Chapter 19: The "One" Above All Others

Lin Yu’s mouth felt numb from all the chewing, but after less than ten minutes, he had finally devoured all the attribute fruits.

The brand-new attribute panel caused his confidence to swell immensely.

【Codename: Magician】
【Level: Tier 0, Level 3, 0%】
【Mana: 18,500】
【Strength: 249】
【Physique: 136】
【Speed: 142】
【Spirit: 185】
【Talent: S-Rank Flame Controller: Evolving 86%】
【Flame Unlocked Forms: Flame, Dragon Flame (Unlocking 86%)】
...

It was the fifth day of the apocalypse. Due to the butterfly effect caused by Lin Yu, the evolutionary process of the entire world, and specifically the Great Xia nation, was moving much faster than in his previous life. Back then, it took until the sixth day for someone to reach Level 5 and trigger the arrival of the rules, but this time, it had been accelerated by a full four days.

At the same time, Lin Yu’s actions in the trading market had drawn the attention of Evolvers across all of Great Xia, prompting many to follow suit. Given the massive population base of Great Xia, even if only a fraction of the fruits were concentrated among a select few, it was enough to forge a large group of powerhouses.

"I really look forward to the moment the world rankings open!"
"I wonder how wonderful the expressions on the foreigners' faces will be when they see the entire list filled with our people from Great Xia."
"Hehe~"

Lin Yu smiled with a touch of dark mischief, feeling a sense of anticipation.

By evening, Lin Yu and his group were resting inside a jewelry store, taking stock of their gains while eating to replenish their energy. Today’s haul was slightly better than yesterday’s. Lin Yu distributed 250 fruits to Liu Yu and his companion, 300 to Chen Jing'er, and kept 1,922 for himself.

"Today should be the last opportunity. You should prioritize trading for fruits. After today, you might not be able to trade for them anymore," Lin Yu said to the three of them.

"Boss, do you mean that those who have fruits are planning to keep them for themselves?"
"It’s likely that most people willing to trade will do so today. After today, there probably won't be many left," Chen Jing'er replied, showing her sharp wit.

"Exactly. Everyone knows the function of the fruits and the effects of the crystals now. The supply shortage over the last two days was mainly because the number of crystals was low, but today is different."
"Yes, and after the initial fear wears off, some people will attempt to kill zombies. If they succeed, they will certainly stop trading away their fruits."
"Therefore, today is the final chance!"

With that, Lin Yu opened the trading market. The price of green fruits had risen to 10 crystals, and yellow ones to 38, doubling compared to yesterday. Lin Yu didn't hesitate and immediately posted his own offers: 10 crystals for one green fruit, and 40 for one yellow.

"You've all placed your orders, right?" Lin Yu asked the three.

"Orders placed, though the prices are so high now," Liu Yu said with a bitter smile.
"It doesn't matter; every bit counts," Chen Jing'er shook her head; there was no other way.
"Regardless, thanks to the Boss, we are already ahead of so many people."
"That’s true. If it weren't for Brother Yu, we would have been dead long ago, let alone be here today."

Speaking of this, both Yang Shanshan and Liu Yu were filled with gratitude toward Lin Yu.

Lin Yu smiled and opened the Evolution Point Ranking. His eyes narrowed for a moment, then he felt a sense of understanding.

Great Xia Evolution Point Ranking:
1st Place: Magician, 14,662 points
2nd Place: Archmage, 9,833 points
3rd Place: Unnamed, 9,721 points
...
20th Place: Fire God, 7,699 points

The daily rankings had been completely refreshed. Everyone’s data was terrifying; compared to yesterday, it was like the difference between heaven and earth. The other three noticed Lin Yu's expression and checked the board as well. They had been killing zombies all day and were only now taking a rest, having had no time to check the rankings before. Upon seeing them, they were all shocked.

"This... how is it so exaggerated today?" Liu Yu stammered.
"Yeah, everyone in the top ten has over 9,000 evolution points. I’ve already fallen off the list," Yang Shanshan exclaimed.

Chen Jing'er pondered for a moment. "Many of them have likely formed squads. If several powerful Awakened ones team up, their efficiency will be very high."
"That’s true. And there are those with wide-range lethal talents; once their base stats are up, their speed at killing zombies is also extremely fast."
"I saw on the forums last night that people were discussing that 'Fire God' ranked 20th. He is also a fire-attribute Awakened, and apparently quite powerful."

"The Great Xia Tier Ranking is different now, too. Yesterday there was only one person, but now it’s fully occupied."

Chen Jing'er’s words caught their attention. Lin Yu clicked it open. The first place was still the little girl.

Great Xia Tier Ranking:
1st Place: Unnamed, Tier 0
2nd Place: Unnamed, Tier 0
3rd Place: Blade, Tier 0
...

The Tier Ranking didn't count levels, only tiers. Since everyone was currently at Tier 0, the ranking was based on who reached it first. Although the first place was still "Unnamed," Lin Yu knew that it was Chen Jing'er.

Even if the person in second place reached Level 10 now, they would still remain behind the first place unless they broke through to Tier 1.

"Let’s go, time to head back and rest," Lin Yu called to the others, heading toward the hotel.

On the way, he checked his trade listings. So far, only half had been completed; the rest were still pending. The entire trading market was flooded with listings today. Lin Yu knew that the truly powerful Evolvers were beginning to show their edge. In the first few days of the apocalypse, everyone was still adjusting, but now, those with powerful awakened talents—as well as those lucky enough to have consumed red or even gold attribute fruits—would start to stand out.

The one codenamed "Blade," if Lin Yu remembered correctly, was from the military. His awakened talent skill was "Heavenly Blade," said to be invincible and capable of cutting through anything.

The one codenamed "Archmage" was one of the strongest in the previous life. His awakened talent skill, "Undead Disaster," was enough to strike fear into anyone. Once he grew familiar with his abilities, his speed at clearing zombies would be incredibly fast.

"However, no matter how powerful you are, in this life, you will only be beneath me."

The corners of Lin Yu’s mouth curled up. He recalled an anime from before the apocalypse called *Under One Person*, and he intended to be that "one person" in this apocalypse. Everything else would have to be beneath him. He was confident that his advantage was unrivaled.

"Knock, knock!"

Just as Lin Yu and the others returned to the hotel, a knock sounded at the door.

"I’ll go check!"

Chen Jing'er opened the door to find a beautiful woman in a white suit standing in the hallway.

"Can I help you?" Chen Jing'er asked, becoming vigilant. This woman’s beauty was on par with her own, and her figure was similar, but she possessed a mature charm that Chen Jing'er lacked.

"Can I come in to talk?" The young woman sensed the girl's hostility and managed a bitter smile.

"Come in." After a moment of silence, Chen Jing'er let her inside.

"Are you looking for me?" Lin Yu asked.

"I want to join your team."

Hearing this, Chen Jing'er frowned. "What benefit is there for us if you join? As far as I know, you have your daughter with you—two weak women with no strength to truss a chicken."

Lin Yu looked at her with an amused expression.