"You're outside the Endless Sea now, yet you can still move freely. That should be because the game has only just left Paradise and is in its second stage, the 'Free Growth Stage.'"
The East Pole Island Lord was very familiar with the game. He told Lin Yuan:
"Once the second stage ends, the game will officially enter its third stage and issue a main quest to all players."
"When the third stage's main quest ends, the day will come for our Four Pole Seas to return."
Hearing this, Lin Yuan could not help asking:
"What is the third stage's main quest?"
The East Pole Island Lord shook his head:
"The specific quests differ each time the game takes place. All I can tell you is that the third stage's main quest concerns space, while the fourth stage involves time."
"These stages also weed out players. In the third stage, practically every player below S-rank will be eliminated. In the fourth, everyone who isn't an Authority Holder will be eliminated."
"Of course, being eliminated doesn't necessarily mean dying. Most players survive by becoming island dwellers or accepting an Authority Holder's protection."
Lin Yuan nodded. This information from the East Pole Island Lord was very valuable to him:
"What comes after that?"
"After that..." The East Pole Island Lord looked into the distance, seemingly recalling something:
"After that comes the fifth stage, the game's final stage. That was the stage we failed at back then."
The players of the East Pole Island Lord's generation had been called the "Golden Generation," the strongest group of players in the game's history.
Even they had failed at this stage, which showed just how difficult it was.
"What is the fifth stage's quest?" Curious, Lin Yuan hurriedly asked.
"It isn't time to tell you yet.