C12 The Rankings Appeared, and the Reward Was Announced.!

Zhao Dong brushed off the clutter of messages and turned his attention to the Leaderboard Channel. His name was prominently displayed on the homepage:

Beginner Village No.168 Level Rankings:

1st Place: Zhao Dong, Level 3

2nd Place: Jiuzhou Li, Level 2

3rd Place: Yu Lili, Level 2

4th Place: Zhou Shan Qian, Level 1

5th Place: Lin Dacheng, Level 1

6th Place: ...

"Two people have already hit Level 2," Zhao Dong noted, stroking his chin in mild surprise. It was impressive; only a day and a night had passed, and two players had already advanced to Level 2. Clearly, they were formidable opponents.

Despite appearing to be Level 3, Zhao Dong hadn't technically leveled up yet—his rank was solely due to completing a first-time achievement. He knew that if he took action, the outcome would be significantly different. But he had spent the previous day preparing, not hunting.

"Then again, I can just scavenge for attributes; no need to hunt when picking up leftovers is enough," Zhao Dong mused to himself before casually flipping over to the chat channel, where the conversation was already in full swing.

Many, noticing Zhao Dong's silence, began seeking out Jiuzhou Li and Yu Lili. The chat was filled with comments like:

"Yu Lili must be amazing to be a girl and so powerful. Makes me feel pretty useless as a guy."

"My talent is speed, and I barely scraped by to Level 1 yesterday. How did Yu Lili and Jiuzhou Li level up so fast?"

"Super jealous of you two. Need a teammate by any chance?"

"Hey, can you share how you did it? We could use some tips."

Yu Lili chimed in: "We just got lucky. Jiuzhou Li and I happened upon a den of wolf pups and took them down together. There were plenty, and that's how we leveled up."

The chat erupted with excitement, but it was the world channel announcement that really set things off:

World Announcement: Beginner Village level-up rewards are as follows:

- The first Survivor to reach Level 5 will receive 5 Gold Treasure Chests.

- The second and third Survivors to reach Level 5 will receive 3 treasure chests each.

- The fourth through tenth Survivors to reach Level 5 will each receive 1 treasure chest.

Note: Treasure chests are filled with various supplies and equipment.

Note: Level up to 5 and claim your chest immediately—no waiting required.

The news sent shockwaves across the internet.

"So the top ten all get rewards..."

"Level 5, and I'm stuck at 0. Feels like I'll never make it."

"Envy and frustration are killing me. Here I am, struggling for scraps, while the elites are soaring to new heights."

As the lamentations continued, those at Level 1 and 2 sprang into action. The race for levels was on, and the divide between the strong and the weak was stark.

Zhao Dong, now more determined than ever, refused to wait any longer. At Level 3, with a little more effort, Level 5 was within easy reach. Besides, his current attributes and strength far surpassed his current level.

"Those five chests are mine," he declared, his mental energy surging after a restful night.

After stoking a fire to sear the meat and quenching his thirst with water, Zhao Dong's gaze settled on the cluster of crocodiles.

Yesterday, they had seemed like a formidable challenge.

But now, armed with his wooden spear and the ability to swiftly escape the crocodile territory using his mental powers, Zhao Dong found them rather endearing.

Because, to him...

They were nothing more than slow-moving live targets.

"Hua Hua Hua..."

The fishing boat glided across the water.

At dawn, the crocodiles lay afloat, seemingly at rest.

Near the shore, a carcass of a deer was being devoured by three large crocodiles, with numerous attribute bubbles scattered around it.

Strength +3.

Speed +2.

Defense +1.

Zhao Dong eyed them covetously but remained patient. With so many large crocodiles around, today was destined for a massacre!

More than a dozen wooden spears hovered in the air, under his command.

Their tips pointed downward, like so many Swords of Damocles.

Truth be told, managing a dozen spears simultaneously demanded focused mental effort.

Luckily, after hours of practice the day before, Zhao Dong had mastered the skill.

At that moment...

Two crocodiles took notice of the fishing boat.

With a sly glint, the ferocious crocodiles turned and made their stealthy approach.

Without a sound!

"Die!"

Two wooden spears plunged into the heads of the crocodiles.

Puff! Puff!

Blood sprayed, staining the vast lake a vivid red.

The crocodiles were dead, a double kill.

For slaying a level 3 crocodile, he gained 35 energy points.

For slaying a level 4 crocodile, he gained 40 energy points.

Simultaneously, two attribute bubbles floated to the surface, catching Zhao Dong's eye.

"Lucky day. Both corpses dropped attribute bubbles."

"Eh, what's this..."

Zhao Dong's attention was drawn to a treasure chest that had burst forth beside one of the crocodiles.

The chest was black, and after a brief moment of thought, realization dawned on him.

"I recall now, killing certain vicious beasts sometimes yields treasure chests."

The chests varied:

Black iron chests contained generally common items.

Silver chests held slightly better treasures.

Gold chests promised even finer loot.

And then there were other special items that might drop, but that was a different matter entirely.

In this world, hunting vicious beasts could lead to many fortunes.

Why wait? Zhao Dong harnessed his mental energy, and the boat sped forward.

He collected the attribute bubbles first, the surge in his attributes delivering a wave of satisfaction that eased his spirit.

Next, his attention turned to the treasure chest.

This chest seemed to be crafted from air, not solid at all.

It shimmered with a halo, as if teleported from some distant corner, utterly enchanting.

A handle graced the top of the chest.

Zhao Dong lifted the chest and, upon opening it, the chest dissolved into a cascade of light and vanished.

In its place, an item materialized.

A pair of athletic shoes.

Congratulations to Survivor Zhao Dong on unlocking the Iron Treasure Chest and acquiring a pair of Elastic Ball Shoes.

Elastic Ball Shoes: High-grade athletic footwear that's durable and comfortable, offering warmth in winter and coolness in summer. Designed to fit any size, Elastic Ball Shoes adapt to fit anyone.

"Nice find."

Zhao Dong flashed a broad smile. The shoes on his feet weren't ruined, but they were never quite comfortable to wear for long stretches.

But now, he had his eyes on a superior pair.

His gaze shifted back to the cluster of crocodiles before him.

The hunt was on!

Targeting the six closest crocodiles, the wooden spears from above swiftly plunged downward.

"Thud, thud, thud..."

On this day, the river ran red with blood.

On this day, the crocodile pack met its catastrophic end.

"Ha ha ha, jackpot, jackpot!"

As he looked over the crocodile carcasses, Zhao Dong watched with glee as streaks of white light soared towards him.