The sunlight was glaring, and the sea breeze carried a briny scent, yet it couldn't disperse the sudden surge of heat on the deck.
Qin Yu stood before the massive golden chest, taking a deep breath.
S-rank.
And prefixed with the words "Strategic Resource."
This was the real deal.
"Yu-ge, hurry up and open it!"
Yao Qian, now completely awake, was bouncing on the deck in her oversized T-shirt, her bare feet pattering like an excited child waiting to unwrap a gift.
Li Ruobing casually tossed aside an empty soda can and moved closer.
"Boss, stop dawdling. This is a big one."
"I want to know what could be called a 'Strategic Resource' too."
Though Yao Xue remained silent, her beautiful eyes were fixed intently on the chest, her fingers pressing slightly harder against her glasses.
Qin Yu smirked.
"Opening it now."
He reached out and pressed the intricate golden latch.
Click.
A crisp mechanical sound echoed as the heavy metal lid slowly swung open on its own.
There was no blinding golden light effect.
Only the chilling gleam of cold metal.
Inside the chest, ten black metallic spheres were neatly arranged.
Each was the size of a basketball, covered in precise armor plates, with faint blue lights hinting at complex internal circuitry.
[Ding! Congratulations on opening the S-rank·Strategic Resource Treasure Chest!]
[Acquired: All-Terrain Strategic Assault Robot (Codename: Black Ant) x10!]
[Description: Military-grade individual combat support unit, equipped with high-frequency vibration cutting legs and a built-in micro self-destruct core. Possesses exceptional climbing, stealth, and ambush capabilities. Capable of autonomous patrol and remote control.]
Qin Yu's eyes narrowed sharply.
Excellent!
This was the real "guard dog"!
"Is... is this a ball?" Li Ruobing looked bewildered, reaching out to touch one.
"Don't move."
Qin Yu snapped sharply.
He then tapped the control panel to activate them.
Hum—
The ten metallic spheres instantly emitted a synchronized buzzing.
Then,
under the astonished gazes of the three women,
the metal spheres rapidly unfolded.
Eight sharp metallic limbs extended, their tips gleaming with a cold, menacing light.
They resembled ten enlarged mechanical spiders, or black ants.
Moving in perfect unison, they settled on the deck, their red electronic eyes intently scanning every movement around them.
"Wow! So cool!"
Yao Qian's eyes sparkled as she rushed forward.
"Are these mechanical battle pets?!"
"So awesome!"
One of the "Black Ants" immediately raised a forelimb, seemingly scanning Yao Qian's identity.
After confirming she was a "mistress," it obediently retracted its sharp blade-legs, allowing Yao Qian to stroke its cold, metallic head.
Watching this, Qin Yu nodded in satisfaction.
"With these ten little guys,"
"if anyone tries to climb our ship at night,"
"their head will be gone the moment their foot touches the railing."
"And these things can operate underwater, climb walls—even in close-quarters combat inside the ship, they're invincible."
Li Ruobing stared at those sharp mechanical legs and couldn't suppress a shiver.
"Tsk tsk."
"This thing was literally born for killing."
"Boss, you're turning our ship into a mobile fortress."
Qin Yu smiled without responding.
In this apocalypse, a fortress was always better than a coffin.
He turned to look at the three neglected silver boxes nearby.
"Well, the main course is finished."
"Time for dessert."
"Let's see if these three A-grade boxes can improve our meals."
Without further delay, he kicked open the locks of all three boxes in quick succession.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The lids flipped open.
A rich aroma immediately wafted out.
Li Ruobing, with her sensitive nose, instantly widened her eyes.
"Holy shit!"
"This is..."
The first box was filled with thick layers of ice.
Between the ice blocks lay two entire cuts of premium beef with clear marbling and rosy coloration.
[Acquired: A-grade·Top M9 Tomahawk Steak (50kg)!]
"Meat! Fresh meat!"
Li Ruobing was practically drooling.
Although they'd been eating seafood daily, for carnivores, red meat was the real soul food!
The second box contained delicate glass bottles and cloth bags.
[Acquired: A-grade·Royal Special Red Wine x12 bottles!]
[Acquired: A-grade·High-Gluten Flour x100kg!]
[Acquired: A-grade·Organic Vegetable Seed Gift Pack x1!]
The third box was the most practical.
[Acquired: A-grade·High-Energy Solid Fuel Block x50!]
[Acquired: A-grade·Living Area Full Set Silk Bedding x5!]
Qin Yu looked at all the supplies spread across the floor with great satisfaction.
"Not bad."
"We've got wine, meat, and new bedsheets."
"Ruo Bing, wipe that drool."
"We'll pan-fry this steak for lunch."
"Eat well, then we'll get to work."
Li Ruobing excitedly saluted, her curves trembling beneath her tank top.
"Roger that, Boss!"
"I'll go get the frying pan right away!"
...
Noon, 12 PM.
In the luxurious restaurant on the top deck of the "President".
Aromatic scents filled the air.
Thick-cut tomahawk steaks sizzled on the iron plate, seared brown on the surface while remaining pink inside.
Beside them stood freshly opened red wine.
If one ignored the dead sea outside the window,
this meal could easily pass for Michelin three-star quality.
Qin Yu cut a piece of beef and put it in his mouth.
Juices burst forth.
The satisfaction shot straight from his taste buds to the crown of his head.
"Amazing."
He raised his wine glass.
"Come on, bottoms up."
"To our smooth regional merger and dominating all competition."
The three women all raised their glasses.
Even Yao Qian, though underage (despite her mature figure), had been poured a small glass of wine, her face flushed pink.
"Cheers!"
The crisp clinking of glasses rang out.
Just then.
A piercing system alert tone abruptly exploded in everyone's minds without warning.
Even Li Ruobing, who had beef in her mouth, jumped in fright.
[Region-wide Announcement! Region-wide Announcement!]
[Only 60 minutes remaining until Regional Merger!]
[Initiating final rankings for original regions!]
[Top ten survivors from each region's leaderboard will receive the system's "Merger Preparation Gift Package"!]
[The higher the ranking, the better the rewards!]
[Survivors, please check your mail!]
As soon as the announcement echoed, the previously quiet world channel exploded.
[Random Guy (District 9527): Holy shit! There are rewards for the top ten?]
[Cannon Fodder (District 9527): Damn it! If only I hadn't slept! I ranked eleventh! Just one square meter short!]
[Li Si (District 9527): Hahaha! I'm tenth! Jackpot! Got a C-grade weapon crate with a submachine gun!]
[Zhao Ritian (District 9527): I'm third! B-grade crate! Unlocked a bulletproof vest and a heavy machine gun! Qin Yu! Just you wait until the server merge—I'm coming for you!]
[Onlooker (District 9527): Stop bragging. Qin Yu is number one—he definitely got an S-grade. What are you shouting about with your B-grade?]
Qin Yu calmly finished the last sip of his red wine as he watched the frantic comments scroll across the screen.
"Ranking rewards?"
"Interesting."
"So this is what they mean by 'the strong get stronger'?"
The system was clearly fostering a survival-of-the-fittest environment—arming the strong while leaving the weak to fend for themselves. It was practically forcing everyone to fight immediately after the server merge.
"Boss, hurry up and check yours!" Li Ruobing had even stopped eating, her eyes fixed on Qin Yu with anticipation. "You're number one, and by a huge margin. The reward must be incredible!"
Yao Xue set down her knife and fork, wiping her lips with a napkin. "Given how the system operates, the top reward is usually unique."
Qin Yu nodded, tapping the air to open the shimmering golden system mail.
[Congratulations, Survivor Qin Yu, for ranking first in District 9527's Comprehensive Power Rankings!]
[The gap between you and other survivors is like heaven and earth. In recognition of your outstanding performance, your reward has been upgraded!]
[Obtained: S-grade · Sea, Land, and Air Domination Treasure Chest x1!]
"Another S-grade?" Qin Yu raised an eyebrow. Had he stumbled into an S-grade nest today? And the name… "Sea, Land, and Air Domination"?
"Let's go," he said, standing up, his eyes burning with intensity. "To the rooftop helipad."
After the President's expansion, a large open area had been reserved at the stern, marked with a massive "H." Qin Yu had originally intended it for a future drone swarm, but now it seemed there was a better use for it.
The four of them arrived at the spacious helipad, where the sea wind roared, whipping their clothes violently.
Without wasting words, Qin Yu retrieved the S-grade chest adorned with wing patterns from his backpack and placed it squarely in the center of the helipad.
"Open!"
At his command, the chest dissolved into countless golden particles. A low, mechanical rumble echoed out of nowhere as light coalesced, slowly materializing into a massive black steel beast.
The sheer presence of it made everyone hold their breath.
Ten seconds later, the light faded, revealing a sleek, sci-fi-style attack helicopter resting silently on the helipad. Unlike the bulky transport helicopters of Earth, its lines were sharp and aerodynamic. Along both sides of its fuselage hung rows of honeycomb-like rocket pods.
Beneath the nose of the aircraft, a 30mm chain gun exuded an intimidating aura of lethality.
[Acquired: S-Class "Black Hawk" Heavy Armed Helicopter (Modified Version)!]
[Description: No fuel required! Powered by a micro nuclear fission battery with unlimited endurance! Equipped with an intelligent fire control system, heat flares, 4 air-to-ground missiles, and 30 rockets! The low-altitude predator of the seas!]
Silence.
Deathly stillness.
After a full five seconds.
Li Ruobing suddenly let out a piercing scream.
"Ahhh!!!"
"A helicopter! It's an attack helicopter!!"
She went completely wild, rushing forward to hug the cold landing gear, kissing and caressing it.
"Boss! Are you a god?!"
"I'm actually seeing this thing in the apocalypse?!"
"This is insane! Others are still paddling rafts, and we're about to take to the skies!"
Qin Yu looked at this black killing machine, the final weight lifting from his heart.
He smiled.
A wildly arrogant smile.
"This is the prestige of being number one on the leaderboard."
He walked over and patted the hard fuselage armor.
"With this."
"Whether it's Zhang Nanhai or the Hundred Ship Alliance."
"In the sky."
"They're just fish waiting to be slaughtered."
Yao Xue gazed at the chain gun, her eyes slightly trembling.
"The firepower of this thing..."
"A single burst would turn ordinary rafts into dust."
"This is dimensional suppression."
Qin Yu turned to look at Li Ruobing, who was still screaming excitedly.
"Ruo Bing."
"Can you fly it?"
Li Ruobing whirled around, her eyes shining fiercely.
"Boss, you're underestimating me!"
"I have an all-terrain vehicle license!"
"Though I've never flown a real attack helicopter, I was an ace pilot on the simulator!"
"And the system description says it has intelligent fire control - foolproof operation!"
"Leave it to me!"
"Just say the word, and I'll take off to rain hell on them!"
Qin Yu nodded with satisfaction.
"Not yet."
"The regional merger hasn't started."
"Check the ammunition first."
"Later."
"You'll have plenty of chances to have fun."
...
Time passed.
The final hour elapsed in an atmosphere of tension and excitement.
The "President" was fully prepared for combat in all aspects.
Ten "Black Ant" robots had dispersed to various positions along the ship's sides, entering stealth alert mode.
Li Ruobing sat in the helicopter cockpit wearing a flight helmet, calibrating the instrument panel.
Yao Xue stood at the high point of the second deck, setting up her S-class Barrett sniper rifle.
Yao Qian sat in the command room, controlling the fifty drone swarm, ready for deployment at any moment.
And Qin Yu.
Stood at the bow.
Holding the unfinished glass of red wine.
Watching the increasingly thick fog ahead.
[Countdown: 00:00:10]
[00:00:09]
...
The system's countdown echoed like death's footsteps.
[00:00:01]
[00:00:00]
[Regional Merger Beginning!]
[Welcome to... the new maritime territory!]
"Boom—"
The sky suddenly transformed.
The originally clear sky was instantly shrouded by heavy dark clouds.
On the sea horizon, the fog that had been blocking vision was torn apart as if by an invisible hand.
His vision instantly broadened.
Immediately after.
Qin Yu witnessed a scene that even made him slightly raise an eyebrow.
The previously empty sea surface.
Suddenly became dotted with countless black specks out of nowhere.
Densely packed.
They were survivors from the other nineteen districts.
As if teleported, they instantly filled this stretch of ocean.
Simultaneously.
Less than two kilometers away from the "President."
A sizable fleet rose and fell with the waves.
The lead ship, though not as exaggerated as the "President," was still a substantial five hundred square meters in size, flying a flag bearing the image of a black dragon's head.
That was the ship of the second-ranked player, "South Sea Dragon King" Zhang Nanhai.
Further away.
On a raft adorned with pink balloons that looked rather flamboyant.
A scantily clad woman was peering through binoculars in their direction.
Fourth-ranked, Yu Weiwei.
The world channel instantly lifted its mute.
A flood of exclamations in various languages immediately took over the screen.
Qin Yu watched these suddenly appeared "neighbors."
The smile at the corner of his mouth grew increasingly cold.
He took a gentle sip of red wine.
Then spoke calmly into his headset:
"Ruo Bing."
"Activate the broadcast."
"Let's give our new neighbors."
"A proper greeting."
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "LegendaryTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!