Chapter 32

Chapter 032: Witnessing a Miracle

"The other factions are nothing to fear!"

Words like these, carrying a mix of vindication and a sense of inevitability...

Such sentiments were now common in every corner of the Fate Net.

If it had been a day earlier, some might have thought it too boastful.

But in the face of the ironclad ranking data—especially considering the other factions' pitiful point gains and the estimated staggering elimination rates...

More and more people were coming to accept a conclusion that was once mere speculation but had now become almost universally acknowledged truth:

The Fate Net was a miracle unique to the Huaxia Faction.

This unparalleled advantage was like a shot of adrenaline for everyone.

After the initial shock, countless people felt an indescribable sense of security and superiority:

"Before, I was just suspicious, but now with this data, it's confirmed! The survival rate of other factions is basically playing on hell mode!"

"Without the Fate Net, there's no Trading House, no strategy sharing, and you can't even say a single word to your family or friends!"

"Being thrown into the Trial Ground all alone... just thinking about it is suffocating."

"Looking at it that way, the second-day survival rate of other factions doesn't seem... particularly low?"

"That's because the daily Supply Boxes keep them alive, giving many hope to hold on. And it's only the second day! Just wait until tomorrow or the day after!"

"Let me add something crucial: With the Fate Net's help, we'll only get better as time goes on; for other factions, it'll only get harder. Not to mention, just 'salt' alone is enough to cripple most of them!"

"Do I even need to explain the importance of salt?"

"I remember it's... pretty important? But do we lack salt?"

"Silly kid, quite a few people in our faction landed directly by the sea... What do you think?"

"Sigh... I'm once again deeply aware of the importance of the Trading House."

"Indeed, our start is like a max-level boss entering a noob village."

"While other factions have nothing, we're already online with a free market trading system... With this advantage, I don't see how we can lose!"

"A hundred days? I think we can lock in victory in less than fifty days!"

In this atmosphere of optimism, even excitement...

The conversation naturally turned to the top-ranked contributor, widely believed to be the creator of the Fate Net.

People felt a mix of complex emotions toward this person.

Curiosity, awe, and a sense of pride that "this is our big shot."

Soon, the focus of the Fate Net shifted from the Faction Ranking to the newly updated Personal Contribution Ranking.

The dizzyingly long string of numbers at the top once again triggered a tsunami of exclamations.

[First Place: Yan Cang, Faction Contribution: 1,286,231,775]

"How much?"

"One... one point two billion?! I counted three times, and it's definitely one point two billion!"

"Wasn't it just over two hundred million yesterday? It jumped by a billion in one day?! Is the big shot running several printing presses together or what?"

"No kidding, the Trading House just went live! Think about all the changes it's brought? Not to mention the bonus Portable Space! Of course his Contribution Points would explode!"

"Terrifying! That many Contribution Points—even if you bundled all of us together and multiplied us a few times, we still couldn't touch the edge!"

Amid the astonishment, there was more genuine admiration and reflection.

"Honestly, I'm not jealous at all now, just full of respect. Not a single point of that Contribution came for free."

"We're all being carried by the Chief! Without the Fate Net, we'd probably be gnawing on tree bark in some corner right now, not lounging around chatting."

"Agreed. Think about yesterday when the Trading House went live—it was a lifesaver. I've made it this far, and most of the credit goes to the Chief and those brothers who posted guides."

"The Fate Net and Trading House, that combo is decisive for our entire Faction's improvement."

"The Chief's top spot on the Contribution Ranking is well-deserved."

"True. Now I can exchange Fate Points for food and buy tools—I feel much more at ease. All thanks to the Trading House..."

"Is the Chief referring to the Top of the List... Wait, why is everyone calling him 'Chief' now?"

"No idea. I saw it in the Regional Channel and Forum starting last night. It felt cool, so I just went along with it."

"We can't keep shouting 'Top of the List' forever—it's too distant."

"Chief... yeah, it has a certain ring to it. It highlights his status, shows some respect, and isn't too sycophantic. Better than calling him 'Daddy' directly."

"I can vouch for that—calling him 'Daddy' is a bit much. /Dog face"

Yet, amid this almost unanimous chorus of praise...

Some different voices began to emerge, trying to shift the focus back to each individual:

"Don't sell yourselves short, everyone. The Fate Net and Trading House are the platforms, but it's each of us who fills in the content and makes the platform truly work."

"Exactly. Those who post guides, make trades, encourage each other, organize teams... none of these links can be missing."

"Even though the Chief really does seem like the chosen protagonist from a national-fate novel, we're not just spectators hiding behind screens, waiting to reap the rewards, right?"

"Right! No matter what, we've lived through two days in the Trial Ground, fighting real battles!"

"In fact, every Trial Participant who's persevered is adding a brick or tile to the Huaxia Faction's building."

"The Chief's greatness needs no words, but how each of us plays our own role still depends on ourselves."

"Keep your spirits up! Don't waste this huge advantage, and don't waste yourselves."

"Keep pushing forward!"

These rational and powerful voices quickly gained many supporters.

They were like a fresh breeze, slightly dispersing the blind optimism and dependency that might arise from such a massive advantage.

Behind this, of course, was the quietly guiding influence of the national power that had re-coalesced in the Trial Ground, steering public opinion.

They keenly sensed that excessively deifying an individual while neglecting collective effort could breed a passive mindset of "even lying flat can lead to victory."

This is certainly not good for long-term development.

And at this moment, just as the rankings had refreshed, it was also the time when supply boxes were resetting.

Countless people, filled with anticipation, turned their gazes toward the supply boxes inside their wooden cabins.

Hoping to unearth something good.

...

At the same time.

In a corner of the Trial Ground.

Qiao Yue stood inside her wooden cabin.

Unlike the composed teacher she was in the classroom, she now exuded a gentle aura, more akin to a delicate maiden.

Her features weren't as strikingly dazzling as Yu Jing's, which could captivate at first glance.

But her brows were soft, her nose elegantly straight, and together they formed a natural warmth.

Her figure was curvaceous and full, and even in simple clothing, she couldn't hide that vibrant vitality.

She looked like someone blessed with good fortune.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.

Qiao Yue's wooden cabin stood alone on the Gobi Desert.

Outside, endless yellow-brown sand and gravel stretched into the distance, reflecting harsh white light under the scorching midday sun, heat waves distorting the view.

This was a true lifeless zone.

Aside from sand, gravel, and the occasional hardy thornbush, there was almost nothing.

Her starting point was a nightmare difficulty.

Qiao Yue had naturally seen the refreshed rankings.

The overwhelming advantage of the Huaxia Faction brought her some comfort, but she also let out a soft sigh for herself and all her compatriots trapped in similar desperate situations.

No water sources, no vegetation, not even trees to block the blazing sun.

The pressure of survival, like the desert sun, scorched her body and mind relentlessly.

The Trading House was her only lifeline.

By carefully exchanging a few Fate Points at the start, she barely managed to secure the most basic supplies for survival.

A few dry, hard pieces of bread, a little precious but cheap clean water.

Last night's bowl of thin, watery wild vegetable soup was the greatest luxury she could afford herself.

Even so, her Fate Points were nearly depleted.

Without proper nutrition, physical strength was naturally hard to recover.

It was a vicious cycle.

Now, Qiao Yue walked up to the supply box, her hand instinctively reaching for its lid.

This daily "lottery" was her greatest hope and the only variable.

Whether she could pull water, food, or anything to improve her situation would directly determine how much longer she could hold on.

But Qiao Yue's fingers hovered over the box lid, not pressing down immediately.

Her thoughts drifted uncontrollably to Yan Cang's cryptic, nonsensical private message from last night:

"Chant my true name, and you shall see miracles within the treasure chest!"

At the time, she thought the kid was just being playful, joking around, and replied with a question mark without giving it much thought.

In truth, when the rankings first came out, she had @ed Yan Cang in the group chat, teasing him about being the "top scholar," mostly out of a teacher's habitual encouragement and a bit of jest.

She never truly believed her student was the one high above the clouds, wielding the Fate Net as the "Chief."

Later, when she helped change the subject, it was the same—it wasn't because Yan Cang's identity had been exposed as he himself suspected.

Last night, when she muted him, it was more out of consideration for Yan Cang's past personality. She feared that the "provoke hatred" image might lead to excessive teasing from classmates in the group, putting him in an awkward spot. So, she took the opportunity to give him an out and maintain order in the group.

But as she quietly reflected, some subtle changes surfaced in her mind.

Yan Cang... seemed different from before.

The Yan Cang of the past, though intelligent, was quiet and reserved by nature—not the type to seek the spotlight.

But now, from flaunting roasted rabbit, instant noodles, and that lavish dinner in the group, to the bold jokes he made when privately messaging her last night—

This outgoing, slightly cocky, even arrogant confidence was something the old Yan Cang would never have shown so easily.

He might not even have noticed this change himself.

As his homeroom teacher, who had given him special care for three years, Qiao Yue could pick up on this trace of difference.

An almost absurd thought, yet one that seemed to explain everything, uncontrollably sprouted in her mind:

Could it be... that kid wasn't entirely joking?

That sudden, almost reliant certainty and liveliness of his—could it really be because of...

Qiao Yue's heartbeat inexplicably quickened.

Reason told her this idea was too bizarre. How could a high school senior be the "Master of the Fate Net," stirring up the entire Trial Ground?

But emotion and intuition were gently stirred by Yan Cang's unusual behavior and that prophetic remark.

Half in doubt, half in some inexplicable anticipation—more like a tiny attempt at a "what if"—she pursed her slightly chapped lips.

Her gaze swept across the barren, desolate Gobi Desert and finally landed on the box before her.

"Let's give it a try?"

"After all, things can't get any worse, right?"

She muttered to herself, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath of the dry, scorching Gobi air.

Then, in a voice so low it was almost a whisper, she softly and quickly uttered that name:

"...Yan Cang."

As the sound faded, it felt like she had shed some psychological burden, or simply completed a harmless ritual.

After a brief moment of inner embarrassment.

Qiao Yue hesitated no longer and reached out her hand.

She pressed it firmly onto the unremarkable supply box that had just refreshed before her.

The moment her fingertips touched the box—

Buzz!

Without any warning, a dazzling golden radiance burst forth from within the box, instantly flooding the entire crude wooden cabin!

The light was so intense, so noble, that it dwarfed the pale sunlight streaming in through the window from the Gobi.

Qiao Yue's pupils contracted sharply, her gentle face etched with disbelief.

She instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes, staring dazedly through her fingers at the golden glow that swirled and flowed as if alive.

This light... she had heard of it in fragments on the forum, but never dared to hope it would appear before her.

A Golden Chest?!

After the supply box had fully transformed into a Golden Chest, Qiao Yue didn't rush to open it.

Instead, his mind was completely occupied with recalling that sentence.

Could it be...