Chapter 315: Eve of the Eternal Night

Lin Yifan's gaze was firm: "This means the Dawn Alliance cannot strike us during the Eternal Night. We must use this time to fully boost our strength and prepare for the disaster."

The group fell silent for a moment, then all nodded. Though the news was despairing, at least they now knew the danger in advance and still had time to prepare.

"Then what should we do?" Su Xiao xi asked.

Lin Yifan thought for a moment and said: "First, consolidate all resources and prioritize strengthening the Shelter's defense systems. Second, gather every item and equipment that can raise our power. Third, intensify team coordination training to ensure mutual support when disaster strikes."

"Alright!" everyone answered in unison, their eyes reigniting with fighting spirit.

At that moment, Lin Yifan suddenly felt a faint tremor in his chest. He reached into his collar and felt the artifact that recognized him in the Instance—a simple silver pendant. Now the pendant emitted a faint glow, as if responding to his resolve.

An artifact... perhaps it could become the key to our fight against the Eternal Night.

Lin Yifan thought to himself.

He lifted his head and looked at the sky outside the window. The originally grayish clouds seemed to grow even gloomier, as if foreshadowing an approaching storm.

"Time is short," Lin Yifan whispered, "we must seize every second."

The others followed his gaze toward the window, a shared sense of urgency rising within them. They knew that each coming day would be a race against death itself.

Yet no one faltered. For in this harsh survival land, only unity and courage can bring a sliver of hope.

The Eternal Night is coming, but dawn will eventually break.

Lin Yifan clenched his fists, his gaze as firm as iron.

In the following days, the entire Shelter entered an unprecedented state of battle readiness.

Lin Yifan divided the team into several squads: Chen Hao led the combat unit out to hunt, collecting crystal cores and reinforcement materials; Zhao Yufei handled logistics, optimizing the Shelter's defensive works.

Li Ming headed the tech team to study several mysterious devices brought back from the Instance, trying to decipher their technology; while Su Xiao xi used her healing ability to provide logistical support for everyone.

Lin Yifan himself focused on researching the silver pendant—【Time Sand】.

It was the artifact he accidentally obtained in the Instance; according to the silver surface, it had once been the Dawn Alliance's coveted treasure, possessing a faint power to manipulate time.

Though he cannot fully control it yet, even this preliminary use lets him briefly accelerate or slow the flow of time in battle, a god‑defying ability in life‑or‑death confrontations.

"If we could master it completely..." Lin Yifan murmured, his fingertips gently tracing the ancient patterns on the pendant's surface.

Yet, as he immersed himself in research, the Shelter's alarm suddenly shrieked!

"Enemy attack?!" Lin Yifan sprang up, his form flashing as he rushed out the door.

In the distance, a black tide of beasts surged from the wilds, their eyes glowing crimson as if driven by some force, charging madly toward the Shelter.

"It's a mutated beast herd! Why are they suddenly rioting?!" Su Xiao xi shouted, her face pale.

"Something's off..." Lin Yifan's gaze darkened, "They're not ordinary beasts; they're being controlled by some power!"

"Could it be... a prelude to the Eternal Night Cataclysm?" Chen Hao gripped his battle axe tightly, his voice heavy.

"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Lin Yifan barked, simultaneously activating Time Sand.

In an instant, his vision seemed to slow the world for a heartbeat. He could clearly see each mutated beast's running trajectory and even predict their attack paths.

"Chen Hao, three on the left wing, weak point at the abdomen!"

"Li Ming, five on the right, trap them with electromagnetic nets!"

"Zhao Yufei, provide long‑range fire suppression!"

Under his command, the group swiftly adjusted formation to meet the beast tide. Yet these mutated beasts were fiercer than before, and several massive elite monsters surged at the front, each strike easily tearing steel.

"Damn, they're far stronger than before!" Li Ming growled, his electromagnetic net only ensnaring one monster before another smashed it apart.

"We can't brute‑force; we must find their weak points!" Lin Yifan's eyes hardened, and he charged toward the densest part of the herd.

"Brother Yifan!" Su Xiao xi cried.

In the next second, Lin Yifan's figure suddenly accelerated; the power of Time Sand let him briefly outrun time's shackles, his blade flashing like lightning, slicing off the heads of three mutated beasts in an instant!

"Their core is at the third vertebra!" he shouted.

The others' spirits lifted, instantly shifting their attack to focus fire on the monsters' spines. Indeed, once that spot was hit, the mutated beasts instantly collapsed.

The fight lasted nearly an hour, and finally the beast tide was utterly crushed.

Yet no one cheered.

Because everyone knew—this was only the beginning.

"These monsters... are far stronger than those we previously faced," Zhao Yufei panted.

"And they seem driven by some force, actively attacking human outposts," Chen Hao frowned.

Lin Yifan looked up at the sky; the once‑gray clouds now grew even gloomier, faintly tinged with a dark red hue.

"The Eternal Night Cataclysm... seems closer than we imagined," he whispered.

At that moment, Li Ming suddenly shouted, "Look!"

Everyone followed his gaze and saw, on the distant horizon, a black barrier slowly rising, swallowing the land like a night veil.

"Is that... the boundary of the Eternal Night?!" Su Xiao xi's voice trembled.

Lin Yifan took a deep breath and clenched his fists.

"Everyone, return to the Shelter immediately! Reinforce defenses and prepare for the real disaster!"

The Eternal Night descended.

The black barrier spread outward at a visible speed, devouring light wherever it passed, as if even the air grew stagnant.

"Quick! Retreat to the Shelter!" Lin Yifan barked.

The group dared not delay, rushing back into the defensive works. Heavy metal doors slammed shut, energy shields rose around them, and a pale blue light dome enveloped the entire Shelter.

"How long can our energy reserves hold?" Lin Yifan asked gravely.

"At the current consumption rate, at most seven days," Li Ming reported quickly, his face grim, "but if we face high‑intensity attacks, the time will be shorter."

"Seven days..." Lin Yifan's brows knit, "the duration of the Eternal Night Cataclysm is unknown; we must plan for the worst."

He turned to the others, his voice low yet firm: "From now on, split everyone into three rotating shifts to ensure the defense system is manned 24 hours a day. Unless absolutely necessary, no one may go out!"

The group nodded en masse and promptly carried out the orders.

Su Xiao xi walked to Lin Yifan's side and whispered, "Brother Yifan, do you think... we can hold on