After a dizzying whirl, Lin Yi once again stood before the great doors inside the cavern.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he gripped the [Golden Key] tightly.
His heartbeat echoed in his chest, as though he was terrified by the choice he had made at the last moment.
An ordinary person who had experienced the previous two treasury incidents would certainly have thought this was a series of scams.
If Lin Yi had merely been reborn, he would have chosen the [Nameless Pill] without hesitation.
Because even a regressor could have some judgment of future trends and some sensitivity toward various treasures.
But that still would not be enough for him to defy heaven and change his fate!
Choosing the [Nameless Pill] did involve a great deal of randomness.
But there were no trash talents, only trash players!
It would most likely be enough to give Lin Yi an immense boost.
But now, he was not just a regressor!
He also had a four-star talent that could keep multiplying his combat power tenfold!!!
Even if this choice was not the best, even if it was merely a joke by the game guide Xiao Ling...
Lin Yi had ample room for error, and it would not affect his path to the pinnacle.
Three ZZZ-grade keys, all wagered on reaching the very peak!
"Phew..."
Lin Yi let out a long breath. He did not choose to kill monsters to gain experience.
Instead, he slowly turned and stepped into the teleportation array shimmering with an eerie blue light.
His figure gradually blurred in the light until it vanished completely.
At that moment, three village-wide announcements rang out once again above Novice Village No. 4396!
"Ding! The novice village's Eastern Pole teleportation array has been activated by player [Return to Zero]. Players may pay one year of lifespan to use the teleportation array and travel directly to the Eastern Pole." "Ding!..." "Ding!..."
The three announcements rang like morning bells and evening drums, waking players still lost in dreams and shocking those working hard to improve their strength.
They stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sky, their eyes filled with confusion and shock.
"[Return to Zero]? Is something wrong with my sexual orientation? Why do I keep dreaming about him lately?"
A player who had just crawled out of his sleeping bag rubbed his bleary eyes and asked uncertainly.
"He activated three teleportation arrays all by himself? Did this guy discover some kind of bug?"
A novice held a pair of daggers, his brows tightly furrowed.
"This guy... just who the hell is he?"
A warrior holding a longsword looked at the fallen [Berserk Big White Rabbit] before him, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes.
Meanwhile, a group at the North Pole was locked in a fierce struggle with a [Mountain Giant].
Hearing the system announcement in his ears, the mage leading them roared savagely, his eyes bloodshot:
"Return to Zero! You little bastard!"
"You dare oppose the Royal Clan? I, Lu Renjia, swear we cannot live under the same sky!"
In a corner of the novice village, a girl with an innocent face but a somewhat disheveled appearance suddenly froze with a steamed bun in her hand as she ate.
She was none other than You Duoduo.
She raised her head and looked up into the night sky.
Whatever she was thinking, she said nothing; only two teardrops slid from the corners of her eyes.
A bright full moon hung in the sky, its radiance spilling over the earth and piercing the sparse clouds, draping the forest in a thin silver veil.
Stars dotted the night sky sparsely, their light mingling with the moonlight to create a quiet, peaceful atmosphere.
Wu Renxin wandered aimlessly through the forest, trudging despondently over fallen branches and dead leaves.
Moonlight occasionally pierced the treetops and fell on his pale face, illuminating the wavering look in his eyes.
The system announcement rang in his ears, and Wu Renxin's steps paused for an instant.
He did not speak, roar, or cry, as though the sound had never touched his soul.
Yet beneath the cover of night, his eyes revealed deep fear and lingering dread.
The ink-black night swallowed his figure, leaving only a string of heavy footsteps echoing through the silent woods.
Meanwhile, Lin Yi, who had once again caused an uproar throughout Novice Village No. 4396, had headed straight to the inn. By now, he had eaten and drunk his fill.
He lay on the inn's bed with both hands behind his head, his eyes narrowed slightly as he stared straight at the ceiling.
Ten years of gaming had given him a habit.
He liked to review the day's actions before going to sleep and plan his actions for the next day.
When his combat power was low, even survival required careful calculation!
!!!
Suddenly!
Lin Yi's brows drew together tightly, and he said speechlessly:
"The last three levels are the hardest to gain. They took a full twenty-five days in my previous life!"
"Level seven alone requires ten million experience, and after that, it increases tenfold, a hundredfold!"
"All told, getting halfway through level eight only requires sixty million experience?"
"If I grind hard every day, I should be able to leave the village in just a few days."
"The world beyond the novice village..."
"I'm looking forward to it more and more!"
Lin Yi shook his head with a smile, then quickly drifted off to sleep.
Early the next morning, as the first ray of sunlight pierced the clouds and fell on the novice village of "Zero Game," Lin Yi had already set out on his journey west.
He passed through the novice village's Viridian Forest, but when he reached an open area, he discovered an unusual scene.
Hundreds of players had gathered in front of a passage, their expressions varied. Some were angry, some confused, and others whispered among themselves, discussing it.
Their shouts rose one after another, but not one of them could advance even half a step.
"What the fuck! Why can't we get in here?"
"We couldn't get in last night either. No idea what's going on."
"Exactly! I wanted to try my luck at the last one, the Western Pole!"
"Seems like there's an invisible light barrier blocking our way?"
"This light barrier feels pretty thin, but I just can't get through!"
"And what the hell is this sign? Isn't it way too insulting?"
The players' complaints and bewildered voices mingled into a chaotic din.
Lin Yi frowned slightly. He remembered nothing like this happening in his previous life.
He squeezed through the crowd and reached the very front, trying to find out what was going on.
A signpost stood in plain sight on the road leading west!
Eight large characters were scrawled crookedly across the sign:
"The weak and dogs, no entry!"