Dark clouds covered the sky.
The ocean had become restless.
Huge waves rose and fell across the endless sea.
Every survivor could feel it.
Something big was coming.
Lin Chen stood on his raft while holding the Epic Thunder Spear.
Blue lightning occasionally flashed across the weapon's blade.
Since obtaining it from the Silver Chest, he had not used it in a real battle.
But judging from the increasingly dangerous environment, that would soon change.
A system notification appeared.
World Announcement
First Storm Arrival: 6 Hours Remaining
Regional Chat immediately became lively.
[Player 218]: Six hours?!
[Player 891]: My raft is still tiny!
[Player 517]: Does anyone have extra wood?
[Player 332]: I'll trade food for rope!
Lin Chen closed the chat.
The situation was becoming increasingly dangerous.
Most players were still focused on basic survival.
Meanwhile, he had already begun preparing for combat.
His inventory contained enough resources to support him for a long time.
However, resources alone wouldn't be enough.
This game was clearly becoming more dangerous every day.
...
Several hours later.
Lin Chen was collecting floating materials using his upgraded fishing net.
Wood.
Plastic.
Rope.
Barrels.
Everything entered his inventory.
Then he noticed something strange.
The ocean ahead suddenly became unnaturally calm.
The surrounding waves disappeared.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Lin Chen frowned.
His instincts immediately warned him.
Danger.
Without hesitation, he gripped the Thunder Spear.
The next second—
BOOOOOOM!!
The ocean exploded.
A gigantic black figure burst from the water.
Sea water rained across the raft.
Lin Chen's eyes narrowed.
A massive serpent-like monster floated before him.
Black scales.
Red eyes.
Razor-sharp fangs.
Its body exceeded thirty meters in length.
Elite Sea Serpent
Level 10
Rank: Elite
Lin Chen immediately became serious.
Unlike previous monsters, this creature felt genuinely dangerous.
The serpent stared directly at him.
Then it attacked.
ROOOOAR!!
Its giant body shot forward like a black missile.
Lin Chen moved instantly.
Boom!
The serpent crashed into the edge of the raft.
Wood splintered everywhere.
A huge section of the raft was destroyed.
The monster was far stronger than the mutated sharks.
Lin Chen jumped backward.
The Thunder Spear crackled with electricity.
"Let's see how powerful you really are."
The serpent lunged again.
This time Lin Chen attacked.
CRACK!!
Lightning exploded.
The spear pierced through several scales.
Blood splashed across the ocean.
The monster screamed.
Its body twisted violently.
The battle had begun.
...
Minutes passed.
The fight became increasingly intense.
The serpent's scales were incredibly tough.
Ordinary weapons would likely struggle to injure it.
Fortunately, the Thunder Spear was an Epic weapon.
Every strike carried lightning damage.
Every wound weakened the monster.
The serpent attempted to crush Lin Chen several times.
Each attack shattered parts of the raft.
Yet Lin Chen remained calm.
His enhanced attributes allowed him to dodge again and again.
Finally—
CRACK!!
The Thunder Spear pierced directly into the serpent's eye.
Lightning erupted throughout its body.
The monster convulsed.
Then stopped moving.
Its enormous corpse floated on the ocean.
Silence returned.
Lin Chen took a deep breath.
His first true battle was over.
A notification appeared.
Elite Sea Serpent Killed
Rewards Generated
Immediately afterward, another notification appeared.
World Announcement
A player has become the first survivor to kill an Elite Monster.
Special rewards have been issued.
Lin Chen smiled.
The announcement revealed only the achievement.
Nobody knew who killed the monster.
Nobody knew where the battle happened.
Most importantly—
Nobody knew what rewards he received.
This was exactly how the game worked.
All important information remained private.
Golden light appeared before him.
A treasure chest materialized.
Boss Reward Chest
Lin Chen immediately opened it.
Obtained:
• Elite Core ×1
• Rare Blueprint ×1
• Strength Fruit ×5
Then familiar golden light appeared.
10,000× System Activated
The rewards transformed.
Elite Core ×10,000
Rare Blueprint → Epic Fortress Blueprint
Strength Fruit ×50,000
Lin Chen's eyes widened.
Another Epic Blueprint.
As expected, the 10,000× System never disappointed.
After learning the blueprint, he discovered it could greatly strengthen his raft and increase durability against future storms.
That would become useful later.
...
Just then a private message appeared.
It was Su Yao.
"Su Yao" : Are you alive?
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow.
"Lin Chen" : Of course.
"Lin Chen" : Why ask?
Several seconds passed.
Then another message arrived.
"Su Yao" : Because I sensed something dangerous earlier.
"Su Yao" : And I decided it's time to tell you my Talent.
Lin Chen became interested.
"Lin Chen" : Go ahead.
A moment later, information appeared.
Talent: Treasure Goddess
Grade: Legendary
Abilities:
• Detect treasure chest locations.
• Sense treasure chest quality.
• Receive hidden treasure clues.
• Increased chance of discovering rare treasures.
Lin Chen was surprised.
A Legendary Talent.
No wonder she had confidence in finding valuable treasure.
"Su Yao" (Good.): Right now I can sense several Silver Chests.
"Su Yao" : But that's not important.
"Lin Chen" : Then what is?
"Su Yao" : I sensed something else.
"Su Yao" : A Gold Treasure Chest.
Lin Chen's eyes sharpened.
Gold Chest.
One rank above Silver.
The highest treasure discovered so far.
"Su Yao" : I don't know exactly.
"Su Yao" : The signal is weak.
"Su Yao" : But I know one thing.
"Su Yao" : It's connected to a powerful monster.
Lin Chen remembered those words.
A Gold Chest connected to a monster.
Perhaps it wasn't floating freely.
Perhaps players would need to defeat a guardian to obtain it.
That possibility immediately interested him.
...
Night arrived.
Thunder shook the sky.
The First Storm had finally arrived.
BOOOOOOM!!
Massive waves slammed into rafts throughout the region.
Rain poured endlessly.
Many survivors screamed in chat.
Many disappeared forever.
The storm continued throughout the night.
Fortunately, Lin Chen's strengthened raft survived.
When dawn finally arrived, a new notification appeared.
Congratulations!
You Survived The First Storm
New Features Unlocked
Several new icons appeared on the game panel.
New Systems
• Profile
• Levels
• Experience
• Rankings
• Titles
Lin Chen immediately opened his profile.
Profile
Name: Lin Chen
Level: 2
Experience: 40/100
Age: 22
Lifespan: 78 Years
Strength: 15
Agility: 12
Constitution: 16
Spirit: 14
Luck: 18
Title: None
Then he opened the rankings.
Regional Rankings
1. Anonymous
2. Anonymous
3. Anonymous
4. Anonymous
5. Anonymous
Lin Chen smiled.
Even rankings protected player identities.
Nobody knew who occupied each position unless they chose to reveal it.
This meant strong players could remain hidden.
Just like him.
Looking toward the endless ocean, Lin Chen felt anticipation.
The First Storm was over.
The game had entered a new stage.
Levels.
Experience.
Titles.