Apocalypse: Everyone Levels Up, I Return to the Time Before the Server Opened - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Blue Equipment, Orange Loot… Great Harvest!

Across the world — Bread Country, the Royal Empire, Sun Country, Morning Country, the Dessert Country, and Tropical Isles — every country heard the announcement in Trial City!

Immediately, forums, websites, and news outlets erupted with discussions.

“Oh my god! Who is this anonymous player?!”

“I think it’s someone from Morning Country!”

“Pfft! A tiny country like yours always fantasizes that the entire universe revolves around you!”

“Based on probability, it’s most likely a Spice Country player. Spice Country has the largest population, so statistically, it makes sense!”

“Hanxia Country also has a huge population, you know.”

“But we from Spice Country already conquered the Allied Federation server! Given that, this anonymous player must be one of us!”

“Enough arguing!”

“By the way, what level are you guys now?”

“You should ask if anyone has even leveled up yet!”

“Haha, so we’re all still Level 0?”

“Obviously! Have you seen how terrifying the monsters are?”

“In that case, this anonymous player must be insanely powerful!”

“Nah, they probably got lucky and used some kind of trick to kill the boss. Otherwise, forget boss-level monsters, no one can even handle a regular Level 1 monster yet!”

“I’ve decided to become a casual player. In this game, I can finally do things I wouldn’t dare to do in real life!”

“I’m going to be a merchant!”

“The game just launched, and you’re already going into business?”

“Opportunities always go to those who act first!”

—

Trial City – Novice Village 0001

Under the shade of a large tree, Ye Qiu leaned against the trunk.

Like everyone else, he had just heard the system announcement.

At first, he had wanted to reject the global broadcast. Having lived a second life, he no longer felt the need to show off. His only goal was to survive and grow stronger in silence.

But the system had given him no choice. Reject the announcement, and he would forfeit the extra rewards.

Left with no choice, Ye Qiu accepted. Fortunately, the announcement was anonymous, which suited his desire to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Now, he could finally focus on what really mattered — checking the loot from the boss battle.

Disappointing Rewards?

Ye Qiu opened his inventory and frowned.

“This is way too stingy.”

The Giant Lynx King had only dropped three items and five gold coins.

The first item was a ring.

[Lynx Bone Ring (Blue – Advanced)]

[Requirement: Level 5]

[+5 Agility, +5 Defense]

“Not bad.”

Ye Qiu equipped it immediately, feeling an instant lightness in his movements and an increase in physical stability. He paused, momentarily surprised by the sensation, but brushed it off as his imagination.

Next, he looked at the second item.

“Holy crap!” His eyes widened in shock.

His breathing quickened.

An Orange-grade Epic Item!

In the game, equipment was ranked as follows:

White (Common) → Blue (Advanced) → Purple (Rare) → Pink (Spirit) → Orange (Epic) → Gold (Legendary).

Rumors spoke of gear even beyond Legendary, but Ye Qiu had never seen such items in his past life.

Even Epic-tier equipment was a rarity, something only the top-level players could obtain. Even then, it was far from common!

And now, right before his eyes…

[Coward’s Cloak (Orange – Epic)]

[Status: Unidentified]

Ye Qiu suppressed his excitement. If his level wasn’t high enough, he would have to visit an NPC for appraisal, or wait until he learned the Identification skill.

Finally, he checked the third item.

[Lynx Kingdom Ruins: Unidentified]

“A treasure map?”

It looked like a beast-hide parchment with faded markings. Since it was unidentified, the details were too blurred to decipher.

Ye Qiu set the items aside and turned his attention to his next task.

Beneath the tree, a treasure chest lay buried.

“This chest contains the Herbalist Shopkeeper’s missing prescription!” Ye Qiu began digging.

As he worked…

Ding!

[You have obtained 1 Iron Ore.]

Ding!

[You have obtained…]

He smiled.

The blacksmith, Zhang Tie, had given him a quest to collect iron ore. Completing two tasks at once was always a bonus.

After nearly thirty minutes of digging, a two-meter-deep hole appeared before him. A pile of dirt lay beside it.

“Finally!” Ye Qiu wiped his sweat, chuckling to himself. “Who the hell even discovered this chest in my previous life? They must’ve been insanely bored to spend half an hour digging!”

Regardless, he heaved the chest out of the ground and began unlocking it.

Ding!

[Unlocking chest… Progress: 10%… 30%…]

But just as he was about to open it, a group of lynx monsters suddenly returned!

Ye Qiu’s heart skipped a beat.

Behind them, a swarm of players was chasing after the beasts.

“Shit, don’t come this way!” He clenched his fists, praying they wouldn’t take this path.

If he moved now, the chest would reset, erasing all his progress.

His heart pounded. He watched the players out of the corner of his eye, barely breathing.

Slowly, his nerves eased.

The players and lynx monsters veered in another direction.

Ding!

[Chest unlocked. Time elapsed: 50 seconds.]

Phew…

Ye Qiu exhaled deeply and reached inside.

He pulled out several items, including [Herbalist Shopkeeper’s Lost Prescription: Unidentified. Quest Item. Cannot be dropped upon death.]

“This is it!” He grinned.

Alongside the prescription, the chest contained equipment:

[Steel Sword (Blue – Advanced)]

[Requirement: Level 5]

[+20 Attack, +5 Strength]

[Steel Chestplate (Blue – Advanced)]

[Requirement: Level 5]

[+10 Defense, +5 Constitution]

[Steel Pants (Blue – Advanced)]

[Requirement: Level 5]

[+10 Defense, +5 Constitution]

[Steel Boots (Blue – Advanced)]

[Requirement: Level 5]

[+10 Defense, +5 Agility]

“A full blue-tier set!” Ye Qiu was delighted.

Equipping a full set granted additional bonuses, making it even more powerful than a mix of higher-tiered items.

Without hesitation, he equipped everything.

The moment he donned the gear, Ye Qiu felt  a rush of energy.

His body felt lighter. His stance felt stronger.

This wasn’t an illusion. He had felt this exact sensation in his past life, but it had only happened ten days later, when the game merged with reality!

“Wait…” A chilling realization hit him. “Did it happen early this time?!”

Without hesitation, Ye Qiu logged out of the game.

He had to confirm this for himself.