The qualification distribution page on the Monster World website updated without warning at 3:27 AM.
In that instant, it was as if a bomb had been detonated.
The eligibility page has captivated the hearts of billions of people on Earth over the past four years, and every change it has made has triggered a chain reaction that resonates throughout the globe.
This time was no exception.
The moment the news was updated, tens of thousands of media outlets, self-media platforms, and news aggregation platforms were instantly flooded with this breaking news:
[Breaking News! Monster World's official website has updated its qualification distribution page, and the countdown to the distribution of a new batch of qualifications has officially begun.]
The titles may vary, but the core message remains the same: the "ticket to the Monster World " that haunts the dreams of countless tourists.
It's time to distribute them again.
Based on the experience summarized over the past four years.
The number of qualifications issued in each round is generally more than the previous round.
As the total number of participants continues to rise, the probability of ordinary tourists being selected is increasing significantly.
For hardcore Cloud Player who have been immersed in Monster World live streams, Forum, and video analysis sites as "guests" since the early days of the game, this is akin to seeing a mirage after years of trekking through the desert.
Even if they still don't get a spot, it's enough to make their hearts race and their breathing quicken.
Although they had never set foot inside, they were extremely familiar with the Monster World.
Many tourists can talk about the tactical styles of various guilds, the Monster Soul combinations of top players, and the advantages and disadvantages of the characteristics of newly contained Origin Source —they can even replay and deduce the details of a classic battle. They are always the most loyal observers of the Monster World, and also the most eager to become a member of it.
Four years of waiting is a considerable period of youth for many degenerated races that have a lifespan of no more than a hundred years.
Many people transition from campus to the workforce.
They were once full of enthusiasm, but now they face various troubles beyond what is necessary for growing up.
"If you don't issue the qualifications soon, my son will be an adult and will be competing with me for them!"
Similar banter is no longer a joke in the " Monster World " sections of various Forum; it's more like a bitter self-deprecating remark.
Therefore, when the news of the changes to the qualification page spread like wildfire, the desires, anxieties, and expectations that had been building up for four years suddenly erupted at that moment.
In the early hours of the morning, several screams and cheers suddenly erupted from a university dormitory building in the Human Federation, waking the entire building. Curses and questions mingled, until someone shouted, " The Monster World has issued qualification certificates!"
The insults quickly turned into a cacophony of excited cheers.
In East Asia, in a giant metropolis where humans and Alien Races coexist, the announcement of the granting of qualifications to the Monster World was broadcast throughout the city.
The citizens, who were fast asleep, were about to curse, but their emotions were immediately overwhelmed with joy.
The Monster World sections of major social media platforms and gaming Forum around the world were instantly flooded with posts. "It's here, it's finally here! Four years! Do you know how I've spent these past four years? Watching the live streams every day felt like going to work, and I dreamed every day about winning the lottery. It's been so hard! Finally, the lottery results have been given out! I'm crying!"
"Although the official website hasn't shown the distribution quantity yet, this time it's definitely going to be a large-scale batch. Please select it, and praise Di Zhao!"
I've changed my profile to "A devout follower of the Di Zhao," please pick me!
"Tomorrow I'll go to the Cyber Temple to pray to the Star Network and the Di Zhao, just hoping to win one of my prizes."
"In my lifetime—I actually got to the point where I might get the qualification? I thought that stupid Star Network had almost forgotten about issuing qualifications. My brother and I promised to fight together to get the qualification, and now he has 11 Star Vein Slot, while I haven't even gotten my initial Monster Soul yet. Where did my qualification go?"
"Don't get too excited. Even if 20 million are given out, the odds of winning are less than one in a thousand."
"My second life is about to begin, Blessing all the best in the comments (hands clasped together. jpg)."
"While you guys are still figuring out if you can even qualify, I've already started researching initial Monster Soul selection. I've noticed a lot of top players starting with the Eagle Head Demon, so I'm planning to follow suit and eventually switch to the latest Deterioration Curse build."
"Wake up, everyone. Stop bragging. Let's get the qualifications first."
Joking, praying, analyzing, playing with memes, and even speaking incoherently out of excessive excitement, all converged into a torrent sweeping across the Star Network.
Countless eyes were glued to the official website, frantically refreshing the page, even though it was pointless—the countdown to the release wouldn't start even a second earlier.
At this moment, countless hearts pounded with anticipation and trepidation.
What they didn't know was that this time, what awaited them was not the "usual" moderate expansion of enrollment.
It was a true tsunami of qualifications.
Deep within the Origin Altar, Qi Sheng's mind was filled with the feedback from Earth that Guidance collecting.
A surge of desire, pure anticipation—among those who embody these emotions, some will become a new force in the Player Camp.
He liked this anticipation.
I would prefer that players can transform this expectation into motivation for their struggle and growth.
Among the players Recruitment this time, there was one rather special individual, and this player was the one he was truly focused on.
Dusk in New City.
Room 1704, Building 47, Block B.
At 7:30 a. m. (East 12th time zone), Lin Ji was awakened by the rapid vibration of his personal terminal on his wrist and a glaring holographic pop-up.
He groggily wiped his face and squinted at the pale blue light screen floating in front of him.
That was a " Monster World Qualification" news notification that he had set to receive the highest priority alerts.
[Global Breaking News: The Monster World official website's qualification distribution page was updated at 03:27 (UTC+8). The distribution mechanism has been activated, and the countdown has officially begun!]
Sleepiness vanished instantly.
Lin Ji suddenly sprang up from the single bed covered with a memory foam mattress, the movement so forceful that he almost hit the alloy partition above his head.
"Fuck!!!"
--
A strange, altered scream, mixed with disbelief, exploded in the room, which was less than fifteen square meters in size.
He clenched his fists and bounced hard on the bed twice, causing the bed to groan under the strain.
"You brat, what are you yelling about so early in the morning? Can't a person get any sleep?" came the father's angry curse, still half-asleep, mixed with his impatience at being woken up, coming from the master bedroom next door.
Soundproofing is practically useless in this old-fashioned apartment.
"Dad! Mom! Monster World has issued qualification, the official website has been updated!" Lin Ji didn't care to lower his voice anymore, he almost shouted it out, his voice filled with uncontrollable excitement.
He jumped out of bed, stepped barefoot onto the temperature-controlled synthetic floor, and rushed to the living room.
In the living room, the adaptive lighting on the ceiling gradually brightens to a comfortable morning mode as it senses someone entering.
Father Lin Guodong walked out of the bedroom wearing a faded old work jacket. He still looked tired, but his eyes were wide open.
"What? What did you just say? The qualifications have really been awarded?!" The father's voice suddenly rose.
"It's true! The official website page has changed, and the countdown has even appeared!" Lin Ji excitedly waved his personal terminal, projecting the push notification above the dining table.
The father's expression immediately became excited. He sat down at the dining table, a cup of coffee freshly brewed by the kitchen's smart system in front of him, and glanced at the projected news.
Almost simultaneously, a soft "clang" came from the direction of the kitchen, followed by the mother's exclamation and the sound of her hurrying over.
She was wearing an old apron printed with supermarket promotional ads and holding a smart kitchen knife that was automatically draining water.
" Xiao Ji, what did you say? Monster World is giving out tickets again?" Zhou Li's voice trembled slightly, and her eyes instantly filled with the same anticipation as her son's.
She knew how much her son had sacrificed over the past four years for this qualification.
He scrimped and saved to upgrade his Game Pod for a better live streaming experience, and even worked part-time to save money for nutrient solutions. His room was covered with strategy posts and information from various Forum —this became almost the only source of spiritual support and a distant hope for changing his fate in his ordinary life.
"Yes, Mom, if I could qualify—how to choose the initial Monster Soul, how to quickly accumulate my first pot of gold—I've figured it all out." Lin Ji spoke rapidly, his face flushed with excitement.
"Good! Good!" Lin Guodong slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, spilling a few drops of coffee. His face, no longer showing any signs of fatigue, was flushed with excitement. "How much longer is the countdown? Where's the news? Quick, son, share the link with me!"
As he spoke, he reached for the older personal terminal on his wrist, his movements as eager as a young person experiencing Star Network for the first time.
The son wanted the qualification, and so did he.
In this era, work has more symbolic than practical significance for them.
These positions are mostly for maintaining stability.
Like his son, he spends his free time following the Monster World, hoping to become a qualified player as well.
Zhou Li immediately moved closer to the dining table, forgetting to take off her apron. Her eyes were fixed on the light screen projected from Lin Ji's terminal, and she held her breath. " Xiao Ji, share it with Mom too. Mom has to try it. It was such a pity we missed it last time."
Lin Ji wasn't surprised by his parents' expectations.
Although his parents are not young, they are "veteran viewers" who have been eagerly watching the live stream since the game's launch.
The father worked his entire life in a heavy machinery repair shop, and the mother was a supermarket manager. Day after day, they did repetitive work, and their future was predictable. But for them, the Monster World was a Sky Ladder to escape their current situation.
In the real monetary system, the most valuable thing is: Sacrificial Power.
It can be used in major cities around the world, and can even be used to buy goods that are not originally sold to foreigners by various ethnic groups.
This also includes products manufactured by the Moon Eclipse Clan, who possess the most cutting-edge technology.
"Dad, Mom, don't worry, the countdown is still long. This is just a countdown preview; it will be another 24 hours or even longer before the official draw opens." Lin Ji quickly shared the official page and several authoritative news sites that were updated in real time to the family group.
Almost instantly, both Lin Guodong's and Zhou Li's personal terminals lit up with notification lights.
The two immediately looked down and started operating the system, then entered the Monster World official website.
"Why has this page been redesigned again? I usually save the live stream page, and I haven't visited the official website homepage in a long time. I remember the background of the official website homepage last time was burning scarlet flames, but now it's Four Gods."
Zhou Li leaned over and helped her husband find the eligibility option on the category page.
Seeing his parents' expressions, Lin Ji said happily, "Dad, Mom, I heard that the number of eligibility slots being distributed this time is quite large. Maybe our whole family will—get in!"
"Nonsense, it's not that easy. Don't get your hopes up too high. Every time, the higher the hopes, the greater the disappointment." The father didn't even look up, but the corner of his mouth unconsciously curled up slightly. "It would be good if I could get one—but if I really did get one, I'd definitely go in and play a build that's both strong and durable, like the damage-absorbing build that a real man always chooses—that would suit me perfectly."
"All you know is brute force." Zhou Li rolled her eyes at him, but her eyes were smiling. "I see those life skill players doing well, farming, Spiritual Chef, and it's safe too. You should go to the open-pit mine in the village to mine and accumulate Sacrificial Power. Xiao Ji is smart and suitable for hunting and adventure. If we can get the qualification, we can help Xiao Ji and give all the Sacrificial Power we accumulate to Xiao Ji to help him grow quickly."
In the small living room, the morning light streamed through the window, mixing with the soft light from the adaptive lighting system, illuminating the dust particles floating in the air, and also illuminating the sincere and fervent anticipation of the family of three.
The aroma of synthetic breakfast foods wafted from the kitchen, mingling with the dreamy atmosphere that filled the air.
However, Lin Ji's excitement subsided somewhat because of his mother's words.
Perhaps, his parents' desire for the qualification was even greater than his.
Yet, they still habitually think about how, after gaining access to the game, they can continue to support their son through their own efforts.
Lin Ji took a deep breath, a surge of motivation welling up within him.
He decided that if he could qualify for the game this round, he would try to climb the newbie leaderboard.
As long as you rank at the top, you will receive far more starting resources than any newcomer in your cohort.
When the time comes, I'll make a fortune and take my parents to the "upper realm beings" for life-extending surgery.
He sat down in a chair at the dining table, opened his terminal, and began to carefully study the strategy posts he had collected, which included a large number of analyses on various growth pacing techniques from Forum experts.
These are all strategy guides and notes he's collected over the years, just waiting to be used after he obtains the qualification.
The competition actually started four years ago.
As Cloud Player, although I don't have the qualifications, I can still learn about various aspects of Monster World through Forum and live streams.
Isn't this paving the way for rapid growth after obtaining the qualification?
After finishing the breakfast his mother had prepared, Lin Ji said goodbye to his parents and decided to head to Player Park.
That's a well-known offline community for players in the lower district of Muxin City.
A large public green space surrounded by high-rise buildings is filled with free public charging ports and stable Star Network connection nodes.
More importantly, it's a gathering place for hardcore Cloud Player like him, who have spontaneously formed various small communities.
They usually communicate in Forum and groups, and agreed to fight together in the Monster World after obtaining the qualification, forming a small guild similar to a "hometown association".
Occasionally, they would organize offline gatherings in the park to analyze the latest news from the Monster World, creating a warm and enjoyable atmosphere.
Dressed neatly, Lin Ji took an old-fashioned maglev elevator downstairs.
I haven't left the house for several days, and the elevator walls are covered with new ads I've never seen before: bionic prosthetic limb repair, used Game Pod recycling, preview of accelerated chip implantation technology—and a few faded clippings of old news about Monster World.
Stepping out of the apartment building, the early morning dusk in Muxin City was already awake.
Area B, where Lin Ji is located, is a typical "mixed residential area." The buildings here are not dilapidated, but they are not exactly glamorous either.
The towering alloy building was covered with huge dynamic advertisements, playing the latest hovercars, travel packages, and—a recruitment video released by a well-known Monster World warband before this round of Recruitment began.
In the video, players drive various vehicles, unleash dazzling Monster Soul properties, and fight against ferocious beasts, ultimately unleashing a rain of light that gets Lin Ji's blood pumping.
This is exactly the future life he has always dreamed of.
As I walked towards the ground, I saw orderly low-altitude hovercars in the distance, with all sorts of private and public hovercars gliding silently by.
Shops on both sides of the street are mostly operated by robots, and holographic signs flash Unceasing.
A 24-hour synthetic food store, a prosthetic body maintenance center, Moon Eclipse Clan Game Pod experience center—as well as specialty food shops run by different races, the air filled with a faint aroma of spices.
The faint hum of the metropolis never ceases here.
Lin Ji navigated the streets familiarly and arrived at the Players' Park.
The park was already packed with people.
A giant holographic billboard stood on the central lawn, displaying a countdown page from the Monster World website.
The area below was packed with a dense crowd of people from all ethnic groups.
" Lin Ji, over here." A shout came from not far away.
Lin Ji looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of familiar figures.
A young man named " Data-Obsessed A Ming " wearing thick glasses.
Lu Xiaoyu, a petite girl from the Greenwood Clan with a bright, lively eye and her head encased in a glass dome, is known in the group chat as "Little Deer Bumping."
There was also a very large Tinplate tribesman: Tie Han.
They were gathered around a bench, which displayed the latest news from the Monster World Forum on a small screen.
"Amin, what did you analyze? Is this really a huge operation?" Lin Ji squeezed through the crowd and asked impatiently.
Amin adjusted his glasses, the smart lenses reflecting the analytical data from Intelligent Xiao A: "Judging from historical trends, the number of player qualifications issued by the Moon Eclipse Clan this time may exceed 500 million, or even more is not impossible, but I hope it can be completely open, so that we all have the opportunity to become qualified players..."
"500 million?"
Tie Han slammed his fist excitedly on the armrest of the bench, which immediately emitted a warning beep. "This round, we brothers should at least get one or two hits, right? If we do, we'll team up and level up together as planned, choosing the same starting map."
Lu Xiaoyu, however, was more concerned with practical matters. "I read the analysis from the experts in the Forum's pioneer section. This newbie ranking event will have more generous rewards than before because of the increased number of Recruitment. If any of us win, we must plan our resource allocation and action routes precisely in the early stages and not waste a single moment."
The group immediately huddled together and began a lively discussion.
From initial Monster Soul selection strategies to the first stage of growth choices—whether to Body Tempering or use rune weapons—and then to how to avoid the common early-game death traps for newbies, they argued endlessly, citing numerous sources.
Even though many topics have been discussed countless times, we still feel passionate every time we talk about them.
Elsewhere in the park, similar small groups could be seen everywhere, the air thick with the burning heat of dreams fermenting.
Time flew by amidst the lively discussion, and in between, we each ordered takeout to share.
Lin Ji felt that his plans had become clearer during this discussion.
Only when the setting sun shone on his face did he reluctantly make an appointment with his friends to chat online for more details before getting up to go home.
On his way home, Lin Ji was filled with excitement, his mind still replaying various starting scenarios.
Turn onto a relatively quiet community covered bridge, which serves as a shortcut.
The skybridge connects two residential buildings, with Unceasing stream of suspended vehicles passing below.
Just as he reached the middle of the covered bridge, something unexpected happened.
Above our heads, an automated cleaning platform used for the exterior of a building suddenly went out of control for some unknown reason. The fixed arm emitted a piercing metallic twisting sound, and a large, heavy anti-fall barrier, along with part of the support frame, suddenly detached and crashed towards the corridor bridge.
"Warning: Falling object from above! Avoid it!" The terminal on my wrist emitted a sharp alarm, and the red warning light flashed wildly.
Lin Ji subconsciously looked up, only to see a shadow rapidly enlarging.
There was simply no time to make any effective response.
boom!!!
A dull, loud bang was followed by the sound of metal shattering.
Lin Ji felt an irresistible force strike him from above, slamming into his head and shoulders and instantly shattering the personal emergency Energy Shield that automatically activated on his body.
A sharp pain shot through my body like a high-voltage electric current, and my vision was swallowed by a crimson blur.
All that remained in my ears were the gradually fading cries for help.
In a daze, he seemed to see his body uncontrollably falling forward, crashing through the railing of the covered bridge, and plunging into the traffic dozens of meters below—and then, nothingness and darkness.
As consciousness faded, memories seemed to be forcibly jolted open by a brute force.
Countless Shatter and chaotic images, both familiar and strange, surged into his stagnant mind like a burst dam.
These scenes are not part of a continuous narrative; rather, they are more like a series of flashbacks of memories.
The thrilling start in the Monster World beginner map, the many friends made along the way, researching the right Astral Veins Pulse combination, and buying the first vehicle—these scenes are like a rapidly spinning kaleidoscope of memories, each scene imbued with intense emotions.
Excitement, exhaustion, friendship, focus, satisfaction—intense emotions surged through Lin Ji's fading consciousness.
These scenes were incredibly realistic, as if he had experienced them firsthand, yet they were completely at odds with his real-life memories.
He even suspected that this was a beautiful fantasy his mind had conjured up for him before he died.
They were so close to success—but perhaps they'd never get to see it again— the Monster World.
Bang!
The falling body was intercepted by the community safety net that was activated immediately, and after being cushioned, landed heavily on the emergency mat.
But the damage from the impact has already been done.
The piercing siren of the hovercraft grew louder as it approached.
Shortly after, the emergency access light at the Muxincheng hospital turned red.
In the early hours of that day, the night was as dark as ink, and the new city was enveloped in a tranquil stillness.
Only the occasional trail of a hovercar gliding across the distant horizon pierces the deep wine.
Inside the hospital's intensive care unit, only the regular "beeping" of the life-monitoring equipment could be heard.
The soft wall lamps provided minimal illumination, Reflection on the young but pale face on the hospital bed.
Lin Ji's eyelids twitched a few times before he slowly opened them.
His unfocused gaze stared blankly at the pure white ceiling.
Consciousness has not yet fully emerged from the long and chaotic "dream".
The steady rhythm of the instruments, the distinctive crisp smell of disinfectant, and the lingering ache from the medical gel and nano-repair treatments on his body—these real-life Perception gradually pulled him back to the present moment.
The empty gaze began to focus and brighten as consciousness gradually gathered.
But soon, a strange sense of dislocation washed over him.
The two memory systems clashed violently, making him feel nauseous. A surge of intense emotion followed, almost bursting out of his chest.
He remembered!
I remember everything!
That wasn't a dream, nor a hallucination from a near-death experience, nor a hallucination woven by his brain because he so desperately craved the player qualification in the Monster World.
That is—memory.
Memories belonging to another version of him, or rather, to "him in the future"!
Behind the Shatter flashbacks lies a long and complete life trajectory.
In his memory, he successfully obtained the Monster World player qualification in this round of the Monster World qualification lottery.
Then came the cautious start in the beginner map, countless life-or-death battles and growth, making many comrades who entrusted their backs to him, forming a guild together, and having his own Astral Veins Power system—step by step, he went from an unknown player to someone who could participate in major events that influenced the faction's structure—in the final memory, he and all his guild members perished in a confrontation with a powerful force.
In theory, after this death, he should have returned to the Xiao Hei's Room Emperor's Tomb Village to wait for his resurrection and fight again.
But—he came back.
We've returned to a point in time before everything even began.
We've returned to the night before the countdown to the Monster World qualification distribution.
While feeling disbelief, an uncontrollable ecstasy followed.
He recalled the Recruitment post on the Forum when he obtained his player status at the God King Well, stating that he was a transmigrator who had returned to the Monster World to start anew, rebuilding the guild and inviting players to join him in achieving glory.
This post was clearly a joke by the God King, a gimmick used to attract players' attention.
But such an outrageous event actually happened to him.
"Shoes—shoes, shoes." An uncontrollable laugh escaped his throat.
Lin Ji suddenly raised his still-mobile hand, and thankfully saw that he was still wearing his personal terminal on his wrist, which displayed his personal health information.
He used his teeth to remove the wristwatch terminal and switched the interface back to the Monster World official website.
It has been discovered that there are 7 hours and 23 minutes remaining until the Monster World qualification draw.
As it turned out, he really did come back.
A second chance at life!
These four words kept echoing in his mind, each one carrying immense weight and boundless possibilities.
In his previous life, he had a decent start, but he took too many detours and missed many Fortuitous Encounter growth.
Some regrets could not be made up for in the end.
But in this life—the hidden locations of Fortuitous Encounter that will only be discovered in the future, the powerful combinations of Monster Soul that have not yet been discovered, the major historical events that are about to happen, and even the current situation of the figures who will dominate the world in the future—these future messages are like a prophetic map, clearly imprinted in his mind.
It even contains numerous analyses and speculations about the truth behind the " Monster World ".
He put down the terminal, his eyes flashing with an unprecedented sharpness.
The night outside the window was deep, but Lin Ji's heart was already illuminated by countless possibilities for the future.
He knew that when this round of qualification draws officially began...
His second chapter in life will embark on a path that is completely different from the past, but will surely be even more glorious.
Lin Ji clenched his fist tightly, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "This time, there will be no more regrets."
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