51: Chapter 51 The number one on the leaderboard is paving the way for us!

[area channel]

As soon as Shen Xiu posted the video, it instantly dropped like a heavy bomb into the sea, setting off monstrous waves.

Holy shit! A video! It's a video!

Look! Someone posted a video! It's real combat footage!

What the hell... what am I seeing? Is that a Gundam?!

Two... two bears that huge? Those must be good grade monsters, right? And they were beaten to death... by that mech?

The rank one Boss... Li Taiping? Is it really him? That's way too badass!

After a mere 0.1 seconds of silence, the entire chat channel exploded instantly.

Countless lurking Survivor were blasted out by this video.

For a moment, all sorts of exclamations of awe, skepticism, and admiration flooded the screen like crazy.

Fake, right? The game just started a few days ago, how could anyone be this strong? This is definitely photoshopped!

Photoshop your mother! You try photoshopping something like that! That combat scene, those effects, even Hollywood couldn't make them! This is absolutely real!

Third-rank ship... mech... soloing two good grade behemoths... My god, I feel like we're not even playing the same game.

Boss is awesome! Boss, do you still need a sidekick? One who can shout '666'!

As the publisher of the video, Shen Xiu instantly became the focus of the entire area channel.

Innumerable people @'ed him, asking for specific details.

@Shen Xiu, brother, were you on the scene? Tell us quickly, what exactly happened?

@Shen Xiu, boss, coordinates, please! Where is the rank one Boss? I want to go see for myself!

Watching the messages constantly popping up on the screen, Shen Xiu's vanity was satisfied like never before.

He cleared his throat and typed a reply in the channel with an extremely proud tone:

That's right! I was on the scene! I saw with my own eyes, the rank one Boss Li Taiping, in order to clear a path for us latecomers, actively challenged those two powerful behemoths guarding this sea area!

That battle shook heaven and earth! The boss, piloting a mech that descended like a divine weapon, faced two enemies alone without a trace of fear! In the end, it only took three minutes to slay the two terrifying beasts!

The rank one Boss is the hope of humanity! He is using his own power to clear the obstacles ahead for us!

Shen Xiu's words were impassioned, moving even himself.

He had fashioned himself into a 'war correspondent' witnessing a heroic feat, while also conveniently bestowing upon Li Taiping the righteous image of a 'hero who rids the people of a scourge'.

Sure enough, as soon as his words came out, the wind in the channel changed instantly.

So that's how it is! The boss is clearing the way for us! I misunderstood him, I thought he was just developing himself.

Wah... so touching! This is the true demeanor of a boss! Has the strength and the sense of responsibility!

Li Taiping! My superman!

Praise the Ten Thousand Generations Monarch!

Brothers! The boss has already cleared out the most dangerous monsters! What are we waiting for? Charge! Following in the boss's footsteps, we can survive too!

Looking at these replies, Shen Xiu's grin nearly reached his ears.

This was exactly the effect he wanted!

He immediately struck while the iron was hot, posting his coordinates to the channel.

Brothers! Coordinates (XXX,XXX)! This is the safe zone the rank one Boss just cleared!

All brothers sailing the speedster, our ships have weak defenses. We can gather here first and follow the boss's route. It's absolutely safe!

This move of his was played quite beautifully.

Not only did he sell Li Taiping a huge favor, but he also conveniently united a wave of fellow 'brothers in hardship' also sailing the speedster, pulling together a small team for himself.

For a time, the entire area channel was plunged into a fervent atmosphere because of Li Taiping's 'heroic deed'.

Countless Survivor lingering at the edge of the Extreme Cold Sea Region, not daring to venture deeper, seemed to see the light of hope. They turned their ships around one after another, heading towards the coordinates Shen Xiu had announced.

...

And at this moment, Li Taiping, at the center of the event, remained completely unaware.

He was immersed in the joy of a bountiful harvest.

As the two giant bear corpses dissipated into points of light, a series of system prompts sounded in his mind.

[Congratulations on killing the Good-Grade Late Stage creature 'Abyssal Demon Bear'!]

[Congratulations on killing the Good-Grade Late Stage creature 'Polar Rage Bear'!]

[Acquired: good grade Bear Meat x200 units (Consumption by ordinary-level lifeforms can slowly increase lifeform rank)]

[Acquired: Bear Fur Coat Blueprint x1]

[Acquired: Warm good grade Bear Fur x200 units (One unit of bear fur can craft one good grade warm coat. Provides constant temperature effect only, no protective effect.)]

[Acquired: good grade Bear Paws x4]

Not a bad haul!

Li Taiping grinned.

This bear meat was not only plentiful and filling, but it could also raise the lifeform rank of ordinary people. Perfect for the girls on the ship who hadn't been enhanced much yet.

The bear fur coats were an absolute necessity in this Extreme Cold Sea Region.

With these things, everyone wouldn't have to wear bulky down jackets anymore.

As for those four bear paws... braised or steamed?

That was the question.

Li Taiping contentedly stored all the loot in the warehouse, then deactivated the mech state.

The giant mech dissolved into points of light, and he landed back on the deck of the many sons and blessings.

He turned around, facing the admiring and excited gazes of the girls on the ship. Imitating Ultraman's style, he struck a cool, victorious pose with his hands on his hips.

The feeling was indescribably smug.

However, his coolness lasted less than three seconds.

Watch out! Behind you!

Captain! Behind you!

The heart-wrenching shouts of Su Mei, Yun Jinxin, and the others suddenly came from ahead!

Their voices were filled with unprecedented fear and horror!

Behind?

The smile on Li Taiping's face instantly froze, his heart skipping a beat.

He whipped around.

At the very moment he turned, an indescribable pain, as if from the depths of his soul, violently pierced his brain.

His head felt like it had been stabbed hard with a red-hot iron rod, throbbing faintly.

[Talent 'Immunity to All Poisons' activated!]

[Detected unknown mental contamination... Attempting exemption... This attack is not classified as a toxin. Exemption failed!]

[Health Value: 100 (Locked)]

[Sanity Value: 91 (Continuously decreasing)]

...

A series of system prompts flashed frantically across his retina.

Suddenly, countless chaotic noises flooded his ears,

like a radio with interrupted signals, or like countless tortured souls wailing, crying, and screaming by his ear.

Intense tinnitus made him dizzy and disoriented.

Gritting his teeth against the discomfort, he lifted his head and looked forward.

All he saw was that in the deep sea behind him, which had been calm just moments ago, an incredibly dense black fog, so thick it seemed to devour light itself, was surging skyward!

That mass of black fog formed an extremely blurry, gigantic shadow. Its specific form was impossible to make out.

Only vaguely could one see that it seemed to have six jointed, arthropod-like tentacles, wildly thrashing in the air.

It was a form of grotesque and terrifying horror impossible to describe with words,

merely looking at it made one feel their very spirit was about to be torn apart!

[Unnamable Shadow] (Excellent Grade Initial Stage)

The instant he saw the monster's information, Li Taiping's Sanity Value plummeted like a waterfall!

[Sanity Value: 74!]

A wave of intense dizziness washed over him. Li Taiping's body swayed, nearly causing him to collapse headfirst onto the deck.

He bit the tip of his tongue, forcing himself to maintain the last shred of clarity.

Run!

Must run immediately!

This single thought was all that remained in his mind!

This thing... was absolutely not something he could deal with right now!

...