Hey hey hey hey! Let me see… who's the unlucky one that didn't get a slot this time?
First Floor: Don't make me draw my blade!
Second Floor:Hiss~ I queued three times and barely secured a slot in the Sun Federation. Hiss~ I'm doomed!
Third Floor:Hiss~ That dog actually cheated three times in a row! My dawn is rising, damn it—garbage company! Thirty million slots across the whole Shenzhou, and none of them mine?
Fourth Floor:Next September, we'll ride east to see the cherry blossoms!
Fifth Floor:Hiss~ Nice poem! So moving~ But why's Brother Tai riding a horse to buy cherry blossoms? Don't you have a phone? Anyway, I just wanted to say—I got a slot, last batch!
Sixth Floor: Fine, fine, you all wanna play rough? (Image) Here's my game pod and quota—guess I won't keep pretending anymore!
Anyone willing to sell their slot? Maybe the ones who keep cursing about the update times? If you don't wanna play, DM me~
First Floor: You're dreaming. The real-name brainwave system can't be transferred.
Thread Starter:Haha, is it really that hard? (Image) According to the new regulations, if you confirm you won't play again, you can transfer your quota!
Second Floor:Hiss~ Bro, you serious? I was just joking earlier.
Third Floor: No way. Even if you're angry, this game is still worth playing!
Streamer! Streamer! Is there anyone new entering the game?Streamer, my friend wants to know—if a player's been offline for a long time, can someone replace them?Streamer, you've lost some weight, haven't you?
The man known as Guard chuckled as he glanced at the scrolling comments."I've been working out lately. Sitting around gaming all day isn't exactly healthy."
When he turned around, the screen shifted—revealing a young man with golden hair and pale features, clearly foreign yet handsome in a frail way. The chat immediately exploded.
Anchor! Is that Unos?Anchor! Are the three Federations really going to connect this time? What about Edoma from the Sun Federation? Is Player No.1 finally going to lead us to overthrow that cursed federation?Anchor! Anchor!
Guard smiled helplessly at the flood of messages. "They seem very passionate about you."
Unos laughed softly. "Fortunately, when I show up on your side, your audience always welcomes me warmly too. But you're the senior here—I've still got a lot to learn."
"With your popularity, I'm not surprised." Guard nodded, then turned back to the chat.
"There won't be a beginner's guide for this game, but remember—this isn't just a game anymore. I've compiled the New Breaking Dawn Code; it's pinned in my workspace. Read it when you can—it'll help."
"As for whether the three Federations are connected… from the data we've gathered, there's an endless Blue Sea between Dawn, Star, and Sun. No one knows how vast it is, but the distance from Dawn to the Blue Sea is said to be farther than from Blue Star to the Moon."
Hey everyone! Our favorite Demacia is online—with superstar Xiahou Fuxing!
All across the player forums, major streamers were going live. The atmosphere was electric.
Watching the frenzy unfold, Bai Yi, also known as the White Plague, leaned back in his chair, thoughtful.
This update only concerned him for two reasons:
First—the number of players in each Federation had now reached thirty million, exceeding even the combined total of the previous 3.0 era.
Second—the level cap had risen to Level 40, the midpoint of the Silver Tier.
That number alone was enough to make even the ruling powers tremble.
Thirty million players, all potentially reaching mid-Silver. If they ever revolted as one, even the Federations themselves might crumble.
Even if the government managed to suppress them, the cost would be catastrophic.
Bai Yi exhaled slowly. "Players are a double-edged sword," he murmured. "Hold the hilt, and they serve you. Grab the blade, and you bleed."
He glanced at the countdown to the server opening—3 hours left.
It was February 27th, Year 1543 of the Dawn Calendar.
Players had been absent from this world for nearly five years. With the time flow ratio between worlds—roughly 25 to 30 times faster here—three more hours in their world still meant plenty of time to prepare.
Bai Yi snapped his fingers.
With a sharp click, the massive screen in his laboratory lit up. A new emergency meeting was being summoned from Tobu City.
Within minutes, holographic projections of eighteen high-ranking members appeared. As long as more than half were present, the meeting was legitimate—and its resolutions binding across the entire Federation.
"What's the purpose of this sudden meeting?" demanded Metheus, one of the elder legislators, his tone sharp and impatient.
The others exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued.
Bai Yi didn't react. Metheus was always irritable—especially since Bai Yi had "borrowed" some of his prized alchemical soil for experiments.
Back in his private dimension, Bai Yi had developed two types of fields—one where time accelerated, and one where it slowed. The first allowed materials to mature faster; the second preserved fragile ingredients that decayed too quickly after blooming.
Metheus's prized formula—worth a gold coin per hundred grams—had been the source of their dispute.
The first time Bai Yi "borrowed" from his field, Metheus had grumbled. The second time, Bai Yi had replaced the soil with ordinary dirt and two jars of fine wine.
Metheus had called it an insult.
Now, Bai Yi spoke calmly, "Three days from now, the new wave of players—what you call Spectacles—will arrive. Thirty million of them. Mid-Silver potential. Disorderly, unpredictable. If we don't want them tearing the Federation apart, we'll need to keep them occupied."
He smiled faintly. "So I propose we expand the Clean-Up Zones and build more teleportation arrays. Give them something to do—and somewhere to go."
The chamber erupted into murmurs. The logic was sound. Thirty million unregulated outsiders could destabilize billions.
One legislator finally spoke. "There's nothing wrong with your plan, Lord of White Plague City. But the spatial cost is enormous. We'll need more Time-Space Stones."
Another nodded. "Each stone can power one teleportation array for up to a thousand kilometers—around a hundred thousand uses. But your city's expansions span tens of thousands of kilometers. We'll burn through the Federation's supply in three years at most."
"Less than that," said another. "Long-distance transfers triple the energy cost. And once the stones are gone, those players will be trapped inside Federation territory."
"They can't be killed or contained," someone added grimly. "If we mishandle them, their strength could turn against us."
Metheus slammed the table with a loud bang, silencing the chamber. "Enough chatter. Let's hear what you really think, Bai Yi."
Bai Yi spread his hands. "I already said it—let them clean up the Shia invasion. Keep them busy, and they'll stabilize the region for us."
Metheus narrowed his eyes. "And when the stones run out?"
"Do you really think there aren't more veins out there?" Bai Yi's voice hardened. "Three years is plenty of time to find a new source—or for our own legends to ascend. Helen's been stuck at Level 80 for half a year, Yuan Tang at 78. They'll break through soon. And I'm not far behind."
Silence filled the room. The legislators exchanged uncertain glances before one by one, they raised their hands.
Motion passed.
Soon, new gold-ranked teams would be dispatched to explore, expand, and secure teleportation sites—allowing players to "clear" invading threats across the Dawn Continent.
After cutting communication, Bai Yi returned to his workbench. The others remained behind, whispering among themselves.
Metheus, still fuming, muttered to the head of the Renchu family, "He's a thief! Robbed my herb field twice! And the second time, he just said he wanted a look—then dug it up completely!"
The head of Renchu chuckled. "He's got a city to sustain. Let it go."
"That's not the point! He replaced it with two jars of five-thousand-year-old wine worth a fortune! Does he think I'm that easily bought?"
Renchu smirked. "And did you drink it?"
"…Maybe."
"Get out of here, old man."
Both burst into laughter.
Tobu City, Later
[You've crafted Star Core F01 ×1. +10,000 EXP. Additional +10,000 EXP.]
Bai Yi inspected the small, humanoid robot before him—sleek white plating, smooth joints, hovering slightly above the ground.
"Unit F-50, ready to serve you."
He smiled. Cute and efficient. Like its forty-nine predecessors, it would serve the City Lord's Mansion faithfully—and kill instantly if any intruder dared approach.
Anti-stealth, anti-teleportation, anti-intrusion—all fully operational.
Even the most daring players wouldn't last a second inside his domain.
Stretching his arms, Bai Yi prepared to rest. Dai'an was in seclusion, pushing toward the Gold Tier. Luo Ning, too, had entered a long retreat—hers, however, was enviably simple. She'd sleep three months and wake up in mid-Gold.
"Oh, my friend~"
A familiar, teasing voice broke the silence. Sabo appeared in a flicker of unstable light, his form not quite solid.
Bai Yi frowned. "How long until the Evil God descends? You're accelerating the sacrifice too quickly."
"I've got it under control." Sabo grinned, his tone playful. His eyes wandered over the row of new robots. "Are these little cuties mine?"
Behind him, Units F31 through F50 stood silently, awaiting orders.
"Three days until the Spectacle begins," Bai Yi reminded. "Be prepared."
"No problem there. The outer city's done, over three hundred teleportation towers ready—enough to handle tens of millions of players." Sabo's smirk turned sly. "But my friend… I think trouble's coming your way."
Bai Yi's brows rose. "Trouble?"
"Yes," Sabo said softly. "A Nightmare World is approaching Dongwu City."
Before Bai Yi could respond, Sabo rubbed his hands together, eyes glinting mischievously.
"My friend, if you don't mind, I can help you secure the world's core quickly. Of course…" He grinned wider. "All the resources will be mine."
Bai Yi's gaze sharpened.