National destiny: Starting with a coffin, building an aircraft carrier is broadcast live globally.

[Holy crap! Genetic lock? Sequence? Awakening Project?!]

[This is a lot of information... Did this queen escape from a laboratory?]

[Let's continue! Is the game's backstory finally about to be revealed?!]

[This is terrifying to think about. Could the contestants' order of appearance also be related?]

On Earth, command groups from various countries were excited.

But it was just a fleeting moment of excitement.

Because although this information is very important, it's like playing a jigsaw puzzle. Even if you already know what the pattern is, you haven't won until the last piece is put together.

Moreover...

They didn't even know what the last 'fragment' should be.

In the game.

"And then? You killed them and escaped?"

Ethan suppressed his excitement and tried to get more clues from Vanessa. The truth was important, but the real way to complete the game was the most important thing.

"And then?" Vanessa's expression froze for a moment as she recalled the event, a flicker of pain and hatred crossing her eyes.

That was hardly a pleasant memory...

A transparent cage, cold metal, glaring lights... Humans relentlessly tore her flesh apart, mixing it with the remnants of something else...

They call it—

Upgrade.

Did you make it?

maybe.

After all, they planted... the flower that would destroy the world.

"Then......"

The sorrow on her face turned into sarcasm as she mocked, "And then, I lost interest in your nonsense."

The moment the words fell,

With a gentle stomp of her perfect long legs, Ethan and Situ's feet instantly turned into a bubbling swamp. Fortunately, Situ had almost recovered, and with a flick of her tail, she carried Ethan away from the swamp.

Aurora had already dragged the two brutes out of their respective traps.

Klaus was alright, just covered in wood chips and leaf scraps; Ivan, on the other hand, was completely covered in mud.

He spat out the mud from his mouth, picked up an axe, and started cursing:

"Let's fucking get him!"

The group exchanged glances and instantly reached a consensus: a delaying tactic.

Ivan launched another attack.

However, this time he learned his lesson and no longer charged in with wide, sweeping movements. Instead, he used the length of his axe to harass and restrain the attacker.

Klaus brandished a wrench, poised to launch an attack.

Just as Vanessa was about to raise her hand to crush the strange wrench, the wrench in mid-air suddenly emitted a gear-turning sound.

"Click—click."

"I'll take your life for 3000, lock her up and kill her!"

The wrench quickly disintegrated, transforming into a silver chain net that abruptly contracted in mid-air.

Unlike the noose he used to act as a seatbelt, this was "Type 52: Restraint Form" that he made from a bunch of materials he left behind that day.

Now, each form of Newton has different characteristics.

The only characteristic of the bound form is—

Load-bearing capacity.

Once locked up, you can't break free unless you move the earth!

—Of course, that's just Klaus's boasting.

But being stuck for a while is definitely not a problem!

Vanessa paused, glancing down at the chains binding her. Her brow furrowed; she sensed something at the level of rules.

"A great opportunity!"

Without anyone reminding him, Ethan, who had been searching for an opening, made his move.

Draw your gun, aim, and pull the trigger.

Within half a second,

"Bang!"

The gun spat fire, the smell of gunpowder filled the air, and the lead bullet struck Vanessa squarely in the abdomen.

The chains did seem to restrict Vanessa's movements, but she showed no intention of dodging; instead, her smile became even more mocking.

"It's...infected?"

Before the group could even celebrate, Ivan, who was standing closest, let out a muffled groan.

"Ugh—" He clutched his abdomen, blood seeping from between his fingers, that spot...

It was in the exact same spot as Vanessa's shot.

Fortunately, thanks to Aurora's healing aura, the wound slowly closed and healed within seconds. As for the lead bullet?

"The boss will get it for him," Aurora thought.

"Shall we continue?"

Vanessa looked at the group with a mocking gaze, as if she weren't the one trapped. "Next time, maybe your head will be blown open."

The damage transfer curse has certain limitations.

For example, she could only transfer to a life form she had come into contact with, but even that was not something they could handle, because she had come into contact with three of the four people present.

How can we play like this?

Aurora's healing consumes mental energy, and the more severe the injury, the greater the consumption. Her aura cannot last long.

Just when everyone was in a dilemma,

The silence deep in the woods was broken as a heavy rustling sound grew louder as fallen leaves were swept into the air by the air currents.

Vanessa, who was about to make her move, frowned and turned her golden vertical pupils to the side.

That is......

The direction the little guy in the lead ran in.

In the dense forest, a colossal creature was rampaging wildly.

The evolved hull lost the clumsiness of a warship. Supported by its land-based characteristics, it resembled a giant sea serpent with a hard shell, slowly crawling at a speed of about twenty kilometers per hour.

The graceful hull turned nimbly, perfectly avoiding the tree trunks.

The figurehead, resembling Medusa's wildly dancing snakes, faces Vanessa in the distance, as if they were two queens exchanging a silent glance.

And at the bow of the ship.

Beside the statue of Gorgon, stood a familiar figure.

"Get on the ship."

Ethan and Siddhartha's mouths were almost agape.

Aurora and Klaus stared in shock at the landing ship, but surprisingly, Ivan was the quickest to react.

Ivan snapped out of his daze, grabbed Klaus and Aurora who were closest to him, and rushed toward the ship.

"Don't run! Stand still!"

Siddhartha and Ethan then seemed to wake from a dream and followed.

Vanessa looked at the suddenly appearing "kindred spirit" with a hint of surprise in her eyes.

She could sense that this ship had a familiar feel to it...

It's... her skin!

Before she could figure it out, the ship had already changed direction, its bow pointing directly at her.

"Buzz—!"

Arbitrarily attaching the [Biokinetic Module] to the [Mimetic Buffer Layer], the stern slammed heavily onto the ground, and the entire ship charged straight toward Vanessa at a speed far exceeding 20 km/h.

Happy Lunar New Year's Eve! Wishing all my readers a smooth and prosperous new year, with wealth coming easily and unexpectedly, bringing good fortune to your home and family! (P.S. Lyrics to "Wealth Rolling In")