CHAPTER 186: CHAPTER 76: TWO WAYS TO SURVIVE_2

"Why are you crying? Were you bullied by bad people around here?" Lin Rui asked curiously.

Dongg Qingxue quickly wiped her tears and said, "It’s nothing, just some sand in my eyes."

"Oh." Lin Rui tactfully bypassed the topic and asked, "Earlier when you were chatting, you said your group wanted to participate in the power war. Besides you, who else is involved?"

"There are also nine nearby Lords, all Explorers from the Federation. Three of them have already upgraded their territories to small villages."

Lin Rui’s eyes lit up with admiration, "You guys communicate really fast."

"That’s because I have a Horned Owl Beast, so I fly a bit faster and helped everyone establish contact."

Lin Rui nodded and then asked, "You ten Lords, how large of a force can you assemble?"

"Our forces can’t compare to yours. At most, we’re at the level of a village guard squad or a village monster hunting party. Altogether, ten of us have a team of five hundred people."

Five hundred people, half as many as the Zor Elves, but the Zor Elves’ large force largely consists of Burrower cannon fodder. The real core troops probably aren’t much more than the humans’.

Lin Rui said, "Ten of you have built a five hundred-member force. That’s a high ratio of soldiers to civilians."

Dongg Qingxue nodded solemnly and said, "The ratio is indeed abnormal, but surely your troop ratio is even higher. As you must have noticed, at this stage, developing through monster hunting, loot acquisition, and war-fueled expansion is faster than farming."

Lin Rui chuckled, "I thought I was the only one doing this."

"Not at all. I’ve observed the world and regional channels; many are adopting this military-first approach to development. This is because the current Azure Civilization is in the novice period, so killing monsters grants extra rewards. But tomorrow, the seven-day beginner’s protection period ends. We must find a way to convert our military efforts into wealth; otherwise, our territory might not sustain such a massive military ratio."

Upon hearing this, Lin Rui immediately straightened up and, looking seriously at Dongg Qingxue, asked, "I also suspected that the beginner’s period would end tomorrow. Do you have any concrete information? What changes will occur when the beginner period ends?"

Dongg Qingxue looked surprised and said, "Lord, are you not familiar with this world? I heard that Divine Spirits reveal such information to their chosen warriors. Aren’t you one of those chosen by a God, given how strong you are?"

This... that unreliable woman, the Goddess of Fortune!

Lin Rui inwardly complained but calmly said, "The Goddess I believe in is quite laid-back and didn’t provide me this information."

"Perhaps your Goddess thinks you are strong enough, and such notifications wouldn’t affect you. So, Lord, do you find this world terrifying?"

"Quite terrifying. It’s like a sieve that can bring about all sorts of supernatural entities at any moment."

Dongg Qingxue’s face turned serious, with visible worry in her eyes, and said, "But Lord, according to what the Divine Spirits passed down, this world has been hidden by the Era of Civilization. Seventy to eighty percent of the terrifying events have been concealed. It’s like the world from our legends, the Classic of Mountains and Seas; what we see is just the tip of the iceberg, and the real horrors are sealed away."

As she spoke, Dongg Qingxue’s fingers turned pale from gripping them tightly and continued, "When the beginner’s period ends, various plagues, giant beasts, monster nests, ancient tomb castles, wild monster camps, and wandering ghosts hidden by the Era of Civilization will appear. The night is scarier than the day because the seals of the Era of Civilization are more vulnerable to the darkness at night, allowing some small wandering creatures to slip through."

Lin Rui drew in a sharp breath; how could anyone survive this?

He always thought this world was terrifying enough, but it turns out it was just a façade for the beginner’s period, and reality is ten times scarier.

But on second thought, in a sieve-like world, how could many places be so peaceful? Even if there were monsters leaking and wandering, the continent’s corners would be packed with them.

Even Lin Rui, a top-ranking Explorer on the leaderboard, barely survived the beginner’s period; it’s hard to imagine how many of Blue Star’s eight billion Explorers would perish when it ends.

Perhaps the end of the beginner’s period marks the real doomsday survival?

The Era of Civilization won’t allow all eight billion people in the Azure Realm to live as Lords, lording over their domains with impunity.

People of Azure Star are no more noble than the other billions of citizens; it’s impossible for everyone, regardless of status, strength, or even quality, to sleep peacefully as nobles.

With gains, there are always losses. To become a noble Lord, there’s no more of the previous comfort; one must face death directly.

Lin Rui frowned, looked at Dongg Qingxue, and asked, "How do you plan to face this terrifying environment?"

It’s not that Lin Rui belittled them, but based on what he observed, 99% of Azure Star’s people wouldn’t withstand such terrifying conditions. It seems cruel to have a three-year-old face this world of terror, but adults fare no better. If these people don’t abandon their territories and flee to city forces on the mainland as refugees, many would only survive an additional seven days.

Perhaps the true meaning of the seven-day beginner’s protection period is to give Explorers a buffer period to evacuate.

Dongg Qingxue tightly entwined her fingers and said, "Lord, we’ve come seeking refuge with you. According to the Divine Spirits, there are only two ways for a race to withstand such a terrifying environment."