Civilization Challenge: the world had become even more dangerous.
In other words, Gu Yu hadn't been mistaken today. The zombies really had grown stronger!
He recalled what had happened, a vague suspicion forming in his mind.
"Sixty days... With the zombies, could it be...?"
There had once been a hugely popular mod that had taken the internet by storm, called Sudden Change in a Hundred Days.
In it, zombies grew stronger over time. At first, their health and attack power increased, then they became immune to sunlight and started mining blocks.
By the end, they were practically unstoppable!
Even fully equipped, it was hard to withstand a massive horde of zombies.
Now it had been shortened to sixty days. He didn't know whether that would make it harder or easier.
But no matter what, the thought of those countless zombies, swarming like an ocean, made Gu Yu's scalp tingle.
"I have to prepare early!"
Even shortened, this was still Sudden Change. He couldn't afford to let his guard down!
He had just become an Architect, and he'd heard that mythic buildings had special effects. He should be able to use their power to defend himself.
"Thank you very much."
The most important part of Sudden Change was the early game, when the zombies weren't too strong yet. It was the best time to develop.
Without this information, he would have wasted a lot of time.
The resource zone was vast, but as the zombies grew stronger, it would become more and more dangerous.
He'd be better off visiting less often.
"You noticed the zombies getting stronger?"
After complimenting him, Zhu Wu offered one more reminder before leaving.
"Not bad. But that idiot activated more than one challenge."
"Besides the zombies, there are other forces at work, connected to a new block."
A new block. Could it be a new world?
That would mean a whole lot of mods might appear.
"Time is tight. We've only got two months, so we need to hurry!"
More mods meant more weapons, equipment, and resources to use!
It was a challenge, but also a new opportunity.
Sudden Change was the hardest and deadliest threat, and he knew nothing at all about the new mod.
"If only I knew what the new block was."
Mods were often far richer in content than the original game, and they contained plenty of powerful things.
Zhu Wu didn't reveal much more. With a sigh, Gu Yu continued thinking about what to do next.
Mushroom Island.
This wasn't a global announcement. Normally, only Gu Yu should have received the reminder.
But because Park Sam-chang had been the first to trigger the hidden event, an extra mission notification had sounded.
"Gu Yu, damn it!"
His hidden boss had been stolen just like that!
The Diamond Pickaxe, the Epic Weapon.
Those should all have been his!
The people of the Kingdom of Korea protested as one.
"We found the boss first. The rewards should go to us!"
"Exactly! This is so unfair!"
"Give back our Epic Weapon!"
"There's a problem with the buildings, too. We've already applied for cultural heritage status. Why are you calling them part of the Kyushu tradition?"
"The Kingdom of Korea is the place of origin. The buildings should be called Great Korea-style architecture!"
"That makes no sense! We protest!"
Without them, the boss wouldn't have appeared. They deserved a share of the rewards, at the very least!
The Kyushu audience sneered.
"Give it to you? Why should we?"
"Did you contribute even a little when it came to fighting the boss?"
"Oh, you mean running around like a dog while trying to use someone else to hurt Great God Gu Yu? That's your contribution?"
"I've never seen anything so stupid!"
"You applied for cultural heritage status? Go apply to your mother!"
"You're so amazing, applying for this and that. Why not apply to bring the sun down while you're at it?"
"We in Kyushu are your fathers!"
When it came to keyboard warfare, Kyushu had never lost.
The Bullet Comments were soon filled with insults. The Korean audience wanted to jump in, but couldn't get a word in.
The insults were on the mark. They really hadn't contributed anything.
They couldn't win a fight or an argument, and now they couldn't even out-insult the other side.
All the Korean viewers could do outside the screen was clench their fists and stew in helpless anger.
Feeling dejected, Park Sam-chang sighed and stopped thinking about it.
"Forget it. It was just one boss. Why compete with a newcomer? I'll just let Gu Yu have it!"
"Let's take a look at our little farm!"
After all this time tending to it, Park Sam-chang had turned Mushroom Island into a proper little homestead.
His two Mushroom Cows had multiplied into five, and he'd also brought over some dirt from the resource zone.
He had four blocks of dirt, with water filling the middle, and potatoes planted all over them.
He had a bucket, milk, mushrooms, and potatoes.
It looked quite a bit like a little farmhouse.
"Even with the daily limit, just give me another hundred days."
"I'm sure I can upgrade my block to fifty points and surpass Gu Yu!"
Fifty points might be enough to advance straight to Small Civilization!
And all he had to do was eat and drink every day. It was more relaxing than a vacation!
He made no preparations at all for Sudden Change.
Park Sam-chang lay on a mushroom block, basking in the sun, relaxed and comfortable.
The exchange with Zhu Wu had been encrypted as a transaction. In truth, the audience outside the screen didn't know what they'd said, let alone that Sudden Change had begun.
Most players were still making progress at a slow, unhurried pace.
But with so many players, there were bound to be a few lucky ones.
Gangcun Kuzi was preparing to rescue Yamamoto.
Ever since he'd stopped receiving messages from Yamamoto a few days earlier, he'd realized something was wrong.
Yamamoto had probably been trapped in the Nether!
Unfortunately, despite searching for so many days, he hadn't found a single diamond.
"Where on earth am I supposed to find diamonds?"
Only now did he realize how lucky Yamamoto had been to find the only few diamonds as soon as he entered the resource zone.
And now...
The diamonds had been wasted in the Nether!
"Drink this. It might help."
During his exploration, he'd picked up a Luck Potion, and Gangcun Kuzi drank it at once.
The potion would last ten minutes. He used the time to search various mines.
Luck couldn't help him find something that wasn't there. Just as the potion had only one minute left...
He looked toward the Grass Block.
Something was inexplicably drawing him toward it.
He left the mine and found himself walking toward the Grass Block without even realizing it.
The place had a strange layout: a 2-by-2 pool surrounded by Grass Blocks.
Flowers and mushrooms surrounded it.
"How strange. What is this?"
He'd never seen a place like this before, and gradually drew closer.
"The Iai Sword is calling to me!"
Following his instincts, he activated the Iai Sword. The next moment, thunder crashed from the sky.
Boom!
It was broad daylight, yet lightning fell from the sky and struck the pool.
The instant it made contact, the pool turned a ghostly color, like a portal to hell!
"Can this place lead to the Nether?"
After a moment's hesitation, Gangcun Kuzi chose to walk in.
There might be danger, but when he thought of Yamamoto Rokuko, the Diamond Pickaxe, and all the other resources he had, he gritted his teeth and went in.
His vision gradually blurred, and he felt weightless. When he opened his eyes again...
He hadn't arrived in the Nether.
Another prompt appeared before him.
[Twilight Forest]
"Where am I?"
Towering trees and creatures he'd never seen before.
This wasn't the Nether, but another new dimension?!
"Another new dimension?"
"Thank heavens, we've found a new world!"
"Great! Keep it up, Gangcun-kun! Surpass Gu Yu and become the top player in the block!"
"Use this place to advance straight to Small Block!"
"But how did we get here? Could the portal disappear?"
"Then will he end up trapped in another world, just like Yamamoto-kun?!"
Before you continue