Survival in the Core: I'm writing a guide for the entire server.

……

[System Announcement: New Player Protection Period Has Ended]

Your minecart is no longer immune to damage.

The instant the countdown reached zero, a line of cold text simultaneously appeared before the eyes of all players.

The moment the announcement disappeared, the entire game forum fell into a deathly silence.

Nearly a million players in the 25535 newbie zone felt the weight of fear at the same time.

……

In a dimly lit part of the Earth's core.

A thin young man squatted in the corner of the mine cart, his hands covering his head, his whole body trembling.

"It's over...it's all over..."

His mining truck was running out of fuel, with less than 5 units left.

There was no food or even drinking water in the backpack.

The only weapon was a badly worn stone spear, which I made using a recipe from a strategy guide.

"I don't want to die... I really don't want to die..."

Tears streamed down his face, dripping onto the cold metal floor.

Another location in the Earth's core.

A middle-aged man stood outside the mine cart, holding a bronze sword in his hand, his expression solemn.

His mining cart had plenty of fuel, and he had enough food and water to last for several days.

However, the end of the newbie protection period means that he will face more unknown dangers.

What's meant to happen will happen eventually.

He took a deep breath, sheathed the bronze sword back into its leather sheath at his waist, and turned back to the mine cart.

"From today onward, we must be more careful with every step we take."

A narrow passage to the center of the earth.

A young girl sat in front of the mine cart control panel, looking bewildered.

She held a roasted mushroom in her hand, but had no appetite at all.

"What should I do...?"

During the three-day beginner protection period, she dug up almost nothing of value.

They had no weapons, no armor, and less than 20 fuel points left.

"Perhaps... I don't have much longer to live."

She put the roasted mushrooms back in her backpack, hugged her knees, and buried her face in them.

……

A brightly lit subterranean space.

A bald, burly man stood on top of a mine cart, hands on his hips, laughing loudly.

"Hahahaha! It's finally over!"

"I've been waiting for this day for three days!"

He was covered in brass-colored metal armor, which gleamed in the lantern light.

The bronze sword in his hand gleamed with a cold light, and the blade still bore traces of slime.

"Come on! I'll kill as many as you come!"

"This inner world will eventually be mine!"

All walks of life.

There was fear, confusion, despair, but also excitement and anticipation.

But regardless of the players' mindset, one fact remains unchanged—

The real survival game officially begins from this moment.

Lin You leaned against the cold iron wall of the minecart, watching the announcement disappear with a blank expression.

"It's finally over."

He took a deep breath, took out the bronze sword from his backpack, and placed it within easy reach.

Then, they sorted out several portions of coal and charcoal and placed them next to the furnace.

Finally, he glanced at the pet egg that was still hatching.

[Remaining time until hatching complete: 18 hours, 23 minute, 44 seconds]

"Once you come out, we'll be partners fighting side by side."

Lin You said something softly, then turned her attention back to the system announcement.

A new line of text appeared on the bulletin board.

[System Announcement: The "Calamity Invasion" system is now open]

Players have a chance to encounter an "undead calamity" during the excavation process.

The undead will attack minecarts and the living; defeating them will also yield rewards.

Best of luck to everyone!

"The Plague of the Undead..."

Lin You frowned slightly and typed those four words into the forum search bar.

The search results are still 0.

"Another brand new system... Survival games really love to give players 'surprises'."

Lin You shook her head and opened the chat room.

The chat room had completely exploded at this point.

The speed at which information floods the screen is so fast that it is almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye; only a few complete messages can be caught occasionally.

"The plague of the undead?! What the hell is that?!"

"Oh no, oh no, oh no! I can't even beat regular monsters, and now I'm facing a calamity?!"

"Does anyone know how to trigger the Undead Plague? I really want to avoid it!"

"It's unavoidable; the announcement mentioned 'a chance,' it's entirely based on luck!"

"Does that mean I'm doomed because I'm so unlucky?!"

"Don't panic, the announcement says there's a reward for defeating the calamity, maybe it's a good thing!"

"Good news? Look at the words 'Disaster of the Undead,' do they look like a good thing?!"

"If my minecart gets blown up, will I die?"

"The rules didn't say anything, but if the minecart explodes, you're basically dead..."

"Master Lin You! Master Lin You, help me!"

"The expert said they'd release a comprehensive guide today! Where are you?!"

"Please, please send it quickly, I'm about to be overwhelmed by fear..."

Lin You took a deep breath as she watched the messages scrolling rapidly in the chat room.

He opened the posting section and clicked on the drafts.

There's a post that was just written.

The title is "Survival Guide to the Center of the Earth (Continuously Updated)".

He spent a lot of time integrating the content of his previous two strategy posts.

Stone tool recipe, campfire and charcoal recipe, furnace recipe, mushroom monster's weaknesses, how to deal with slimes...

All the information that can help players survive is compiled in this post.

In addition, he added a lot of new content and recipes.

Finally, he added a paragraph at the end of the post:

"The newbie protection period is over; the real challenge is about to begin."

"I will continue to update this guide, adding new discoveries as I go."

"I hope everyone can survive."

"above."

Click Publish.

Within seconds of the post being published, it had already garnered over 100,000 views.

The comment section is growing at a visible speed.

"First comment! Lin You's new strategy guide!"

"They're here! They're here! They're finally here!"

"The Survival Guide to the Center of the Earth... This title alone screams 'good stuff'!"

"Holy crap, this post is so detailed!!"

"We've compiled all the previous guides and added a lot of new content!"

"Bronze tools?! Master Lin You has already made a bronze sword?!"

"Torchworks can weaken monsters? How come I didn't know that?!"

"Because you're not Boss Lin You!"

"Thank you so much, Lin You! This guide is like a beacon in the darkness!"

"I hereby declare that, from today onwards, Boss Lin You is my biological father!"

"Why isn't it Mom? Why isn't it Mom?"

"The boss's last words brought tears to my eyes... 'I hope everyone can survive'..."

"Waaaaah, Lin You is so gentle!"

……

Lin You's post was not the only strategy post after the newbie protection period ended.

In the posting section, many players also posted various strategies.

Some posts introduce the uses of slime gel, some share tips on saving fuel, and some teach people how to mine quickly...

However, the quality of these posts varies greatly, and some even contain serious errors.

Another player named "Roger" openly advertised various recipes in the forum.

All of these recipes were already publicly disclosed by Lin You in the strategy guide for free.

Someone brought this up, but was not only blocked, but also met with Roger's high-sounding mockery.

"I know some people have shared these recipes for free, but I also put in the effort to find them. Isn't it normal to charge for them?"

"If you don't want to buy it, you don't have to. Nobody's forcing you."

"But let me remind you, what's free is often the most expensive. Who knows if there are any traps in those recipes?"

These remarks have sparked considerable controversy.

Some people angrily denounced Roger as shameless in the comments section, while others felt that he made sense and were willing to pay money for "peace of mind".

Seeing this, Roger even pressed his advantage and doubled the price.

.....

Lin You naturally saw these posts while organizing them.

But he just shook his head and ignored it.

"If someone is willing to be a sucker, I can't stop them."

He refocused his attention on his strategy post, checking the comments and points earned.

[Ding! Your strategy post helped other players, earning you +1 strategy point!]

[Ding! You have gained 1 strategy point!]

[Ding! You have gained 1 strategy point!]

The system notification sounded again, even more intensely than the previous two times.

With the end of the new player protection period, players' demand for strategy guides has increased exponentially.

Every second, thousands of players are checking his posts, seeking survival tips.

The points for completing the strategy are jumping around rapidly.

1000……1500……2000……2500……3000……

As Lin You watched the numbers climb, the smile on her lips grew wider and wider.

With the more than 1,000 points he had accumulated before, his total points were approaching the 5000 mark at a visible speed.

"Wait a little longer... wait a little longer..."

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his excitement.

Finally, the system notification changed the moment the points exceeded 5000.

Strategy Points: 5002

[The requirements for exchanging the S-class mining truck blueprint have been met!]

Lin You opened the strategy shop almost without hesitation.

My gaze swept over the last item—

【Item 3: Obtain an S-grade minecart blueprint, costing 5000 points】

"exchange!"

[You have obtained an "S-Rank Minecart Blueprint" by spending 5000 strategy points!]

A blueprint gleaming with golden light appeared in Lin You's hand.

The drawing surface is engraved with complex mechanical structure diagrams, and every part is clearly labeled.

The drill bit on the front of the car is spiral-shaped and is three times larger than the drill bit on the simple mining car.

The car's lines are rugged and bold, with various pipes as robust as muscles and blood vessels, resembling a ferocious beast from the earth.

Lin You held the blueprint, her hands trembling slightly.

"The S-class minecart blueprint... I finally got it!"

"This time, we've really struck it rich!"

……

[Mining Cart Blueprint: Gold Miner]

[Grade: 10 (Gold)]

[Requirements: Simple Minecart Lv10, Iron Plate x20, Gear x10, Glass x10, Copper Ingot x100, Iron Ingot x50, Gold Coin x10]

[Mining Level: 5 (Can mine all low-level minerals, as well as gold and magic ore)]

[Mining efficiency: 200%]

Total fuel: 1000

Base durability: 5000

[Additional Functions: Intermediate Exploration Radar, Automatic Collection Device, Intermediate Expansion Warehouse]

[Note: This is a mining truck specifically designed for excavation; its performance is extremely reliable!]

……