For a moment, Lin Ye had no idea what to choose. Every item in the room was peculiar. Forget him; even an appraisal master would have to take a wild guess.

Lin Ye didn't rush. There was no point. He couldn't make sense of anything here anyway, so he decided to just pick something he liked.

First, he ruled out anything that was already moving. If they could move *after* being rendered harmless, what would they be like *before*? They'd probably be off the charts.

What if the "harmless" state was only temporary? It would be a huge problem if the item gradually reverted after seven days. It was best to choose something relatively controllable.

In the end, Lin Ye chose a red deck of cards. The material of the box was unknown. On its dark red surface was a pale gold ring.

Inside the box were 100 cards of an unknown material. But no matter how many cards were drawn, the deck would automatically replenish itself, and the drawn cards would automatically disappear.

Lin Ye didn't like gambling, but he loved playing cards. He knew over ten different ways to play poker and had played almost every card game imaginable. That was why he chose this deck.

[Confirm selection?]

"Confirm."

The strange items in the room began to disappear, including the card box he was holding.

Some of the items clearly didn't want to leave the Sanctuary, but they were all forcibly recalled into the Abyss Box by the System. Finally, the Abyss Box itself slowly vanished, leaving nothing behind.

[Undergoing complete neutralization process...]

[Process complete. Acquired Abyss Relic: Card Box]

[Please draw today's card.]

A card box materialized in front of Lin Ye. As he reached into it, he couldn't help but shout:

"My turn! I draw!"

The card's material was unknown, but it felt a bit like the skin of some creature.

The back of the card was engraved with intricate patterns, while the front depicted a creature that looked like a goose.

The card dissipated, and a blood-red creature, which appeared to be a large goose, materialized in Lin Ye's Sanctuary.

Lin Ye: ?

The large goose: Honk?

Their eyes met. Lin Ye stared for a long time but couldn't figure out what this goose was for.

As if sensing Lin Ye's confusion, the goose elegantly raised a wing and pulled a bowl of steaming goose leg rice out of thin air, pushing it toward him.

"Uh, can you conjure anything else?" Lin Ye asked.

"Honk honk (No)."

"Can I have another bowl, then?"

"Honk honk (No)."

Lin Ye communicated with the goose for a long time and finally confirmed that it could only provide him with one portion of goose leg rice and would not answer any questions unrelated to it.

'So this is what "harmless" means? Isn't this a little *too* harmless?'

Silently, Lin Ye took a picture of the goose leg rice and sent it to the group chat. He was feeling pretty miserable, and he couldn't be the only one suffering.

This was the first time Lin Ye had ever posted in the group chat.

By now, the group chat had quieted down considerably. Many people were lurking, silently observing the messages. Everyone was contemplating what to do next. Some were private messaging each other, as certain things weren't suitable for public discussion.

But Lin Ye's photo blew all the lurkers out of the water.

"Damn! Goose leg rice!"

"Oh my god, System, someone's cheating here!"

"Buddy, where'd you get the goose leg rice? Did you go outside?"

"It's still hot. Did you make it yourself?"

"Boss, please, just one bite of the goose leg! I'm begging you!"

"Hungry, hungry! Food, food!"

"Are you selling? Name your price."

...

Lin Ye: Jealous? I traded my Innate Ability for it.

Lin Ye wasn't lying. His Innate Ability got him the Abyss Box, the Abyss Box gave him the card box, the card box let him draw the goose, and the goose gave him the goose leg rice.

Seeing Lin Ye's message, the others weren't so envious anymore. Instead, they felt a little sorry for him. After all, having an Innate Ability that only gets you goose leg rice was just too tragic.

"Uh, what's your Innate Ability?"

"The Goose Leg Ability. How terrifying."

"Awesome. Can you trade for a bowl for me too?"

"Please, Boss, trade for a few more bowls. A lot of people are still starving."

"Has anyone who went outside made it back alive yet?"

"Are all your Innate Abilities this hilarious?"

Lin Ye: I can only get one portion a day. I don't even know if I can get another one tomorrow.

We are "pawread.com", find us on google.

Lin Ye scrolled through the group chat while eating his goose leg rice. Many people sent him friend requests, but he couldn't be bothered to reply.

The time spent in the simulator seemed to be in sync with reality. The only question was whether Lin Ye's physical body remained in the Sanctuary during the simulation.

When Lin Ye arrived here, he only had the clothes on his back and nothing else. It seemed to be the same for everyone else.

Soon, Lin Ye finished his goose leg rice. Outside the window, the sky was growing dark. Just as he lay down on his bed, ready for a short nap, a notification suddenly popped up before his eyes.

[Night Activity commencing.]

[Tonight's Activity: Maze Exploration]

[Join?]

[09:59]

A ten-minute countdown appeared before Lin Ye. He had to make a decision before it ended.

"Are you guys joining the Night Activity?"

"Of course I am. I can't conjure goose leg rice, and I don't dare go outside. If I don't get some food soon, I'll starve to death."

"I'm going to wait and see. I'll join tomorrow."

"Good luck, everyone."

"I'm useless. I'll wait for tomorrow."

"Good luck. My best wishes to you."

...

Watching the group chat, Lin Ye was already organizing his gear.

He was definitely going to participate in this Night Activity.

First, he was probably among the best-equipped of all the survivors. If even he couldn't make it, then even accounting for different Innate Abilities, at least half of the participants in the Night Activity would die.

Second, he still hadn't found a way to upgrade his Sanctuary. The opportunity might lie within the Night Activity. If he didn't go this time, he could fall behind in Sanctuary upgrades. One step behind could lead to being left in the dust, and eventually, he'd be eliminated by the others.

Therefore, Lin Ye would not miss this opportunity.

After putting on his gear, Lin Ye sat on the edge of his bed, watching the countdown and the group chat while petting the goose. The large goose rested quietly in his arms, occasionally preening its feathers with its beak.

[00:01]

[00:00]

..................

Lin Ye rubbed his temples as he got up from a dark red floor. He was standing in the middle of a corridor, flanked by irregularly placed doors. Both the floor and the doors were the same shade of dark red.

The sharp headache gradually subsided. Lin Ye drew the pistol holstered at his waist. The goose hadn't been brought along, but all his weapons and gear were there.

[For the first three days of the Night Activity, the appearance rate of treasure chests is increased, the appearance rate of tiered creatures is decreased, and the quality of treasure chest drops is improved. The first treasure chest opened by a participant is guaranteed to contain a Sanctuary upgrade blueprint.]

[Night Activity has begun.]

[1:59:59]

A two-hour countdown appeared below the System panel. This likely meant the System would teleport participants back to their Sanctuaries after two hours.

Lin Ye aimed his pistol at the nearest door and knocked gently.

There was no sound from within. Pushing the door open, he found a completely enclosed room with no living things, no windows, and nothing but a floor littered with trash.

Empty drink bottles, shredded paper, broken stones, a dilapidated table...

The drink bottles and shredded paper were printed with a script Lin Ye had never seen before but could somehow understand. He picked up some of the trash with writing on it and stuffed it into his pockets.

Amidst the pile of junk, Lin Ye found a dark red metal coin. It was about the size of a dollar coin but slightly heavier. One side was stamped with an intricate pattern, and the other with a blood-red eye.

Lin Ye put the coin in his pocket and left the room.

---

Proofreader: Peter Pan