Chapter 298: Five Million Qualifications Released (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

【Challenger Notice (All Channels): The game is about to release a new batch of player qualifications; for details, visit the official website.】

Meng Yuan Chu Altar.

Qi Sheng released the latest announcement within the game.

The official website simultaneously launched a 24-hour countdown for qualification distribution.

There was no need to release external publicity; the Monster World had already become the focal point for all races on Earth.

An announcement within the game was bound to hit the headlines of every race's news media.

Including the minor update from a short while ago.

Recalling the user-acquisition methods of the early days, they had to deceive newcomers by borrowing the name of "Dark Lands."

He no longer needed to personally acquire players; as long as there was sufficient Shou Shou Jili, a single announcement would turn all members of every race on Earth into players.

For the settlement of five million newbies, he still chose the Earth Roar Continent region.

This region was currently mired in war and turmoil.

The virtual rune legion, returning to full strength from the small world, fought the mechanical legion once more.

Among them, the virtual rune legion possessed a growth system that countered the mechanical legion and had researched numerous technologies capable of infiltrating and controlling mechanical warriors, holding an absolute advantage in system terms.

On the other side, the mechanical legion possessed Divine Metal rules and endless mechanical warriors, holding an absolute advantage in comprehensive strength.

During the fierce battle between the two sides, it was the perfect time for players to develop.

This ensured that during their development, they wouldn't suddenly face a mechanical deus ex machina and get beaten up by the mechanical legion.

This time, Qi Sheng chose a location at the southern end of the Earth Roar Continent as the initial growth spot for newbie players.

Human Federation, Tianfeng City.

South District, Slums (Former Pollution Quarantine Zone).

The sky was just turning light; Ning Shu was still curled up in bed, sleeping blissfully.

Just then, the phone suddenly rang.

Ning Shu opened his sleepy eyes, rolled over, picked up the phone placed by the pillow, and pressed the answer button:

"Unfilial son, still sleeping? The Monster World is releasing qualifications; get up quickly and prepare to snatch one."

His mother's voice came from the other end of the line.

Hearing that the Monster World was releasing qualifications again, Ning Shu's sleepiness vanished instantly, and he became fully alert.

"Mom, I know. Remember to snatch one yourself too."

"Hurry up; if you don't go now, it'll be too late."

After hanging up, Ning Shu decisively pressed the Monster World official jump icon on his phone's home screen.

Entering the qualification distribution page, upon seeing the 21-hour countdown, he felt speechless.

"Indeed, it's almost too late."

Complaining inwardly, he got up briskly, reached out to grab the medicine bottle on the bedside table, poured three pills out, and swallowed them dry.

These were gene-repair pills distributed by the Human Federation, with technology originating from the Moon Eclipse Race.

In the early years, the Tianfeng South District where he lived had been contaminated by alien weapons during the Descent War, causing widespread genetic diseases in this area.

This was one of the reasons his region was designated as a quarantine zone.

However, with the help of environmental purification technology provided by the Moon Eclipse Race, the pollution problem could now be effectively contained.

In this era, slums essentially no longer existed.

It was just that the construction of the new city had only just begun in the quarantine zone; other districts held stereotypical impressions of backwardness here and habitually called it the slums.

Regarding genetic diseases, although the environment had improved, genetic diseases could still be inherited or skip generations.

He was unfortunately one of those diagnosed with a genetic disease and needed to take medication regularly for treatment.

To be completely cured, one had to go to the Moon and seek help from the Upper Realm beings.

Precisely because of the genetic disease issue, his mother had worried herself sick since he was young.

She worked two jobs every day, one of which was a pollution and radiation purification job with a very high danger coefficient, all to save money for him to go to the Moon Eclipse Race.

But the speed of saving money was still too slow compared to the cost of treatment.

In this life, he could only hope to obtain a Monster World game qualification soon, then go into the game and earn a huge sum to cure his body.

Otherwise, he would likely not live to be forty.

His mother called to urge him to prepare actively to snatch a qualification, all for the sake of his future.

Due to his health issues, he couldn't find a job outside and could only muddle along on welfare waiting to die; the game was his only source of income.

After the Monster World launched, the economies of other games completely collapsed.

Even members of other races without player qualifications generally preferred to watch livestreams and browse posts on the Monster World official platform to learn everything about the Monster World in advance.

Sinful Lands, Conquest, and Dark Lands—these three currently most popular games—had almost no players left since their launch.

His mother hoped he would earn medical expenses through the Monster World.

This was also the direction his mother was striving for; she would participate in this race for game qualifications too.

His mother also stated that if she managed to snatch a game qualification, she would quit all her jobs and focus solely on grinding in the game.

Actually, his mother was a gaming addict in her youth; the family still displayed the game trophy his mother won as the champion of the small regional season of "Fury."

But game earnings were not as high as the earnings from dangerous jobs in reality.

To save money for him, his mother gave up her former dreams, which was Ning Shu's regret in his heart.

Looking back at the video records of his mother participating in regional competitions, he felt she was very talented; it was a pity she gave birth to an "unfilial son" like him.

He could help with nothing and only dragged his mother's legs.

He got up and walked to the dining table, where a pre-made meal box bought by his mother from outside sat.

After pressing the heat button, he found a note on the table:

(Dish) Remember to take your medicine on time, or I'll beat you up. Mom's going to work; be good at home.

Seeing the note, Ning Shu smiled with understanding.

He really had never been beaten by his mom in his life... No, that's wrong; he was beaten once, but it didn't work.

Back then, during the prenatal checkup, the test results showed about a 30% probability of genetic disease inheritance risk, and it was suggested to terminate the pregnancy.

Mom thought the odds weren't that high, and Dad had passed away in an accident during that period.

She decided she wanted this child no matter what; she went all in.

But the gamble lost.

In his third year of life, his genes mutated, and translucent scales grew on his fingertips, like fish scale fragments stuck to the skin.

Mom gently scratched it with her fingernail, and a bead of blood seeped from the wound.

The confirmed diagnosis text on the pediatric hospital's genetic test report at that time made Mom cry uncontrollably.

To use Mom's words from that time, her mindset collapsed.

The defective gene she carried did not manifest in her, but instead manifested dominantly as a mutation in her child.

Mom said she almost took him with her back then, but fortunately, she pulled through.

Fortunately, he was born in an era that was bad but also good.

The bad part was that the era's atmosphere was exceptionally oppressive, with the crisis of alien races descending always looming over all living beings.

No one knew when the descent war would break out again, or perhaps it would be a world-destroying war.

The good part was that the various technologies of this era were advanced, including medical technology.

There were special-effect drugs that could suppress the problems in his body, but he needed to take gene-repair pills twice a day; otherwise, there was always a risk of sudden death.

Beep! Beep!

Heating finished, Ning Shu took out the pre-made meal box, tore open the foil, and ate heartily.

After eating and drinking his fill, he sat down at the computer desk, opened the official website, and started watching player livestreams.

His favorite was still the Liver Emperor Group's livestream room.

From the initial cafeteria battle to the brotherhood of today, he had unknowingly followed the plot for over a year.

The atmosphere in the livestream room was also extremely good, with all sorts of teasing and jokes in the comment section.

The only thing that worried him was the future direction of the Liver Emperor Group.

The current happiness would meet its end after the fifth session of the training camp graduation; they were about to step onto the front-line battlefield.

A melodramatic plot kill might appear at this stage.

These alien race trainees in the training camp; the Liver Emperor Group had feelings for them, and he, the "plot watcher," had developed feelings too.

Human-shaped Husky Long Gen, the cafeteria's outstanding graduate Tong Zi, the sinister-style Ghost Wind, the demonic singer Yu Du... Over a year of companionship, this group of NPCs were no longer just data in his eyes.

"Damn, the more I think about it, the worse I feel."

Thinking that these brothers of the Liver Emperor Group might die in battle on the front lines, he felt a sense of urgency that watching the livestream today meant watching one less day.

The only thing to look forward to was for the brothers of the Liver Emperor Group to grow up faster.

Once on the battlefield, they could protect these good brothers.

But thinking that powerful figures of the Soul Return Clan's Ban Shen Jing realm would fight on the battlefield, he felt that the current efforts of the Liver Emperor Group were simply insufficient to defy heaven and change fate.

Time was too tight.

Too many thoughts; he always tended to think the worst.

Even watching such a happy Liver Emperor Group livestream was almost giving him depression.

At this moment, seeing the Liver Emperor Group players resting in the camp in the livestream feed, he immediately sent a bullet comment, urging:

"Moving bricks, do you deserve your name? Get up and work hard!"

But this bullet comment was submerged by endless bullet comments the next second, not even creating a small ripple in the livestream room.

Ning Shu's emotions gradually dissipated during the process of watching the livestream; the lively scenes in the room made him laugh out loud from time to time.

During this time, he also checked the time in the bottom right corner from time to time.

There were 18 hours left until the qualification release; he decided to check the newbie guides on the forum again.

He had already memorized a lot of content, but it was necessary to consolidate it once more.

Although the probability of grabbing the qualification was very low, what if he succeeded? At that time, he would have to seize the time.

Leaving the newbie village early meant being able to get a head start.

Leaving the newbie village late meant seeing only other players' figures, forcing one to constantly explore outward.

And most likely, what one would see would still be other players.

So the newbie guide appeared infinitely important, allowing him to grasp the first-mover advantage in advance.

Unfortunately, players preparing to grab the qualification generally possessed guides, so it was not easy to seize the initiative.

Time approached noon.

Ning Shu got up and went to the kitchen to start working.

Due to his physical problems, he could not apply for any real-world position, nor could he provide any help to his mom.

The only thing he could do was bring a meal for his mom every noon.

Actually, Mom's treatment at her workplace was very good; there was free meal supply, free annual checkups, and various medical services.

But this was his gesture of goodwill.

Towards Mom, he always held a sense of guilt in his heart.

Every bit of effort Mom had expended for him, he kept in his heart.

Since childhood, Mom had shouldered everything alone.

Other children had fathers backing them up, had complete families sheltering them, but he only had his mother's thin, solitary back.

She was busy at her workplace during the day, and when she came home at night she still had to take care of his meals and daily life, even staying up all night beside his bed when he was sick.

Clearly, before giving birth to him, she had been a completely useless internet-addicted girl, yet she stubbornly bore the heavy pressure his birth brought and raised him to adulthood.

Every time he saw the heartache and helplessness in his mother's eyes, he wished he had never existed.

At least then, she wouldn't have to keep running around and working herself to the bone for him.

But his mother never complained once, always smiling as she said:

"If you can be well, Mom will be content. Once your illness is cured, give Mom a big grandson, and our family will form a little squad in the game and slay in all directions."

Precisely because of this, even if it was only delivering a meal at noon every day, he wanted to persist.

Even though the food at his mother's workplace was very good, even though she always said:

"Don't bother."

He still wanted to stubbornly do it.

This was the only way he could repay her.

Arriving in front of the refrigerator, he began to busy himself.

The fridge stored ingredients prepared the night before: delicious green peppers cultivated by the Green Wood Clan, chicken breast, a few plump shiitake mushrooms, and a small handful of verdant celery.

Ning Shu's movements in making lunch were not fast, but very steady.

The chicken breast was cut into uniform thin strips, marinated with cooking wine, light soy sauce, and starch, and set aside to rest.

The green peppers were deseeded and cut into thin strips, the shiitake mushrooms sliced, and the celery cut at an angle into small segments.

After the wok was heated, a little oil was poured in, minced garlic was bloomed for fragrance, the chicken shreds slid into the wok and stir-fried until they changed color, then the vegetables were added, tossed over high heat, and finally a spoonful of "Sea Crystal" imported from Fishing Harbor City was drizzled in to enhance freshness.

He had originally wanted to buy cheap seafood exported from Fishing Harbor City, but thinking that the recent sea area pollution problem was quite serious, he gave up the idea.

The aroma quickly spread through the entire kitchen; he curled up the corners of his mouth and looked down at the serving plate.

His mother liked this dish the most — refreshing, not greasy, and great with rice.

The stir-fried dish was carefully packed into an insulated lunch box, and he also ladled out a bowl of the yam and pork rib soup simmered that morning, the broth clear and bright, with a few goji berries still floating on top.

Finally, he shaped two rice balls and pressed them into the corners of the bento box.

His mother occasionally got so busy she forgot to eat; holding a rice ball in her hand, she could take a bite anytime.

Once everything was tidied up, he picked up the lunch box and pushed open the door.

The noon sunlight was a bit dazzling; he squinted and stepped toward the ride-hailing station.

Along the street, the newly paved asphalt road gleamed with a dark luster, the roadside trees had just been planted, their trunks still wrapped in wooden support frames, tender green branches and leaves swaying in the wind.

Further ahead, several brand-new glass-curtain-wall skyscrapers rose from the ground, reflecting the harsh sunlight like giant mirrors, mirroring this city in the midst of transformation.

Yet behind this glossy, bright facade, there still remained large swaths of old shadows that had not faded.

Old tin shacks were scattered along the roadside, the walls commonly stamped with the character "Demolish," and some had already been torn apart, twisted colored steel plates piled by the road, exposing rust-stained skeletons.

The roar of excavators came from not far away, accompanied by the clanging of rebar and concrete; one could see construction robots busily working amid the dust on the unfinished high-rises.

The street-corner stalls were still bustling; the fruit cart was piled high with seasonal produce imported from the Green Wood Clan, the proprietress calling out while nimbly weighing goods for customers.

At a nearby breakfast shop, steamers billowed with rising heat; freshly steamed buns were quickly packed into plastic bags and handed to hurried passersby.

A few students in school uniforms ran past him laughing, their backpacks bouncing on their backs.

Compared with the outside world, the isolation zone he lived in clearly had more of the warmth of everyday life.

He had been to the outside world three times.

Everywhere there were robots, and all kinds of 3D neon billboards, and many restaurants even had robot chefs. To say it wasn't tasty would be wrong — the delicacies made by robots tasted superb.

But he always felt something of the warmth of everyday life was missing; it might also be his imagination.

Walking slowly along the sidewalk, he passed a square under construction; the effect rendering of "New City Center" was printed on the hoarding, and on the other side of the hoarding was still a skeleton of rebar and concrete, a crane slowly turning, lifting another bundle of steel toward the heights.

Amid the clamor of old giving way to new, this city was growing at a speed visible to the naked eye; every time he went out he could see a different scene.

After the quarantine was completely lifted, it could be foreseen that in the near future, all the former decay would become a thing of the past.

By then, the ancient warmth of everyday life preserved in this city would also dissipate with the progress of the times.

Without thinking further, he arrived at the ride-hailing station and pressed the "Call" button on the pillar.

Before long, a free driverless car drove over from afar and stopped at the station.

This was one of the benefits the Human Race Federation provided to residents of the isolation zone — free use of the driverless cars deployed throughout the city at any station.

After the car door automatically opened, Ning Shu entered the back seat and entered his mother's workplace address on the screen map behind the driver's seat.

Immediately the car door closed automatically, and the electronic synthesized voice sounded:

"Destination confirmed. Heading to the target now."

The vehicle gradually accelerated; Ning Shu sat inside looking at the scenery outside the window, lost in thought.

He had once come across a post on the Monster World forum.

The title was "The Gears of the Era: The Evolution of the Windfall from Agrarian Civilization to the Virtual Epoch."

The poster analyzed in detail the turning points of each historical stage in the post.

For example, the spice trade of the Age of Exploration, the steam engine of the Industrial Revolution, the internet wave of the twentieth century… And in the bolded text of the final few paragraphs, the author categorically asserted: today in this era, the new windfall that could devour all hot money and ambition was Monster World.

In the Earth Alliance, many races were laying out plans for the future of Monster World.

Recently he had also seen many news stories about so-and-so players exchanging Shou Shou Jili for cash and buying houses outright in the city.

Housing prices were already cheap to begin with, so this didn't seem particularly strange.

There had been many similar cases in earlier games.

But the scary thing was, quite a few players had spent Shou Shou Jili to go to Moon Eclipse City for life-extension surgery.

The cost of life-extension surgery was extremely expensive, originally having nothing to do with ordinary people.

Yet there were ordinary people in reality who, through the game Monster World, had achieved a heaven-defying change of fate.

Regarding the qualification distribution for this Monster World, he felt both expectation and worry in his heart.

He had actively participated in the previous distributions, but never drew a qualification; perhaps this time would be no different.

Lost in wild thoughts, the vehicle slowly pulled into the station, and an electronic voice mechanically announced the station name.

"Purification Center has arrived. Please disembark and check your personal belongings."

Ning Shu carried the food box out of the unmanned vehicle, and a pungent smell of disinfectant hit him in the face.

Looking up, he saw a massive complex of gray-white buildings towering before him; atop the high walls coiled electrified barbed wire, and at the entrance hung a metal sign reading "District Seven Pollutant Purification Center."

Through the barbed wire, he could see staff in protective suits directing several trucks loaded with black containers as they adjusted their positions inside; the containers bore prominent radiation symbols and yellow warning strips representing high-risk pollutants.

This place was like a silent fortress, swallowing pollutants transported from various districts of the city, and even from other cities.

Mutated plant samples, soil exceeding radiation limits, and contaminated animal remains... these were all scars left by the invasion war of the alien races.

As usual, Ning Shu approached the access control and shouted to the security guard standing inside:

"Uncle An, I brought food for my mother."

Since outsiders were not allowed into the Purification Center, he always delivered it here and turned back.

Uncle An, standing inside, nodded, skillfully slid open the protective glass of the small window, and gestured for him to place the food box inside.

Just as Ning Shu handed it over, he noticed that the man did not close the window immediately as usual, but looked at him with words unspoken.

"Little Shu," Uncle An's voice suddenly lowered:

"Your mother had an incident in Zone 3 just now and was urgently sent to the Medical Center. This news should not have been disclosed to you in advance..."

Before Uncle An could finish, Ning Shu's fingers suddenly gripped the window frame tight:

"What happened to my mother?"

"I don't know the specifics. It is said that while handling a batch of newly delivered water samples, the protective suit suddenly alarmed; your mother was subsequently sent to the Medical Center for examination, suspected of the suit being penetrated by contaminated water..."

Without waiting for Uncle An to finish, he turned and sprinted away, while a muffled shout came from behind:

"The Medical Center is in Zone B2."

Arriving at the station, Ning Shu repeatedly pressed the "Call" button.

One minute later, a white hovercar bearing the "Skywind City" logo silently glided into the station; the doors opened automatically, and cold air rushed toward him.

He almost fell into the seat; after the doors closed, he trembled as he typed the destination into the screen.

The hovercar accelerated and sped out, the scenery outside the window rushing backward.

The gray buildings of the Purification Center were quickly left behind, replaced by the ruins of demolished isolation walls and warning lights flashing continuously along the route.

The in-car broadcast mechanically repeated:

"Detected passenger heart rate is too high. Please remain calm. Estimated travel time: 17 minutes... A medical kit is installed in the vehicle; if needed, press..."

But Ning Shu could not calm down at all.

He clutched the strap of the backpack that originally held the food box, his knuckles turning white.

His mother was his entire world; he could not imagine how he would survive if she were gone.

The hovercar gradually slowed down and stopped in front of a pure white building.

Ning Shu rushed into the lobby; under the glaring fluorescent lights, medical staff in white coats hurried back and forth.

He grabbed the nearest woman in a nurse's uniform, his voice trembling:

"I'm looking for Ning Qing, sent from the Purification Center. Where is she?"

Facing the inquiry, the nurse did not ask further questions, nodded to show understanding, then raised the watch on her right arm, quickly queried the terminal information, and then looked at him, saying:

"Third floor, Isolation Rescue Zone."

Ning Shu took three steps as two and rushed up the stairs, pushing open the glass door of the third-floor isolation zone.

Just as he prepared to move forward, a doctor wearing a protective face shield, standing in the corridor, blocked his way:

"This is an isolation zone; entry is not permitted inside. Family members must keep their distance."

"How is my mother?" Ning Shu asked, panting.

"Who is your mother?"

"Ning Qing, sent from the Purification Center."

After a moment of silence, the doctor nodded and said:

"You are Ms. Xie's family member, right? The pollutant she contacted is highly corrosive and has already invaded her circulatory system. We are trying to stabilize her vital signs, but whether the pollution can be cleared is unknown. We will notify you immediately if there are any new developments."

"Doctor, you must save my mother."

"Rest assured, we will do our utmost."

Walking out of the isolation zone, Ning Shu sat on a plastic chair in the corridor, his fingers unconsciously picking at the edge of the seat; he did not even notice tiny fragments embedded in the crevices of his nails.

The smell of disinfectant mixed with the hum of medical equipment operating, making the entire space feel exceptionally oppressive.

The numbers on the electronic clock on the wall jumped, each second seeming stretched out.

He stared at the glaring red light on the rescue room door, his head buzzing "buzz-buzz."

At this moment, how he wished he could return to yesterday, then stop his mother from going to work and avoid the tragedy.

Three hours passed quickly; Ning Shu's back was already soaked with cold sweat.

Finally, the rescue room door slid open; the doctor walked out, and fatigue showed on his face as he removed his mask.

Ning Shu suddenly stood up; his legs were numb from sitting so long, and he nearly stumbled and fell:

"Doctor, how is my mother?"

The doctor looked at him and said hoarsely:

"The situation is temporarily stable, but we detected that the pollutant is still spreading slowly; conventional methods cannot contain it... She can only be sent to the Special Medical Pod in Moon Eclipse City. This is her only chance."

The doctor handed over an electronic medical record; the data curves on the screen were shocking, and all of his mother's physiological indicators were marked with dangerous red.

At the very bottom was a line of bold text: Recommend transfer to Moon Eclipse City for emergency treatment within 20 days.

"Do you... have arrangements for transfer?" Ning Shu's voice was dry, and he felt darkness closing in before his eyes.

He knew very well what being transferred to Moon Eclipse City meant.

The unit where his mother worked offered full medical coverage; any medical expenses could be reimbursed.

Since the accident occurred at the Purification Center, even the costs of traveling to Moon Eclipse City could be reimbursed by the Human Federation.

But there was one prerequisite: he had to qualify for travel to Moon Eclipse City.

One of the reasons the Moon Eclipse Clan was called beings of the Upper Realm was that Moon Eclipse City was not a place anyone could simply go to.

A fixed quota was allocated every year, and it basically never increased.

Even during the stage of Earth's most severe pollution, the quota for Moon Eclipse City remained fixed at a certain number.

To go there, one had to book in advance, wait for notification, and only then be informed of when they were scheduled to travel to Moon Eclipse City.

His mother had only 20 days left; how could she possibly obtain the Moon Eclipse Clan's medical qualification within those 20 days?

Let alone if the management of Sky Wind City stepped in; even if the management of the Human Federation intervened, it would be difficult to secure an extra quota.

Facing the inquiry, the doctor looked apologetic:

"We have already urgently sent a medical application to the Moon Eclipse Clan... but as you know, the Moon Eclipse Clan basically never agrees to extra qualification applications, unless your mother once made an outstanding contribution to the Earth Alliance... sigh."

Speaking the last part, the doctor couldn't help but sigh:

"There are still 20 days; we will do our best during this period..."

Ning Shu did not continue to listen to what the doctor said afterward.

Standing in place, his ears buzzed.

20 days, only 20 days.

He could tell that the doctor's "do our best" was merely comfort.

The doctor had clearly stated earlier that Mom's condition was simply beyond the capabilities of Sky Wind City's medical equipment to treat.

This proved that Mom had to be sent to Moon Eclipse City as soon as possible.

But the problem now was that Mom's condition left no time to wait for a reservation notification, and there was no channel to bypass the reservation and go directly.

No... there was one special channel.

Ning Shu suddenly remembered a post on the Monster World forum that had once been trending.

This post was published by "A Lan," the president of the Gold Coin Merchant Guild.

In the post, he stated that Moon Eclipse City had opened channels for applying for extra medical treatment via Shou Shou Jili, as well as for prioritizing the purchase of the Moon Eclipse Clan's latest technological products through Shou Shou Jili.

Qualified players could contact the Moon Eclipse Clan members of the Gold Coin Merchant Guild through the Monster World channel, connect directly, bypass the reservation, and travel to Moon Eclipse City.

Thinking of this, he suddenly took out the mobile phone from his pocket and looked at the countdown still running on the page.

There were 9 hours left until the qualification registration.

He still had 20 days.

Monster World might be Mom's only hope for survival.

Although earning the funds to travel to Moon Eclipse City within 20 days was extremely difficult.

But it was not impossible.

As a tourist, he had witnessed many examples of players becoming suddenly wealthy in Monster World due to opportunities.

But the premise of all this was that he could obtain the game qualification for Monster World.

One hour later, Ning Shu rushed into his home and threw his backpack heavily onto the floor.

Ignoring the need to tidy up, he threw himself straight at the computer; the countdown numbers on the screen jumped glaringly.

7 hours, 29 minutes, 23 seconds.

He stared fixedly at the constantly decreasing numbers, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the desk, the rhythm growing faster and faster.

The sky outside gradually darkened; the afterglow of the sunset shone through the glass, casting a red hue on his profile, yet he was completely unaware of it.

As time passed, every minute and second seemed infinitely stretched.

Imagining Mom's pale face on the hospital bed, and the doctor's words that she must be transferred to Moon Eclipse City within 20 days... this information spun wildly in his mind like a revolving lantern.

He suddenly grabbed the water cup on the desk and gulped a mouthful.

The cold water slid down his throat but could not extinguish the burning anxiety in his chest.

During this time, he refreshed the page countless times.

Even though he knew this behavior was meaningless and would not increase the probability of winning the lottery.

He still wanted to do it, to relieve the anxiety in his heart.

On the forum, players had already begun discussing the probability of obtaining a qualification when this batch was released, and how many members of various races in the Earth Alliance would participate in the lottery.

This information intensified his anxiety; every comment felt like a needle pricking his nerves.

Time reached the final hour.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Ning Shu's forehead; his T-shirt was already soaked, sticking to his skin.

The hardest part was this hour; he began repeatedly checking the network connection and turned on his mobile hotspot as a backup.

The blue light of the screen reflected in his bloodshot eyes.

When the countdown reached the final minute, his fingers hovered above the mouse, trembling slightly.

The "Apply for Qualification" button on the page was still gray, but it could light up at any moment.

His breath unconsciously held; the only sound in his ears was his own thundering heartbeat.

When the countdown hit zero, Ning Shu's fingers slammed down at a speed nearly like a afterimage.

Immediately, an information box popped up on the page.

【You have participated in this Monster World qualification lottery. Remaining lottery time: 4 minutes 59 seconds.】

Seeing the prompt, Ning Shu's fingernails dug deep into his palms, his eyes unblinking as they fixed on the progress bar inching forward.

Beads of sweat slid down his chin and dripped onto the keyboard.

At last, the countdown hit zero.

The screen suddenly exploded with dazzling golden light effects.

【Congratulations on obtaining your Monster World player qualification. Please enter the game within 24 hours to activate your account (already bound).】

Ning Shu sprang up from his chair, his knee slamming hard against the edge of the desk, but he felt no pain.

He opened his mouth to roar, but only managed a broken, airy sound—only then realizing his teeth had been chattering uncontrollably the whole time.

He stumbled toward the bathroom, cupped cold water in his hands, and slapped it hard against his face.

In the mirror, his own eyes were bloodshot, droplets sliding down his chin—just like a drowning person who had finally grabbed hold of a piece of driftwood.

"I got it… I finally got it!"

Tears burst uncontrollably from his eyes; he knew his mother now had hope.

Wiping the tears from his face, he drew in a deep breath:

"Mom, wait for me."

(End of chapter)