With godlike talent from the start, how did he become invincible?

Chapter 357 Preparing to Enter the Preliminaries

"Please wish me luck! It's tomorrow, I'm so nervous!"

"What's there to be afraid of! If we die, we die; if we live, we live forever! Just do it!"

The world channel is like a collective outlet for mental stress, filled with team recruitment, resource trading, guild propaganda, scam exposés, and a large number of rumors that are difficult to distinguish from the truth but are highly inflammatory.

Every piece of "insider information" about the competition format, the environment, and the top players will trigger a new wave of panic or heated discussion.

The name "Lin Tian" appears frequently, and is repeatedly discussed in terms of fear, jealousy, worship, or simply as a topic of conversation.

His unfathomable strength and rumored cold-hearted style of doing things were further deified or demonized in the apocalyptic atmosphere, becoming a concrete projection of collective anxiety.

......

In this frenzy that swept across the entire continent, different individuals made drastically different final choices.

Near the warehouse manager in Luoxia City.

A bespectacled female mage with the ID "Li Wei" is carefully trading with a pharmacist player.

What she received in exchange was not powerful attack scrolls or life-saving accessories, but a large variety of functional potions: high-level antidotes, medium-level cold-resistant potions, underwater breathing potions, calming potions to resist fear, and even holy water to dispel low-level undead creatures.

"Sister Wei, why are you changing all this? Shouldn't you prepare more healing potions and damage-dealing items?" Zhang Yu, a young elf archer beside her, asked, puzzled.

Li Wei adjusted her glasses, her gaze behind the lenses calm and focused: "According to the announcement, the preliminary rounds will be held in one hundred independent zones, with unknown environments. The continuous damage and control effects caused by the extreme environment may be more deadly than players and monsters. The first priority is to adapt to the environment and survive."

She carefully categorized the medicines she received and placed them into the most convenient compartments of her backpack.

"Only by surviving can we have the opportunity to observe, the opportunity to make the right choices, and the opportunity... to earn points."

Her voice was soft, yet it carried a rational strength.

Sun City, Roaring Mountain Foothills (outside the entrance to the level 35 raid dungeon "Heart of Lava").

"One last time! Just one last time! Once I get that 'Blazing Battle Axe,' my damage output will increase even further! Let's go in!"

The berserker with the ID Zhang Meng, shirtless, his muscles bulging, and his eyes bloodshot, roared at his slightly hesitant teammates.

Their team averaged level 31, and challenging this level 35, highly difficult raid carried an extremely high risk of wiping. In the past seven days, they had already failed three times here, consuming a huge amount of equipment durability and potions.

"Brother Meng, time is running out. If we get wiped out again... we can't afford to repair our equipment, and we're almost out of medicine." Shield Guard Qian Feng said with some worry.

"What are you afraid of! The bold will thrive, the timid will starve! The preliminaries are a meat grinder; if your output isn't high, you'll be the first to die! Charge!"

Ignoring everything else, Zhang Meng shouldered the giant axe that was almost as tall as him and charged into the dungeon's light barrier first.

The remaining team members exchanged glances, then gritted their teeth and followed. The light curtain at the dungeon entrance flickered, like a gigantic maw ready to devour anyone who might enter.

This is a desperate madness, trying to grasp at any straw that might improve one's strength at the last moment, even at a heavy price.

......

Crimson Moon City, beside the fountain in the central square.

Under the warm, magical light, a young couple of gamers embraced tightly.

The boy's ID is Wang Ming, and he is a hunter wearing leather armor; the girl's ID is Chen Yurou, and she is a girl in a pure white priest's robe.

"Rou Rou, don't be afraid."

Wang Ming hugged the trembling girl in his arms tightly.

"Once you make it to the preliminaries, no matter which region you're in, make sure you stay hidden and protect yourself. I'll contact you via the team chat as soon as possible, and I'll try to find you!"

"Um... Xiaoming, you must be careful." Chen Yurou looked up, her eyes a little red.

"I...I'll try my best to heal you and not hold you back. We promised to...go all the way to the end together."

"Definitely!" Wang Ming nodded emphatically and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Surrounded by hurried crowds with tense expressions, their small, cozy corner seemed so fragile yet precious.

In the face of immense uncertainty, agreements and encouragement serve as both support and a touch of tragic grandeur.

Even in the shadows, undercurrents are quietly surging.

In a secluded, dark alley in Crimson Moon City, several figures quickly exchanged items. One of them was none other than a member of the Dark Raven Group.

"...This 'throat-sealing venom,' when applied to weapons, works quickly and is difficult to dispel with ordinary antidotes. Use it sparingly."

"The beacons have been distributed. Once you enter the competition area, try to move towards the direction where the person holding the beacon reacts strongly, but prioritize keeping yourself hidden."

"Remember, survival comes first. Hunting, especially hunting valuable 'targets,' is second. Gather information and await instructions."

After a low, brief conversation, the figures quickly separated and disappeared into the shadows of the city.

Like ice cubes thrown into boiling oil, they may not create obvious ripples, but they foreshadow a more deadly cold current underwater.

In an inconspicuous warehouse in Iron Curtain City, William's action team was making final preparations.

Instead of poison, they distributed a more sophisticated and less noticeable miniature arcane beacon and a complex set of coded references.

"The effective sensing range of the beacon is about five kilometers, and it will weaken in complex environments. Prioritize establishing contact with teammates in the same competition area to create a team advantage."

"In the event of force majeure... or encountering a 'specific target,' act according to the third contingency plan. If necessary, some secondary nodes may be sacrificed."

"The goal is to advance, to get as many of our people into the next round as possible. Eliminating potential threats, especially those lone wolves at the top of the leaderboard, is an important task."

The order was given with a calm, almost ruthless tone. Unlike ordinary players who succumbed to blind panic, these organized forces methodically executed their predetermined strategies, treating the preliminaries as a planned military operation and a resource selection process.

......

Night fell once again, enveloping the continent.

But this night, no one is destined to sleep peacefully.

Sunset City, Blazing Sun City, Crimson Moon City, Iron Curtain City... almost every level-three main city's squares, streets, and even rooftops were packed with players who couldn't sleep.

Magic lamps, torches, and the light effects of players' own skills illuminated the cities as if it were daytime.

The commotion had not completely subsided, but it had gradually transformed from the intense conflict of the day into a low, persistent hum, the background noise of countless people talking, praying, cursing, and crying.