Survival in the Apocalypse: Max Level Drop Rate with Abundant Resources

Thirty kilometers.

Shen Xi glanced at the time; there were less than four hours left before the registration deadline. At his current speed, if he and Ming Ying traveled at full speed, they could arrive in an hour. But he didn't rush off.

He noticed that there were more and more people on the road leading to the city.

Players gathered in twos and threes from all directions onto the main road. Some carried weapons, some dragged supplies, and some rode bicycles salvaged from the ruins. They were all covered in dust, but their eyes were filled with a kind of excitement.

"Hurry, hurry! We can still make it before the registration deadline!"

"I heard that Lord Wu'an has already registered, a hidden class at level 16. Is there still any suspense in this year's championship?"

"Gu Yunting from the Gu family also applied. He's a level 13 hidden class. Although his level is a bit low, the Gu family's resources are there, so he might still have a chance."

"The Jin family, the Na family, and the He family have all signed up; all four major families of Kyoto are here. Add to that the military, and this competition is likely to be a bloodbath."

Shen Xi listened to these discussions.

The four great families? The Gu family, the Jin family, the Na family, and the He family. He had heard of these names in his previous life. Before the apocalypse, they were the top families in Kyoto, controlling vast resources and connections. After the apocalypse, these families quickly transformed, converting their pre-apocalyptic wealth and networks into post-apocalyptic fighting power, each becoming a powerful force that controlled its own territory.

Especially the Gu family. Shen Xi's eyes turned cold for a moment. Gu Zhengxiong, whom he had uprooted, was a member of the Gu family. And the Gu family's stronghold was right here.

He snapped out of his reverie and quickened his pace.

The further Shen Xi walked into the city, the more surprised he became by the surrounding scenery. He had thought that Kyoto would be like Starshine City, full of ruins, rotting corpses, and wandering players.

But the scene before him was much better than he had expected.

The main road was thoroughly cleaned, and although the buildings on both sides were damaged, they had been reinforced with sandbags, steel plates, and barbed wire. Every few hundred meters there was a checkpoint, manned not by ordinary players, but by soldiers in uniform and armed with standard weapons.

The soldiers' uniforms had gold military insignia embroidered on their chests. They stood ramrod straight, their eyes were alert, and their weapons were gleaming; they were clearly regular soldiers.

Shen Xi's gaze lingered on the soldiers for a moment.

"As expected of Kyoto."

Although the city defense forces of Starshine City were organized, compared to the regular army before them, it was like the difference between a militia and a special forces unit. Equipment, training, discipline, and morale were all on completely different levels.

This is the foundation of China's capital. Just over a month after the apocalypse, the military had already built defenses to this extent. Their reaction speed and organizational capabilities are truly unmatched by local cities.

The two continued forward.

After passing through the third checkpoint, the view suddenly opened up. A straight eight-lane highway stretched into the distance, and the streetlights on both sides were still on, casting a dim yellow glow under the hazy sky. At the end of the road, a huge complex of buildings was faintly visible.

Kyoto Convention Center.

Shen Xi squinted, making out the outline of the building. The convention center covered a vast area, with the main building being a huge circular arena with a soaring dome and exterior walls made of glass and steel. Before the apocalypse, it was one of Kyoto's landmarks. At this moment, a temporary fence had been erected around the arena, topped with barbed wire and searchlights, and every few dozen meters there was a watchtower, with armed soldiers standing atop it.

Outside the wall, there was a dense crowd of people.

At least a thousand players had gathered here; some were queuing, some were chatting, some were trading supplies, and some were sizing each other up. The cacophony of voices blended together, like the first "grand gathering" since the apocalypse.

Shen Xi led Ming Ying through the crowd, their ears instantly filled with various discussions.

"Make way, make way! Don't block the way!"

"Damn it, you stepped on my foot!"

"Look, look! Two more are coming! That big guy is so tall, who's he?"

"I don't recognize them. I've met most of the strong people in Kyoto, but these two are new faces."

"A complete stranger dares to participate in the competition? Aren't they afraid of dying?"

"Never mind them, we're just watching the show. What does it matter to us who wins or loses?"

Shen Xi ignored the stares and continued squeezing his way in with Ming Ying. But after only a few steps, he slowed down. He had overheard a conversation that piqued his interest.

"Who do you think will win this competition?"

"Nonsense, of course it's Lord Wu'an! A level 16 Military Soul class, a top-tier combatant nurtured by the military with all its might, if he doesn't take first place, who will?"

"That's not necessarily true. Although Lord Wu'an is strong, the four great families of the capital are not to be underestimated. Gu Yunting of the Gu family has a level 13 hidden class called 'Sword Heart,' and I heard that he recently acquired a gold-grade weapon, which has greatly increased his combat power. Jin Buhuan of the Jin family has a level 14 class called 'Iron Wall,' with amazing defense. Na Luo of the Na family has a level 13 class called 'Shadow Dancer,' and his assassination skills are superb. He Lian Tieshu of the He family has a level 14 class called 'Berserker,' and he is not afraid of anyone in a head-on confrontation."

"So what? Lord Wu'an is level 16. His level advantage is enough to give them a hard time."

"Level isn't everything; equipment, skills, tactics, and experience are all important."

"Come on, have you ever seen Lord Wu'an in action? Last time, during the small zombie horde in the East District, he single-handedly killed over three hundred rotting corpses without even blinking. All those young masters and ladies from the four major families combined wouldn't be enough to defeat him."

"That's not necessarily true..."

Shen Xi had a general understanding.

Lord Wu'an is indeed the biggest favorite to win the championship.

A level 16 Military Soul professional, a military ace. Shen Xi remembered that in the previous life's championship, for some reason, Wu Anjun got third place.

Just then, an even louder uproar erupted from the crowd.

"The betting market is open! It's a betting platform jointly opened by the four major families and the military! A ranking prediction contest for the championship!"

"What are the odds? What are the odds?"

「武安君夺冠，1赔2！顾云霆1赔5！金不换1赔8！那罗1赔10！赫连铁树1赔10！其他选手统一1赔20！」

"1 to 2 odds? That's way too low! Lord Wu'an is guaranteed to win!"

"You're going to bet on a sure win? If you think the odds are too low, go bet on someone else. Nobody's stopping you."

Shen Xi's eyes lit up instantly.

Odds? Betting odds?

He squeezed to the front of the crowd and, sure enough, saw several long tables set up at the entrance of the convention center, piled high with registration forms and betting slips. Behind the tables sat several men in suits, clearly members of the four major families. Several soldiers stood nearby, maintaining order.

Above the long table hung a huge electronic screen, displaying the odds in a scrolling manner...

[City Championship - Winning Odds]

Lord Wu'an: 1 to 2

Gu Yunting: 1 to 5

Jin Buhuan: 1 to 8

Naro: 1 to 10

Helian Tieshu: 1 to 10

Other players: 1 to 20

Shen Xi stared at the screen, her mind racing.

Lord Wu'an has the lowest odds, 1 to 2. This indicates that the bookmakers also believe he has the highest probability of winning. However, Shen Xi remembers that in her previous life, Lord Wu'an only came in third place. Although she couldn't recall the specific reasons, the result was certain.

If you bet on yourself to win the championship, you'll expose yourself too early.

So what if he bets on Lord Wu'an to get third place?

He approached the long table, where a young man in a suit looked up with a professional smile: "Sir, would you like to place a bet? It's a ranking prediction contest for the championship, minimum bet 100 gold coins, no upper limit."

Shen Xi looked at him: "Can I buy a specific ranking?"

年轻人愣了一下，然后笑着点头：「当然可以。第一名赔率是1赔2，第二名1赔5，第三名1赔10。其他名次，1赔20。」

Shen Xi's eyes lit up.

Third place, odds of 10 to 1.

If he bets on Lord Wu'an to come in third place, the odds are 1 to 10. And he remembers that in his previous life, Lord Wu'an came in third place.

He glanced at his gold coin balance: 51894.

If you put in 20,000 gold coins and win, you'll have 200,000.

If Mingying invests another 20,000, that's 400,000.

Shen Xi took a deep breath, suppressing her excitement.

Shen Xi had already turned around, walked to the long table, and slammed 20,000 gold coins on it.

"Buy Wu'an Jun, third place."

The surroundings fell silent instantly.

Everyone was watching him.

The young man in the suit was also stunned. He looked at Shen Xi and his lips twitched.

"Sir, are you sure? Lord Wu'an is the biggest favorite to win the championship. You should bet on him to get third place..."

"I'm sure," Shen Xi interrupted him.

The young man swallowed hard, but still deftly wrote out a betting slip and handed it over: "Twenty thousand gold coins, Wu Anjun third place, odds 1 to 10. Please keep the betting slip safe; redeem your prize after the tournament ends."

Shen Xi took the betting slip and put it into her storage space.

Then he turned his head, controlled Mingying, and walked forward expressionlessly.

The young man's lips twitched again.

"Sir, are you also betting on the third place for Lord Wu'an?"

"yes!"

The surrounding crowd erupted in chaos.

"Holy crap! Are these two crazy? They spent 40,000 gold coins to buy Wu An Jun's third place?"

"If Lord Wu'an gets third place, then who will be first and second?"

"Who cares about first or second place, these two must have too much money to burn!"

"Forty thousand gold coins! Just like that, gone down the drain?"

"I don't understand the world of the rich..."

Shen Xi ignored the gossip and turned to leave the long table with Mingying. He glanced down at the betting slip in his hand and couldn't help but laugh.

Forty thousand gold coins; if you win, it's four hundred thousand.

This is a huge sum of money.

Now, it's time to register.

Shen Xi looked up at the main gate of the convention center. There were two entrances. On the left was a sign that read: "[Audience Entrance - Admission Fee 10 Gold Coins]", and on the right was a sign that read: "[Athlete Entrance - Free]".

At the audience entrance, a long queue of at least several hundred people had formed, packed so tightly that it was impossible to move. Some were complaining loudly, some were cutting in line, and some were arguing with the soldiers maintaining order; it was complete chaos.

The entrance to the contestants' area was deserted, with only a few people coming and going.

Shen Xi glanced at the equipment she was wearing.

The Starry Rhythm Uniform shimmered with faint starlight, its cape fluttering gently behind it, and the star map on its chest slowly rotating. The Pangu Axe was slung across its back, its dark golden blade exuding an ancient and timeless aura.

He strode toward the contestants' entrance.

Mingying followed behind.

Standing two meters tall, clad in white bone armor, with the Asura Spear slung over his shoulder, its dark red tip gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

The two people, one in front of the other, walked through the crowded people toward the contestant entrance.

Wherever it passed, the crowds automatically parted.

It wasn't because they knew Shen Xi, but because of that aura. The silver-gray figure walked in front, each step carrying an indescribable rhythm, like a god of death emerging from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood. Behind him, a two-meter-tall skeletal demon exuded a murderous aura that kept living people at bay, making anyone who looked at him weak in the knees.

"Who...who are these two people?" someone asked in a low voice.

"I don't recognize him. I've never seen this person among the powerful figures in Kyoto."

"That guy in the starry clothes, his equipment must be at least silver-level, right? That axe doesn't look like ordinary stuff."

"That big guy is even more terrifying; that suit of white bone armor—how many rotting corpses would he have had to kill to collect it?"

"Stop asking, stop asking. We can't afford to mess with someone of this level."

Who exactly are these two people?