“Jason, are you sure you won’t reconsider?”
In front of a strange, dazzling machine, an old professor with a head full of white hair tried to persuade a young man in his early twenties.
Jason Rivers glanced back at the old man and shook his head firmly. “No, Professor. Entering the sea island is my only option. Besides, I’m used to being on my own, so don’t push it.”
The professor sighed, regret flashing in his eyes. “It’s such a pity. You’re the finest student I’ve ever taught… Take care of yourself, alright?”
Jason bowed deeply to him, said nothing more, and stepped into the blinding light of the machine.
By the year 2333, Earth—once a thriving home to over a hundred trillion people—had become utterly drained of resources and teetered on the edge of collapse. Though humanity’s technology had peaked, it couldn’t stop the impending doom.
Earth was crumbling, ready to fall apart at any moment.
Amidst this crisis, the Federation of Nations discovered a vast, boundless ocean world, one that could be reached through a mysterious transfer mechanism. In that world lay endless resources—fruits that could enhance human strength, awaken hidden abilities, and unimaginable things beyond human comprehension.
But the start was brutal: one island, with everything dependent on what you could scavenge. This was like a survival game. Humans were randomly sent to small islands, each starting with nothing but a broken fishing net. Survival depended on scavenging materials from the sea and other methods to expand the island and develop.
After decades of study, it was discovered that only 30 million people could be transported each time, and it had to be done at three-year intervals. So, every three years, 30 million individuals aged 18 to 21 were sent into the ocean world. After a month-long newbie protection period, they had to gather resources to survive, fend off monsters, other island owners, and unknown creatures.
This created fierce competition among the great clans and financial powers on Blue Star. They poured massive resources into training their descendants, hoping they’d gain better resources once inside.
For someone like Ethan Rivers, with no backing but exceptional survival skills, he was a prime target for families and corporations trying to recruit him. If he accepted, he’d gain their full support after the newbie period and unimaginable wealth—something most students could only dream of.
But Ethan refused. Rejecting such a golden opportunity left others baffled. Did he think he was really that invincible?As the flash of white light surged, a cold metallic voice echoed in Ethan Rivers' ears.
"Congratulations, host. The Strongest Island Sign-In System is now bound. System activated."
"Congratulations on receiving the system starter pack. Would you like to open it?"
"Open!" Ethan answered without hesitation.
"Opening the starter pack... Please wait."
"Congratulations, host. You've received 1000 Evolution Points for your island."
"Congratulations, host. Coordinates for the evolvable island have been unlocked. Select a location and proceed!"
"Select coordinates. Head there now!" Ethan's voice carried excitement.
The whirring sound confirmed what Ethan believed—the very reason he gave the cold shoulder to those greedy corporate hands and power-hungry families. Why bother aligning himself with them when he had the Strongest Island Sign-In System under his belt?
With this, he was set to rule the ocean world. Forget those small numbers; he was shooting for triple digits, thousands, maybe more. Money? That'd be obsolete in no time. The true bargaining chip was resources. Only fools danced on their strings.
As the white light vanished, Ethan staggered slightly, blinking hard as his vision cleared. The air hit him with a salty intensity, sharp and raw, forcing him to take a long, grounding breath. And then, he froze. "This is the evolution island?"
The entire site barely spanned a hundred square meters. The central area stood slightly elevated, sloping down at about a fifteen-degree angle towards the sea. The surface was a web of deep, brownish rocks—barren and dry. Not a single blade of grass could be seen, let alone fertile soil.
Aside from a one-meter-high, screen-shaped object in the middle, the place was utterly empty.
So much for thinking he'd hit the jackpot; turns out he's holding garbage cards.
Where's the promised survival kit? The fishing net? Not even a splinter of wood here!
Just then, a transparent interface popped into view, linking to the glowing panel. Text scrolled onto the translucent display: "Super Tablet. Enables communication and trade. Essential for survival. Handle with utmost caution."
Every island had one of these Super Tablets. Packed with a dizzying array of options, it let you interact with the human occupants of the ocean world—at least during the first six months. After that, the global exchange system activated, allowing resources to flow back to Blue Planet for trade and transport.
Ethan Rivers glanced back at his island—a place he'd now call home.
Island Owner: Ethan Rivers
Type: None
Island Level: 0
1000/1000
Skills: None
Talent: None
“What? Islands can have skills and talents too?” His confusion turned to disbelief, a bitter smirk appearing on his face. The notification chime echoed from the tablet. Clearly, all the island owners had taken their positions, and the public chatroom was already bustling with activity:
"Can someone help me? My island is barren, just rocks and a torn fishing net. I’ve got nothing else!"
"Same here. My island’s a bit bigger, maybe 300 square meters, but that net’s full of holes. No way it's catching any supply crates."
"Don't even get me started. I’m starving over here. Been here three hours, I’m exhausted, thirsty, and hungry. Anyone got water? I’ll trade my net for it!"
"All those survival skills we trained for three years? Pointless, don’t you think?"
"Kid, just focus on staying alive. The island’s no joke—die here, and it’s the real deal."
"…"
As the chatter went on, it was clear this wasn’t a game. Everything was real, and the fatality rate was a staggering 80%. Out of the 30 million sent here, a million surviving would already be a miracle.
Ethan Rivers glanced at the endless complaints flooding the chatroom and set it to mute. He needed focus. Skills and talents could wait—what exactly did this "island level" mean?When Ethan Rivers opened the newbie gift pack, the system awarded him 1000 evolution points. He didn’t hesitate—he invested all of it into the island’s level.
Immediately, the island began to expand, slowly but noticeably. Within minutes, it grew from its initial few dozen square meters to over three hundred square meters, and it wasn’t stopping. He could see the growth with his own eyes. So, the island’s level depends on evolution points—1 point equals 1 square meter. With this 1000 evolution points, his island would grow to 1000 square meters. Not bad at all!
As he pondered, his gaze fell on the nearby sea, where a one-meter-wide wooden box floated. This had to be one of those supply crates everyone relied on.
In the first month, during the newbie protection period, these supply crates were essential for survival—they’d have to rely on whatever was inside to make it.
"Wonder what goodies this one holds," he muttered, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Without wasting time, he plunged into the water with a loud splash.