Ten seconds passed quickly.

When the counter hit zero, countless white beams suddenly appeared in the sky.

Like precision‑guided missiles, the beams shot swiftly into the chests of Kyushu citizens one after another.

* * *

A certain military hospital in Yanjing.

In a high‑risk ward, an old man with a skull‑thin face and deathly pale complexion lay on the bed and if not for the occasional blip on the instruments beside him, he would have been indistinguishable from a corpse.

His name was Zhao Rongchang, a veteran who had fought in the wars against the Japanese and the Americans.

Although he had been robust in his youth and was called the “Iron Man,”

His age had caught up with him and he had suffered many injuries during service, so barring a miracle he had only a few days to live.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a white light drilled into the old man’s chest.

Zhao Rongchang’s body trembled and the colorless face flushed rosy in an instant.

Moments later, he slowly opened his eyes.

He looked around in confusion, then, with a slight effort, sat up with ease.

“Hell, I didn’t die?”

Zhao Rongchang flexed his arm in surprise.

It had been a long time since he had felt this kind of strength.

Bang!

The ward door was flung open.

The next second.

“Dad!”

A man who looked to be in his fifties or sixties, temples gone white, choked up with red‑rimmed eyes.

“Thank goodness, that game is real!”

* * *

Similar scenes unfolded across Kyushu.

The terminally ill, the grievously wounded on the verge of death, even those hanging by a single breath, as long as they loved this land, all received the National Fate reward.

“My God, my grandpa was about to pass, now he’s scarfing down bowls of white rice!”

“The effect is too strong, I feel much lighter all over. I’m only in my twenties, you know!”

“Bro, maybe you were about to drop from overwork.”

“Ouch, that hurts.”

“My body has really improved a lot. This feeling is definitely not placebo!”

“And there’s Agility +2 as well. I’m an athlete. I can break 10 seconds in the hundred now!”

“Not just that. My reaction time and sensitivity are way up. This is only +2. Ning God’s +5 is insane!”

“Isn’t that normal? Ning God risked his life. We’re just reaping the benefits.”

“Ning God is awesome!”

“Ning God saved my grandpa. I’m putting up a longevity tablet for him!”

Across Kyushu, everyone who received the National Fate reward rejoiced.

This was only the first stage, yet the effect was already this powerful. They were now eagerly anticipating the second and third stages to come.

Seeing this.

The Taiwan crowd and fake foreigners became even more furious and humiliated.

“This guy is ill‑intentioned. He obviously wants to throw Kyushu into chaos!”

“Right, why discriminate in treatment? Isn’t this forcing us into opposition?”

“Boo hoo, I regret it. I have late‑stage liver cancer and less than a month to live!”

“Does Kyushu’s officialdom have nothing to say about this?”

“This is discrimination!”

“Exactly. If there’s no statement, I can’t guarantee what I might do!”

Unbalanced in their hearts, they directly began to threaten the Kyushu authorities.

But…

[What Ning Yi decides is what Kyushu decides. Anyone attempting to stir up trouble now will be suppressed with force by the Kyushu authorities without leniency!]

Kyushu’s official stance did not indulge them in the slightest. Sweeping away the previous fence‑sitting, they became extremely forceful.

No one was a fool. This was a once‑in‑a‑millennium upheaval.

In such a time, public sentiment was paramount.

So the authorities would not let off anyone trying to make trouble.

As a result, the Taiwan crowd and fake foreigners, unsurprisingly, chickened out.

Before, they could rely on the authorities turning a blind eye and stir things up on the sly. Now that the stance was this strong, how would they dare play little tricks?

After all, in essence, they were just sewer rats.

* * *

Sakura Country.

“Damn it. We should have been the first country to receive a reward!”

“That bastard Izaki Makoto!”

“Don’t panic. Our new player has been chosen. A man named Hyuga Go. He even said online earlier, ‘As long as it will make Sakura Country rise, I will spare nothing!’”

“Is that true? That’s great!”

“Looked at this way, switching to a player who knows a bit about the ‘Marriage Room’ might not be a bad thing.”

The Sakura crowd frantically comforted themselves.

* * *

America.

“My God, why is it a black guy again for our country?”

“Has the number of white people in America gotten that low?”

“I freaking regret it. If I’d just delayed immigrating last month, I could be getting the National Fate reward now!”

“Idiot, do you think you’d feel any belonging to Kyushu? Didn’t you see those who didn’t get the reward have now become the underclass?”

“Instead of regret, we should hope this black guy can actually do something and win America a National Fate reward too!”

“He’s the only group I have zero expectations for.”

* * *

Compared to Sakura Country and America.

Other countries were a bit better. They were very jealous of Kyushu as well, but since no disaster had struck at home, they were still looking forward to their own players’ performance.

Among them, Korea’s morale was the highest.

Their player was a nationally well‑known chief instructor of special forces and also the president’s bodyguard.

Good‑looking, highly skilled and a survival expert in the wild.

Definitely a cookie‑cutter main character template.

“Only the first three days provide free food and water? That should be the newbie adaptation period, but I don’t need to adapt. I must act at once!”

Korea’s player, Choi Damin, flexed his limbs and spoke to the air, “My beloved citizens, you should be able to see me now, right? Rest assured. I, Choi Damin, as the president’s bodyguard, former chief instructor of special forces and a mixed‑martial‑arts ace, will never let you down!”

With that.

He looked at the four identical white doors.

He drew a deep breath and walked to one of them.

To be honest, he was terrified, but there was no helping it. As he had just said, food and water would run out after three days.

By then, things might be worse. Better to move first.

“Hu—”

Gripping the knob, Choi Damin swallowed, then clenched his teeth and carefully opened it.

He did not push the door wide at once but peered through the crack to observe.

Beyond was a grassland that looked very quiet.

At the center of the grassland sat an eye‑catching chest inlaid with various gems and shining with rainbow light.

“This… this is…”

Choi Damin’s eyes went wide as a trace of wild joy crossed his face.

A treasure chest?

In games, a treasure chest meant only one thing. There would definitely be treasure inside.

But he did not rush in. He forced down his excitement, took off a shoe, took aim and tossed it through the doorway.

Plop.

The shoe landed firmly. Nothing happened.

Perhaps worried his people would not understand.

Choi Damin began to explain. “Even if this room looks safe, there may be hidden traps. In a game this dangerous, for the sake of national safety, I must be extra cautious!”

He did not care in the slightest about his people’s safety. He was simply afraid to die.

But Korea’s public ate it up.

And with the rainbow‑glinting treasure chest right before their eyes, the entire Korea boiled over at once.