[Detected: Divine Domain player deaths have exceeded 90%.]
[Initiating Blue Star Deathmatch to replenish Divine Domain player numbers!!]
This time, the voice of the Will of Blue Star didn't just echo in one livestream.
It rang in the ears of every person on Blue Star.
The entire world froze.
Before anyone could even process it, the announcement continued—cold, absolute, unarguable.
[Blue Star Deathmatch — detailed rules as follows:]
[Step 1: Each nation will conduct an internal free-for-all to decide the final 10 representatives.]
[Step 2: Blue Star Deathmatch will use a 1v1 format.]
[A match ends only when one side surrenders or can no longer fight.]
[Only the final 50 survivors will qualify as "Deathmatchers" and enter the Divine Domain to compete.]
[All 50 Deathmatchers who successfully enter the Divine Domain will receive one C-rank treasure chest as a reward.]
[Participants! Fight to the last moment—for your nation's survival!!]
The voice cut off.
Leaving behind a planet full of people staring into space like idiots.
Then—
the world exploded.
"WHAT?! Deathmatch?! Player refill?! Is this real?!"
"Each country picks ten first?! That means it's the top ten monsters from every nation!"
"So if you become one of the final fifty… you can enter the Divine Domain and fight for your country?!"
"Deathmatcher… that name is kinda sick!"
"Either way, these people will be way stronger than the first batch!"
"No matter how strong—they're still not stronger than Adrian Vale, hahaha!"
"Facts! Adrian Vale is the ceiling!"
After a short stunned silence, humanity erupted into roaring noise.
They'd thought their countries were already waiting to die.
And then—out of nowhere—
a second chance appeared.
Everyone understood what it meant.
If your nation produced a Deathmatcher—
there was hope of getting resources again.
At minimum, you wouldn't just quietly fade out of existence.
Yes, this would be brutal.
The strongest fighters on the planet killing each other for fifty slots?
The odds were disgusting.
But hope is hope.
For many nations, it was the last thing left.
Of course, not everyone could celebrate.
The small nations with no hidden experts turned pale.
They knew the truth:
They couldn't even grab this "last chance."
And at this point, nobody had spare sympathy.
Blue Star was already in a state of self-preservation.
Even Dragonia couldn't realistically save everyone.
For those nations, there were only two paths:
Disappear quietly—
or kneel to a major power and survive as a vassal.
The great powers react
The moment Blue Star Deathmatch was announced, every nation's leadership moved.
Especially the big powers—Miracle Nation, Northbear Nation, Oceanpouch Nation, and others.
They had hidden specialists.
They'd already shown their fangs during the Nation Gate disaster.
Now their confidence swelled again.
They believed they could rebuild—fast.
Miracle Nation
The instant the news hit, their leader—Prime Leader Daley—lit up like someone had been handed oxygen.
"Blue Star Deathmatch? Hahaha—GOOD! Good!!"
He slammed the table.
"This gives Miracle Nation another chance to wrestle Dragonia again!"
His aides nearly cried from relief.
Daley had been obsessed lately—eating poorly, sleeping worse.
Dragonia's rise was choking him in his own bed.
The so-called Divine Nation Alliance had already collapsed in practice.
Most members were dead, broken, or starving.
And after witnessing Adrian Vale's power, nobody truly believed they could keep antagonizing Dragonia anymore.
Meetings stopped.
Plans died.
The alliance became a hollow title.
But now—
Deathmatch relit Daley's hope.
He could tell immediately:
The Deathmatchers would be stronger than the first generation of Divine Domain entrants by an entire tier.
And once they entered, they'd receive a C-rank chest as a "catch-up reward."
If he could unite the remaining countries again…
If he could coordinate the Deathmatchers inside the Divine Domain…
If they could gang up—
maybe… just maybe…
they could still strangle Dragonia before it became untouchable.
Daley's breath came fast.
"Quick! Summon whatever remains of the Divine Nation Alliance."
"Emergency meeting—NOW!"
"Yes!"
Eastern Isles
In the Eastern Isles, a pudgy, balding official practically shook with joy.
"Blue Star Deathmatch! Deathmatchers?! Another chance to enter the Divine Domain?!"
His ministers were equally ecstatic.
They'd thought the Eastern Isles were done the moment resources started getting stripped.
But now—this was a miracle.
The official laughed so hard his cheeks bounced.
"Our Eastern Isles has countless hidden masters! The final fifty will definitely include us!"
His people immediately echoed him.
"Of course!"
"Our masters will wash the Divine Domain in blood—our glory will return!"
"Not just one slot—our ten will all break through!"
"With ten Divine Domain entrants again, our rise is inevitable!"
They were drunk on fantasy.
Then—another message hit.
[Internal nation free-for-all will begin shortly. All who wish to participate may choose whether to enter.]
[Countdown: 30 minutes.]
[29:59]
[29:58]
[29:57]
A glowing interface appeared in everyone's mind.
[Join Eastern Isles Free-for-All?]
This time, it wasn't like the original Divine Domain selection.
There was no threshold.
No qualification.
No mercy.
If you wanted in, you could click Yes.
Country names changed depending on where you lived:
[Join Dragonia Free-for-All?]
[Join Miracle Nation Free-for-All?]
[Join Northbear Nation Free-for-All?]
The first phase of Blue Star Deathmatch—
was about to begin.
Naturally, these bloated officials didn't dare join.
They all clicked No without hesitation.
But then the Eastern Isles official suddenly remembered something.
"Quick—summon the Divine Nation Alliance members!"
His ministers blinked.
"Huh?"
Why now?
But an assistant rushed in and whispered into his ear.
The official's face twisted into a greasy, satisfied grin.
"So Daley understands me after all…"
He left the meeting hall without another word.
Clearly, he was heading to Daley's emergency alliance meeting.
Who will actually join?
Because there was no entry requirement, the announcement sounded like "anyone can participate."
Technically true.
Eighty-year-old men.
Eight-year-old children.
Everyone could click Yes.
But anyone with a functioning brain understood what "can no longer fight" meant.
It wasn't "knocked down."
It was dead.
So ordinary citizens didn't move.
This wasn't their arena.
This was a stage built for the monsters living in the shadows.
And those people—
the hidden specialists, the ruthless talents, the dormant killers—
were already boiling.
They'd wanted the Divine Domain for years.
Some to protect their country.
Some to slaughter freely.
Some to climb straight into godhood through rewards.
They'd been silent too long.
The Nation Gate disaster had been a taste—
but not enough.
And now, Blue Star was offering them something real again:
A route back into the Divine Domain.
A route to treasure.
A route to status.
A route to rule.
Dragonia's hidden giants respond
Across the world, Dragonia's "big shots" were returning from overseas rescue missions.
Then the voice hit them.
Blue Star Deathmatch.
They stopped, almost in sync.
A lazy young Daoist narrowed his eyes, interest flashing like gold.
"…Perfect timing. I was just getting bored."
He clicked Yes without hesitation.
At the foot of a mountain, Master Fahai had been walking with a tired, dissatisfied expression.
The Nation Gate disaster hadn't scratched his itch.
Then he heard the announcement.
His steps halted.
Joy crept onto his face.
"There's… still a chance to enter the Divine Domain?"
He didn't even wait for the full prompt.
Yes.
In a deep forest, a black-haired man in a hood—normally cold as ice—finally showed heat in his eyes.
"Divine Domain…"
His fist tightened.
Yes.
On a small island, a goofy-looking barber who always acted like a clown suddenly turned deadly serious.
He looked at the blue chicken beside him.
"Dabao… I have to go."
The blue chicken stayed silent for a moment—then spoke like a human.
"If you've decided… then go."
They stared at each other.
No extra words.
The barber returned to his room, put on a familiar purple robe—familiar, yet somehow distant now.
The blue chicken handed him a long blade.
He took it, nodded once.
Yes.
In that moment—
Dragonia's hidden experts, one after another, all chose the same answer.
And not just Dragonia.
Across Blue Star, every sleeping giant began to move.
The countdown continued.
[08:56]
[08:55]
[08:54]
Back in the Divine Domain: settlement time
Inside the Divine Domain, Adrian Vale and Raven Shaw had already completed the Nation Gate defense event.
That meant it was time to settle rewards.
As for the contestants who died during Extinction Gate?
They didn't get a settlement.
They got nothing.
But nobody was thinking about them now.
The livestream was busy gambling on the reward tier.
"If it's not SSS, I'm not human!"
"We didn't let a single creature through!"
"We killed an S and an SS too!"
"Bro, if it's not SSS, I'll do a handstand and—"
Adrian and Raven, in contrast, didn't look excited.
They were calm.
Almost indifferent.
Whatever came, came.
And as always—
the Will of Blue Star did not keep people waiting.
[Congratulations! Dragonia contestants have received evaluation: SSS!]
[Legendary-tier reward granted!!]
[S-rank National Fortune Treasure Chest!!]
Raven blinked.
"National Fortune chest…? What does that mean?"
Adrian didn't know either.
For once, the two of them had nothing to say.
Then—
a golden chest appeared in front of them.
Its surface was carved with complex runes, overflowing with a rich, regal glow.
The livestream immediately turned into a riot.
"S-rank?! Why only S?!"
"We killed an SS—how is it not SSS?!"
"Wait—did you hear the name? National Fortune chest!"
"That's different from normal chests!"
"Stop yapping—open it!"
Adrian and Raven exchanged a glance.
Then both placed a hand on the chest.
The moment they touched it—
the golden glow flared, blinding like a sunrise.
Even the I Watch the Divine Domain studio held its breath.
Three days.
No sleep.
No breaks.
They'd held the gate like their lives depended on it—because they did.
Not for treasure.
For Dragonia.
So even if the chest wasn't "SSS," everyone still prayed it would be worth the cost.
The light gradually softened.
Then the entire chest transformed—
into a pillar of gold shooting straight into the sky.
The livestream went silent.
Then blew up again.
"Holy—this is massive!"
"This looks crazier than an SS chest!"
"If an S chest does this, what does SS do?!"
"I'm telling you—this reward is going to be insane!"
Even Adrian and Raven felt it.
This wasn't a normal chest.
Then the final announcement landed.
[Congratulations! Dragonia contestants Adrian Vale and Raven Shaw have opened an S-rank National Fortune Treasure Chest!]
[Reward obtained:]
[All Dragonia citizens — Lifespan +1!]
Adrian: "…"
Raven: "…"
For the first time in a while, both of them wore the exact same expression.
A complicated one.
To them personally?
This reward didn't mean much.
But to a nation—
it was terrifying.
The livestream erupted.
"LIFESPAN +1?! WHAT?!"
"You can add lifespan?! That's a thing?!"
"But… only +1?!"
"+1 what—day? month? year?!"
"The Will of Blue Star always talks in riddles—so annoying!"
Nobody knew what "+1 lifespan" meant in exact time.
Because nobody knew when they were supposed to die.
Even if your lifespan increased, you couldn't measure it.
But at that exact moment—
every citizen inside Dragonia felt it.
A warm current flowed through their bodies.
Not like "All Attributes +1."
Different.
Deeper.
As if every cell inside them became more active—more alive.
Lighter.
Clearer.
Like some invisible weight had been reduced.
It was subtle—
but unmistakable.
Dragonia's top leaders react
Inside Dragonia's command center, Elder Long stared in disbelief.
"This… this is unbelievable."
He clenched his fist, then patted his chest, testing his breath.
An aide—Victor—couldn't resist teasing him.
"Elder Long, looks like you can worry about Dragonia for a couple more years now."
Elder Long's face darkened.
"You little—"
General Zhao burst into laughter.
"This Will of Blue Star… there's truly nothing it can't do."
Someone beside him nodded, eyes burning.
"First All Attributes +1… now Lifespan +1. And it's applied to the entire nation."
"If this continues…"
"Dragonia might really become a 'divine nation' one day."
For once, these hardened men—who'd carried the nation for decades—looked like kids on a festival day.
Elder Long didn't stop them.
He understood.
They deserved to feel joy—if only for a moment.
But then he glanced at the countdown ticking in everyone's mind.
It was almost over.
Dragonia's internal free-for-all was about to begin.
He cleared his throat.
"Enough. Dragonia's free-for-all starts soon. General Zhao."
General Zhao straightened immediately.
"Elder Long, don't worry. The Dragon Unit's already in position. But…"
He hesitated, thinking of those hidden Dragonia giants moving in the shadows.
"…I'm not sure those kids can make it to the final Deathmatch stage."
Elder Long waved it off.
"Doesn't matter. Whoever stands at the end—whoever becomes the ten—represents Dragonia."
Another official nodded solemnly.
"Our ten will be the strongest. They won't let us down."
Silence fell.
There was nothing left to plan.
Only to wait.
[00:03]
[00:02]
[00:01]
[Countdown complete! Dragonia Free-for-All is now beginning!]
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