Chapter 486: Rules

Qin Wen suddenly got a question in his mind: Black Feather… what does it look like now?

At this moment…

The Black Feather group chat was unusually quiet.

This food bought with 340,000 lives was not especially valuable to them.

It's not because their moral standards are too high or they care especially about anything, but simply because Cheng Shuili and Wan Yi have raised them too well.

Within the faction there is a closed‑door disciple of the state banquet chef; the food they usually eat is already especially delicious, so why would they crave this taste?

When the loudest people in the regional channel have their hatred dissolved by a delicacy, that seed of resentment is silently sown in the hearts of Black Feather members.

It has nothing to do with individuals; it's a cold feeling of rabbit‑dies‑fox‑saddens, and a deep awareness of the system's unspeakable yet ever‑present icy rules.

Do they care about those 340,000 lives?

Perhaps they don't appear as indignant as some people in the channel; after all, the distance is great, the numbers huge, so feelings inevitably blur.

But they care about the rules.

The system can, because of a single error, lightly erase 340,000 people.

If today can be them, why can't tomorrow be us?

That much‑talked‑about compensatory delicacy, in the eyes of Black Feather members, looks more like an openly obvious insult.

See, your lives are worth this.

See, a single meal can silence the survivors, even make them think it's worth it.

This perception brings not a clamor of anger, but a deeper silence and an almost instinctive sense of crisis.

Besides the Instance summary, Zhi Nu also brought a brand‑new announcement.

No testing next week.

Last week's test suddenly became enough; next Monday, that is the day after tomorrow, the server merge will officially begin.

This originally explosive news has already failed to stir much wave tonight.

After enduring a whole night of clamor and absurdity, and witnessing the spectacle of 340,000 lives exchanged for a meal, this matter seems to have become… an ordinary thing.

Scattered people still discuss in the channel, but their words carry a numb fatigue.

"Just merge then; more people, the noise will be lively."

"I'm only concerned now about what difficulty next week's Instance will have."

"Just hope that after the merge, no madman will misuse items to trap the whole server."

"Why is it early? Didn't we agree to test again next week?"

"Some zones have all their people dead, right? Merging again… would leave no one."

……

After a night of clamor, Sunday finally arrived.

This day was incredibly busy for Black Feather members.

Construction of defensive works, drills for sudden war declarations and counterattacks, stockpiling supplies for next week's disaster, and preparing for the flood that will sweep in on Monday.

Cheng Shuili wasn't idle either; Su Rui would handle the waterproofing issue of her vehicle, so she had some free time and naturally joined Zhou Zhuxing, along with a dozen bear‑clan Shou Ren Xiao Zhen, to rush‑harvest crops in the fields.

Just a few days left before these foods fully ripen.

But the flood won't spare Shou Ren Xiao Zhen, nor will it spare Hei Yu An Quan Qu.

When the flood comes, these will all be ruined.

Zhou Zhuxing and Huo Po's eyes were filled with anguish, yet they both knew that rush‑harvesting was already the best method.

Time flew by rapidly amid the busyness.

The sun rose higher, then slowly set westward, stretching everyone's shadows long.

By evening, most of the harvestable crops had been stored.

Although the loss was severe, at least a portion was saved.

Zhou Zhuxing looked at the uneven harvest in the warehouse, let out a light sigh, then rallied, beginning to discuss with Wan Yi how to maximize the use and preservation of these hard‑won foods.

Cheng Shuili washed the mud off her hands, stood at the field's edge, and gazed at the now somewhat disorderly land before her.

The sunset's afterglow gilded everything with a golden‑red hue, oddly beautiful and tragic.

Wan Yi specially prepared a lavish meal and distributed it to everyone.

The steaming food in their stomachs dispelled some fatigue and unease.

Just as the atmosphere was warm, Zhi Nu's voice, without warning, rang again in all players' ears.

"Good evening, players."

It was still that sweet timbre, yet it made many people's hearts skip a beat.

Again?

"Given tomorrow's upcoming server merge and special conditions in some zones, we are issuing next week's disaster warning early."

The channel fell silent instantly.

Warning?

When did the system become so considerate?

Zhi Nu's voice continued, unhurried: "Next week's disaster is—flood!"

"All players must ensure they are prepared for a massive flood invasion. The flood will erupt precisely on Monday; its duration and scope are for each to explore."

"Special note: after the merge, competition will become more direct and intense."

"Leaderboard will be reshuffled! The faction leaderboard will also officially open on Wednesday, with faction ranking rewards to be distributed!"

"Wish everyone a pleasant survival."

The announcement was brief, yet its information exploded.

Rumors of the next disaster have long been circulating in the area channel, yet nobody wants to believe them.

And now the system itself has actually stepped forward to confirm it!

That's a flood—if it really comes, vehicles that aren't heavy enough will be swept away!

Even if they are heavy enough, how can someone trapped underwater survive?

Moreover, this newly emerged power ranking list happens to choose Wednesday to officially launch…

This is clearly for fear that after the area merge, factions won't fight; it's openly encouraging factions to declare war on each other!

"Is the system dissatisfied that we're not dying fast enough? Just after merging areas, it pulls this big stunt?"

"Give it my all! I don't want to drown or be robbed blind!"

"What exactly does a flood mean? Will it really submerge vehicles and roads? How would we survive then?"

"It's over… completely over! How could my vehicle possibly withstand a flood? The system is basically going to take me out!"

"Heh, now you're scared? Yesterday, when you were fighting to eat that compensation food, you were having a blast, right? The meal bought with 340,000 lives tasted good? Now it's our turn to trade our lives for food for others."

"If you're so dissatisfied, why don't you give up your food? What are you pretending for?"

"Stop with the idle chatter; quickly think about what we should do now—how are we supposed to survive?"

"Vehicle weight! Figure out how to increase load with ballast! And sealing!"

"You're right! I'll go melt all the metal parts and weld them onto the vehicle's underside right now!"

"Also, if we really get flooded, keep an oxygen-releasing device in the vehicle—don't let us avoid drowning only to suffocate alive inside the craft!"

"Useless. A small flood might be withstandable, but if it's a major flood, the water's force is beyond imagination; we should figure out how to make the craft float more stably, rather than just adding weight."

"It's getting dark right now, monsters are about to come out, and the system only just announced this—clearly it's not giving us any time to prepare!"