After finding a random spot to rest, An Xiaomei immediately removed her Shapeshifting Mask. The item's cooldown time was far too long—best used only in combination with the Signal-Jamming Stone for maximum effect.
Outside the game, countless viewers finally regained access to An Xiaomei's livestream.
Seeing the vast, empty expanse of frozen plains, they all assumed that she had survived the mutant fishmen's pursuit purely through her own strength.
Many sighed in regret—what a pity they'd missed such an intense, high-energy battle!
Just then, her wrist device vibrated with an incoming message. An Xiaomei opened it and saw a new note from Lu An'an.
"I'm fine. I've already shaken off those natives."
An Xiaomei didn't reply with much else—she had always preferred the life of a lone wolf.
Having a companion like Lu An'an earlier had, in some ways, actually been a bit inconvenient for her.
Lu An'an, on the other hand, stared at her idol's short reply for a long moment. Her expression first showed hesitation—then firm resolve.
She longed to have a powerful teammate like An Xiaomei by her side, but she also possessed a rare virtue: self-awareness.
After this harrowing escape, Lu An'an understood clearly that she needed to grow stronger—fast—if she ever wanted to stand beside her idol as an equal.
So instead of asking where An Xiaomei was, she quietly closed the message window and focused on improving herself.
Meanwhile, An Xiaomei turned to her favorite part of the day—loot inspection time.
"Ding! Adventurer An Xiaomei, you have successfully slain 1 Mutant Fishman King. Reward: 1 Advanced Resource Chest.
You have also slain 3 Fishman Commanders and 33 regular Mutant Fishmen. Reward: 3 Intermediate Chests and 5 Basic Chests.
Because you have successfully overthrown the rise of the Mutant Fishman Royal Clan, you have triggered the Hidden Quest: The Secret of the Natives.
If you can uncover the true secret, you will be able to end the National Destiny Game early and return to the real world with all the materials stored in your backpack.
(Note: Game-exclusive items cannot be brought back.)
Additionally, since the issuer of your bounty has died, the pursuit restriction on you has been lifted. You will no longer be automatically targeted by other native tribes."
Things were getting more and more mysterious—even a hidden storyline had appeared.
Judging by the system's message, An Xiaomei guessed that the game actually approved of her eliminating the Mutant Fishman royal line.
Still, the hidden mystery wasn't something she could rush. She decided to open the treasure chests first—perhaps the clues would be inside.
"Ding ding ding! Congratulations, you have obtained:
2 Hidden Map Fragments,
1 Premium Weapon Crossbow Set,
1 Diving Gear,
6 Farmland Units,
4 Ginger Seeds,
13 Energy Stones,
50 Bread,
40 Cotton Threads…"
[Hidden Map Fragment: Found only in Advanced Chests. Collect 8 fragments to unlock the Final Secret Realm, where you may uncover the natives' secret, end the National Destiny Game, and return to the real world.]
[Premium Weapon Crossbow: Allows the adventurer to pierce through enemies' toughest defenses. Comes with infinite bolts. Each activation consumes 1 Energy Stone and lasts 2 hours per 24-hour cycle.]
[Diving Gear: Essential for exploring underwater regions. Drop rate: 3%.]
An Xiaomei was only truly interested in the tools she'd obtained; the rest were just pleasant bonuses.
After all, she lacked nothing now—she'd just mined half an Energy Stone mountain. Energy stones were no longer a problem.
Meanwhile, far away—
The Mutant Sky-Eagle King led his elite troops to the once-prosperous Fishman Island, only to find the Energy Stone Mine completely gone.
All that remained were heaps of discarded debris and shattered ore—proof that this had indeed been the legendary mine once known across the region.
"Everyone, listen up!" the Eagle King commanded coldly. "Find any surviving fishmen. I want to know who did this."
At his order, the Sky-Eagle warriors began methodically sweeping the island.
Half an hour later, just as the Eagle King's patience was wearing thin, one of his officers rushed forward, excited.
"Your Majesty! We captured a fishman who came back to retrieve his savings. He claims to know something!"
Ten minutes later, after listening to the trembling fishman's stammered account, the Eagle King's brow furrowed deeply.
Something about this mysterious human unsettled him.
"Enough. Take this fishman down and have him draw the human's portrait.
Our Sky-Eagle Clan will not stand idly by. I will find the real culprit—and avenge the Fishman King's spirit!"
At those words, the fishmen nearby were moved to tears.
What a righteous ally! How could anyone call the Eagle King cold and selfish?
After they left, however, one of the Eagle commanders couldn't hold back his doubts any longer.
"Your Majesty… why go through all this trouble avenging a fallen fishman clan?"
"Hmph." The Eagle King sneered. "That human carries at least ten thousand Energy Stones. That alone is reason enough not to let this go.
But one cannot act without cause—we'll use revenge as our excuse. That way, other tribes won't interfere."
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
Foolish subordinates are easier to control, he thought. The clever ones are the real danger.
Over the next few days, An Xiaomei continued to explore outward, mainly searching for the Sky-Eagle Commander who had once injured her.
Then, with only half a month left before the cold season ended, all adventurers suddenly received a global notification:
"Ding! Attention, all adventurers:
The Cold Season Challenge is about to begin.
Those who successfully complete the task will receive generous rewards—and a chance to speak with their family members in the real world.
Those who fail will have the resources their nation gained through this game reduced accordingly."