All-out Tower Defense: My Card-Drawing Talent is a Bit Strange

On April 30th, Year 8 of the Tower Defense Era, early summer, there are 36 days left until the next global tower defense college entrance examination.

In Qinghe City, a small, outlying town in the East China Sea Province of the Dragon Kingdom, on the playground of an ordinary middle school, the entire school is holding a special event called "After School Season," and the somewhat hunchbacked old principal is talking eloquently.

"As everyone knows, eight years ago, on the eve of the college entrance examination in the Dragon Kingdom, the Tower Defense World suddenly descended, and all adults aged 18 to 38 out of the two trillion people on the entire Azure Star mysteriously disappeared, causing an irreparable social disaster."

Nearly 20% of infants and more than 20% of the elderly nearing death are almost without care, and many jobs that have not yet completed informatization and industrialization have directly or indirectly lost their core support.

"The super machine that was working normally stopped, and the vehicles traveling at high speeds on the road went out of control. Sigh~" At this point, the old man sighed, as if recalling that dark period that he could never forget.

"But as the missing people gradually returned, we gradually learned that those people did not disappear or die, but were chosen by the tower defense world to participate in the tower defense world's assessment in a boundless sky island world."

All Azure Star people aged 18 to 38 have three opportunities to participate in the assessment on June 6th. Except for the first time when they will be forcibly teleported, they can choose to enter on this day every year for the remaining two opportunities.

Because young people who have just turned 18 will also be subject to mandatory selection, this day is also known as the global college entrance examination.

Meanwhile, since items from that world can be brought back to this world, while secondary products from Azure Star cannot be brought to the original sky island of that world, this mandatory global college entrance examination has become a new way for everyone on Azure Star to change their fate.

If you pass the test, you will have an infinitely upgradable floating island in that world, producing all kinds of living resources, and you may even become a legendary superhuman. For our planet, which already has extremely scarce land area, that world is a priceless treasure.

Unfortunately, judging from the current situation, the pass rate for this college entrance examination is quite low. In the first year, nearly 400 billion people participated. At that time, no one knew that there was an option to return to the Blue Star after death, so they were basically all working their hardest.

Even with such enthusiasm, out of 400 billion people, only less than 200,000 passed the so-called novice assessment, and then 198,000 were eliminated in the final exam at the end of the first year.

The pass rate for the new batch of mandatory "examinees" in the second year, as well as those "old students" who choose to retake the exam, is still pitifully low, and they are even more vulnerable in the year-end exam.

It's been 8 years now, and I don't know how many people have used up their three chances, but I can tell you that we, the Azure Star, still have less than 10 million tower defense lords in that world. This is only because there are still 36 days until the seventh year's big test, which is the day you will participate in the test.

Based on past experience, by the time you recent high school graduates are forced to enter that world to participate in the assessment, your predecessors will only have around 100,000 left.

Moreover, according to your predecessors, even if the total number of challenge waves does not increase, the sky island is not upgraded, and the number of residents and soldiers recruited decreases during the year-end exam, the monsters will still become stronger.

In other words, the difficulty of the year-end exam will increase every year after passing the year-end exam. I can tell you that of the initial two thousand people who passed the year-end exam, less than ten are still alive.

Moreover, according to their own jokes, after this year's big test, everyone can restart. The sooner they restart, the sooner they can enjoy it. In the early stages, they gave up too many high-difficulty rewards in order to survive, and now they regret it.

"So, students, do you know how difficult this life-changing college entrance examination is?" The old principal said, glancing at the silent crowd with their heads down, and couldn't help but sigh.

Civilization on this planet has experienced three explosive phases of technological advancement, leading to a sharp rise in people's living standards. In addition, there are almost no conflicts of interest between countries, and no world wars have broken out. Furthermore, countries encourage childbirth, causing the population to soar from 50 billion a century ago to 2 trillion today.

According to the plans of governments at that time, interstellar spaceships should have been developed by then, and the huge population should have been used for interstellar exploration, enabling the Azure Star civilization to rapidly move into deep space.

The ideal was lofty, but the reality was cruel. The anticipated fourth technological explosion did not occur. Not to mention interstellar spaceships, even the technology to terraform planets remained on paper.

However, policies to encourage childbirth have been in place for many years, and the idea of ​​venturing into interstellar space has become entrenched. Some things have long been out of control, which has led to the current state of Azure Star being overburdened.

This super planet, which could originally support 300 billion inhabitants, has been feeding far too many people. In addition, its technology has almost stagnated in recent years, and its energy utilization is still in an awkward situation where it cannot give up fossil energy and cannot fully utilize renewable energy. Even the richest planetary resources will be exhausted by this huge population.

The once beautiful natural scenery can now only be viewed in 10 remaining protected areas around the world. The combined area of ​​these 10 protected areas is less than one ten-thousandth of the land area of ​​this planet, and ordinary people cannot enter these places; they are the exclusive domain of the rich.

The only place on the entire planet where ordinary people can see natural scenery is by boarding a cross-sea train or flight, passing through the vast and endless near-shore aquaculture areas, to catch a fleeting glimpse of the little remaining deep sea.

With a large population, a tight supply of resources, and people's fertility attitudes that haven't changed much, most ordinary people have long lost their upward mobility. It's not uncommon for a family of more than ten people to live in a room of just over ten square meters.

Long before the advent of the tower defense world, governments around the world had already introduced relevant policies, but some ideas are still difficult to change in a short period of time. The three consecutive technological breakthroughs enabled people to move from the feudal era to the early information age in less than a century.

Even after another century, and despite limited technological progress, the radical memories passed down from that rapidly changing era still lead many to firmly believe that the interstellar age will eventually arrive.

It can be said that the current state of Azure Star is largely due to human beings themselves. If it weren't for the sudden arrival of the Tower Defense World, a world war might have been inevitable given the various conflicts that had arisen.

The old principal knew this well. Fifty years ago, when the Dragon Kingdom learned that its technology could no longer develop rapidly, it quietly shifted its focus. Various industrial sectors had already been secretly preparing for war. Those in power were well aware that the conflict was unavoidable, so they could only transfer it to others.

War is cruel to this planet that has never experienced a world war, and it is also cruel to other countries, and even to ordinary people in their own country, but they have no other choice.

The planet Azure can only support a maximum of 300 billion people. If the planet wants to restore its ecosystem, this number should ideally be less than 200 billion, which is one-tenth of the current number. Compared to other unnatural disasters, war may be the most humane option.

Fortunately, with the arrival of the tower defense world, countries around the world did not take that most desperate step. That world is infinite, and even if resources cannot be self-sufficient, it is still much better than the impending war.

Moreover, by continuously upgrading their Sky Island, each Tower Defense Lord can bring people from the real world into that world and let them live there, thereby reducing the pressure in the real world. This is why countries around the world treat this global college entrance examination in this way.

For this global college entrance examination, the world's original cultural knowledge has been squeezed out, and only the most basic common sense and social concepts are taught.

This would be almost devastating for social development, especially for modern society, but there's no way around it; that world is just too important to everyone on the Blue Star right now.

Moreover, if one can become a tower defense lord, various countries will send teachers to become their professional course instructors. If these lords grow up, they can accept the residents of Azure Star, and these professional course instructors will naturally return to their original positions of imparting knowledge. It can be said to be a win-win situation.

Moreover, the rules of that world are relatively humane, and there is no such thing as death if you fail. Even if you fail after using up your first chance, it's not a big problem. All the knowledge of tower defense lords has already been taught beforehand. After failing once, you can resume your studies and learn normal academic subjects, so it's not too late.

After completing their relevant academic studies, and even entering the workforce, having partners and children, these individuals may be able to fight for survival once more. The potential they unleash at this time is far greater than when they were younger, and they are more likely to succeed.

Therefore, looking at the many students below the stage, the old principal did not have high hopes for their upcoming assessment. In previous years, the highest number of students who passed the novice assessment was no more than ten, and no more than three students persisted for three months. Only one student made it to the end of the year, but he also failed in the year-end exam.

This result may seem terrible, but it's much better than other schools in the city. The student who made it to the end of the year was even personally received by the mayor and became an honorable editor of the Tower Defense World textbook. His family of more than ten people now lives a comfortable life, which shows how much importance countries around the world attach to Tower Defense World.

"Students, I know what you're thinking, but please don't feel pressured. In the past, ordinary people only had the college entrance examination as a relatively stable way to change their fate, and they only had one chance. But now you have three chances."

"So, please relax. The school has taught you everything it can. Take the next month to adjust. All graduating students will have a break after school. Think carefully about what to do. Even if you don't pass this time, you still need to accumulate knowledge. Your life in the tower defense world is still very long."

After the old principal finished his earnest speech, he walked down from the podium alone. Under the organization of hundreds of teachers, the students left the school, which was not large but was extremely crowded, and scattered towards the surrounding tall and dilapidated buildings.

"Yang Fei, wait for me!" A boy with a slightly protruding belly hurriedly dodged the dense crowd ahead and caught up with a somewhat thin boy.

"What's wrong, Wang Yu? Aren't you going to see your girlfriend?" The ordinary-looking, thin boy slowly turned around, looked at the slightly chubby boy in this era where the average person weighs less than 100 pounds, and smiled when he saw that there was no one behind him.

"Sigh, what girlfriend? Nothing's as important as the tower defense world. I'm planning to work for the tower defense lords to build up some relationships and good karma, and maybe I can buy a defense tower from them. Then I'll have three defense towers at the start, and maybe I can even try the double extreme difficulty." The chubby guy said a little embarrassedly.

"Oh? You have connections?" Yang Fei was immediately intrigued when he heard the chubby boy's words. These days, working for a tower defense lord is not something shameful; on the contrary, it's an opportunity to enter the tower defense world in advance and learn about the opportunities there. Not to mention working for someone else, even working for free is quite profitable.

"Hehe?" The chubby boy was about to answer when he noticed that the people around him had slowed down involuntarily. Although the two of them were speaking very softly, the crowd was too close to hear them. So the chubby boy didn't continue speaking and just gave Yang Fei a knowing look.

Yang Fei was speechless as he watched the chubby boy constantly giving suggestive glances to the pretty female classmates around him. To put it bluntly, this guy was a bit sleazy. Whether he had connections or not, this kid definitely had nothing good to offer.

My best friend is a good friend, but he always takes advantage of his family's small amount of money. In addition, his family of more than ten people, except for him and his father, are all girls. He is spoiled and often flirts with the female classmates around him.

Yang Fei was too lazy to think about whether his sudden outburst today was true or not, whether he was talking to him or the girls around him, but Yang Fei guessed it was probably the latter.

Sure enough, as expected, Yang Fei heard his best friend make a phone gesture to him and then resolutely start chatting with the girls around him.

Yang Fei smiled and didn't say much. He walked through the densely packed high-rise alley and came to a paved road that had been neglected for years. After waiting for more than ten minutes, he finally got an opportunity. He followed the crowd through the gaps between the vehicles and came to a somewhat dilapidated high-rise residential area.

After climbing the incredibly narrow stairwell and navigating the corridors filled with various household items, I finally returned to my somewhat cramped but cozy five-bedroom apartment, where my family of ten lives.

His parents share a room, his four younger sisters share a room, his three younger brothers share a room, there is a living room and a storage room. He is the eldest of the new generation in the family. Because he is about to become the Tower Defense Lord, the original storage room has temporarily become his independent space.

Ultimately, his private space, with only a single bed, wasn't exactly comfortable, and the household clutter was still piled up in his storage room. However, he was quite content. After all, the living room doubled as the kitchen, and his younger siblings' "entertainment area" was also in the living room. Having a private space was already a luxury.

His parents were still at work, and his younger siblings greeted him warmly when they saw him return. Yang Fei smiled happily, as the pressure of the after-school season had finally eased up a bit.

Yang Fei took the youngest sister, who was not yet three years old, from his ten-year-old brother, and then he and his younger siblings played in the specially cleared entertainment area in the living room.

The wooden toys Yang Fei usually makes, and the cheap plastic toys his parents buy, are the happiest moments of the day for the group.

Less than ten minutes after he finished playing, his second sister, who was two years younger than him, returned from another school with his third and fourth brothers and joined the family.

"Brother, didn't we agree that you should rest and cultivate your True Qi Technique during this time, strive to become a martial artist as soon as possible, and prepare for this college entrance examination? I'll take care of our younger siblings! Why are you still taking time to fool around with them?" Second sister Yang Xiaofei said with some complaints.

"Hehe, I'm only playing with my younger siblings this once, and you're still accusing me of having an affair with you. Besides, I'm on vacation and have been at home for a month. Do you expect me to stay in my room the whole time?"

Yang Fei looked at his unusually thin younger sister and was speechless. His second sister was not old, but she liked to meddle in other people's business.

"Tch, I just want to stay in my room all the time. Don't take your good fortune for granted." Yang Xiaofei pouted and didn't continue, focusing on taking care of her younger siblings. Yang Fei went to the kitchen area and skillfully started making dinner.

Two bowls of ordinary, cheap rice, plus ten grains of rice carefully taken from the refrigerator—slightly larger than corn kernels, translucent and made from the True Qi Rice produced in the Tower Defense World—this is the main meal for our family of ten tonight.

After rinsing the rice and putting it in the pot to cook, Yang Fei started to tidy up the few vegetables left in the refrigerator. He picked out a few vegetables that were about to expire, added some seasonings, and even without meat, Yang Fei still managed to stir-fry a delicious and visually appealing dish.

A dinner for ten people is not easy to prepare, but Yang Fei is used to it. Sometimes, he can even take some time to play with his younger siblings and teach them how to cook, which is an essential skill for their future journey into the tower defense world.

Once everything was finished, the parents returned home as night fell. Both were technical workers in a state-owned enterprise, which was considered a secure job before the advent of the tower defense world, making them the envy of the surrounding neighbors.

Although the world of tower defense has arrived and a secure job is not as desirable as before, there are still convenient channels for some things, especially for skilled workers like them. In this fast-paced modern society, such jobs are still very rare, which is why Yang Fei never envies the chubby guy.

It's not that the Yang family has fallen from grace; it's just that the two parents worked too hard and were rather low-key, never showing off. Otherwise, the Zhenqi rice in the refrigerator is not something an ordinary family could afford.

That's a product of the tower defense world. Eating it allows one to better comprehend true qi, something essential for becoming a lord and strengthening oneself. To buy it, besides money, you also need connections to obtain it. So, although the family of ten may seem to be living a meager existence, they actually enjoy a life that their neighbors envy.

After dinner, Yang Fei, persuaded by his parents and second sister, returned to his room, locked the door, pushed aside the pile of clutter, went to the small bed by the window, looked at the brightly lit high-rise buildings, and sighed softly.

I glanced at my phone, thinking of calling the chubby guy to ask about working for the lord, but then I remembered what that guy had done this afternoon. I figured that if I made that call, it might ruin his plans. I'll just have to wait until tomorrow.

Take a deep breath, focus your mind, and silently absorb the faint true energy emanating from the true energy grain within your body. Gather it into yourself, making it a wisp of energy that you can regulate. Once this energy has gathered and formed a wisp of true energy that belongs to you, that is the beginning of your journey into becoming a martial artist.

According to those lords, martial artists are divided into three stages: sensing Qi, not entering a rank, opening the seven peaks, and once the seven peaks are opened, one can enter the peak of mortals, and then one can cultivate immortality.

Unfortunately, to this day, no lord has been able to unlock all seven peaks and reach the pinnacle of mortal cultivation. Even though the tower defense world has spiritual energy that this world lacks, and the lords can often eat true energy rice, no one has been able to achieve it. Cultivation remains only a part of the records of that world.

Humans have only been in contact with that world for a very short time. It is estimated that a human with exceptional talent would need to cultivate in that world for at least ten years to have all seven peaks opened and attempt to enter the legendary Qi Refining stage.

Now, let alone on this spiritually barren blue planet, even the most brilliant human genius couldn't stay in that world forever, yet it still makes people flock to that world.

In that world, lords with territories were still honored guests of various governments, business groups, and large families, because the allure of cultivating immortality was simply too tempting, and the lords were the ones in control of it all.

Once they pass the novice assessment and become lords, they can freely travel between the two worlds, bringing the much-desired True Qi Rice, or, once their Sky Island level is high enough, they can travel to the other world through them.

This is even more tempting to wealthy old people who have never had the opportunity. If it weren't for the fact that lords could come and go freely without restraint, and that they were protected by the Heavenly Dao of that world, these wealthy people might do some despicable things.

After spending an hour absorbing all the Qi from the rice grains in his body using the general cultivation method "True Qi Technique," Yang Fei let out a satisfied burp, then got up, took a comfortable shower, and fell into a deep sleep on his bed.

A gentle breeze brushed against his cheek, the fresh air feeling somewhat unreal. Yang Fei rubbed his eyes, staring blankly at the cunning moon that only existed in video footage, hanging silently high in the sky, illuminating the earth, and the cloudless night dotted with stars.

"What's going on? Did I time travel? That shouldn't be the case. I'm living a happy life, my family is harmonious, and I haven't encountered any great fortune. I just took a nap, and now I'm here when I open my eyes?" Looking at the incredibly realistic grass under his feet and the dilapidated thatched hut he was in, Yang Fei had an unrealistic idea.

"Open the Lord Panel." Yang Fei took a deep breath and slowly uttered a few words.

"Yang Fei, the eighth trainee lord of Azure Star, has been detected. Lord number -1, Sky Island territory number -1."

"Congratulations! You have been selected as the trainee test lord of Azure Star. If you pass the test, you will become a formal tower defense lord. Welcome to the tower defense world." A neutral voice sounded in Yang Fei's mind, and then a transparent screen appeared in front of Yang Fei.

Name: Yang Fei-1

Lord Talent: Not yet unlocked (can be obtained through gacha pulls)

Realm: Mortal (extremely fragile, unable to defeat even normal wild beasts)

Sky Island Territory - 1: Initial Level

Buildings include: Core Thatched Hut (initial, upgradable, destroyed and considered obsolete), Initial Well (produces drinking water for 10 people or equivalent farmland daily, upgradable), and Initial Citizen Recruitment Hut (allows recruiting citizens from various realms using copper coins; currently only mortals can be recruited, upgradable).

System Repository: New Player Gift Pack (Openable)