Only four days remained before the Monster Tide.
The atmosphere throughout the survival game had changed completely.
Regional Chat, World Market, and team channels were all filled with discussions about the coming disaster.
Nobody knew exactly what would happen.
Nobody knew how many monsters would appear.
But everyone understood one thing.
The Monster Tide would be far more dangerous than the First Storm.
Lin Chen stood on the deck of the Sea Fortress while looking at the countdown timer.
Monster Tide
Time Remaining: 3 Days 18 Hours
The timer slowly ticked downward.
Unlike ordinary players, he wasn't panicking.
Instead, he was preparing.
The stronger the challenge, the greater the rewards.
That had been true since the beginning of the game.
A Team Chat notification appeared.
[Su Yao] : Busy?
[Lin Chen] : Preparing.
[Su Yao] : Same.
[Lin Chen] : Found anything?
Several seconds passed.
[Su Yao] : Maybe.
Lin Chen smiled.
She always answered that way.
[Lin Chen] : What is it this time?
[Su Yao] : Another clue related to the Sea God Inheritance.
Lin Chen immediately became interested.
Since obtaining the Divine Inheritance Key, every clue had become valuable.
[Lin Chen] : Explain.
[Su Yao] : My Talent reacted when you got the key.
[Su Yao] : The inheritance isn't complete.
[Lin Chen] : Meaning?
[Su Yao] : The key opens the inheritance.
[Su Yao] : But there are supporting treasures hidden across the ocean.
Lin Chen frowned.
[Lin Chen] : How many?
[Su Yao] : Unknown.
[Su Yao] : But I found one location.
[Lin Chen] : Where?
[Su Yao] : Near the Abyss Sea.
The same name appeared again.
Abyss Sea.
Whatever it was, it clearly played an important role in the future.
...
Over the next several hours, Lin Chen focused on upgrading the Sea Fortress.
Using massive amounts of resources, Monster Cores, and Energy Crystals, he unlocked several new structures.
Core Shield Generator Installed
Core Turret Upgraded
Fortress Durability Increased
The Sea Fortress became even more powerful.
A transparent energy barrier now surrounded parts of the ship.
Powerful defensive turrets stood along the edges.
If ordinary players saw it, they would probably mistake it for a floating fortress from a science fiction movie.
As he finished the upgrades, the Core Radar suddenly reacted.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
A small signal appeared nearby.
Lin Chen examined it carefully.
Not a monster.
Not an island.
A player.
The signal was approaching.
Within an hour, a medium-sized upgraded raft appeared in the distance.
Unlike the previous survivor he encountered, this player immediately sent a communication request.
Lin Chen accepted.
[Unknown Player] : Hello.
[Lin Chen] : Hello.
[Unknown Player] : You're strong.
Lin Chen laughed slightly.
[Lin Chen] : Based on what?
[Unknown Player] : Instinct.
The answer was unexpected.
Several seconds passed.
Then another message arrived.
[Unknown Player] : Don't trust the Sea Wolf Alliance.
Lin Chen became interested.
[Lin Chen] : Why?
[Unknown Player] : They're collecting information.
[Unknown Player] : Looking for strong survivors.
Lin Chen narrowed his eyes.
That matched what he expected.
Organizations always wanted power.
Strong individuals represented both opportunities and threats.
[Lin Chen] : Thanks for the warning.
[Unknown Player] : You'll need it.
The communication ended shortly afterward.
The raft changed direction and disappeared into the distance.
The encounter left Lin Chen thoughtful.
The Sea Wolf Alliance was becoming increasingly active.
Eventually, their paths would cross.
...
Elsewhere in the region, Zhao Feng was also preparing for the Monster Tide.
The Sea Wolf Alliance headquarters had expanded dramatically.
Hundreds of members worked together to gather resources.
Several leaders stood before Zhao Feng.
[Wang Jie] : Defensive preparations are progressing.
[Zhao Feng] : Good.
[Liu Kang] : Resource reserves increased by thirty percent.
[Zhao Feng] : Continue.
Then another member stepped forward.
[Chen Bo] : We found something unusual.
Zhao Feng looked up.
[Zhao Feng] : Speak.
[Chen Bo] : A survivor repeatedly appears near high-value locations.
The room became quiet.
[Chen Bo] : Gold Chest events.
[Chen Bo] : Diamond Chest announcements.
[Chen Bo] : Rare monster activity.
[Chen Bo] : The same pattern appears repeatedly.
For the first time, Zhao Feng smiled.
[Zhao Feng] : Interesting.
Someone strong was hiding nearby.
Perhaps the strongest survivor in the region.
He wanted to find that person.
Not because of friendship.
But because of value.
...
Back on the Sea Fortress, Lin Chen spent the evening testing his new defenses.
The upgraded Core Turrets performed exceptionally well.
When several sea monsters attacked, they were eliminated before reaching the ship.
Experience continued increasing steadily.
Experience +25
Experience +31
Experience +19
The notifications appeared one after another.
By midnight, another level-up finally arrived.
Level Up
Level 6 Reached
His attributes increased again.
Although the gains weren't dramatic, every improvement mattered.
Especially with the Monster Tide approaching.
...
The following morning, Su Yao sent another message.
[Su Yao] : I found it.
[Lin Chen] : This sounds serious.
[Su Yao] : It is.
[Lin Chen] : What happened?
Several seconds passed.
Then her reply arrived.
[Su Yao] : The Abyss Sea.
Lin Chen immediately focused.
[Lin Chen] : What about it?
[Su Yao] : My Talent detected it.
[Lin Chen] : Location?
[Su Yao] : Not exact coordinates.
[Su Yao] : But it's closer than we thought.
A map screenshot followed.
Lin Chen studied it carefully.
His expression gradually became serious.
The marked area wasn't far away.
Much closer than expected.
[Lin Chen] : Are you sure?
[Su Yao] : Yes.
[Su Yao] : And there's something else.
[Lin Chen] : What?
A long pause followed.
Then the message appeared.
[Su Yao] : Something inside the Abyss Sea is awake.
A cold feeling spread through Lin Chen.
The wording was strange.
Not "someone."
Not "a monster."
Something.
Whatever existed there was likely ancient.
Powerful.
And connected to the Sea God Inheritance.
...
As the sun began setting, another world announcement appeared.
World Announcement
Monster Tide Arrival:
3 Days Remaining
The countdown continued.
Humanity prepared desperately.
Organizations expanded.
Strong players grew stronger.
And somewhere in the ocean...
Something ancient had awakened.
Lin Chen looked toward the distant horizon.
The sea appeared calm.
Yet beneath that calm surface, countless dangers waited.
The Monster Tide was coming.
The Abyss Sea was calling.
And his greatest adventure was approaching.
To Be Continued...