Volume 2: Winter’s End
After leaving the game, Shu Xun sighed for a while before checking his in-game earnings. He connected to the official website of “Winter’s End” and discovered that the information had been updated, indicating the rewards for players who completed the game. To his excitement, Shu Xun found himself at the top of the reward list, even surpassing Ye Qian’s position.
Opening the information list, he found it divided into three categories: Fixed Completion Rewards, In-Game Midway Rewards, and Self-Selected Rewards. The current game reward situation is as follows:
Fixed Completion Rewards: Personal mining rights to one-thousandth of the resources in the Winter’s End system. Note (This reward is activated for the top three players upon their first completion; if a team completes the game, it’s calculated based on the top three contributors.)
In-Game Midway Rewards: Permanent enhancement of physique and mental strength by consuming Blue Amber Potion, lasting until the potion’s energy is depleted. There’s a chance to trigger the Blue Butterfly ability, with the ability being random.
Self-Selected Rewards: Players can independently choose certain materials from the game harvest. Note (Life forms require stricter testing to ensure they won’t impact the world, and distribution occurs later than non-life forms.)
Shu Xun looked at his available choices and found that the collected materials, including the backpack, were within the selection range. Each item had a label with explanations. For example, the label on the game backpack mentioned, “Game system backpack, suitable for any game, scannable and replicable by the nutrient chamber, can be carried into the game world, or transformed into a spatial compression crystal for remodeling compressed items.”
Shu Xun marveled at the variability and user-friendly services in this world, along with the astonishing rewards. One-thousandth ownership of a star system’s resource extraction rights, and it was personal property. This was beyond an overnight fortune; no wonder the military forces of various races dispatched professional teams to participate in the game.
Below the reward list was the game’s detailed description: “Winter’s End,” set in a medium-sized vortex galaxy, involving thirteen life planets, two advanced life planets, eight million carbon-based planets, three million eight hundred thousand sulfur-based planets…
Based on the game details, Shu Xun realized the enormity of the so-called one-thousandth and, more importantly, that it pertained to resource extraction rather than just Blue Amber Crystal extraction.
The Frostbite Galaxy involves over two hundred million stars, not to mention countless other planets, nebulae, star clusters, and dark matter. The vast and unknown space instantly ignited Shu Xun’s passion.
Continuing to scroll down, the official strategy for “Winter’s End” appeared. In simple terms, it involved finding Blue Amber Stones to melt the absolute ice, and then using the potion to awaken the Blue-Eyed beings. It was similar to Shu Xun’s speculation. This was the game developer’s compiled and world-consciousness-friendly completion condition, with the least resistance from the world consciousness.
Shu Xun was extremely curious about how the game developers set the game’s background in the Winter’s End planet and designed the game’s running processes. However, this seemed to be the highest secret of the game developers. Shu Xun hadn’t played other large-scale survival games, but “Winter’s End” felt too real. It was so real that if the game didn’t end, Shu Xun would still be immersed in it. Was this really just a game? Shu Xun couldn’t help but raise such a question.
Although Shu Xun had such questions, it was apparent that answers were currently unattainable. So, Shu Xun happily redirected his attention to the game rewards, connected with consciousness, chose to claim the rewards, and saw a window pop up on the light screen: “Please bind your personal light brain for the issuance of interstellar points.”
Cold sweat quietly appeared on Shu Xun’s forehead as a somewhat unfavorable premonition arose in his little head. As expected, clicking through one by one, the screen displayed successive prompts:
“Interstellar points cannot be used directly. Please bind your personal light brain for activation before use…”
“Please fill in the space relay station address for the issuance of physical rewards…”
“Please provide personal authentic information and fill out the Interstellar Resource Legitimate Mining Commitment Form…”
“…”
Shu Xun: “…”
Shu Xun remembered the address on that delivery box and knew the information here. However, the problem was that Shu Xun did not have the activation privileges for this space relay station, making him unable to mail any items. What’s more, to Shu Xun’s dismay, he lacked a legitimate identity. Even if he purchased a light brain, he couldn’t register personal information, which meant he couldn’t claim game rewards. Even the direct use of interstellar points required a light brain with bound personal information for the transfer—a revelation that felt like a bolt from the blue for Shu Xun.
The replacement of real currency with virtual currency implied a more stringent, even harsh, management system for virtual currency. The once excited little dumpling suddenly seemed shrouded in dark clouds, overcome with melancholy.
Shu Xun remained in a daze for a moment, then glanced again at the light screen with its astronomical figure of interstellar points. He extended his little paw and scratched at the screen, but it left no trace, completely indifferent to his attempts. The screen remained motionless, quietly displaying the impressive number.
Feeling wronged, he bit his own paw. Suddenly, a rumbling sound emanated from his stomach, and Shu Xun remembered that they were having dinner when the game ended. The game capsule could convert virtual food consumed in the game into energy for use in the real body. However, with the game over, Shu Xun could only replenish his food in reality. Glancing at the room where the fish tank was located, he felt a twinge of guilt in his small conscience. After some thought, he decided to play another survival game to find food in the virtual world.
After careful consideration, he chose a survival game.
“The game has been played continuously for over a month. Please take a break for seven days before attempting the game again. Wishing you a pleasant life…”
Shu Xun: “…” Not pleasant at all!
After a moment, a little figure with a raised head crawled out of the nutrition pod, then skillfully headed towards the study. Pushing a chair, climbing onto the fish tank, taking out fishing gear, baiting the hook, casting the fishing rod – a series of actions appeared very skilled. After more than forty days, Shu Xun resumed his fishing career.
The sunlight outside was perfect, shining warmly through the transparent glass walls, casting a shimmering reflection on the water’s surface. The bottom of the clear fish tank, adorned with fine white sand, showed no impurities. Delicate and small seashells were scattered around, and various shades of green algae swayed gently with the swimming fish.
This serene and tranquil scene warmed Shu Xun’s previously somber mood. The emotions of the little dumpling were fleeting as if a little bit of beauty could dispel all his unpleasant feelings. The warm sunlight bathed him, making both body and mind feel a bit lazy. Shu Xun, patiently fishing, lazily yawned. Bright big eyes glistened with a faint mist, and the small figure seemed about to melt in the radiant sunlight.
Suddenly, the fishing rod trembled, and a sharp glint crossed the misty eyes. With swift movements, he lifted the rod and pulled the line. A fish, roughly the size of a dumpling, was pulled out of the water. Cheerfully, Shu Xun put away the fishing gear, carried the struggling little fish, and headed straight to the kitchen. After a while, the little dumpling lay satisfied in the pot, having burped contentedly. Feeling that the fish tasted quite good, Shu Xun decided to continue enjoying these red-colored fish tomorrow.
On the other side, in a galaxy far beyond light-years, someone with a poker face ended a call, the echoes of the conversation still lingering in their mind.
“The opponent’s game nutrition pod is of the highest level. Even I don’t have the authority to access it. Give up!”
“What’s wrong? Are you blaming me, Mr. Poker Face? You’ve spent such a long time in the game world, yet you didn’t bother to inquire about that little guy’s information. Why the rush now?”
“Forget it. You won’t find him. Go back early, stop wandering outside, and remember, the public beta of another game is in two months…”
The man with the poker face ended the call with cold indifference, and the buzzing noise in his ears finally vanished. In his deep-set eyes lay emotions that others couldn’t fathom. After sitting in silence for a while, the enigmatic figure finally stood up, ready to return.
Three days later, in the night, the official website of “Winter’s End” once again refreshed its data. The discussions, which had remained highly active since Shu Xun and others completed the game, reached another peak.
The first batch of players who entered the game world had finished the game, and there were only eighteen successful players. Apart from the small team of Ye Qian and Bai Ya, a few other players had also completed the game, suggesting that the location to store the LP Potion was not limited to just Yuanhai.
Regardless, compared to the initial three billion data when entering the game, this outcome could be considered almost a wipeout. Such a high death rate and difficulty set a new precedent for survival games. Surprisingly, instead of dampening enthusiasm, it only intensified, with everyone eagerly anticipating the second opening of “Winter’s End.”
Due to changes in the game’s background world, “Winter’s End” entered a maintenance phase. The game developers would adjust the virtual bodies of players based on the returned Blue Amber Stones and Potions, enabling players to survive in absolute ice. They would also tweak game rewards and other details. This maintenance period would last for half a month. Once it concluded, the second batch of players would step into this highly challenging survival challenge again. Although some players had already completed the game, and the fundamental strategy had been disclosed, there were still numerous mysteries and unknowns in this world, posing a new challenge for newcomers.
Surviving in extreme environments, rescuing the Blue-Eyed, investigating clues about intruders, validating the existence of mysterious third-party forces, searching for precious Blue Amber Potions, and resource extraction were all driving forces for their continued progress. After “Winter’s End” ignited a new paradigm for survival games, almost everyone realized that an alternative pattern for survival games was about to unfold. “Winter’s End” was just the beginning; subsequently, countless miracles were bound to be hidden in the darkness, waiting for them to brush away the dust and shine brightly.
