The Will of Blue Star spoke—then fell silent again.
But the moment that announcement ended, the entire Forbidden Zone practically ignited.
Competitors everywhere felt it at once.
"They found a resource!"
"That has to be the first one, right?! Miracle Nation?!"
"Damn it—move! We can't fall behind!"
Excitement, anxiety, urgency—those emotions spread through every team like wildfire.
Miracle Nation taking the lead drew the world's attention instantly.
Back with Noah Drake and Marcus, though, nothing seemed to change at first.
The iron deposit half-exposed from the sand stayed exactly where it was.
No glow. No portal. No dramatic "transfer."
It almost looked like nothing had happened beyond the announcement itself.
But they didn't see what was happening in the real world.
Because back in Miracle Nation, the ground began to tremble.
Not a catastrophic earthquake—no collapsing buildings, no mass destruction.
Just a noticeable vibration underfoot, enough to make people stop mid-step and glance around.
Then, after a short time…
it calmed.
And by then, everyone understood what it meant.
This wasn't a natural quake.
It was manifestation.
Sure enough, after Miracle Nation's top-level analysis teams verified the changes…
they confirmed it:
A massive iron mine had appeared out of thin air inside Miracle Nation's territory.
And because it was a 100× manifestation, the scale was downright absurd.
Even without seeing the full size of the deposit in the Forbidden Zone, one fact was obvious:
If it was "big" there—
it would be monstrous here.
Of course, the resource itself was only F- tier, which likely meant it wasn't rare.
It was ordinary iron ore.
But "ordinary" didn't matter when the quantity was that obscene.
In Miracle Nation's hands—an industrial war machine—
it was like handing a tiger another set of claws.
With that iron, they could forge tens of thousands of weapons.
The news detonated across the planet.
"No way… it really manifested?!"
"100× is insane! Even if it's 'just iron,' in Miracle Nation's hands this is a huge buff."
"When is our country going to find a resource…?"
People finally understood something important:
The Forbidden Zone wasn't just spectacle.
It could actually solve Blue Star's resource crisis.
And once that thought took hold, it started multiplying.
If iron could manifest…
what about survival resources?
A forest.
A freshwater lake.
An oil field.
At 100×, even a "small" find inside the Forbidden Zone could become a national lifeline back home.
Governments across the world went into full emergency mode.
This event could rewrite global power overnight.
A small nation that hit a lucky streak could climb into the top tier.
Resources were that important.
And the response was immediate.
By now—only around eight hours since the Forbidden Zone began—countries were already forming expert teams at full speed.
Analysts. Geologists. Survival specialists. Military planners.
Because competitors could still see the outside world's messages through their overlay.
If experts could guide them even a little…
it might decide life and death.
But for the competitors inside the Forbidden Zone, "manifesting resources" was only part of the story.
Finding a resource benefited the real world.
But it didn't directly help the people risking their lives on the sand.
So the Will of Blue Star paid them too.
A new announcement rang out—this time only in Miracle Nation's competitors' minds:
[Congratulations. Miracle Nation competitors Noah Drake and Marcus have obtained an F- Chest.]
In Miracle Nation's livestream, a matching banner appeared.
The chat immediately exploded.
"A chest reward?! Like the leaderboard chests?!"
"So resources also give chests?!"
"F- Chest—what's inside?! A legendary weapon? A divine pet?!"
"It's F-. Calm down. Probably food or supplies."
"Stop talking and OPEN IT, Noah Drake!!"
In front of Noah Drake and Marcus, a bronze-colored chest materialized out of thin air.
They didn't need anyone to tell them what to do.
Their eyes sharpened, excitement obvious even on the quiet one.
With the entire world watching—
Noah Drake slowly reached out…
and placed his hand on the lid.
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