Mobilization

Blue Star.

A system announcement, like a depth charge dropped into a calm lake, instantly detonated across the entire real-world internet.

[Titan: Genesis Version Preview: Fifth Closed Beta Recruitment Open]

[To cope with the increasingly severe Abyss threat, we need more Immune Guardians.]

[New slots: 100,000.]

[Qualification acquisition method: Random draw across the entire network.]

[Slot distribution time: 24 hours later.]

A mere one hundred thousand slots.

For the billions of people worldwide desperate to change their fate, this was practically a one-in-ten-thousand probability.

In this era, the latest VR gaming pods could be bought with money, and major e-commerce platforms had ample stock. However, the "activation qualification" required to light up the device and connect to the game Titan: Genesis was a priceless treasure.

Coordinates: Dragon Kingdom Imperial Capital - "Wall Breaker" Task Force Headquarters

Ban Jianguo stared at the glaring countdown on the giant screen, the cigarette in his hand having burned down to the filter.

"One hundred thousand slots. Randomly drawn across the entire network." His voice was hoarse, his brows locked in a tight frown. "This means we cannot simply buy them out like we do with supplies."

"Team Leader, the technical department has already attempted to analyze the lottery algorithm, but it is a black box. It is completely random, with no backdoors to exploit," the staff officer reported.

Ban Jianguo stubbed out the cigarette, his gaze as hard as iron.

"Since there are no backdoors, we will use sheer numbers to force the probability."

He pointed to a top-secret document on the table—the <First Titan Special Warfare Division Formation Plan>.

"Notify all major military regions. Have those three thousand selected special warfare elites all log in at the designated time to grab the slots! Additionally, mobilize all non-duty administrative staff and logistics personnel—a total of fifty thousand people—to register for the draw!"

"Even if the probability is only one in a thousand, we must get our people inside."

"Also," Ban Jianguo paused, "contact Lei Zhen. The Dawn Guild is the number one guild in the game and holds significant influence. If the official side has bad luck and too few people are selected, we need them to assist in absorbing the veterans among the solo players and reorganize them."

"Yes!"

Coordinates: Shen City - Office Building of a Major Internet Tech Giant

Li Zihan (Data Maniac) took off his glasses and rubbed his throbbing temples.

His desk was piled high with project requirement documents, and his supervisor was still roaring in the distance, spitting as he urged them to speed up progress.

"Li Zihan! What are you daydreaming about? This algorithm model must be finished tonight!"

Li Zihan closed his eyes.

[Talent Mapping: Cerebral Overclocking]

In that instant, the noisy office around him seemed to become slow and quiet. The supervisor's angry, twisted face was decomposed into countless micro-expression parameters in his eyes; even the endocrine disorder symptoms caused by the supervisor's long-term sleep deprivation were perfectly clear.

"This kind of inefficient code is no longer worth writing."

Li Zihan opened his eyes, his gaze terrifyingly clear. He took a pre-printed letter from his drawer and placed it gently in front of his supervisor.

"Resignation letter."

"Are you crazy? Where are you going?"

"To another world." Li Zihan picked up his coat and walked toward the elevator without looking back.

Stepping out of the building, he took out his phone and sent a message to a private group named "Code Utopia," which was filled with top-tier geniuses he had met in the coding circle.

"Old friends, stop patching firewalls for the capitalists. Remember that game I mentioned last time? The new closed beta has started. If you get in, remember to contact me. I'll take you to see the other side of the world!"

Coordinates: A Large Construction Site

At the bustling construction site, workers were struggling to move cement that had just been unloaded from a truck.

"Ouch! Damn it, why is this bag wet? It's heavy as lead!" Two burly men joined forces to lift a bag of damp cement, their faces turning red and veins bulging from the exertion.

"Move aside, let me."

Wang Daqiang (Dali Chu Qiji) walked over wearing his hard hat. He didn't waste words; he reached out and grabbed the bag of damp cement—then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he casually picked up two more bags of dry cement and hoisted them onto his shoulders.

The total weight was nearly three hundred jin.

Under the horrified gazes of his fellow workers, Wang Daqiang was not only uncrushed, but his steps remained steady. He even managed to free one hand to adjust his hat, walking up to the second floor as easily as if he were carrying a bag of cotton.

"My goodness... did Daqiang eat a super-strength pill?"

After finishing the unloading, Wang Daqiang brushed the dust off his body and looked at the circle of dumbfounded workers surrounding him.

"I won't hide it from you guys anymore." Wang Daqiang smiled honestly. "I've been doing pretty well in that Titan game lately. This strength was trained right there."

"Daqiang, what kind of game is that? Can we play it too?" The workers' eyes lit up.

"It's possible, but this game doesn't cost money—it costs luck." Wang Daqiang scratched his head. "That lottery qualification is hard to get. Everyone, just go register and try your luck these next few days. The game helmet is enough, and it's not expensive."

His gaze was sincere: "We do manual labor, so we have good physical foundations. Even if we just act as meat shields once we're in, we'll be in high demand. If anyone gets lucky and wins a spot, remember to find me. I'll take you guys to level up; it's better than moving bricks for the rest of our lives."

Coordinates: A high-end shooting club

The doors were tightly shut, with only a few staff members dismantling the signage.

Inside the club, Lei Zhen (Thunder King) was wiping down his beloved sniper rifle model.

Seven or eight men in plain clothes sat on the sofa, each with an unopened game helmet placed in front of them.

"Captain, is this thing really as miraculous as you say?" a man with a buzz cut asked. "Even though we've retired, our marksmanship hasn't faded. If we can't get into the game, wouldn't this skill set go to waste?"

"As long as we can get in, it won't be wasted." Lei Zhen put down the model, his eyes sharp. "The hit feedback and bullet drop in this game are even more realistic than our simulation training."

"However..." Lei Zhen looked at the helmets. "I prepared these helmets for you, but the account qualification depends on the system lottery. Everyone logs in to register at midnight tonight. This is a matter of luck, but it's also an order."

"What if we don't win the lottery?"

"Then go buy it! Go trade for it!" Lei Zhen said coldly. "Even if we have to use our connections abroad, we must get those accounts. This is extremely important! Although there might be expansions later, being one step ahead means being ahead in every step!"

Coordinates: Yun Zhong You's home

Li You (Yun Zhong You) sat beside a wheelchair—the chair was now folded up and tossed into a corner.

She was teaching her parents how to use the iris recognition function of the game helmet.

"Mom, Dad, this game qualification is randomly drawn." Li You said with some worry. "Although I really want you to get in, the probability is..."

"It's fine, daughter." Her father put on the helmet with a cheerful smile. "Your mother and I have done good deeds our whole lives; our luck shouldn't be too bad. If we really win, we'll go in and cook for you. If we don't, we'll just stay here and watch the house for you."

Li You looked at her parents' graying temples and prayed silently in her heart.

Online Meeting Room - Dawn Guild Core Group

Five screens lit up; everyone had already handled their ties in reality.

The video call screen was split into five parts.

Screen one: Li Zihan stood under an office building, the wind blowing the hem of his shirt.

"I quit. I've earned enough money; it's time to do something more exciting. I've also called up a few friends from competitive programming and guys I met on GitHub."

Screen two: At a construction site, Dali Chu Qiji was sitting on a pile of rebar.

"I quit too." Wang Daqiang smiled honestly. "The foreman wanted to dock my pay earlier, so I lifted a forklift to change a tire right in front of him. He was so scared he paid me triple on the spot and begged me to leave immediately."

Wang Daqiang grinned at the camera: "I told my fellow villagers about this. They've all done hard labor, they're strong, and they listen. For this account grab, I told them all to register, and we're ready to snatch up the spots."

Screen three: In a cozy bedroom, Li You turned the camera toward her two parents: "Mom and Dad said that even though they're older and their reaction times aren't great, they can enter the game to help us with logistics."

Screen four: A private shooting club.

"My retirement application has been approved, and I've been transferred to 'Special Consultant'." Lei Zhen said with a smile. "From now on, I'm a full-time player. Also, the assault team members I used to lead will be entering the game this time. They are all experts with guns; they'll be able to pick up the [Hunter] or [Spirit Pivot Envoy] classes quickly."

Screen five: At Feng Xing Tian Xia's home.

Chen Feng looked at his teammates on the screen, his eyes full of gratification.

"Very good."

Feng Xing Tian Xia looked at everyone, a mysterious smile appearing on his face.

"Looking at everyone, it seems you're all worried about that 'random lottery' qualification? Afraid your friends and family won't get a spot?"

"Isn't that the case?" Li Zihan frowned. "Statistically speaking, the probability of us getting our entire group of friends and family in is almost zero."

"That's for ordinary people."

Chen Feng projected a system email he had just received onto the shared screen.

[System Email: Titan's Gift]

[Recipient: Feng Xing Tian Xia (LV.21)]

[Content: In recognition of your outstanding performance as a pioneer, your genetic sequence has been acknowledged by the Titans. You have been granted [Kinship Extradition Beacon] x 5.]

[Description: Real-world personnel holding this beacon can bypass the lottery phase, directly obtain the fifth closed beta qualification, and spawn near your current coordinates.]

"Holy crap?!" Wang Daqiang jumped up from the ground. "Isn't this just a referral code?!"

"Exactly." Chen Feng nodded. "Every player who reaches LV.20 and unlocks their Talent Tree has received between 3 to 5 spots. This is a privilege the system gives to elite players. You were all busy dealing with real-life matters and haven't logged in, right? Remember to go claim them later!"

"That's great!" Li You exited the video conference at light speed and reappeared immediately; she had just logged in to confirm the spots. "I have three spots, just enough for Mom and Dad!"

Lei Zhen also breathed a sigh of relief: "Five spots are enough to bring in the core of my assault team. I'll let the old squad leader worry about the rest."

Chen Feng suppressed his smile, his expression becoming solemn.

"The spots are limited; make sure to give them to the most trustworthy and capable people."

He stood up, his gaze seemingly piercing through the screen to look toward the vast Abyss.

"This game is the ticket to a new era and evolution. We must seize the initiative!"

"Everyone assemble tomorrow, snatch the people! Snatch the monsters!"

In every corner of Blue Star.

A down-and-out former esports champion stared at the announcement on the screen, the long-extinguished flames in his eyes reigniting;

In a university dormitory building, a group of soon-to-graduate students, lost and uncertain about their future, were frantically refreshing the account registration page;

Outside an intensive care unit, a desperate patient listened to the rumors from fellow patients, their hands trembling as they watched the distribution of game slots--

Countdown: 00:00:00

[Titan: Genesis] Fifth closed beta, server opening.

[Welcome back to the embrace of the Titan God. My kin.]