An hour and a half until dark.
Qiyu spent an hour chopping wood, gathering 100 pieces in total.
Half an hour until nightfall.
Qiyu stopped chopping wood and inspected the fence and spike traps to make sure they were all intact.
The bright sunflower growing in the farmland was in excellent condition, still shining brilliantly. The status of the gale grass seeds remained unchanged.
Twenty-five minutes left.
Qiyu let out a soft breath.
He couldn't quite describe what he was feeling at that moment. Perhaps he was a little nervous, but he wasn't panicking. If anything, there was even a hint of anticipation for the approaching night.
He decided not to do anything else. Instead, he settled onto the beanbag sofa and began meditating to cultivate his mental energy.
Gradually, his scattered thoughts settled.
The transition from light to darkness happened in an instant. Qiyu opened his eyes.
Unlike the previous two nights, his surroundings were no longer completely dark. Thanks to the fence, he had left the cabin door open.
The bright sunflower, dazzling even in daylight, now resembled a miniature sun amid the surrounding darkness. It illuminated not only the entire area in front of the wooden cabin but also a portion of the landscape beyond the fence.
There was thick fog.
What lay beneath that dense fog?
Qiyu remembered that during the day, the area had been covered with trees ready to be chopped down. Now, however, all he could see was black ground shrouded in thick fog.
Could it be that day and night were two entirely different worlds in this survival game?
Qiyu puzzled over the thought for a few seconds before accepting it quite naturally. No wonder the trees he'd chopped down and the treasure chests he'd searched during the day reappeared in exactly the same places when he woke up the following morning.
He opened his personal panel.
A countdown had appeared at the very top.
【Newbie Protection Period Countdown: 05:58:40 seconds.】
It seemed the newbie protection period would end at midnight. That meant the first half of the night would still be safe.
However, tonight might turn into a difficult battle.
With that in mind, Qiyu, who had always made sure to eat his meals on time, decided to postpone dinner by two hours.
He remained seated on the beanbag sofa, meditating and cultivating his mental energy according to the methods described in the Mental Power Cultivation Manual. Stage One: Controlling tangible objects devoid of spirit.
Come to think of it, Qiyu had only realized after reading Archmage Aegnor's notes that he had unknowingly reached the threshold of this stage without ever receiving systematic instruction.
Throughout the apocalypse, he had believed his ability was a plant-based power that allowed him to control plants for brief periods. In reality, he had been forcibly manipulating them through sheer mental power and his exceptionally strong affinity with plants.
According to the Mental Power Cultivation Manual, once he mastered this technique, he would be able to control not only plants but any object. Qiyu found the prospect extremely intriguing.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye as he meditated. Qiyu opened his eyes.
He took out the phantom poison needles he had picked up for a bargain earlier.
By the time the sunflower's light reached the room, it had dimmed considerably, barely keeping the interior from being swallowed by darkness. The ten hair-thin phantom poison needles resting in their sheath were almost invisible.
A silvery glow gradually shimmered in Qiyu's eyes. Two phantom poison needles silently rose into the air, only to drop feebly back down a moment later.
"As expected, they're not as easy to control as plants."
Qiyu wasn't discouraged. He carefully put the phantom poison needles away. Once his mental power cultivation reached a certain level, these highly toxic weapons would undoubtedly become a hidden trump card, allowing him to kill without leaving a trace.
After two hours of meditation, he felt refreshed and invigorated.
Using the light from the small solar lamp outside, he boiled some water to stew a piece of gale rabbit meat and took out his last steamed bun. After finishing everything, he felt thoroughly satisfied!
Mealtimes were the happiest moments of his day.
Once he had eaten, he used the Waterball spell to wash the pot and bowl. It was quite enjoyable, allowing him to practice his magic while getting his chores done.
It was now 10:30.
He opened the interface and saw that the members of 01 survival squad were chatting.
【Dare Not Open My Eyes: Have you guys seen the countdown on your personal panels? I'm so nervous!】
【Tranquility Yields Transcendence: Don't worry. Whatever's going to happen will happen. Look on the bright side. At least the survival game warned us in advance, giving us plenty of time to prepare.】
"I'm ready, aren't I?"
【Dare Not Open My Eyes: It's just so hard to bear. If I were back home on Earth, I could watch some videos or play a couple of games to pass the time. But right now, all I can do is lie here in the dark with my eyes wide open and force myself to endure it.】
【Dare Not Open My Eyes: Oh, and there's some kind of demon or monster outside that won't stop wailing.】
Qiyu didn't know how to join the conversation, nor did he have anything to say, so he quietly closed the group chat.
The members of Group 1 were also discussing the imminent end of the newbie protection period.
No one dared to sleep at a time like this.
【The More I Involution The Bitterer My Life Becomes: Has anyone noticed that our server's population has dropped by almost 1,000?】
Qiyu had been so busy over the past few days that he'd barely had time to rest, much less pay attention to such things.
【Whatever Happens Happens: Have you all upgraded your shelters yet? I haven't. It feels like the noises outside are even louder tonight.】
【I Have A Short Temper: This is so annoying. Announcing that the newbie protection period is ending in the middle of the night—this lousy game is pure torture. I'd like to see what kind of trouble they're going to throw at us next.】
【Little Old Me: Selling wood. 100g of food per unit.】
【I Have A Short Temper: Are you trying to rob me?!】
【Little Old Me: Mind your own business. The newbie protection period is almost over. If you haven't upgraded your shelter yet, DM me. I've got wood, stone, and leather.】
Before long, the two were arguing.
Clearly, everyone was feeling rather restless.
Qiyu closed the interface, sat cross-legged on the floor, and began meditating.
Time crawled by, little by little, as countless players waited anxiously.
Thud.
Qiyu, who was sitting on the floor, opened his eyes.
He had heard something.
It sounded like a tremor rising from the deepest reaches of the earth, yet also like something shattering in the void. He stood up and walked outside, feeling magic and mental energy surging around him.
A dagger hung at his waist, and a magic scroll lay in his backpack, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.
Then he heard a rustling sound.
Qiyu focused his senses, but the darkness obscured his vision.
Until a notification appeared.
【Fence under attack, current durability 92/100.】
【Fence under attack, current durability 98/100.】
Qiyu turned to his left and cast a Fireball spell.
Now he could see clearly. A swarm of creatures with blood-red eyes was lurking in the darkness.
...Rats?
They were gnawing at the fence.
Farther away, another wave of them was temporarily being held back by the spikes protruding from the ground.
The swarm of tiny creatures reminded Qiyu of the Rift Monsters that had brought him into the Survival Game.
His expression turned cold as magic surged through him, and the Fireball spell exploded.
A long string of damage numbers erupted across the ground, followed by scattered white orbs of light.
【Kill 10 scavenging rats to receive 1 emerald crystal and 1 Basic Resource Pack.】
【Kill 5 scavenging rats to receive 1 Basic Resource Pack.】
【Kill 20 scavenging rats to receive 1 emerald crystal and 2 Basic Resource Packs.】
***
As Fireballs continued to explode, one glowing orb after another appeared and was collected.
The coldness gradually faded from Qiyu's face, and the look in his eyes grew increasingly fervent as he gazed toward the thick, dark fog.