Advanced Mission

She stepped onto the treadmill, and a beam of white light appeared, scanning her from head to toe.

Then the display in front of her lit up:

"Current matched speed: 37.5 kilometers per hour"

"Current duration: 00:41:10 (Reach two hours to claim 1 Agility)"

She tapped the Start button.

The treadmill belt gradually sped up, and Ji Xinghe followed its pace, her steps much steadier than last time.

Thud, thud, thud...

The sound of her steady running filled the room.

Her breathing followed the rhythm of her steps, calm and even.

Survival Calendar, Day 2, 21:39:01.

Weather: Sunny, Temperature: 29°

Ji Xinghe stopped the treadmill and looked at the display: "Current duration: 2:00:30 (Reach two hours to claim 1 Agility)"

She tapped Claim.

The Agility stat on her personal panel increased by one.

Stepping off the treadmill, Ji Xinghe wiped the sweat from her neck with a towel.

She left the Shelter, collected all the purified water by the entrance into her backpack, then replaced the container with an empty Wooden Bucket.

She glanced at the two resting nearby and smiled without disturbing them.

They'd had a tiring day, too.

After setting the clean water in the bathroom, Ji Xinghe washed off the grime.

Lying clean and refreshed on the soft bed, she opened the system panel.

She claimed the day's Island Output.

In her mind, she heard the clatter of coins as 2 Wow Coins were added.

Then she opened the [Missions] tab.

[Novice Mission 9: Survive in the Survival World for three days

(Incomplete) Mission Completion Reward: Experience Points +1, Wow Coins +1]

[Advanced Mission 1: Explore outside once (Completed) Mission Completion Reward: Experience Points +2, Wow Coins +2, Raw Wood Treasure Chest +1]

Advanced Mission 1 was complete. She claimed the reward, and a new mission appeared.

[Advanced Mission 2: Successfully complete the "Guard the Island" mission. (Incomplete)

Mission Completion Reward: Experience Points +2, Wow Coins +2, Raw Wood Treasure Chest +1]

The Wow Coins and treasure chest automatically went into her backpack.

But Ji Xinghe's attention was fixed on "Guard the Island."

She remembered that this was the first major challenge players faced after the beginner period ended.

At that point, the Protective Shield would disappear, and Sea Beasts from the ocean would swarm the island.

The survivors would have to hold out for thirty minutes during the "Guard the Island" event. The Sea Beasts they hunted would be converted into points according to their levels, and a Limited-Time Points Shop would open during the event, where they could spend Hunting Points on supplies.

It was one of the only two best opportunities for ordinary people to obtain high-level resources after the beginner period.

But everything had its downside.

To get high-level resources, they would have to leave their Shelters and hunt Sea Beasts.

Those who weren't strong enough would be torn apart bite by bite and swallowed whole.

Survivors too frightened to leave their Shelters would need to stockpile enough repair materials.

If they lacked both courage and sufficient resources, they would become food for the Sea Beasts when their Shelter collapsed.

Only survivors who were brave and strong—or lucky—could benefit from the event.

Ji Xinghe remembered that after the event ended in her previous life, the population in her region had dropped by a full fifth!

The sudden drop had made her realize just how brutal island survival really was.

There were no laws. Strength ruled everything.

This was paradise for the strong and hell for the weak!

In her previous life, she had barely managed to defend her Shelter, and only because she'd been lucky.

None of the monsters had been above level three. She'd relied on the basic materials she had stockpiled in her backpack, repairing her Shelter while fighting the monsters.

Thankfully, the event had lasted only thirty minutes. If it had gone on for another two, she wouldn't have held out.

Her backpack had been emptied of supplies. Fortunately, she'd been able to replenish some resources from the Limited-Time Points Shop, which had kept her from running out entirely.

Thinking of how desperate things had been in her previous life, Ji Xinghe took a screenshot of the Advanced Mission, then opened the [Chat Channel].

Without looking at the rapidly scrolling chat, she immediately typed...

Player 001: "There's only one day left in the beginner period. Is everyone ready for the road ahead?

"I just got the 'Guard the Island' mission. Screenshot attached. Take a look. I suspect monsters will attack after the beginner period ends.

"Use this last day to stock up on weapons and basic materials. Some of you may already know that monsters can't attack us when we're inside our Shelters, and our Shelters can be repaired."

She posted a screenshot of the mission partly because she didn't want too many people in the region to die. After all, more people meant a better chance of winning the merge-zone competition.

The other reason was the materials on her trading platform. With so many stones, she could go gather more tomorrow, after the islands merged.

She wasn't short on basic materials for now. Helping everyone as much as she could would also help herself.

Ji Xinghe turned her head and suddenly spotted the Wooden Fence beside the Shelter. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

Player 001: "Picture attached: Wooden Fence blueprint. If anyone needs one, I can sell fences, too. I'll only charge 2 units of raw materials and 1 unit of wood as the processing fee for each fence section.

"By the way, I just listed some basic resources. You can buy four units for just 1 Wow Coin.

"If you need them, go ahead and buy them."

After sending that, Ji Xinghe stopped messaging. Her post was so long that it had monopolized the screen for a full second.