Chapter 57: The White Pillar of Light

The moment the death notice for that person vanished from the sky, a pillar of white light descended from above.

Qin Fei looked up.

Could it be that another survivor is landing here? No, he quickly dismissed the thought. When he had descended along a pillar of light, he’d seen the other survivors beside him enter their own pillars as well. No one lingered secretly in the sky.

If this wasn’t a pillar for survivors to land, then this white beam had to be an airdrop from the Ark.

In the world of the Ark, pillars of various colors frequently appeared in the sky, each containing a rich assortment of airdropped supplies. The color of the beam determined the type and quality of its contents.

The white pillar near Qin Fei was the lowest grade.

About a minute later, at the center of the white pillar in the sky, a diamond-shaped white box appeared.

From such a height, not only could Qin Fei see it, but even survivors far from here must have noticed as well.

He didn’t know what was inside the white pillar, but since he was closest, he had no intention of letting others take it.

He could hide somewhere, watch others fight over the supplies, and reap the rewards as a bystander. It sounded tempting, but it meant losing the initiative.

Staying low-key was important, but if one remained so even when survival resources were at stake, it would be nothing short of foolish.

Qin Fei took a set of military armor from his backpack and put it on. He’d stripped it from a zombie soldier—disgusting, perhaps, but the quality was excellent.

After donning the armor, he retrieved his shotgun and held it ready, crouching on the ground and watching his surroundings warily.

Judging by the speed of the beam’s descent, Qin Fei estimated he would have to wait at least half an hour for the pillar to reach the ground.

From the nearby beach, a man approached. He carried a compound crossbow, clearly aiming for the white pillar as well.

The power of the compound crossbow far exceeded Qin Fei’s iron crossbow. Made from chemical materials and processed with modern industrial technology, its range and force were many times greater, rivaling even a handgun.

When the man got within about two hundred meters of the pillar, he stopped abruptly and raised his crossbow, aiming at Qin Fei.

Qin Fei immediately raised his shotgun, sighting the man.

Neither spoke, nor did they fire. They simply held their standoff.

At two hundred meters, hitting a person was possible, but aiming precisely at an unarmored spot on the head was challenging. With Qin Fei in armor, unless the crossbow bolt pierced his face, Qin Fei would definitely retaliate with a shot if struck.

Thus, the man with the compound crossbow did not fire recklessly. Qin Fei, too, was cautious.

The shotgun’s spread was wide and deadly, but precisely because of its scatter, it could wound the man severely without killing him outright. If the man managed to fire a bolt before dying, Qin Fei might not fare well either.

Neither wanted a mutually destructive battle that would benefit others lurking nearby.

The man dared not advance, yet was unwilling to leave. He silently retreated about two hundred meters and lay prone, observing Qin Fei.

Luckily, he retreated.

Qin Fei breathed a sigh of relief. His greatest fear was someone who didn’t care about dying, someone who’d rather fight to the bitter end than back off.

As long as the man retreated and showed fear, things would be easier.

Qin Fei guessed there were certainly more survivors present, not just this one. Others must be hidden in the forest or in inconspicuous corners, watching him as well.

These observers were wary not only of Qin Fei’s gun and armor, but also because they didn’t know what was inside the descending white pillar.

Only Qin Fei, familiar with this game, recognized it as an airdrop box.

Though the diamond-shaped box in the sky seemed to be supplies, who knew if it might hold some danger? Better to let Qin Fei take the risk and watch the outcome.

With everyone holding this mindset, no one attacked Qin Fei during this period.

After a long wait, the diamond-shaped treasure chest within the white pillar finally reached the ground.

At the moment the chest landed, all eyes focused on Qin Fei; some survivors around him began to stir restlessly.

In the forest behind him, several trees seemed to sway faintly.

In the distance, the man with the compound crossbow who had been lying on the ground now rose, half-crouching behind a rock.

Facing the hungry gazes of those around him, Qin Fei’s lips twitched.

Were they all about to move?

But Qin Fei was quick. The instant the diamond chest hit the ground, his hand reached out and touched it.

[Obtained supplies: Stone Furnace x1, Backpack Expansion Card x1, Kindling Powder x100, Small Farmland x1, Dried Meat x10]

The airdrop chest in the white pillar contained quite a lot!

Qin Fei did not take everything at once. He only took the backpack expansion card, the kindling powder, and the small farmland.

He left the largest item, the stone furnace, behind. He also did not take the dried meat, as he was not currently lacking food.

After leaving these items, Qin Fei held his shotgun, keeping an eye on his surroundings as he slowly retreated.

Not taking all the goods at once was a wise move.

The survivors hidden in the shadows saw that Qin Fei had already taken part of the airdrop’s supplies. They guessed what remained was only the less valuable portion.

But leaving these items behind was enough.

With supplies left on the beach, none of them needed to risk their lives fighting the armed and armored Qin Fei.

After moving away from the white pillar, Qin Fei carefully scanned his surroundings. Fortunately, no one was following him.

Still uneasy, he thought for a moment, then immediately turned and slipped into the dense forest, vanishing from sight.

Once inside, Qin Fei checked the supplies he’d just obtained.

[Backpack Expansion Card: This card upgrades the quality of the diamond crystal. After use, increases backpack carry capacity by one-third. Cannot be used multiple times.]

[Kindling Powder: Ground from flint and stone, used for starting fires and making gunpowder.]

[Small Farmland: A special plot one square meter in size, reduces crop growth time by 70%. Requires fertilizer.]

After reading the descriptions, Qin Fei was secretly delighted. The supplies from this airdrop were all quite useful.

Especially the backpack expansion card. Qin Fei had long felt that his pack’s load was insufficient; this card arrived at just the right time.

The card’s use was simple: Qin Fei touched it with his mind inside the backpack, and it disappeared.