An Xiaomei's intentions were good — but obtaining that tantalizing reward was nowhere near as easy as it sounded. After all, in the previous cycle, the person who managed to claim it was a mercenary from Country Y, who was the first to upgrade his island to Level 1, earning himself the "Longevity Pill."
The game was relatively fair: any external injuries an adventurer had prior to entering the game would vanish, yet their physical fitness would remain exactly the same.
Logically speaking, the original An Xiaomei was only sixty years old — her body shouldn't have been this frail.
Unfortunately, her husband had died young, severely injured while saving someone else. The family of the person he saved never even came forward to offer condolences, leaving behind a seven-month-old son for her to raise alone.
Neither her husband's family nor her own offered any help. As an unskilled rural woman, she could only survive by farming.
But as Blue Water Star's land grew increasingly desertified, water sources dried up, and mineral resources ran out…
The first to suffer were the lowest class of people like her. She had to leave her hometown, taking odd jobs to support her child.
By the time she reached sixty, her hair was white and her body plagued with illness.
If not for her son's decent success — having served in the military for more than ten years and just recently been promoted to regimental commander — she might already have been physically broken by life.
Meanwhile, every nation that had received the game's notification had already begun mobilizing. The fastest to act was none other than the Dragon Nation.
In a confidential meeting room, the country's supreme leader, Elder Yuan, sat with eyes gleaming with wisdom, issuing clear and steady orders:
"The families of our fifty adventurers must be protected at all costs. Deploy our highest-level special forces to guard them closely.
Each adventurer's live broadcast must be continuously monitored by three experts, twenty-four hours a day — all exploration data must be recorded.
Every department must work to stabilize morale. Even if our nation's remaining supplies can only sustain the population for half a year, we must win this invisible war."
Under this steady and capable leadership, the giant known as the Dragon Nation continued to operate smoothly, every department working in perfect coordination.
By contrast, some countries that flaunted "democracy and freedom" had already fallen into chaos.
Their upper echelons hoarded most of the remaining resources. Some even kidnapped the families of their own adventurers, intending to use them later to threaten those still fighting desperately within the game.
"Dear Adventurers, the ten-minute adaptation period has ended. Next, you will face your first battle — the Island Defense War.
Your Icefield Island drifts along the ocean's surface. You may encounter resource-rich islands, or you may meet hostile players and indigenous inhabitants…"
Viewers across the world clenched their fists as they watched the live broadcast, anxious for their respective nations' adventurers. None of them had expected the first trial to arrive so soon, without the slightest warning.
[Don't most games have some kind of beginner protection period? Why does this one throw them straight into the fire?]
[Exactly! When I heard the last line of that announcement, every hair on my body stood up!]
[I just hope our country's weakest contestant, Granny An, can get through this safely. Honestly, she's the one I'm most worried about.]
At this time, An Xiaomei was opening the game-issued starter resource pack.
Inside, she found a basic cold-resistant outfit, a day's worth of drinking water, three bags of bread, and a machete.
Indeed — a very ordinary beginner pack. The items were all standard-issue, the same for everyone.
The system ensured fairness by giving every adventurer identical starting resources. The only real difference lay in the random item each person drew at the start: the stronger an adventurer's overall ability, the weaker and more useless their drawn item would be — a balancing mechanism designed to level the playing field.
After donning her thermal clothing, An Xiaomei also took the opportunity to drink a vial of basic physique-enhancement potion. Unfortunately, its effects couldn't transform her body instantly; she would need to improve gradually.
For several minutes, the viewers couldn't see what she was doing. Her figure was pixelated, with a note beside it reading:
"Adventurer is changing clothes. Please do not disturb."
It was precisely because she knew of this privacy feature beforehand that An Xiaomei dared to openly consume a potion she herself had developed in the interstellar era.
When the broadcast came back into focus, viewers saw her calmly eating. From her relaxed, unhurried demeanor, it looked less like she was preparing for war and more like she was on vacation.
[What is this old lady doing? Does she not realize what's about to happen? Shouldn't she be panicking by now?!]
[You've got to admit, though, the stuff the game gives them looks great. That water is crystal clear — meanwhile, ours still tastes of chlorine after all those filter layers. And that bread! Not like the dry dirt lumps we're eating.]
[Come on, we Dragon Nation folks are already lucky. People in other countries are literally starving to death.]
[Honestly, I think Granny An's doing the smart thing. Eat first, drink first — you'll need energy to deal with what's coming.]
Indeed, that was exactly what An Xiaomei thought. She wasn't going to repeat the mistakes of her past life — refusing to eat or drink, worrying herself sick over the unknown.
Last time, when she finally encountered her first resource island, she was too weak to gather supplies, and ended up starving for days.
Meanwhile, Yang An — her son — had already arrived at his superior's office, explaining his purpose for coming:
"Sir, do you know what this 'National Fate World' game really is? My sixty-year-old mother has been selected! Is there any way the country can let me go in her place?"
The leader looked at his subordinate, whose eyes were red with emotion. He sighed softly before replying:
"Yang An, it's not that I don't want to help you — but even the state doesn't know where this game came from. And besides, orders have just come down.
A protection team has been dispatched for you; they'll arrive in about a day. Be mentally prepared."
Hearing that not only could he not save his mother but that the nation would expend resources to protect him instead, Yang An hurriedly shook his head:
"No need! I'm fine. I don't need protection. I'm a soldier myself — why would I need others to guard me?"
The leader, knowing full well the kind of man Yang An was, sighed again and spoke more directly:
"This is a higher command. The state fears that families of the selected adventurers might be targeted or kidnapped by foreign agents, to be used as leverage against those inside the game. That's why this order was issued."
A soldier's first duty is absolute obedience. With the order laid bare, Yang An had no choice but to accept — though his heart grew heavier still.
As a soldier, he couldn't protect his aging mother. Instead, she had become the one protecting him in a sense, under national guard — it filled him with powerlessness and shame.
Thinking this, Yang An left the office, his steps heavy and slow. The once-proud soldier now walked with his head bowed.
Meanwhile, having eaten and drunk her fill, An Xiaomei spotted an island in the distance — and her eyes lit up with renewed determination.