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

The moment the server-wide announcement popped up, the entire survival game fell silent for a moment.

Then came a deluge of posts flooding social media.

In all the chat rooms in the newbie zone, messages scrolled at a speed so fast that they were almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

"The fifth level of the Earth's core?! This guy has already reached the fifth level of the Earth's core?!"

"I've only just reached the edge of the third floor..."

"A server-wide announcement... This is ridiculously over-the-top!"

"What does 'Warden' mean? Is this thing very strong?"

"Which server does this player named Lin You belong to? Does our server have such a character?"

In the beginner zone, number 25535, the style is completely different.

The chat room was filled with calm replies like "Oh," "Got it," and "Normal operation," as if they were already used to it.

"Lin You has reached the 5th floor, as expected."

"How did you level up so fast, sir? Is there a trick to it?"

"As long as you can defeat 10 waves of undead invasions every day, you can level up just as quickly."

"Okay, never mind."

"Speaking of which, is the expert about to release a new guide? Is it about the Watchers?"

"Yeah, just what makes this guard so special that he can get the entire survival game to release a strategy guide?"

"Just wait and see, Boss Lin You might be resting."

Just then, a new post appeared in the posting section.

Earth Core Daily News 01: Congratulations to Lin You for achieving the first kill across the entire server!

The poster was Elena.

When the post was first published, it wasn't very popular.

But as its content spread rapidly, a large number of players soon flocked to it.

This post is neatly formatted and features a combination of text and images.

The first part is today's top news, listing some recent major events.

The second part is a selection of forum posts, summaries and links to several recent high-quality posts.

The third part is the highlight of the entire daily newspaper – the "Celebrity Interviews" section.

[This issue's featured interview guest: Lin You]

[Lin You: Thanks for the invitation. I'm at the entrance of the secret realm, just got the first kill.]

[Elena: Mr. Lin, first of all, congratulations on achieving the server-wide first kill! Could you briefly tell me about the Watcher's Rift?]

[Lin You: The Guardian's Secret Realm is on the 5th floor. You need to find the entrance to challenge it. After clearing the secret realm, you can directly open the passage to the next floor.]

[Elena: What does "Watcher" mean? I see everyone is very curious about it.]

[Lin You: I only found out after I completed the challenge. When players reach the 5th level, they must defeat the Guardian in order to continue to the deeper levels of the inner world.]

[Elena: I see. Does that mean all players have to fight the "Warden" once?]

[Lin You: Theoretically speaking, that's how it is.]

[Elena: This sounds like a trial. Is there anything I should pay special attention to?]

[Lin You: There are two key points. First, death in the secret realm is permanent; there is no chance of resurrection.]

[Lin You: Second, after a successful challenge, the Guardian's Secret Realm will enter a 24-hour cooldown period, but it will not disappear and can be challenged repeatedly.]

[Elena: One last question, Mr. Lin, will you release a detailed strategy guide for the Watchers?]

[Lin You: Of course I will, but I need to rest for a while. Please wait a moment, it won't be long.]

This concludes the interview.

As expected, the comments section erupted in excitement, with everyone discussing the content of the interview.

"Permanent death?! If you die in the Guardian's Realm, you're truly dead?!"

"Holy crap, isn't that Lin You dancing on a knife's edge...?"

"No wonder he said he needed to rest before writing the guide. Even I would need a long time to recover from a battle of this level."

"Looking forward to a detailed guide! Lin You, you definitely need to get some rest!"

"I've already added this to my watchlist, now I'm just waiting for the expert to post!"

"This Earth Center Daily is really well done, with clear layout and solid content. I recommend following it regularly!"

"I second that! From now on, we'll have a daily report, so we'll never miss any important information again!"

Inside the mine cart, Lin You looked at the bustling forum, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The first issue of the Earth's Core Daily received a much better response than expected, and Elena's execution and layout skills were truly impressive.

Of course, as the inaugural issue, the first issue of the Geocentric Daily was published free of charge.

This is also to cultivate players' reading habits and increase user engagement.

"They're quite good at creating content."

He smiled and closed the forum.

Yanling was fast asleep at his feet, her little belly rising and falling.

It contributed a lot in the battle just now.

Flame Spirit killed all three kobold warriors, and it was so tired that it could barely keep its eyes open.

Lin You didn't wake it. She gently rubbed the little guy's head and then focused her attention back on the spoils in front of her.

First, there are the rewards for clearing the Guardian's Realm.

……

[The Gatekeeper's Testimony]

[Note: The proof obtained after defeating the "Watchers" in the Netherworld can be used to upgrade minecarts or exchange for special items.]

[Note: This item is soul-bound, cannot be traded, and cannot be gifted.]

……

Lin You held the palm-sized metal token in his hand and could feel a warm power emanating from it.

These are the essential materials for upgrading the simple minecart to level 10.

……

Next, there was a smelly cloth bag dropped by the kobold shaman, with its head painted on it.

……

【Treasure Bag (Kobold Shaman)】

[Note: This bag contains the shaman's personal belongings and may contain items related to the kobold shaman.]

……

Lin You opened the bag, and a bunch of things poured out.

You have received 50 Silver Coins.

You have obtained 3 Small Healing Potions.

You have obtained the "Kobold Shaman's Ritual Cloak".

You have received a "Small Jewelry Bag" x1

Lin You's eyes lit up.

There are quite a few good things in this bag.

The return of 50 silver coins is quite considerable, much higher than that of the Dark Mine.

Small healing potions are also invaluable life-saving items.

Including the bottle that was left over, Lin You has a total of 4 bottles on hand.

The cloak was the only piece of equipment among all the spoils of war.

……

[Kobold Shaman's Ritual Cloak]

Grade: 5 (Blue)

[Requirement: Spirit > 50 (Rank E)]

[Defense: 10]

【Effect 1: Maximum Mana +100】

【Effect 2: Mana regeneration speed +20% when not in combat】

[Additional Information: Level 5 Warden - Kobold Shaman Exclusive Drop]

……

"Mana recovery speed +20%...that's good."

Without saying a word, Lin You put on the cloak.

Finally, there's the small jewelry pouch.

Upon opening, you can obtain 1 to 3 random types of shattered gems.

Lin You rubbed his hands together and opened it.

You have obtained 2 "Shattered Rubies"!

Two dark red gemstones, each the size of a grain of rice, lay in my palm, gleaming with a warm luster.

Broken gemstones are the lowest grade of gemstones.

However, for players at this stage, having something is better than having nothing.

[Broken Ruby: Can be used for crafting or setting; sell it to the recycling shop for more coins]

[Additional Information: In the realm of crafting, rubies are associated with the attributes of "Power" and "Fire".]

[Additional Information: You have obtained the crafting recipe for "Low-Level Skill Orb"]

[Low-level Skill Orb: 10 random shattered gems, requires an Alchemy Table]

"Ruby... I'll look into what it can be used for later."

After carefully putting away the gems, Lin You looked at the first kill reward.

Ten gold coins—another huge sum of money.

Including the prize money for first place on the individual leaderboard in the newcomer competition, Lin You now has a huge sum of over 20 gold coins!

As for the 1 experience points as a reward, they can only be saved up and will only take effect after the advancement quest is completed.

[Limited-time title "Earth's Core Pioneer": Already issued to your personal profile]

Lin You casually opened his personal panel and found the title section.

"Let me see what's going on..."

……

[Earth's Core Pioneer (Limited Title)]

[Note: The title will be automatically displayed in chat rooms and when posting after you equip it.]

[Effect: Eliminates cross-level transaction fees when buying and selling items in the game market]

[Note: The title's effect is passive and will remain active even when not equipped.]

……

Lin You's eyes lit up when he saw the title's effect.

No inter-level transaction fees!

The effect may seem insignificant, but its actual value far exceeds expectations.

Most players are still stuck on level 1 of the Earth's core, while he's already on level 5.

Each cross-level transaction incurs a substantial transfer fee.

With this title, he can buy and sell things in the market at zero cost!

"This title is more useful than 10 gold coins..."

Lin You couldn't help but grin as he put on the title.

His name on the game forum changed to "[Earth's Core Pioneer - Lin You]".

It certainly looks very high-class.

After tallying all the profits, Lin You took a deep breath and walked to the minecart control panel.

My gaze fell on the upgrade panel.

[Simple Mine Cart]

[Level: 9/10]

Materials required to upgrade to level 10: 10 Silver Coins, Gatekeeper's Token x1

Level 10 is the limit for the simple minecart.

But that's not Lin You's limit.

The Gold Rush... is right in front of us!

"Simple minecart, upgrade!"