On the island that served as the rally point for the Bei Ming Hunting Group, the three commanders lounged around a Bonfire, leisurely munching on roast meat.
Beside them clung several scantily clad women, kneading the trio's shoulders and backs.
Hearing the cheers of other Expeditionary Force members, the three turned their heads toward the night sky in unison.
"Huh, an actual shooting star!"
"Yeah, we owe the storm this morning for the view. After it passed, every patch of mist on the sea just vanished."
"Heh, who cares why? The clearer the better for our next move—Heaven itself is helping us take Bei Ming down!"
"Exactly. With this many Survivors gathered, even ten Bei Mings would get steam-rolled."
The commanders exchanged glances and burst into satisfied laughter.
Their names in the chat channel were Xiang Ru Fei Fei, I am arrogant, what can you do to me??, and Facing the Gale.
They'd clashed with Bei Ming over the past two days, so they'd secretly teamed up to deal with him once and for all.
What had started as a spur-of-the-moment scheme was now paying off spectacularly.
With this Expeditionary Force at their back, plundering resources from others would be child's play.
They were grinning ear to ear.
"How about we make a wish while we're at it?"
Xiang Ru Fei Fei asked lightly, smile unwavering.
"Sure. Not superstitious, but a bit of luck never hurts."
Facing the Gale nodded in agreement.
I am arrogant, what can you do to me?? glanced at the blazing streak, a faint frown creasing his brow—something felt off.
Before he could dwell on it, the other two dragged him to the shore, palms pressed together in earnest wish-making.
"I wish I could—hey, why are those stars diving downward?"
"What? Let me see—crap, they are! Meteor strike—run!"
"Damn it, what the hell? Meteors don't just fall, and they land right on us!"
The trio paled, panic freezing them in place.
Ridiculous—how do you outrun a meteor when you can't even fly?
"You think this is… divine punishment?"
"Punish your ass! Bei Ming's behind this!"
"Impossible—he's just another Survivor, how could he pull off something that insane?"
"Check the public chat channel—he's streaming us live!"
They opened the channel; sure enough, a broadcast feed filled the screen.
The image was grainy, but the aerial camera angle clearly framed the Expeditionary Force's gathering spot.
"Holy—how did he do that? This breaks every rule!"
"We're screwed! I never should've listened to you idiots—now we're gonna die!"
"Bull! The plan was your idea in the first place—now you blame us?"
"Shut up and think—what do we do?"
As Facing the Gale and Xiang Ru Fei Fei screamed at each other, I am arrogant, what can you do to me?? felt his scalp tingle and tried to mediate.
But within seconds the pair, red-eyed with rage, drew guns and shot each other down, blood pooling on the sand.
"Idiots… I was gonna take you with me, but forget it—I'm out."
Cursing, I am arrogant, what can you do to me?? swept the chaotic crowd, glanced at the fireball about to hit, shivered, and crushed a purple-glowing scroll.
The scroll—his reward for clearing an Invasion Event—would Teleport him a hundred kilometers away to safety.
A last-resort trump card, now forced into use.
"That Bei Ming psycho is too OP; I need to lie low—piss him off and I'll die without even knowing how."
"Still, as one of the three commanders I've skimmed plenty of resources today—can't complain."
In a burst of violet light, I am arrogant, what can you do to me?? vanished.
The rest of the Expeditionary Force on the surrounding islands weren't so lucky.
Five Cruise Missiles descended from the sky, striking with pinpoint accuracy.
Under Lin Bei's simultaneous buffs from Explosive Destruction and Ammunition Expert, the warheads detonated with far greater force.
BOOM—!!!
Tidal waves surged, mountains cracked.
In a single breath, over five hundred assembled Survivors were reduced to ash—utterly annihilated.
Their grand expedition had ended before it could even begin.
Hundreds of kilometers away, inside a Healing Pod, Lin Bei heard a sweet system chime.
[Notice: 521 Survivors slain! You have inherited 521 Survivor Legacies!]
Lin Bei opened the temporary storage space; inside lay more than five hundred Survivor Bracelets.
He ordered his own wristband to absorb the residual power within each one.
Light blazed as his blue-crystal bracelet shifted to pale purple.
A cascade of system prompts followed.
[Notice: Survivor Bracelet absorbed ×1! Combat Power +1.5!]
[Notice: You triggered a 20× Critical Hit! Combat Power +30!]
[Notice: Survivor Bracelet absorbed ×1! Combat Power +2!]
[Notice: You triggered a Ten-fold Critical Hit! Combat Power +20!]
[Notice: …]
Lin Bei's Combat Power skyrocketed.
8,000… 8,500… 9,000—within seconds he smashed past 10,000 and kept climbing.
"Hell yes! I'm overflowing with power!"
The Healing Pod worked at full output, repairing damaged cells and meridians while nutrient fluids and healing agents flooded his body, erasing all pain.
Minutes ticked by.
Roughly ten had passed.
The Vital Energy from the bracelets had been fully absorbed, converted into raw Combat Power.
Feeling lighter than air, Lin Bei fought off drowsiness and opened his Attribute Panel.
One glance and he froze.
"Holy—this is my current Combat Power?"
"No way… this is just insane."