Kangcheng, where Qin Zhiyu resided, had numerous subalpine mountains, mid-altitude mountains, low mountains, wide valleys, and basins throughout the city.
With high mountains flanking the north and south, and river valleys and basins in between, considering long-term survival, choosing the northern or southern mountain ranges would be better than living on the edges of the river valleys and basins.
Although river valleys and basins offered convenient water access in the early stages, by the time the third Heavenly Disaster brought continuous rainfall and rising floods, the first Sanctuaries to be submerged would be those near the river valleys and basins—a loss outweighing the gain.
There weren’t many viable options, as locations had to be reachable even without transportation.
“This is the place!”
Twenty kilometers south of Kangcheng, there was an unfinished villa district.
Due to the construction company absconding with funds, it had remained in a stalled state for five or six years. However, for Qin Zhiyu at this moment, it was undoubtedly an excellent choice.
First, abandoned villas were unlikely to attract many people. Additionally, the original promotional concept was retirement villas, situated in a scenic area with mountains and water. The materials from the unfinished villas would become the first capital for her Sanctuary—it couldn’t be more suitable!
However, Qin Zhiyu still faced a dilemma: to stay or to leave. A decision had to be made.
Marking the Resources in her residential area required waiting until the Heavenly Disaster descended, which meant she would have to stay in her own villa until the disaster arrived, delaying her journey to the villa district.
If she didn’t mark the Resources, she would need to first travel to the abandoned villa district, establish a Sanctuary, stabilize its facilities, and gain some self-defense capabilities before returning.
With the butterfly effect in motion, not knowing what Resources were here meant she might miss the best opportunity for extraction. Without system coordinates, finding this place again later would be extremely difficult.
After careful consideration, Qin Zhiyu decided to conduct Reconnaissance of her residential area immediately after the Heavenly Disaster descended, then rush to the abandoned villa district twenty kilometers away.
Since man-made structures underwent a transformation process, as long as she could navigate the 20 kilometers during this transformation by leveraging terrain, undestroyed vehicle electronics, compasses, and the like, it was still highly possible!
Once decided, Qin Zhiyu went out to purchase a compass and filled up her Beetle with fuel. With luck, the car could take her to the destination in one go.
[Heavenly Disaster Countdown: 3 hours 02 minutes]
The time on the system continued to decrease. Qin Zhiyu thought for a moment and edited a text message to Wei Xinglan and Cai Linlang.
[I believe sparsely populated and open high ground is the best location!]
Although the message was somewhat cryptic, she believed that when Wei Xinglan and Cai Linlang faced the Heavenly Disaster and recalled this text, they would naturally try to find suitable, sparsely populated, and open high ground. If they didn’t grasp the meaning, she had done her part in reminding them—there was nothing more she could do.
Time slipped away second by second as Qin Zhiyu waited. She repeatedly watched the dream and Grappling Technique videos.
She also took one last look inside and outside her villa, knowing she would never see it again.
The rest was about conserving Stamina to welcome the arrival of the Heavenly Disaster!
[3]…
[2]…
[1]…
[Drip, the Cataclysm Survival Guide is officially distributed…]
【1. The Sanctuary can be upgraded infinitely. It is the only pure land crucial to your survival and livelihood. Please choose its location carefully and upgrade your Sanctuary!】
【2. Return to the basics. Use your creativity and your hands to survive as long as possible under the Heavenly Disaster!】
【3. The refresh of disasters follows a pattern. Grasp this pattern, and it will increase your chances of survival during the Heavenly Disaster!】
【4. Earth is not inhabited solely by humans but also by a rich variety of species. They seem more capable of survival and possess greater power. Proceed with caution!】
【5. Resource Reorganization has begun. Reorganization completion time is approximately 33 minutes. Please evacuate promptly!】
【Beep—Personal Panel loaded successfully.】
【Name: Qin Zhiyu (Human)】
【Age: 24】
【Life: 20+203.510%=27】
(Zero means death.)
【Constitution: 7+5=12】
(Each additional point increases Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Intelligence by ten percent.)
【Strength: 7+710%5=10.5】
(Each additional point hereafter increases Life by ten percent.)
【Agility: 8+810%5=12】
【Stamina: 24+52410%=36】
(Recovers 1 unit per hour. If below 25%, Strength and Agility are reduced by 50%; if below 50%, gain Sluggish Buff; if zero, Life decreases by ten percent per hour, with Negative Buff: Immobile.)
【Intelligence: 10+1010%5=15】
(Affects Skill usage and learning.)
【Skills: ① Beginner Grappling Technique 【76/100】; ② Beginner Shooting 【36/100】】
Qin Zhiyu frowned. The densely packed Personal Panel was truly dizzying to look at.
She didn’t have time to study the attributes in detail and immediately used Scout. Once the system prompted that the area had been fully reconnoitered, she quickly drove toward the unfinished villa district.
Qin Zhiyu watched as the surrounding buildings, regardless of height, began to be covered and distorted by Laser Light from the top down, gradually turning ethereal and dissolving into specks of light that vanished into the air.
Her expression turned somewhat grim.
Even though she had already witnessed such a transformation once before, experiencing it again firsthand—seeing structures that took months or even years to build turn to dust in an instant—it was still hard to suppress the shock in her heart.
What level of advanced civilization could achieve something like this?
Turning clouds with one hand and rain with the other—this was no less astonishing.
“Ah—Mom, what’s happening? Why are they all disappearing?”
“Damn it! What kind of devilry is this? Have aliens invaded Earth?”
“Lord, have You descended this disaster to punish this filthy world?”
“Hahaha! I am the protagonist! My era has arrived!”
As Qin Zhiyu drove out of the residential area, she heard all sorts of voices along the way. Some people were observing from their windows, while others stood on the streets, watching this surreal scene unfold.
There were also those earnestly studying the Survival Guide, but most faced the world’s drastic changes with confusion.
Not everyone possesses the ability to remain calm in the face of danger. Confronted with all this, it’s difficult to immediately cool down and seize the initiative by following the guidance.
Qin Zhiyu shifted her gaze away, ignoring the crowds who were either desperately pleading to the heavens or still hurling curses.
If one failed to grasp the situation in time and missed the optimal period for choosing an escape location, the result would be masses crammed into the same place. When the Heavenly Disaster struck, there wouldn’t even be space to set up a Sanctuary.
As for those who stubbornly clung to their properties, terrified that everything they had worked so hard for as corporate slaves would vanish like bubbles—they were beyond saving.
Wealth is external; it can solve 99% of problems, that’s true. But the problem they faced today clearly belonged to the unsolvable 1%.
In less than half an hour, 30% of the population in major, medium, and small cities across the country had perished—either trapped in high-rises with no means of escape or trampled to death in the chaos of fleeing.