Chapter 226: Fire Seed

Chapter 226: Chapter 226: Fire Seed

But no one believed it was just a casual remark!

[Drakonia’s Third Major Zone, Zone 888, currently has 334 remaining survivors!]

[This instance was for the second week. A brand-new leaderboard is about to be announced!]

"Oh, right, it’s the second week. Back when the novice instance ended, the System mentioned a leaderboard and some kind of lottery, didn’t it?"

"I remember that too! There’s definitely a reward, right? I hope it’s a good one."

"Are you guys still worried about the leaderboard? Shouldn’t the focus be the brand-new stage? I have a feeling the System is cooking up something big..."

"We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Worrying now is pointless."

That much was true.

Seraphina Sinclair waited patiently. After about five minutes of silence, the System released the Zone’s latest leaderboard.

[Drakonia Third Major Zone, Zone 888 Comprehensive Leaderboard]

[First Place: Blacktiger Ford, Comprehensive Evaluation: 11,123 points

Second Place: Frostleaf, Comprehensive Evaluation: 6,233 points

Third Place: Azura, Comprehensive Evaluation: 5,887 points

...

100th Place: Titus Shaw, Comprehensive Evaluation: 1,855 points]

Seraphina Sinclair’s gaze quickly swept over the leaderboard announced by the System.

When she saw the high Comprehensive Evaluation score of "11,123" next to her name, she raised an eyebrow, not at all surprised.

Her gaze shifted down, landing on the second-place "Frostleaf" and third-place "Azura."

"6,233" and "5,887."

Those two scores were excellent in their own right, testament to their strength and outstanding performance over the past two weeks. But compared to her own score, which had broken the ten-thousand mark, the gap was stark. She was in a league of her own.

Seraphina wasn’t surprised by her massive lead, but the Zone Channel had exploded over it.

"HOLY SHIT!!! 11,123 points?! Am I seeing things?"

"Is Master Blacktiger even human?! That’s a god!"

"A decisive lead... No, this is a cliff-like, chasm-level lead! It’s higher than second and third place combined!"

"Frostleaf’s and Azura’s scores are already terrifying enough, but Blacktiger Ford’s... is just incomprehensible!"

"I fought tooth and nail for just over eight hundred points. Comparisons are the thief of joy..."

"Master, you still looking for someone to carry? Let me ride your coattails!"

"@Blacktiger Ford, Master, come say a few words! Share some tips with us!"

"Once the leaderboard came out, the power structure of the Zone instantly became clear..."

"Master Blacktiger is mighty! The pride of Zone 888!"

Seraphina Sinclair had no interest in the Zone Channel’s comments. She was busy studying the leaderboard, trying to find where to claim her reward.

’That damn System. Why would it announce the leaderboard but not hand out the rewards?’

But sure enough, there were no rewards.

Not only were there no rewards, but the System, as if its job were done, moved on to the next major announcement.

[Stage Two will begin shortly.]

[After dawn tomorrow, the following adjustments will be made:]

[Zone Merge Protocol Initiated: Survivors from adjacent Zones will be merged into a single survival area, sharing one Zone Channel and Trading Channel. The total population limit of the merged Zone is not fixed and will be based on the actual number!]

[Dead Things Speed Increase: Starting tomorrow, the movement speed of the Dead Things will be 200 sunshine distance per day! Keep moving forward and strive to survive!]

[New Area: Ten survivors from the current Zone have successfully reached the new area. The entire Zone will now officially enter the new area! F-level monsters will become increasingly rare in the new area; E-level and D-level monsters will be more common. All survivors, please ensure your own safety!]

[Survivors, you have proven yourselves worthy of being the spark.]

[Now, prove that this spark is enough to start a prairie fire.]

[Good luck.]

This was a very solemn declaration, which could be summarized into three main points.

The Zone merge would definitely affect Seraphina Sinclair, but it would be a positive impact.

There weren’t many people left in the entire Zone now. For Seraphina Sinclair, that meant not many customers.

Moreover, her crafting service was mostly a one-time business. Once people had something made, they wouldn’t come back for the same service. Only with a Zone merge, bringing a large influx of fresh blood, could Seraphina Sinclair continue to earn Black Fog Coins!

As for the other two announcements...

Seraphina could figure out with her eyes closed that she was one of the survivors who had "reached the new area."

The monster difficulty had already increased, and she was long used to it.

She had already killed several D-level monsters, let alone E-level ones.

’I don’t care. Bring it on.’

And as for the Dead Things...

She now moved three hundred sunshine distance a day. The Dead Things still couldn’t catch her, not to mention she had already opened up such a large gap between them. Even if—

Some were happy, some were worried:

"A Zone merge? No way. We’re going to be mixed in with people from other Zones?"

"Fuck. All the idiots are dead now, so they’re just going to throw us all together to raise gu? Survival of the fittest, is that it?"

"The point is the movement speed of the monsters and Dead Things! Guys! Fewer F-levels, and E-levels and D-levels are becoming the new normal? I already have a hard time with an E-level; won’t I just be cannon fodder against a D-level?!"

"It’s over, it’s all over... It’s only been a few days, and we’re already entering hell mode?"

"’Spark’? ’Start a prairie fire’? Sounds nice! Aren’t they just forcing us to our deaths?!"

"Calm down! A Zone merge isn’t necessarily a bad thing! We have too few people now; the Trading Channel is almost empty! With more people after the merge, resources will flow more easily, and we might be able to trade for good stuff!"

"Yeah! There’s strength in numbers! We might even meet more experts like Master Blacktiger and Effortless Master. Sharing intel will make it easier to survive!"

"Heh, the person above is too naive. How do you know the people merging with us will be helpers and not bandits?"

"Don’t be so pessimistic! Stage One is over, which means we survived it! The System even said we proved we’re worthy! Stage Two will definitely have new things, new opportunities!"

"Opportunities? More like crises. D-level monsters... I’ve never even seen one. Just thinking about it makes my legs go weak."

"I was just happy about getting a C-level Evaluation, but now this little reward feels completely worthless! This damned world really won’t let you relax for even a second!"

...

Seraphina Sinclair closed the Zone Channel, shutting out the voices of panic, debate, and faint hope.

She walked to the window, looking out at the dark fog that seemed both eternally unchanging and constantly brewing with new dangers. Her fingers rested lightly on the windowsill as her thoughts drifted to how she could use this merge to expand her business empire.

’First, I’ll pay off the loan. Everything else can wait.’

But...

Seraphina Sinclair pulled out the contract left by the Traveling Merchant and looked it over.

’Does this loan really have to be repaid?’

That phrase from the Zone Channel—"renewable resource"—had practically opened up a whole new world for Seraphina Sinclair.

In this godforsaken place, conscience, decency, and morality seemed to be of little use.

On the contrary, people would look down on you for being gentle, and bully you for being a good person...