Chapter 24
【024】The Earliest Earth Survivors in the Territory
“We’re not far from Qingyun Village!” In the group, Ji Xiuwen looked excited as he observed the distance between their current location and Qingyun Village.
He was one of the Earth survivors, and their entire group consisted of Earth survivors. Once their apocalypse system received the coordinates for Qingyun Village, they had made up their minds to head for this village marked by the system.
In the blink of an eye, Earth had undergone drastic changes, and they arrived in this unfamiliar world. The only thing they could rely on was the remaining apocalypse system.
It was also thanks to this system that they managed to survive in this world until now. Especially with the recent beast tide, which nearly cost them their lives—several Earth survivors had tragically lost their lives during that battle.
At the brink of life and death, they couldn’t care about anyone else, and this made them acutely aware of one thing.
That this world was just as real as their own, and once you died, you were truly gone.
After surviving the apocalypse, would they be content to quietly die in this world?
No, they didn’t want to, who would want to die if they could live?
“I wonder what Qingyun Village is like? From the natives, I’ve gathered a lot of information about local territories. It seems only professionals can live well in the territory. Ordinary people have a hard time, in better territories, they can at least make a living, while in worse ones, refugees aren’t even allowed into the territory. In this world… we should be considered refugees.”
“Professionals need to be level 20 or higher to live decently in the territory. We’re only around level six or seven, so we’re still far from that. Even with skill cards, we can’t pretend to be professionals. This world is like a game, and the way they define levels is much more detailed than ours.”
“Yes, in the last territory we stayed in, an Earth survivor used a skill card to pretend to be a professional. But they were exposed in no time, and the person was taken away. We haven’t heard from them since, they probably… didn’t survive.”
“Wonder how Qingyun Village is?”
“The land recognized by the apocalypse system should… be different, right?”
“Let’s hope so! Anyway, wherever we go, we need to be extra careful. People’s hearts are hard to predict, and even fellow Earth survivors can’t be fully trusted. In this world, there’s only one thing we can do—survive.”
“Mm.” The others nodded in agreement.
They had come together on the first day in this world because they were all Earth survivors. After a month of trials and hardships, they had become close friends who trusted each other with their lives. They couldn’t trust anyone else, but they were willing to trust these few people.
“Let’s rest for a bit, then continue our journey.” Ji Xiuwen noticed the tired expressions on their faces and kindly suggested.
“Mm.”
The group of Earth survivors took a break.
After a short rest, they continued on their way.
But after traveling a while, they unexpectedly discovered the presence of other people.
When they met, they immediately became wary of each other.
“Are you refugees?” Ji Xiuwen asked first. He now relied on their appearance to distinguish between Earth survivors and natives. The ones who made him feel most at ease were the Chinese, who were from the same country.
These refugees had Western features, looking more like… natives.
“Are you?” the leader of the refugees replied.
“Mm, are you heading to Qingyun Village?” Ji Xiuwen continued.
“Yes, Qingyun Village is a level 3 village. It might still be short on people, and it won’t be easy for us to get kicked out. We’re just not sure if the territory is safe. But after the beast tide, it’s still standing, so we think it’s worth going. Are you thinking the same?” the leader of the refugees said with a smile.
After traveling for so long, it was rare to meet people, especially fellow refugees heading to Qingyun Village. The attitude of these people had noticeably improved.
“Right, when did you all find out about Qingyun Village?” Ji Xiuwen couldn’t help but ask.
They had learned about it just a couple of days ago, but from the few words exchanged with these refugees, he felt that they might have known about the village much earlier.
“The village suddenly appeared over a month ago. At that time, we didn’t know much about it, but after the beast tide, it still exists, so it must have some strength. Now is a good time for us to go and seek refuge,” one of the refugees explained. Seeking benefits and avoiding harm is human nature, and he spoke these words with complete honesty.
Upon hearing this, Ji Xiuwen’s mind was set.
The native maps in this world were definitely different from their own.
But this also confirmed one thing—Qingyun Village was definitely closely related to Earth survivors like them. Going there was the right decision.
Looking at the refugees in front of him and hearing what they said, Ji Xiuwen smiled slightly and led the others to join their group, while subtly inquiring more about the world’s situation.
Every time they met natives, they would gather information in this way, though not every time did they have the luck of encountering a friendly leader. Along the way, they had been robbed several times, but they managed to resist thanks to their skill cards.
The natives, unaware of any trickery, had unwittingly revealed a lot of information. Of course, this was all perfectly normal in the eyes of the natives. They didn’t suspect anything and instead talked passionately about their previous hardships in other territories.
Ji Xiuwen and his group listened attentively.
As they got closer to Qingyun Village, they encountered more and more refugees along the way. Naturally, they also came across several teams that seemed like Earth survivors, but everyone tacitly treated them with indifference.
They had been in this world for a month now, long enough to have seen a side of darkness they could never have imagined back on Earth.
Finally, after much traveling, they entered Qingyun Village’s territory, and the first people they met were Qingyun Village’s residents, who were out in the field completing tasks.
Seeing the noticeably different energy among the residents’ group, Ji Xiuwen’s eyes lit up.
However, before they could figure out what to say, they suddenly heard the residents who were gathering resources shout loudly.
“Refugees! Everyone, quick! There are refugees!”
“Refugees? Where are they?”
“…”
At once, many of the residents turned their attention toward them, gazing at the refugees with sharp, focused eyes.
Although there was no longer a task in the territory offering copper coins for rescuing refugees, everyone knew that their territory was lacking people. As long as the population grew, the territory would have a chance to level up again. Once upgraded, the territory would become stronger, and they would be safer.
So the appearance of refugees was… a treasure to these residents!
Hearing the news, the residents immediately dropped whatever they were doing and looked at the group of refugees in front of them.
A quick count revealed that there were more than a hundred of them, clearly a strong force.
Ji Xiuwen and his group of Earth survivors, along with the other refugees, were startled by the residents’ attitude.
Why were their gazes so strange? It was as if… they were looking at treasures. The way they stared made the refugees feel somewhat… uncomfortable.
Ji Xiuwen and his group, with their strong mental fortitude, were fine, but some of the other refugees couldn’t help but step back a few paces, beginning to doubt the intentions of these residents.
At this moment, one of the residents cleared his throat and said, “We are residents of Qingyun Village, I’m Tang En. We’re here to complete a gathering task. Everyone is just excited to see you, but there’s no malice behind it.”
“Why are you so excited?” Ji Xiuwen asked casually. The behavior was too abnormal, and they were starting to feel uneasy, fearing there might be something suspicious about Qingyun Village.
“It’s nothing,” Tang En quickly replied. “It’s just that our territory is a bit short on people. We hope our territory gets better, so naturally, we got a little excited.”
As he spoke, there was a faint pride in his expression.
Compared to over a month ago, their territory had changed a lot. The basic infrastructure was already in place, and the place was getting livelier. It was now no less than some of the other townships they had visited before.
Ji Xiuwen naturally noticed the look on Tang En’s face. Being someone who understood body language, he immediately detected the admiration Tang En had for Qingyun Village. His heart relaxed considerably. If a resident had such high regard for this place, then this territory must be good.
Before Ji Xiuwen could say anything, other refugees had already started to get excited. “If they’re really short on people, does that mean we can settle in the territory right away?”
Other refugees also looked at Tang En with eager eyes.
They had been wandering for so long, and their supplies were barely enough to get by. They were often hungry, so it would be great if the new territory could accept them with no conditions.
“Not quite!” Tang En quickly responded. “There are still conditions for becoming a formal resident. You need to pay 2 copper coins or 100 units of wood or stone. You can be a temporary resident too, as long as you provide 10 units a day. However, temporary residents can’t just sleep anywhere in the village. You’ll have to stay at the inn. The inn for refugees charges very little copper coins per day, and as long as you’re willing to work, you’ll be able to pay.”
Ji Xiuwen’s eyes brightened as he listened.
This was definitely a lord with ideas. With such leadership, this territory was worth going to.
A place where work means survival—this is perfect!
After a month of roughing it, he was really tired of it. He hoped to live a more normal life.
The other Earth survivors shared the same thought, they had no shortage of wood or stone!
They wanted to gather more information.
However, other refugees had already spoken up.
“Still need copper coins? Didn’t you say you were short on people?”
“I’ve been hungry for days, I don’t have the strength to work. Please, have some mercy on us!”
“Can’t it be a little less?”
“Why can’t we just find a place to sleep in the territory? Why do we have to go to the inn? Is the territory trying to exploit us?”
—
These refugees had made it this far, and none of them were easy to deal with. Their skin was thicker than most, and they had already started to figure out Tang En’s personality and what his words implied. Sensing an opportunity, they began to try to take advantage of the situation.
Tang En found himself momentarily caught off guard by their persistence.
At this moment, another person stepped out from behind Tang En and firmly said, “It can’t be less. The Lord has set these conditions out of kindness. She said that the territory needs people, but it needs people who are willing to work. If you’re unwilling to work and just want to eat for free, the territory won’t accept you, no matter how short of people it is.”
The person who stepped out was none other than Bart.
At this moment, Bart, dressed in full military uniform, exuded a commanding presence. With several soldiers following him, the refugees who had been speaking up immediately fell silent.
Ji Xiuwen and his group also turned their attention to Bart and the others, eyeing them carefully.
Are these soldiers from Qingyun Village? They look really strong.
“Captain Bart.” Tang En immediately greeted Captain Bart, his expression showing a hint of respect.
Captain Bart was in charge of over a hundred soldiers! Plus, he was a professional, which naturally earned him admiration and respect.
Bart looked at Tang En and nodded, signaling, “These refugees will be handled by us. You can go do your own business.”
“Yes.” Tang En nodded and quickly walked away, followed by the other residents.
Their own work was more important than dealing with the refugees.
Although they no longer had to worry about food and clothing, they still had goals—to live better lives.
They had higher aspirations!
“Lord Bart…” With only the refugees left facing Bart, they started to feel a little guilty.
Bart had no intention of investigating the refugees. Since the territory was established, he had seen more than his fair share of refugees. Even he had once been a refugee, and after seeing so many, he naturally understood their hidden motives.
And those little tricks didn’t matter at all to the current territory.
“If you want to enter Qingyun Village, paying the required fees is a must. If you don’t pay, you can continue being a refugee. Those who want to go to the territory, come with me.”
“I want to follow you, but we don’t have copper coins.”
“If you don’t have copper coins, stay here and collect wood and stone. As long as you have hands, you can work!” Bart left those words behind and walked ahead with his soldiers.
The refugees quickly followed him.
Only a few remained in place, resigned to begin collecting wood.
They had reached the territory—there was no way they could continue being refugees!
As for Ji Xiuwen and his group, they naturally followed Bart and the others.
Walking behind them, Ji Xiuwen carefully observed the surrounding environment, trying to learn more about this territory.
Along the way, he discovered a lot of information.
He realized that as soon as they entered the area recognized by the system as part of Qingyun Village, the number of magical beasts visibly decreased. In fact, they hadn’t encountered a single one yet. The residents freely walking around and collecting resources also indicated the safety of the area.
It seemed that this territory was really quite impressive.
Moreover, this was the territory guided by the system. If it was indeed good, then they should stay and work towards upgrading.
The other Earth survivors shared similar thoughts, feeling a sense of anticipation for this territory.
Finally, the group soon saw the walls of Qingyun Village.
Looking at the tall walls and the soldiers stationed at the entrance, the refugees felt a vague sense of excitement.
Ji Xiuwen and the other Earth survivors were even more excited, discussing among themselves.
“We’ve finally reached the territory!”
“This territory looks pretty strong.”
“That wall, it really gives off a sense of security!”
“I wonder what’s so special about Qingyun Village that it was designated by the system.”
“…”
The Earth survivors looked at the territory in front of them with curiosity and excitement.
Soon, they followed Bart and the others into the walls.
Once inside, they immediately felt that their eyes were overwhelmed.
This village was really quite lively.
What stood out most was the obvious sense of happiness on the residents’ faces.
In fact, there were even quite a few children playing and chasing each other in the square ahead.
Compared to the life-or-death crisis they faced with magical beasts earlier, the contrast with what was in front of them was so stark.
It felt like they had stepped into paradise.
Just like that, they were led to the village affairs center, where they completed their registration and were given identity tokens for Qingyun Village.
“Your ID has been issued. If you have any questions, you can ask the staff in the village affairs center, and they will assist you. Also, in Qingyun Village, you must follow the village’s rules and regulations. If you break them, you will be expelled from the territory,” Bart said in a firm tone, his low voice carrying a subtle pressure, making his words quite authoritative.
The refugees couldn’t help but feel nervous, with some showing signs of unease on their faces.
Bart was very pleased with the effect he had achieved. The reason he personally led the refugees through registration was to prevent them from misbehaving in the territory due to their previous habits or lack of discipline.
After that, Bart and several soldiers left.
Once Bart left, the others immediately felt a sense of relief, the pressure lifting off them.
In the next moment, the group of refugees split up into smaller groups. Some went directly to the staff, while others started asking around in the territory… everyone was using their own methods to learn more about the place.
Ji Xiuwen and his team formed a group, and in front of them stood a child.
“Do you need a guide?” the child asked them enthusiastically.
Ji Xiuwen looked at the child and vaguely felt that the child seemed somewhat familiar, then asked, “What do we need to pay for you to be our guide?”
“Just 10 units of wood, not much,” the child, named Bill, replied.
Recently, many refugees had been arriving at the territory, giving rise to the profession of a guide. Bill felt he was old enough and needed to earn some pocket money, so he came up with the idea.
Of course, he didn’t just randomly choose people, he knew how to read people.
Among the refugees who had come, he specifically chose Ji Xiuwen and his team. He could tell they would be easy to talk to, and most importantly, they looked very clean.
Being so clean as refugees could only mean one thing—they had strength.
Ji Xiuwen listened and asked his companions, “What do you think?”
“Fine, 10 units of wood isn’t much,” one of his companions responded, and the others agreed without surprise.
Ji Xiuwen then said to Bill, “Can you introduce the situation in the territory to us and tell us what we should do now that we’ve just arrived?”
“Sure,” Bill replied enthusiastically.
Bill immediately began to act as their guide.
“We’re in Qingyun Village, a level 3 village. However, we’ve only been established for just over a month. The fact that we’ve developed this much in such a short time is all thanks to our lord. Our lord is wise, heroic, and full of wisdom…” Bill said excitedly.
Ji Xiuwen and the others exchanged glances.
Is this little guy trying to brainwash them?
But, well, this is still information, so they decided to let it go!
Next, Ji Xiuwen and the others listened as Bill rambled on while they walked.
“The place where you just registered is the village affairs center. All important matters of the village are centralized here. You can check the progress of the territory, like recruitment and such, everything will be concentrated here.”
“This is the trading hall. You can exchange resources for copper coins here. Copper coins are the universal currency in our territory. If you want to buy anything from other shops, you must exchange here first. Other shops no longer accept alternative resources like wood and stone.”
“Over here is the residential area, which is divided into two sections: one for humans and one for goblins. Originally, the houses in the residential area were available for rent, but now they are only for sale. Residents who can’t afford to buy a house can stay in inns.”
“Goblins???” Ji Xiuwen and the others were curious about the goblins Bill mentioned. What are goblins? Are there other races in this world?
“Yes, we have goblins in our territory, but they’re not slaves. They’re residents who have been recognized by our lord. In fact, the blacksmiths’ workshops are run by goblins because they are capable of forging sharp weapons.”
Ji Xiuwen and the others fell silent. They didn’t know enough about this world yet, but they silently vowed to learn more when they got the chance, so they wouldn’t be completely clueless.
“Look, that’s the blacksmith shop! It’s the most successful and profitable shop in our territory. Everyone who goes out will make sure to buy at least one iron tool—it’s not just useful, but also helps protect yourself.”
“Behind the houses is the territory’s farmland and livestock farm. The livestock farm was just established recently, so there aren’t any beasts yet, but our lord has already issued a mission to send people into the wild to find magical beasts and see if they can be tamed.”
“Over there is the hospital, where you can go for treatment if you’re injured or sick.”
“That’s the military camp. Ordinary people can’t enter, only the soldiers in the territory are allowed.”
“…”
“Lastly, here’s the inn! This whole area is full of inns. Each inn has different prices, and they were all built by the wealthy people in the territory. Of course, the cheapest one is the lord’s inn, which was built to provide a place for refugees to stay overnight. The rooms are all large shared beds. If you want a better environment, you can choose the Bart Inn.”
“Bart Inn? That name sounds familiar!”
“This inn is run by Captain Bart’s team, so it’s named after him. It’s one of the best inns in our territory.”
“One of the best?”
“There are two other top inns: the Alex Inn, run by Captain Alex’ team, and the Goblin Inn, run by Goblin Chief Morgan. They’re all very well-built.”
Ji Xiuwen and the others fell silent.
Those who can run a good inn must have some connections.
“Take us to the Bart Inn you mentioned!” After discussing with the others, Ji Xiuwen said.
They had just exchanged quite a few copper coins at the trading hall, so it seemed better to stay somewhere nice!
Then, Bill led them into Bart Inn.
As soon as they entered, someone greeted Bill, “Little Bill, are you guiding again?”
“Yes, Uncle Stanford, they needed to find an inn, so I brought them here to you.”
“Good boy.” Uncle Stanford winked at Little Bill, then handed him some jerky.
“Thank you, Uncle Stanford. I’ll leave them to you, I’ll be off now.” Bill took the jerky and casually excused himself. As for the commission for bringing these people to the inn, Uncle Stanford would settle that with him later—he couldn’t do it in front of these people.
After Bill left, Uncle Stanford began to warmly welcome Ji Xiuwen and the others.
“What kind of room do you need? We have single rooms, double rooms, and four-person rooms, all at one copper coin per day.”
Ji Xiuwen discussed with his companions. They were eight people in total, so two four-person rooms would be perfect.
“Two four-person rooms.”
“Alright.” Uncle Stanford quickly handled the registration, gave them two wooden tokens after recording their identification, and said, “These are your room numbers.”
After receiving the tokens, Ji Xiuwen and his group followed the signs in the inn to find their rooms.
However, as they entered the rooms, they looked at the wooden tokens and the room numbers on the doors and inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity.
“Do you think this process feels like the hotels back on Earth?” Ji Xiuwen suddenly asked as they entered their rooms.
The others immediately realized.
“Yeah! It’s not just unrelated, it’s exactly the same!”
“So, does this mean that before us, some Earth survivors had already arrived at this territory and even had a certain status here? That Captain Bart, right?”
“But they don’t look the same!”
“Don’t forget, there are Earth survivors from countries other than China too.”
“But Captain Bart didn’t react any differently when he saw us, it was the same as the other natives.”
“Let’s go wash up first! We need to freshen up and have a good meal. The fact that all Earth survivors have heard of this territory makes it normal for people to have come before us. Anyway, now we’re all in the same boat, and even if there are any issues, we’ll just keep to ourselves. We should focus on living well. Our resources, like wood and stone, are limited, and we need to find ways to survive here. We also need to level up. No matter what changes happen in the future, strength is the most important.” Ji Xiuwen analyzed.
“Mm.” The others nodded.
They then split into two groups and went to their rooms.
After showering and lying on the beds, they finally felt like they were truly alive.
“This is the life people should live.” Ji Xiuwen couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
The month or so of wandering and hardship since arriving in this world had made them endure hardships they’d never experienced on Earth.
“Sigh, I really miss the days on Earth. I used to complain about being overweight and exercised to lose weight, often eating coarse grains. But after coming to this world, all I want now is a normal meal.”
“Grumble grumble…”
Hearing the mention of food, everyone’s stomachs immediately growled.
Ji Xiuwen quickly suggested, “Let’s go! Let’s head to the cafeteria that Little Bill mentioned.”
“Mm.”
A moment later, the group of them made their way towards the cafeteria.
When they arrived at the cafeteria, they found it bustling with activity, with quite a few people around. They also saw several beings that didn’t quite look human.
The word “goblin” popped into their minds.
So this is a goblin?
As expected, they weren’t the same species as humans.
Looking around, they quickly made their way to the front window.
Soon, they saw the food inside.
When they saw it, they froze in place.
The food in front of them was incredibly familiar.
Burgers, fries, grilled skewers, fried chicken…
This territory had indeed been home to Earth survivors before, and clearly, they had played a crucial role in the development of the territory. Otherwise, the food wouldn’t be like this.
Now, the question arose.
Given that Earth survivors clearly had some status in the territory, should they go and join them?
As they were thinking about this, a group arrived at the counter and directly ordered, “Five burgers and one fried chicken!”
Hearing the voice, Ji Xiuwen looked over and saw some familiar Eastern faces—faces that weren’t from the refugee group they had just seen.
Ji Xiuwen immediately realized.
These people were Earth survivors who had arrived earlier than them.
At this moment, the Earth survivors also noticed Ji Xiuwen and the others, recognizing their familiar faces.
“King of Heaven covers the earth,”
“The pagoda subdues the river monster.”
In their exchange, they confirmed each other’s identities.
A moment later, the two groups sat together, sizing each other up and considering their next steps.
Finally, Ji Xiuwen spoke up, “Brothers, you seem to be doing well in this territory! I’m wondering if that inn and the cafeteria have anything to do with you?”
Ji Xiuwen directly asked the question that had been on his mind.
Mainly, everything in this territory felt incredibly familiar—so familiar that it was impossible not to notice the differences immediately.
However, the Earth survivors who were asked replied, “We did arrive earlier than you, but the inn and the cafeteria are not our work.”
“Could there be Earth survivors who arrived before you? Where are they? Is there a faction in this territory built by Earth survivors? Are they Chinese or foreigners?” Ji Xiuwen immediately pressed further.
“There are some. Some Earth survivors arrived very early. In fact, when this territory was first established, she was a Chinese person. She’s the founder of this territory—the Lord of the territory.”
Ji Xiuwen and the others: “…”
—What?!