Mike was jolted awake as he arrived in this strange world along with the rest of Earth's population, except those below the age of 16 and above 60.

He looked around in confusion, trying to grasp the situation. Suddenly, a holographic blueish system appeared in front of him and everyone.

"The system reminded everyone-[Survival will be your only goal, of course, you can choose to stay where you are... Waiting to die, if you want to live, please remember the following points."

[One: Where you are now is your shelter. It is more important than anything else to keep upgrading your shelter. This will be your greatest reliance for survival. I look forward to upgrading your shelter into a strong doomsday castle.]

[Two: Try to complete the tasks issued by the system, and you will be rewarded for completing the tasks. ]

[Three: Search for material as much as possible, unless you can live without eating or drinking. ]

[Four: If you accidentally meet the same kind, congratulations, either being swallowed up by others or swallowed up by others is a kind of progress.]

[Important reminder, if you die in this world, you cannot return to the original world. Countless people have proved it with their lives, but it is a pity that they only knew the answer a second before they died.]

[The above, I wish you all live to the end, I will wait for you at the end.]

A boundless wilderness.

Mike frowned slightly and looked at the survival manual in his hand.

The small black letters floated on the first page of the paper, and when he turned to the second page, there was a sudden burst of dazzling light.

When the light disappeared, the book was gone, replaced by a small black ball.

"A doomsday survival game?"

Seeing the azure blue screen in front of him swayed and moved along with it, Somo quickly accepted the facts.

On December 22, 2022, everyone did not expect that the Maya's prophecy was delayed for ten years and suddenly visited.

The solar flare erupted, the asteroid hit the earth, and the moment the monstrous flame fell, Mike passed out.

When he woke up, he came to this place.

Mike found himself in a vast grassland with no signs of civilization or any structures nearby. He had no food or water with him and was completely alone. The only thing he could see was the vast expanse of grass stretching out before him. Mike realized that he was not well-equipped to survive in this wilderness and began to feel a sense of panic rising in him. He knew he had to find a way to survive, but he had no idea where to start.

[Safe House]:

1. Choose to place it on the ground to form a 120 square wooden house with extremely weak disaster resistance and excellent development potential.

2. Choose to place it underground, which can form a floor height of 4m and an underground pothole of 100 square meters, with weak disaster resistance and poor development potential.

Picked up the black ball in his hand, and as Mike looked at it carefully, two lines of pitch black characters appeared.

looked at the wilderness next to him, and after dispelling the idea of placing it immediately, Somo remembered the previous prompt, and focused his mind on calling out the game panel.

It is similar to the game function.

There are different options on the panel.

[chat], [transaction], [manufacturing], [items]...

There is an icon for the number of days in the upper right corner of the panel.

5 days.

When Mike's mind was focused on the number of days, a line of prompts appeared.

[Countdown to the next disaster: 5 days]

[Disaster Event (Novice Protection): Acid Rain]

"The acid rain is coming in five days? Fortunately, there is no choice but to place the base in the first time."

Mike's expression turned dignified as he shifted his gaze to the chat button on his screen, intrigued by the new buttons that had appeared. Without hesitation, he clicked on the [World Channel], eager to see what kind of conversations were taking place in this mysterious virtual world.

As the page refreshed, Mike was bombarded with a flurry of messages from various players.

"Am I in the refuge? Why did I suddenly come to this ghost place?"

"There is a lion next to me, help, I was caught by it!"

"The end of mankind is here, haha, everyone is going to die!"

"Are you also the only safe house that can be placed?"

Sliding past conversations.

Mike noticed the small speaker pattern next to the speaking button is followed by a number 1.

[Small speaker: At the beginning of the game, you can only post one message on the world channel every day. Every time you go through a disaster, the number of speakers per day is +1. If you want to chat, you can enter the regional channel]

"Restrict players from grouping together? Or restrict national power?"

Mike pondered over the game's decision to restrict players from grouping together or building national power. However, given the current situation where everyone was trapped in the wilderness, there seemed to be no difference in the starting point. They all began from the safe house, and with just one speech a day, it would be challenging for anyone to gather enough people to develop their strategies. "Besides, who knows how big it is?" Mike thought to himself.

With that, he decided to explore the game's other features and clicked on the [Regional Channel], eager to see what kind of conversations were taking place in his immediate vicinity.

Mike logged into the chat group, his avatar depicting a rugged-looking man with a determined expression. He quickly scanned the conversation, noting the height references attached to each user's nickname.

"Is there only wilderness around here? Is there any nearby water source? I'm dying of thirst," someone typed frantically.

"Don't even think about putting an underground safe house," another user warned. "It's a death trap. No light, no ventilation, no drainage. And when the acid rain comes, staying inside is like sealing your own tomb."

Mike nodded in agreement.

"Stay strong, everyone. Open the manufacturing page. Minecraft players are ecstatic right now. Let's prioritize building our safe houses in the highlands."

A few moments passed in silence as the chat group members processed that suggestion. Then, someone spoke up. "Anyone up for teaming up? My landmark is..."

Mike silently observed the conversation for a few more minutes, taking note of any useful information. Finally, he decided to sign off.

With a sense of satisfaction, Mike shut down his computer. He had accomplished what he had set out to do - gather intel on his fellow Minecraft players. The game was serious business, and he was determined to come out on top. Mike couldn't help but smile at the thought of the epic Minecraft battles that awaited him in the days to come.

[Game notification: Mike has left the chat group.]

As the first wave of the survival game crashed upon them, the players were quick to assess their situation. Most of them were young adults, for the game had screened out the elderly and children, leaving only the fittest to survive. However, even amongst the young, there were some who proved to be reckless and foolish, putting themselves in harm's way without a second thought.

Mike was one of the smart ones, and he knew the importance of self-preservation.He watched as others around him fell victim to the dangers of the game, their cries and screams echoing through the virtual world.

But even as he hunkered down, Mike knew that he couldn't stay in the safe house forever. There were supplies that he needed, and he would have to venture out eventually if he wanted to stay alive. That's when he remembered the trading function that the game had provided.

With a sense of cautious optimism, Mike checked the trading platform once again. It was a fair and free system, allowing players to exchange goods and even give them away if they so desired. And if that wasn't enough, there was even an auction function that players could use to sell off their items to the highest bidder.

Excited by the possibilities, Mike began to peruse the offerings on the trading platform, looking for anything that might help him in his quest for survival. As he scrolled through the listings, he couldn't help but overhear some of the other players talking amongst themselves.

"Hey, have you seen what they're selling over on the trading platform?" said one player.

"Yeah, I have," replied another. "I just wish I had something worth trading for."

Mike knew exactly how they felt. But he was determined to make the most of the system, no matter what. And with that, he began to formulate a plan.

Mike's gaze shifted towards the manufacturing page, a crucial component of his survival in the game. The screen displayed a wide array of items and equipment, each requiring different materials for synthesis. As a seasoned player, he knew that collecting and crafting materials was essential for his survival.

[Board: Wood 0/1]

[Wooden Box: Timber 0/4]

[Charcoal: wood 0/1, fire source]

[Ordinary shovel: wood 0/2, iron block 0/2]

There are dozens of basic items, and each item and equipment requires different materials to synthesize.The details of each item were displayed in precise detail, including the required amount of materials needed for synthesis.

With his safe house securely tucked away in his inventory, Mike was already familiar with the game's basic functions. He pondered his next move, considering the various items he could craft to help him survive the challenges that lay ahead.

The sun was blazing down on Mike's head as he scanned his surroundings, searching for the perfect location for his safe house. The vast expanse of the plains stretched out before him, dotted with unfamiliar trees and patches of wild grass.

No sign of any rivers or lakes, though.

Time was running out, and Mike knew he had to make a quick decision. He paced along the terrain, crouching down now and then to get a better look at the lay of the land.

Finally, he settled on a small sand dune, and reached for the black ball in his pocket. With a flick of his wrist, the safe house option appeared on the screen.

"On the ground or underground?" Mike murmured, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

The first option was a wooden house on the ground, a safe choice for a novice survivor. It offered protection from the elements and the potential for future expansion, but lacked the natural defenses of an underground shelter.

The second option, on the other hand, was an underground shelter that provided unparalleled safety and security. It would be impervious to disasters such as animal tides or acid rain, but without proper drainage, it could quickly become a death trap.

After careful consideration, Mike made his decision.

"I choose the second option," he said firmly, confident in his choice.

With a burst of red light, the black ball leapt from his hand and landed on the ground. The stones beneath it began to melt away, and the terrain began to shift and change.

As the light faded, a wooden door embedded in the ground came into view.

"Congratulations," the game notification chimed. "The underground shelter has been generated. You can now view the shelter properties in the panel."

Mike grinned in satisfaction, feeling the weight of his decision lift from his shoulders. With a sense of purpose, he made his way to the door and stepped inside, eager to explore his new home.

Suddenly, a transparent screen appeared in front of him, displaying the details of his personal shelter.

[Personal Refuge Lv1]

[Owner: Mike]

[Range: 100 square meters][Item: Novice Gift Pack]

[Materials: None]

A row of materials appeared on the screen, and Mike's eyes lit up at the sight of the words "Novice Gift Pack." At the same time, he saw many others in the world channel talking about the various items they received from their own novice gift packs.

Mike hoped for a weapon and decided to open his own gift pack. Two white lights flashed, and a slingshot appeared in front of him.

[Congratulations on getting the white weapon Rusty Dagger]

Mike felt disappointed, but suddenly, another notification appeared on the screen.

[Congratulations on awakening EX level talent "Infinite points"]

Points: Points can be used to upgrade anything.

Mike's face lit up at the news. This talent could upgrade not only his shelter but anything else as well.