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

"Is this the fifth level of the Earth's core?"

"It's pitch black... not much different from the previous floors."

Lin You glanced at the excavation options; all four directions were filled with ordinary rocks and soil, mixed with some low-grade minerals.

It seems that this "spawn point" is very ordinary and nothing special.

The "Guardian's Realm" is hidden in this vast darkness.

If you try to find the location of the secret realm by luck alone, who knows how long it will take.

"Hmm... if I'm not mistaken."

For some unknown reason, Lin You took an item out of his pocket.

"The 'Guardian's Secret Realm' should also be considered a type of 'special location,' right?"

"Perhaps we can detect it using the Explorer's Compass!"

He held the compass in his palm and made a thought.

The compass needle in the center began to vibrate violently, and then suddenly pointed in a certain direction.

The Explorer's Compass is now activated!

[Marking a special location at the current level...]

[Marking complete!]

[A special location has been marked on the minimap: The Watcher's Lair!]

"It really works!"

Lin You's pupils contracted slightly, and he was immediately overjoyed.

He had only guessed before, but he didn't expect the effect to be so good.

On the minimap, the marker for the Watcher's Realm is flashing with golden light, approximately 5 kilometers from the current location.

"5 kilometers...at the current mining efficiency of the mine carts, it will take about an hour to dig."

Lin You glanced at the fuel reserves; there was still quite a bit left.

He took a few pieces of coal from the box, stuffed them into the fuel compartment of the mining cart, and then started the engine.

The rocks in the fifth core are harder than those in the previous layers.

The vibrations during excavation increased significantly, and the speed decreased slightly.

The newly awakened Flame Spirit jumped onto the control panel and nuzzled Lin You's arm with its head.

Are you hungry?

Lin You casually took out a piece of roasted earthworm meat, tore it open, and fed it to Yan Ling.

"Master, the soil here is so hard."

Vivian gazed curiously out the window and whispered.

"It doesn't seem like it's suitable for growing things."

"Well... after all, the pressure increases as you go down, and the soil becomes more compacted."

Lin You casually replied, her gaze falling on the mini-map.

The marker is getting closer little by little, and each dig shortens the distance by a small amount.

Just then, a private message popped up.

Elena: Is Mr. Lin there?

Lin You raised an eyebrow and typed a reply.

[Lin You: Yes, what's up?]

[Elena: Well, I posted something today about wanting to make a 'Center of the Earth Daily,' and the response has been pretty good. A lot of players have said they want to see it.]

[Elena: I plan to release the first episode today, but the content is still lacking.]

[Elena: So I'd like to ask Mr. Lin if he could provide some firsthand information?]

The Earth's Core Daily?

Lin You raised an eyebrow; he had indeed seen Elena's post on the forum just now.

At the time, he thought the idea was good, but he didn't expect the other party to start taking action so quickly.

This girl has great execution skills; she's a decisive person.

[Lin You: What are you planning to do?]

[Elena: I plan to compile noteworthy posts from the forum into a summary, add my own analysis and commentary, and incorporate your authoritative information to create a comprehensive paid daily report.]

Elena: If Mr. Lin is willing to cooperate, I can give you 30% of the revenue.

Lin You thought about it and realized that a 30% share was not a small amount, and this matter would not do him any harm.

He writes guides every day, and the content of those guides is already publicly available.

Telling Elena in advance can help generate buzz and increase interest.

[Lin You: Sure, what information do you need?]

[Elena: Anything is fine! For example, what will be the strategy guide for tomorrow, or is there any information outside of the strategy guide? As long as it's something the readers are interested in.]

[Lin You: Tomorrow's strategy depends on whether I succeed in today's challenge.]

[Elena: A challenge? Is Mr. Lin doing something big?]

[Lin You: Heh... You'll find out then. If it succeeds, there will be some really exciting content.]

[Elena: Huh? If you say that, then I'll be really looking forward to it!]

[Lin You: We'll talk about the specifics after the fight; it wouldn't be exciting if we said it now.]

Elena: That makes sense! I'll wait for your message!

[Elena: If Mr. Lin succeeds, be sure to tell me immediately! I'll reserve a spot for you on the front page!]

After closing the chat interface, Lin You refocused her attention on the minecart.

On the minimap, the distance to the Guardian's Secret Realm marker has been shortened even further.

"This is a good time to make preparations for war."

Lin You walked to the anvil, took out iron ingots and wood, and began to make crossbow bolts.

Although the silver arrows deal more additional damage, Lin You has limited resources.

In addition, most players have not yet gone to the second floor, so the silver mine output is relatively low.

The biggest advantage of the Silver Arrow is that it deals an additional 50% damage to undead.

Against ordinary enemies, ordinary crossbow bolts are sufficient, at least in large quantities.

As time passed, the surrounding rock walls gradually changed.

It was no longer rough rock, but covered with some kind of dark green moss.

The air was filled with a damp smell, and the faint sound of water droplets falling could be heard.

"The environment here... is quite different from the previous floors."

Lin You sat up straight and looked out through the window of the mine cart.

Low-lying plants, such as ferns or mosses, began to appear on both sides of the passage.

When the mine cart passes by, the plants tremble slightly, as if disturbed by the airflow.

"Plants...can grow five layers underground?"

Lin You frowned slightly, but then he remembered that he had encountered a field of firefly flowers before.

The inner Earth is filled with all kinds of magic and supernatural powers, and cannot be judged by common sense.

After digging for about ten more minutes, a faint light suddenly appeared ahead.

Lin You instinctively became alert, summoned the Magic Card Encyclopedia, and prepared to summon an army at any time.

But when he drove out of the passage, the scene before him made him pause slightly.

It was a lush underground forest.

Tall trees rise from the ground, their branches twisting and turning.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees.

The light source is located in the center of the Earth's core, in a vast open space shrouded by a hemispherical light shield.

The light shield is made of translucent pale golden energy, with fine rune patterns flowing across its surface.

It's like an inverted bowl, separating the central area from the outside world.

"This is the Watcher's Secret Realm?"

After confirming that the surroundings were safe, Lin You got out of the car with Yan Ling.

As soon as I got close to the light shield, information automatically appeared in front of me.

……

[The Core Realm: The Watcher's Realm]

[Depth of the Secret Realm: 5 (Hard)]

[Challenge Time: 60 minutes]

[Player Limit: Maximum of 10 players can challenge simultaneously; minecarts cannot enter the secret realm]

[Realm Description: A kobold shaman, wielding powerful magic, resides here. In addition to his protection, challengers must also face strong natural magic.]

[Special Rule ①: Each challenger increases the "Warden's" maximum health by 50% and adds 3 kobold guards.]

[Special Rule ②: Regardless of whether the challenge is successful or not, the Guardian's Realm will enter a 24-hour cooldown period and will not disappear.]

[Special Rule 3: After successfully defeating the Guardian, the Guardian will drop "Guardian's Tokens" for the corresponding number of players, and a Secret Realm Treasure Chest will be generated based on the battle evaluation.]

[Death Penalty: Permanent Death]

[Additional Information: The first player to clear the Watcher's Rift will receive a limited-edition title and other rewards, and a server-wide announcement will be made.]

……

Upon seeing the final blood-red notification, Lin You frowned, feeling a chill run down his spine.

Permanent death!

This is the first underground realm he has encountered that could lead to permanent death!