Recently, three extremely shocking events occurred in the country.
The first incident was the appearance of many terrifying monsters in the northwest region. The exact count was impossible to determine, but according to many eyewitnesses, their numbers were at least in the tens of millions.
These monsters did not possess the vast array of innate abilities seen in Earth’s mutated lifeforms, but their physical attributes were all exceptionally formidable—both their offensive and defensive capabilities were terrifyingly strong. Evolved who knew nothing about them suffered heavy losses in the initial encounters.
More importantly, despite their overwhelming numbers, these monsters displayed remarkable discipline in their movements. After swiftly seizing control of vast territories upon their emergence, they halted their expansion. Though they frequently launched hunting expeditions, their actions followed a strict pattern—each operation was executed like a well-organized military force, with main assault groups, scout units, aerial troops, and backup forces.
This behavior left the evolved observing them from the periphery, both amazed and wary, deterring them from reckless action.
The evolutionary level of these monsters was also alarmingly high. According to intelligence gathered by an organization after days of observation, aside from some juveniles, the average evolution level of these suddenly appearing creatures was around level six!
After over five years of the apocalypse, the average level of zombies and other mutated lifeforms on Earth was only just above level five! And the evolved themselves? Barely over four stars on average!
Where did these things come from?
This question became a mystery for many.
At first, people assumed that since these three alliances had even managed to kill a level-nine lifeform, dealing with these monsters shouldn’t be a problem. Even if they couldn’t eradicate them immediately, given some time—half a year, maybe a year—they should succeed. Once they harvested millions of magic crystals, the country might well fall under their complete dominance.
But as reports continued to pour in, the truth stunned everyone.
The three alliances collapsed!
Their main forces were ambushed and annihilated by the monster horde!
The God Hall migrated to the central region!
Soul Merchant’s base was destroyed!
The leader of Pin Palace went missing!
One shocking piece of news after another sent shockwaves through the evolved of the country.
The flood of unverified information spawned countless rumors—some even claimed that the Chairman of Soul Merchant had died, that Wen Yan had perished, and so on.
It wasn’t until a certain occasion that the leader of a faction that had participated in the three-alliance coalition revealed some truths.
He said the coalition’s main forces had indeed clashed head-on with the monster army. At the time, the human evolved had already begun their retreat, caught in the chaos of reorganizing their ranks. The monsters suddenly attacked, and though the terrain favored the humans—who used hills, rivers, and forests to their advantage—the sheer numbers and overwhelming strength of the monsters led to a crushing defeat.
Fortunately, many evolved had already started withdrawing, and those who realized the danger quickly fled the battlefield, preserving at least some of their strength.
As for God Hall, they had migrated again, this time to the densely contested central region, where they seized a county as their new headquarters. This enigmatic organization no longer seemed intent on maintaining its elusive, shadowy existence.
Pin Palace, meanwhile, appeared in the southwest. Witnesses spotted the colossal Thousand Year, with Mr. Wen on its back. Those who saw them followed at a distance, only to watch as Pin Palace crossed the border into what had once been Myanmar—and then vanished.
No one knew their final destination. The observers didn’t dare follow any further.
That area was covered in dense forests, among the most dangerous regions on the planet outside of dungeons. For reasons unknown, Pin Palace marched straight into them without hesitation.
As for Soul Merchant, they remained as mysterious as ever, with no concrete information available.
But one thing was certain: this tripartite alliance was finished.
The defining moment came when God Hall publicly withdrew from the coalition.
One openly quit.
One fled the country.
One vanished without a trace.
Thus, one of the country’s three major alliances—composed of God Hall, Soul Merchant, Pin Palace, and numerous more minor factions—disintegrated.
From its formation to its downfall, the alliance had lasted barely any time at all. What had happened?
Whispers began circulating that this incident was related to Cloud Peak and Ye Zhongming—that Ye Zhongming had summoned those monsters from another dimension.
The reason for the three alliances’ destruction, some claimed, was that Cloud Peak had launched a surprise attack, killing many of their core members and ultimately leading to this outcome.
However, the truth of these rumors remained unverified.
The second incident was the appearance of strange luminous formations in multiple regions across the country. At first, people were too afraid to approach them—the emergence of the dungeons had left deep psychological scars on many survivors.
But eventually, a few bold individuals discovered that once the light faded, these formations seemed harmless. Venturing inside, they found numerous chests. Upon opening them, they discovered a variety of bizarre items:
Weapons.
Battle armor.
Medicines.
Scrolls.
Even eggs and cocoons containing juvenile battle beasts.
In the following days, more and more of these formations and chests appeared. People began frantically searching for them, as the items inside were all treasures—though clearly not from the wheel, they were even more valuable and powerful than ordinary wheel rewards.
Many individuals and factions rose to prominence overnight, making rapid advancements quickly.
Compared to the collapse of the three alliances, the second incident completely overshadowed the first in public attention.
People couldn’t help but wonder: Where did these chests come from? Why did they contain such precious, never-before-seen items? Were there hidden side effects to using them?
The third incident was related to the first two.
Five Ring Money issued an announcement:
“In light of the recent upheavals in the country, all major rankings will be recompiled and released simultaneously in ten days. We invite everyone to evaluate them at that time.”
This sent shockwaves through the community!
Last time, the rankings had already caused a stir due to Cloud Peak and Ye Zhongming. Now, they were being completely reset, with a new methodology.
What did this mean?
Many realized that the decline of Pin Palace, Soul Merchant, and the God Hall—alongside the rise of new factions—might be the primary reason for the reshuffle. As a result, anticipation for the new rankings reached a fever pitch.
Meanwhile, Cloud Peak, which had dominated the last rankings, remained unusually quiet during this period, so much so that people nearly forgot about them.
And Cloud Peak truly was quiet—because their focus was entirely on Ye Zhongming’s eyes.