Prehistoric? Choose the crocodile and survive until version T0.

As his consciousness was pulled away from the boundless dizziness and the tearing pain gradually subsided, Lin Ye found himself in a pure white void.

There was no heaven and earth, no physical objects, no distinction between up, down, left, and right. Only a huge golden light screen floated in front of him. The light screen was shimmering with color and engraved with the phantom images of countless prehistoric creatures. It was the species selection interface that seven billion people around the world were watching.

The memories from his time travel intertwined with his current desperate situation, which ironically made him calmer than anyone else in this world.

Before his transmigration, as a paleontology enthusiast, he was acutely aware of the survival rules of the prehistoric world—a temporary powerhouse might not have the last laugh; the dominant species of a particular era would inevitably be replaced and weakened. Only species that survived hundreds of millions of years of vicissitudes and numerous mass extinctions were the true eternal kings.

Meanwhile, the outside world was in complete chaos, with global attention focused on the choices made by contestants from various countries. Each species selection affected the emotions of hundreds of millions of people in a country.

[The species selection process has officially begun!]

[This season: Middle to Late Triassic period, arid and water-scarce environment, large areas of land swamps were broken up, atmospheric oxygen content was low, and the competition for survival among species was extremely fierce.]

【物种评级划分为：T0（顶级掠食者）、T1（强势掠食者）、T2（中型生存物种）、T3（弱势生物）、T4（濒危底层生物）】

[Select countdown: 3 minutes. After the timeout, a species will be automatically randomly assigned!]

The system notification sound resounded throughout the world and also clearly reached the ears of Lin Ye in the void.

Almost the instant the system notification appeared, players from all over the world went crazy, staring intently at the imposing and ferocious phantoms of the species on the screen, and rushing towards the high-rated species without hesitation.

Everyone understands that in the perilous prehistoric world, the strength of the initial species almost directly determined life and death.

American athlete Carter is a retired Marine Corps special forces instructor with top-notch wilderness survival skills and decisive courage. He has been carrying out missions in the wilderness and jungle for many years, which has honed his courage and judgment far beyond that of ordinary people.

He scanned the top of the light screen and, without the slightest hesitation, locked onto the massive, ferocious T0 species—an early carnivorous dinosaur.

This was an apex predator in the Triassic terrestrial food chain, enormous in size, with an astonishing bite force, born without any natural enemies, and invincible from the start.

[American player Carter selects: Early Carnivorous Dinosaur (T0), Initial combat power rating: Extremely strong!]

The golden characters on the screen broadcast the news in real time, and the sound reached all over the world.

The next second, the American people erupted in cheers, the streets and alleys were filled with deafening shouts, people embraced and wept, and the whole country was in a frenzy of joy.

The national fortune rankings were instantly refreshed, and the United States' national fortune value skyrocketed, unsurprisingly taking the top spot globally and far ahead of other countries.

"Top-tier predator! Coach Carter was so decisive, we've got this in the bag!"

"A prehistoric land overlord from the start, with no rivals whatsoever!"

"That ordinary person from the Dragon Kingdom doesn't even have the right to participate; he might as well just wait to die!"

Harsh taunts and boasts flooded the Chinese livestream room like a tidal wave, following the barrage of comments from the global broadcast, every word filled with schadenfreude.

Following closely behind, Andrei, a contestant from the Arctic Bear Country, decisively chose the T0-class giant mammoth salamander, with his fierce style of action. This was the absolute overlord of the Triassic waters, with a size far exceeding that of ordinary creatures, thick skin, and immense strength, capable of roaming both water and land.

Japanese player Sato, quick-witted and cunning, snatched the last remaining T0 species on the screen—the prehistoric monitor lizard, covered in thick scales, extremely aggressive, and with exceptional survivability.

In just a few dozen seconds, all the T0-level species were snapped up, leaving no chance for other contestants.

With T0 gone, the remaining players immediately turned their attention to the powerful T1-level predators. German player Hans took the lead and selected the fierce Crocodile.

England's Arthur followed closely behind, locking onto the incredibly fast Pike Crocodile; France's Pierre, on the other hand, snatched the extremely venomous prehistoric giant scorpion.

These species, which also possess formidable combat capabilities and remarkable adaptability, instantly became coveted targets for contestants from Europe and America, and were selected one after another.

The global survival power rankings are being updated rapidly, with the top ten being firmly occupied by T0 and T1 top predators without exception.

At this moment, global audiences, commentators, and experts reached an undisputed consensus:

To survive in the Triassic period and for a nation to prosper, the strongest predator must be chosen! The law of the jungle is the only truth for survival!

"The answer in this version is the apex predator! Choosing a weak species means you won't survive the first day!"

"The Triassic period was a world ruled by the strong; weakness was the original sin, and one could only become prey!"

Public opinion was overwhelmingly against Lin Ye, and the mockery in the overseas live streams became increasingly unrestrained. All eyes were turned to the Dragon Kingdom's live stream, waiting to see Lin Ye make a fool of himself and to hear the death sentence handed down to the Dragon Kingdom.

At this moment, however, the Dragon Kingdom was utterly silent.

Inside the official, dedicated interpretation hall, five scholars, including chief paleontologist Chen Guoan and senior wilderness survival expert Zhang Lei, sat in front of the camera, their faces ashen, and the atmosphere around them extremely oppressive.

Chen Guoan gripped the microphone tightly, his knuckles turning white, staring at the dwindling list of species on the screen. His voice was hoarse and anxious: "We can't get any more T0 species. Next, we must prioritize T1 level crocodiles and Pike crocodiles!"

"These two organisms are amphibious, drought-resistant, and low-oxygen-tolerant, perfectly adapted to the fragmented swamp environment of the Triassic period. Their survival ability far surpasses that of other species, making them our only optimal solution at present!"

"Don't hesitate, don't choose the weaker species!"

Hundreds of millions of viewers across the country watched the live broadcast, their fists clenched, their palms soaked with cold sweat, their hearts pounding, and even their breathing becoming cautious.

The live stream chat was filled with a dense barrage of anxious pleas and cries from the public.

"Select the crocodile! Please, select the crocodile!"

"As long as we get T1, we still have hope!"

"Don't make a random choice! Please don't gamble with the fate of over a billion people in the entire Dragon Kingdom!"

In everyone's eyes, Lin Ye was just an ordinary person with no wilderness survival experience and no professional knowledge. Compared with top experts like Carter and Andre, he might not even be as brave as an ordinary contestant.

Such a person is utterly incapable of making the right judgment when faced with a decision concerning the life and death of the nation.

In the void, Lin Ye remained calm, his gaze slowly sweeping over the top predators that were being fought over globally and were shining brightly, without the slightest change in his expression.

Early carnivorous dinosaurs, though seemingly powerful, gradually declined with the changing of eras and eventually disappeared from the river of evolution.

Giant labyrinthine salamanders, which dominate the waters, could not withstand drastic climate change and environmental transformation.

Even prehistoric giant lizards and crocodiles, these powerful creatures of both land and water, will eventually be phased out by the game's updates and will inevitably face extinction.

A powerful version will eventually be nerfed; as eras change, the overlord will change.

These "optimal solutions" in the eyes of the world were never the answers he wanted.