Chapter 8: Surviving the First Night

Chapter 8: Surviving the First Night

While Lu Ning climbed a tree to prepare for sleep, Xu Yi and Su Keke snacked on ground plums while watching cartoons. However, Xu Yi paid little attention to the animation; his focus remained primarily on the surrounding jungle. Perhaps the animals in this world did not fear fire, making vigilance essential. Letting Su Keke watch the cartoons was indeed intended to alleviate her fear and anxiety. If they could successfully make it through this first night, she would likely adapt better in the future. He kept some stones and wooden sticks within arm's reach, ready to act at a moment's notice should the need arise.

Fortunately, the night remained calm. Although the calls of wild beasts could be heard, they were all at a distance. By ten o'clock, Su Keke was yawning incessantly.

"Daddy, can I go to sleep now?"

Hearing this, Xu Yi felt a wave of relief. "Of course, go ahead and sleep. Don't worry, Daddy will always protect you."

"Mhm, then you get some sleep soon too, Daddy." Su Keke nodded and lay down. She was truly exhausted from the day's events, having only stayed awake this long because of her desire to watch the cartoons. She also knew that she wouldn't be able to watch them for much longer.

[What should they do about the night? It looks so dangerous.]
[Exactly. Six people have already been eliminated, all attacked by wild beasts. It’s terrifying.]
[This live-stream is too cruel. You can only exit through death; there’s no humanity in it at all!]
[I actually think it’s not bad. People who have faced death once might cherish life more than others.]
[Easy for you to say. You’d lose a third of your lifespan and see how much you cherish it. You’re just talking big because you’re not in their shoes.]
[I’m curious how Number 1 will handle the night. Is he going to stay awake all night?]
[The rocks here have some height, but to any wild beast, it’s nothing. I think sleeping in a tree is the wiser choice.]
[Exactly. I’ve seen many challengers choosing to sleep in trees. Especially the experienced ones—hardly any of them sleep on the ground or too close to the forest floor.]
[It’s only the first night, and it’s just past ten, yet six people are already out. The elimination rate is way too high!]
[The scariest part is the second half of the night; that’s when the beasts really start moving.]
[The challengers who have no fire and didn't climb a tree must be shivering.]
[Shivering +1. I’m shivering just watching.]
[Aren't you shivering because you're excited?]

Xu Yi looked at the scrolling comments, his heart heavy with worry. The daytime was manageable, but the night was far too dangerous. After all, not only was visibility poor, but rest was essential. If there were two adults, they could take turns keeping watch, but he and Su Keke could hardly take shifts. He could only pray that no ferocious beasts would come to attack them.

"Wait, I have X-ray vision. I should be able to see through the night with that, right?" Xu Yi suddenly grew excited; he had almost forgotten about his ability.

[Huh? Number 1 suddenly looks excited. Did he think of a way to survive the night?]
[He’s looking around—what does that mean? Is something approaching? But his expression doesn't look like that!]

The tracking camera had amazing night-vision capabilities, rendering the scene much like twilight, so the viewers could see everything clearly. Furthermore, its elevated position offered a wide field of view, allowing them to see a significant distance. Since they saw no animals in their view, it was even more unlikely that Xu Yi would see prey. However, they had no idea that Xu Yi possessed the superpower of X-ray vision.

Through his X-ray vision, Xu Yi could indeed see. Everything appeared in shades of gray, identical to the view through an X-ray scanner. This allowed him to observe the external environment, and should any animal appear, he would certainly be able to detect it. Unfortunately, he could not maintain this state for long; he could only sustain it for less than a minute at a time, after which he required a period of rest. This realization left Xu Yi feeling quite depressed.

He added some wood to the fire and glanced at Su Keke sleeping beside him. She was sleeping so soundly that he couldn't help but want to give her a kiss. Of course, he refrained.

"It seems I can only pray no animals attack tonight."

He was also very tired, having walked a long distance since arriving. There was no wind, and although the temperature dropped at night, the fire provided enough warmth that they didn't feel the cold. Xu Yi didn't lie down immediately; instead, he pulled his legs in and rested his head upon them, closing his eyes to listen to the surroundings. He gripped a wooden stick, ready to react instantly at the slightest sound. Exhaustion eventually took hold, and Xu Yi soon fell asleep.

The live-stream remained constantly monitored. Everyone was worried about Su Keke; at only six years old, she shouldn't have to endure such terrifying things. For the two sleepers, time passed quickly, but for those watching the stream, it was an agonizing wait.

Around three in the morning, they spotted a lynx, but it appeared to be chasing other prey and did not notice Xu Yi and Su Keke. No other animals appeared after that.

By five in the morning, Xu Yi woke up. The fire had nearly died out, and the temperature had dropped, causing him to wake up from the cold. Su Keke was still asleep, curled up against him. In the dense forest, the sky was barely visible. Checking the time, Xu Yi realized he had slept through the night. He added some leaves and dry branches to rekindle the fire.

Having survived the night safely, Xu Yi felt a sense of joy. Everything is hard at the beginning, but once the start is overcome, things tend to get easier. Of course, this assumed they wouldn't encounter any apex predators. Wolves, leopards, tigers, bears, or dinosaurs—these were not things he could currently handle.

He glanced at the light curtain above and saw that there were still comments flowing. He waved his hand as a greeting, not wanting to wake Su Keke. He then checked the remaining number of participants: 9,827. This meant that after he had fallen asleep last night, 166 people had been eliminated. This attrition rate deeply worried him.

He stood up to stretch, feeling some soreness in his back and thighs—a result of his lack of regular exercise and the long trek from yesterday. However, he knew he would eventually adapt; it was a process he had to overcome. Seeing that it was still early and Su Keke likely wouldn't wake up for a while, Xu Yi lay back down. This way, Su Keke could stay snuggled against him, keeping them both warmer.

Just then, Xu Yi suddenly heard a sound.