijie short of breath.

"This…"

Ji Weijie could barely manage words.

The four of them set out together to disperse the mist, managing to do so a total of twelve times. Wang Xiao’s position at the top of the Slaughter Leaderboard remained unchallenged; there was no threat to his ranking. Now, his focus was on helping Xia Mengsi and Yang Ming secure second and third places, and pushing Ji Weijie into the top ten.

Wang Xiao still held three Arena Entry Tickets, all obtained from golden treasure chests. Now that he had reached Tier Three strength, when he selected Nightmare Mode, he found he could no longer exploit bugs—Nightmare Mode monsters were Tier Seven and immune to instant death. Even Wang Xiao's art of the human body could barely harm such creatures, whose mental defenses were nigh impenetrable. At this level, he couldn’t even scratch them.

Of the twelve mist dispersals, only four resulted in encounters with monsters. The strongest was a Tier Four Terror Bear. Yang Ming was given the final blow, securing his second-place spot on the leaderboard. Ji Weijie collected some materials from the Terror Bear, inspired by a new idea.

After seeing Wang Xiao's exoskeleton, Ji Weijie was struck with inspiration. With his mechanic profession, he could build an exoskeletal mech of his own.

For others, piloting it might be difficult, but for Ji Weijie, it would be as easy as moving his own limbs.

Days passed, and the four-person team had developed seamless cooperation. Another "reckless hero" had emerged among them—Ji Weijie. His mech was like a turtle shell—clumsy, perhaps, but unmatched in defense. Ji Weijie believed that one day, he could create a robot as mighty as a Gundam.

Of course, other things happened as well—like the weather. Acid rain began to fall from the sky. For Wang Xiao and his group, it was of little concern, but for their crops, it was a disaster.

When they hurried back to check, they found the crops unharmed. The answer lay in their Level Three soil. Crops grown in Level Three soil boasted high resistance; to them, acid rain was nothing more than a drizzle.

What brought the greatest joy was the harvest—the crops had matured, tasted delicious, and even granted special effects—buffs, in fact. Such strategic resources delighted Wang Xiao.

As for the livestock in the greenhouse, most had mutated, becoming superior to their original breeds.

During this time, Wang Xiao even slaughtered a sheep so that Little Bone could make roast lamb. Yet Little Bone was a mysterious creature; except for mealtimes, it was rarely seen. Curious, Wang Xiao tried following it around, but whenever he did, the little creature simply went nowhere. He also felt it seemed smarter lately, always busy with something. Eventually, Wang Xiao gave up shadowing it.

Now, with just two days left in the month, Wang Xiao, Yang Ming, and Xia Mengsi firmly occupied the top three spots. Ji Weijie lagged slightly behind, but top ten was within reach.

That morning, Little Bone behaved strangely. It didn’t get up early to make breakfast, instead falling into a deep sleep. From his experience with anime, Wang Xiao guessed Little Bone was about to evolve. He looked forward to what it might become—if it could evolve into a towering, mighty skeletal giant, that would be perfect.