Of course, it wasn't just Japan that suffered deaths; many other countries also experienced losses of 10 million yen due to the deaths of their athletes, and the world's population decreased by at least a quarter as a result.

It's true that some people are happy while others are sad.

The moment the challenge ended, a portal radiating a soft light appeared before the contestants without warning.

That light, like a guiding lamp in the darkness, firmly attracted the attention of every contestant.

A complex emotion flashed in Lu Fan's eyes, a mixture of weariness after enduring hardships and the satisfaction of succeeding in the challenge.

He took a deep breath, slowly lifted his foot, and stepped across the portal.

As Lu Fan stepped out of the portal, the familiar shelter scene instantly came into view.

As soon as the challenge ended, the heavy snow stopped immediately, and the sun peeked out again, though some snow remained unmelted.

A warm campfire flickered gently in the corner, where Anlan and Dahei stood guard.

As soon as An Lan saw Lu Fan, her eyes lit up with surprise and she quickly went to greet him.

Meanwhile, the other contestants also returned to their respective shelters through the portals, and this brutal challenge finally came to a true end.

Lu Fan's gaze softened the moment he saw An Lan.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward and hugged An Lan tightly.

An Lan was taken aback by his sudden action and subconsciously tried to break free, but then she realized that Lu Fan's emotions were not quite right.

She paused, gently patted Lu Fan's back with both hands, and asked softly, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Lu Fan didn't answer immediately, but hugged An Lan even tighter, as if he wanted to use this embrace to confirm that everything in front of him was real.

After a long while, he slowly spoke, his voice trembling slightly: "I'm glad you're still alive, and I'm still alive too."

An Lan felt a warmth in her heart, hugged Lu Fan back, and comforted him, "It's all in the past. Didn't we all come back safely? Moreover, we successfully completed the challenge and upgraded the 10,000 times return to 10 million times return. That's an amazing achievement."

Lu Fan nodded slightly, released An Lan, looked at the campfire, and fell into memories: "Do you think I will go to hell after I die? I killed so many people."

An Lan sat down next to Lu Fan and said softly, "I don't think so. Those people are all bad people, and they all deserve what they got."

"Yes, they were all bad people, but why wouldn't they admit the mistakes they made? I feel wronged when I think about it, I feel wronged for those who sacrificed their lives."

Lu Fan's voice was somewhat downcast.

An Lan didn't speak, but simply leaned gently against Lu Fan.

Big Black also lay down at Lu Fan's feet, comfortably enjoying the warmth of the fire.

Just then, the [Wilderness Survival Announcement] suddenly sounded:

Congratulations to all survivors for surviving until now!

[So far, more than half of the players have died, and the wilderness survival game has entered its second phase.]

Resource cards will randomly spawn in the wilderness; these cards include food, clothing, and technology products.

[Simultaneously activate underwater exploration mode]

Survivors can explore the seabed for one hour each day. During this time, they can breathe underwater, ignore pressure, and are waterproof.

[The Chinese contestant performed best in both challenges, triggering a hidden reward.]

[Reward 1: Chinese athletes' underwater exploration time increased to three hours]

[Reward 2: China will receive a resource storage facility where any rebate resources can be stored.]

Immediately afterwards, a golden light descended upon the square in the capital of China.

A halo of light formed around the plaza, and the interior became a magical storage space.

Upon seeing the announcement, Lu Fan and An Lan were both extremely surprised. They exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with joy and astonishment.

An Lan was the first to react, her face beaming with excitement: "Supply cards? And technological products? I wonder what they'll be like."

Lu Fan also came to his senses and said with a smile, "I think this storage area is the most practical. Otherwise, there's simply no place to put some of the larger items. From now on, all our good stuff will have a good place to go."

He then couldn't help but lick his lips. "Looks like all our previous efforts weren't in vain. We can stay in the sea for three hours. I've been craving those precious seafoods for so long. Just imagine all those plump shrimp and crabs, and tender fish—it makes my mouth water!"

"All you ever do is eat," An Lan said, laughing at Lu Fan's expression.

"Food is the most important thing for people, isn't that normal? Besides, exploring the seabed can help you find treasures and delicious food, isn't that great!" After saying that, Lu Fan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The other contestants reacted differently. Those by the sea were as excited as if they had won the lottery.

"Haha, here I come, underwater exploration! Maybe I'll find the legendary Atlantis treasure! I'm going to make a big discovery this time!"

"Haha, my luck has finally turned around! I'm going to make a name for myself in the ocean!"

However, some contestants were not so lucky; they had a terrible headache.

Because of the fact that they lived in a place where even water was hard to find, let alone the sea.

One contestant looked at the vast desert around him, feeling like crying but unable to, and spread his hands to complain to the sky.

"Underwater exploration? I can hardly find a stream around here, do you expect me to dig a tunnel to the sea? That's making things difficult for me!"

Another contestant, who lives on an inland plateau, said: "This is really killing me. I'm thousands of miles away from the sea, and this underwater exploration mode is just an unattainable dream for me. I can only watch others explore it."

In the live stream, the comments scrolled wildly like snowflakes. Chinese netizens were overjoyed, filling the screen with words of pride.

"Supply cards? Could they summon a spaceship? That would be so cool!"

"What if we encounter a goblin? Haha, that'll be quite an adventure!"

"Lu Fan is awesome! This reward is well-deserved! I knew a master like him would be worth two men!"

"This is going to be a good show! We're just waiting to see Lu Fan show off his skills underwater and bring back all those good things! He's sure to have a great haul!"

"Lu Fan is right next to the sea, he's about to take off again. Looking forward to his amazing performance!"

Meanwhile, the overseas live streams were filled with wailing.

"Why do Chinese athletes get so many benefits? This is unfair!"

"Is China on the verge of dominating the world?"

Is it too late for me to immigrate to China now?

"Get lost, you piece of trash."

Inside the shelter, Lu Fan and his companion began packing their equipment.

"Let's go out into the sea and see what this underwater exploration is all about," Lu Fan said, his face showing eagerness.

An Lan watched him pick up the trident and found it somewhat amusing: "Are you sure you need this?"

Lu Fan brandished his trident with a flourish: "Of course I have to take my Poseidon Trident when I go into the sea. Maybe I can even find the Poseidon's legacy or something. I remember there was a guy named Sugar Mountain who was like this."