City

Night completely enveloped the entire mountain forest.

The Shelter was quiet and warm, isolated from all the sounds of the wind and animals.

After a full day of fierce fighting and confrontation, Lu Heng had no intention of staying up all night.

Even in a completely safe Fortress, he always maintained the most rigorous survival habits.

In dire circumstances, staying up all night is tantamount to mortgaging your life.

The closer it gets to the last day, the less we can afford to relax.

Lu Heng calmed himself down and quickly fell asleep.

I slept without any dreams.

The following morning.

As dawn broke, the Survival Bracelet on my wrist suddenly lit up with a bright light.

A system announcement alert startled Lu Heng awake from his deep sleep.

The cold, mechanical system announcements rang out clearly in the silent Shelter.

[Server-wide announcement: All survivors have exceeded the basic survival threshold.]

[The trial phase has officially ended.]

[Congratulations to all survivors, you have unlocked the permission to build your home.]

[A unique teleportation screen will soon appear in front of all survivors.]

[Teleportation destination: New territory/territory.]

[Rules: Individuals can create their own territory, and players can freely form teams to build communities and create clan homes. All resources and territory ownership are determined by the survivors themselves through negotiation.]

Lu Heng sat up instantly, his eyes filled with shock and realization.

He stared at the announcement on the Wristband, his heart pounding with shock.

Depend on.

This means that the most brutal early-stage wilderness survival phase has completely ended.

The true mid-term territorial competition and the era of domain dominance have arrived.

Lu Heng's emotions were in turmoil.

This is a good thing for players who stick together.

But for a lone wolf like him, the risk suddenly skyrockets.

Cooperation represents numerous unstable factors.

The human heart is always harder to guard against than any beast.

Lu Heng looked down at his fully equipped gear and ample stockpile of resources.

A strong sense of vigilance rose in my heart.

With his current wealth, he's practically a sitting duck in the eyes of all the survivors.

Humans are the most adept at preying on the destitute in this chaotic world.

Whoever has more resources and better equipment becomes the target of everyone's scramble, sabotage, and sneak attacks.

Lu Heng raised his hand and summoned the Bronze Hunting Blade from his palm.

The blade was cold and sharp, its gleam chilling to the bone.

A knife can slay beasts, pierce armor, and break bones.

But a knife can never cut through the human heart.

The darkness in people's hearts cannot be completely purified even by the blazing sun.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and quickly entered a state of combat readiness.

After donning his full armor, Lu Heng walked to the indoor processing table.

He filled the processing equipment with all the large stock of basic materials.

Since we are about to enter entirely new and unknown territory, we absolutely cannot afford to run out of supplies.

Playing it safe is the best approach.

He used up all his material reserves at once to mass-produce arrows.

A full fifty brand-new arrows were added.

Long-range firepower, maxed out.

After completing the ammunition stockpiling, Lu Heng began to check his personal supplies item by item.

All available medicines and tools should be carried close to the body.

He had never had the chance to wear the Fierce Tiger Concealment Mask before because of the heavy equipment he was wearing, but this time he took it out and kept it close to his body.

In the new environment and with new dynamics, concealing one's appearance is of paramount importance.

He then selected several high-strength animal traps and put them into his backpack.

It can be used for both territorial defense and surprise attacks, making it extremely versatile.

Two vials of Concentrated Stamina Replenishment, detoxifying ointment, Insect Repellent, Blood Beast Pill, and Mud-Clearing Anti-Inflammatory Pill.

All life-saving, sustaining, and emergency supplies are fully prepared.

After confirming that the supplies were correct, Lu Heng brought up his Personal Attribute Panel and did a final self-check.

[Strength: 27]

[Constitution: 26]

[Agility: 26]

[Spirit: 15]

Its attributes far surpass those of the early-game survivors, and its Mental Strength has also steadily increased.

It is sufficient to handle the initial crisis in the new city area.

Lu Heng let out a soft breath, feeling slightly relieved.

He got up, walked to the stone door of the Shelter, and pushed it open.

Morning light streamed in through the door.

A giant, semi-transparent, white-glowing teleportation screen was silently floating in front of him.

The teleportation channel is ready.

Without further hesitation, Lu Heng stepped forward and walked straight into the light curtain.

The next moment.

Space was violently distorted.

An indescribable, strange feeling of dizziness instantly swept over my entire body.

It wasn't pain, but a nauseating, putrid, and suffocating feeling that penetrated deep into my internal organs.

A strong, foul odor of decay assaulted my nose and mouth.

Lu Heng couldn't take it anymore and bent over to vomit on the spot.

My stomach was churning, and my head was dizzy and throbbing.

He had no time to observe his surroundings and could only stand there, panting and trying to catch his breath.

It took several minutes for the nausea from the spatial travel to gradually subside.

Lu Heng steadied himself and looked up.

The world has completely changed before my eyes.

A vast, dilapidated, and desolate abandoned city stretches out at the edge of the field of vision.

High-rise buildings collapsed, roads broke, and weeds grew rampant.

The entire area was deathly silent, utterly deserted.

Barren, dilapidated, and desolate.

This is a completely abandoned urban ruin after the disaster.

Looking at this unfamiliar scene, Lu Heng felt a sense of wonder.

Having survived in the wilderness for so long, I've long been accustomed to the forests, vegetation, rocks, and animal dens.

Upon suddenly seeing the city buildings, he felt somewhat unfamiliar and unaccustomed to them.

But the next second, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

The existence of cities means the existence of countless abandoned materials.

Ruins, buildings, and neighborhoods—everywhere you look, there are resource points to explore.

The various resources that were scarce in the early stages are likely to be readily available in this abandoned city.

While pleasantly surprised, Lu Heng immediately felt a new concern.

He stared intently at the teleportation screen in front of him, pondering to himself.

What if this teleportation portal suddenly disappears?

If they were trapped and died in Xinjiang, with their escape route cut off, the risk would be extremely high.

The thought had barely formed when the Wristband beeped again with a system notification.

[Cross-domain teleportation rules announced:]

[Each time a survivor enters or leaves a new or old territory, the system will automatically collect 5% of their supplies.]

[If your personal supplies are insufficient, they will be automatically deducted from the original Shelter's inventory.]

After reading the rule, Lu Heng felt completely relieved.

They will levy taxes, deduct fees, and confiscate goods.

That's right.

Any system that offers permissions without charging fees, demanding anything, or providing them unconditionally is bound to hide a fatal pitfall.

As long as the rules are transparent, have consequences, and offer rebates, it means there are no hidden traps or deadly traps.

Lu Heng's eyes were calm as he firmly steadied himself.

The true era of territorial expansion has truly begun.