Post-apocalyptic game: I survive at sea by scavenging for trash.

Lin Zhaoyin quickly took out the "You Are My Eyes" that she had kept hidden away for a long time and put them on. With these, she could see the status information of the Ruins Lord, and she would take action immediately as soon as the information on the panel changed.

"A quiet night!"

Lin Zhaoyin had already prepared herself for the possibility that she wouldn't succeed on her first try, but the moment she completed the skill, the world froze.

The boss monster, the players, and even the sand swirling in the air all stopped.

Lin Zhaoyin has two minutes, so she doesn't plan to use the "Bad Luck" skill immediately. Instead, she will attack with her weapon for one minute first, and then start using the skill.

As expected, without the blessing of bad luck, most of Lin Zhaoyin's attacks were dodged, and she still had to use her skill 10 times to succeed.

However, under the Silent Night skill, when Lin Zhaoyin uses the God of Misfortune Possession, she will not be corroded by the skin of this Ruins Lord, which means that the monster's passive skill is also frozen.

Although her hand was unharmed, the health points consumed by using skills were still deducted. In the last few seconds of the still night, Lin Zhaoyin quickly took out a healing item and put it in her mouth.

The stillness disappeared, and all players and the Ruins Lord returned to their pre-freeze state, though everyone's movements were momentarily stiff.

"The skill was used successfully! Don't give up, everyone. You'll be able to follow up with the other skills smoothly!"

Hearing Lin Zhaoyin's words, everyone finally understood what they had felt earlier. Lin Zhaoyin had successfully used her time-stopping skill. As long as they could use this skill immediately afterward, the players would be less likely to face life-threatening situations.

Even when time is frozen, Lin Zhaoyin's Ice Soul Needle will not deduct 8 points of health per second, which is 960 health points in 2 minutes.

Similarly, the Ruins Lord's regeneration of 2 health points per minute did not increase.

There was no difference for other players, but Lin Zhaoyin definitely spent more time.

When Lin Zhaoyin used the "God of Misfortune" skill on the Ruins Lord for the fifth time, the healing items in her backpack finally ran out.

Although she did acquire a lot of healing items, she has already restored over 1 health points using these items today.

Based on the current health of the Ruins Lord, another round will be needed, so Lin Zhaoyin can only ask others to take some first. As long as the Ruins Lord can't attack the players, the other players don't really need the healing items for the time being.

Finally, the sixth round of bad luck began, and the health of the ruined territory was approaching 10%. Everyone was waiting for the value to reach the critical point.

Many people already know about the special effects of Lin Zhaoyin's weapon and hope to deliver the crucial blow.

"Lin Zhaoyin!"

"sister!"

"Sister Lin!"

"Yinyin!"

The moment the Ruins Lord's health dropped below 10%, everyone was calling out Lin Zhaoyin's name.

Lin Zhaoyin immediately switched weapons, but nothing happened after the Deep Sea Sword was swung out.

"How could that be?"

Lin Zhaoyin realized the reason almost instantly: the monster's level not only affects the success rate of skill usage, but also the weapon's additional effects.

However, none of the other players' weapons have such a strong and obvious effect, and even with 500 players attacking together, it's impossible to determine whether one's weapon is effective.

There's a guaranteed minimum for skill usage, but Lin Zhaoyin can't be sure if the weapon effects will be the same, so she can only keep swinging her sword and trying.

Fortunately, the skill effect lasted for five minutes, and Lin Zhaoyin refused to believe that she wouldn't be able to use it within those five minutes.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes...

With only about a minute left on the skill's duration, Lin Zhaoyin thought that perhaps the weapon's level was too low, and the effect would be suppressed, making it impossible to succeed.

Lin Zhaoyin had already given up, and so had the other players. They had already taken away more than 90% of their health, so it didn't matter if they lost a little more.

But just as Lin Zhaoyin casually swung her sword, the Lord of the Ruins suddenly turned into a cloud of particles and vanished.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, and it wasn't until the system voice sounded that they finally came to their senses.

Congratulations to all players for clearing the final trial! The final trial rewards are now being distributed...

"Did we win?"

"it's over?"

Everyone still looked on in disbelief, then began to cheer and hug, celebrating this hard-won victory.

[Rewards settled. Time rewind now...]

The system notification had barely finished when, before the players could even react to what was about to happen, everyone fell into a deep sleep on the spot.

Before long, the people lying on the ground began to disappear one by one. Not only the trial grounds, but also the players on the player island began to disappear, first the players, and then the entire island.

As time passes and stars shift, it turns back...

Blue Star, June 3, 2026, sunny.

"Yinyin, Xiaoyi, wake up and eat!"

Lin Zhaoyin slowly sat up in bed, feeling a splitting headache. She thought she had a dream yesterday, but couldn't remember anything about it.

I dawdled as I got out of bed, brushed my teeth, and washed my face.

"Good morning, sis." Lin Wanyi also wandered into the bathroom and met her sister who was still brushing her teeth.

"Sis, I think I had a dream last night, and I feel dizzy when I woke up this morning."

Lin Zhaoyin spat out the toothpaste foam in her mouth. "Your college entrance exam is in two days. You have a two-day break, so relax and don't put too much pressure on yourself. You're probably too nervous."

Lin Wanyi nodded obediently, then sighed. For some reason, she suddenly felt very uncertain.

The two sisters went to a restaurant for breakfast together. In order to prepare for the college entrance examination, Lin's mother took a few days off to take care of her daughters' diet at home.

Lin Zhaoyin graduated from school relatively early; she received her diploma at the beginning of the month.

"Yinyin, you stay home with your sister for the next few days. There's no need to rush to find a job. After your sister finishes her exams, you two can go out and have some fun for a few days first."

"Okay, thank you, Mom." Lin Zhaoyin was very happy. She was worried that she would be scolded if she couldn't find a job after graduation, but she didn't expect her mother to be so understanding.

"Xiaoyi, you don't need to study all the time these two days. Your dad, mom, and sister all believe in you. You usually get good grades, so you'll definitely perform well on the day. Relax a bit these few days and don't put too much pressure on yourself."

Lin Wanyi nodded in agreement, "Yes, that's what my sister just said too. I'll prepare well for the exam."

"Watch the news for a while." Lin's mother turned on the TV; it was time for the morning news.

"Recently, H City suffered from severe flooding. After days of emergency rescue and disaster relief, the floodwaters have receded, and local residents have received assistance. It is expected that all follow-up work on disaster relief will be completed within this week."

For some reason, Lin Zhaoyin was quite moved when she saw this news, perhaps because she felt a pang of pity for the people in the disaster area.

"Sis, have you thought about what major you want to choose when you fill out your college application after the exams?"

Lin Wan-yi had just turned her gaze away from the television. "I haven't decided yet, but I'm thinking of looking into geology-related majors."

Before Lin Zhaoyin could react, her mother's eyes widened. "You want to study geology? Won't it be hard to find a job with that major?"

"It's alright. This major has actually been quite good in recent years. If my sister can get good grades in this major, there are actually many internal recruitment opportunities. The environment has been getting worse and worse in the past two years, and the world is paying more and more attention to environmental issues."

Hearing her eldest daughter's words, Lin's mother hesitated and nodded, "That's true. Our Xiaoyi has good grades, so she won't have to worry about not finding a job no matter what she studies. There's less competition in less popular majors too."

After breakfast, the two sisters went back to their respective rooms.

Although her mother didn't urge her, Lin Zhaoyin still planned to take advantage of the graduation season to look for a job.

Although she had attended many campus recruitment events before, Lin Zhaoyin was not very interested in the positions they were recruiting for.

In addition to some corporate recruitment, Lin Zhaoyin also checked the recruitment of official agencies. Many of them do not require passing the civil service exam to get the job. If your major and academic qualifications are relevant, there are recruitment quotas every year.

Lin Zhaoyin majored in English, so if she were to look for a job in a company, she could only find translation-related work. However, Lin Zhaoyin originally chose this major because she wanted to become a diplomat.

However, being a diplomat is not something you can just do whenever you want, so Lin Zhaoyin thought about seeing if there were any other official systems that needed someone with an English major.

Surprisingly, they actually found a few.

Lin Zhaoyin carefully reviewed the information several times, and one particular job posting particularly interested her.

The Special Forces Branch of City A is recruiting for the position of External Negotiation Specialist. Applicants must be local residents of City A, regardless of gender, and must be recent graduates majoring in foreign languages.

The job posting only listed these details, without specifying the job responsibilities, presumably because these details are confidential. Lin Zhaoyin is from City A, so she naturally meets the requirements.

Lin Zhaoyin submitted her resume according to the information on the official website. If her resume is approved, she will receive a notification for a written test and an interview.

The written test and interview are both on the same day, July 15th. If you don't receive a reply before then, you probably have no chance.

Lin Zhaoyin also applied for other positions she found, all of which required a written test and an interview. However, the other companies' recruitment process involved a written test followed by an interview.

Lin Zhaoyin didn't think she could get on the list right away; she would have to submit more applications.

Soon it was time for Lin Wanyi's college entrance exam. After the exam, Lin's mother gave the two sisters a sum of money and told them to decide where to go for fun, as long as they informed their family.

The two had already decided on their travel destination; they planned to go to G City in the south, which was a food paradise.

Lin Wanyi originally planned to apply to schools in the capital, and she would have plenty of time to go to the north later, so she decisively chose a different direction this time.

After returning from the trip, it will be time to check scores and fill out college applications. Lin Wanyi performed exceptionally well this time, scoring just over 700 points. Although she wasn't the top scorer, she was still in a position where any school could choose her.

Lin Wan-yi ultimately chose geology as her first choice at the Capital University. After reviewing all the information about the majors, Lin Wan-yi was still most interested in this one.

Lin Zhaoyin used the excuse of playing with her younger sister to delay for a month, and now she has to prepare for the exam she's supposed to register for.

Fortunately, these exams are all professional exams and do not require too many additional knowledge points; you just need to confirm the exam direction.

Lin Zhaoyin thought she had no chance of getting the negotiation specialist position, but unexpectedly, the day after Lin Wanyi submitted her application, she received an interview invitation.

However, the notification was very hasty, as if afraid of revealing some secrets, and said nothing except the time and place of the exam.

At 9:7 a.m. on July 15, Lin Zhaoyin arrived at the designated location on time.

When Lin Zhaoyin arrived at the scene, she realized that the exam for the special department was also quite different from others.

The written exam is conducted in a computer lab, with partitions separating the seats. There is no time limit for the exam; you can submit your paper as soon as you finish, and if you feel you didn't do well, you can continue taking the exam.

To prevent candidates from taking the exam until the afternoon, the testing center provided water and small bread. If a candidate needs to use the restroom, an invigilator must accompany them.

Lin Zhaoyin was also seeing this kind of exam for the first time. But as curious as she was, she had to take this hard-won opportunity seriously.

Lin Zhaoyin handed in her paper relatively early. Following the staff's instructions, she went to another floor for her interview after finishing the written test.

When she arrived, the candidate in front of her had just finished their interview, so Lin Zhaoyin went straight in.

"Hello, we are today's interview examiners. I am Jiang Jiang, the battalion commander of the female special forces battalion stationed in City A. This gentleman next to me is Zhang Lao, the head of the negotiation department."

"Good morning, Battalion Commander Jiang, good morning, Elder Zhang, I'm Lin Zhaoyin, here for the negotiation specialist interview..."

Lin Zhaoyin began to introduce herself. For some reason, she felt that the battalion commander sister who was interviewing her looked incredibly kind.

After introducing herself, Mr. Zhang asked several questions, which Lin Zhaoyin answered one by one. The questions were all sorts of strange and unusual, and Lin Zhaoyin couldn't even imagine the connection between them.

Finally, Jiang Jiang spoke again. "Ms. Lin, our special forces positions are very unique. Although we mainly perform clerical work with the elders, our clerical staff sometimes need to go to the front lines. So even clerical staff have a certain amount of training scheduled every day. Can you accept that?"

Lin Zhaoyin blinked. "What kind of training?"

"The training content is the same as that of soldiers in the military, but of course, the requirements for civilian staff are not as high," Jiang Jiang replied.

"It should be fine, right? Although I haven't tried it before, I think I can do it." Lin Zhaoyin scratched her head. She didn't know why, but when she heard that there was still training, she wasn't worried at all, and even felt a little inexplicably confident.

"I've finished asking my questions. Now you need to sign a confidentiality agreement. You cannot disclose any information about today's written test and interview to anyone, including your family."

Lin Zhaoyin obediently finished signing, then bowed to Jiang Jiang and Old Zhang to say goodbye.

Lin's family knew that she was going for an interview today for a civilian position in the special forces. Her parents were very worried, fearing that their daughter might actually pass the interview, since that place was so dangerous!

"Daughter, how did your job interview go today? What kind of interviews were you having?"

"I felt okay about the written test and the interview, but there are only two spots available, so I might not be selected. I can't talk about the test content; they asked me to sign a confidentiality agreement."

Mr. and Mrs. Lin nodded repeatedly, very satisfied. It's good that there are few spots available, and it's even better that they don't know what to expect!

"It's okay, it's alright if you don't pass the exam. Didn't you apply to several other programs? There will always be a chance!"

However, Lin Zhaoyin did not have the opportunity to take other exams. On the same day that Lin Wanyi's admission notice to the Capital University arrived at her home, her own admission notice also arrived.

Moreover, it was delivered by a personal courier; her future colleague came to inform her in person.

"Our position is special, and we need you to be stationed at the military base regularly. Considering that you haven't started work yet, you can decide your own start date. When that time comes, pack your things and I will come to pick you up."

"Wow! Sis, you got accepted too! I knew my sister was the best, she could definitely do it!"

Only Lin Wanyi was happy; her parents were biting their lips, trying hard not to cry.

Lin Zhaoyin also wanted to send her younger sister to the Capital University for registration, but going to the capital would take time, so she set her own start date for September 10.

When the appointed day arrived, it wasn't the boy who had been notified last time who showed up, but Jiang Jiang.

"Battalion Commander Jiang, what brings you here?" Lin Zhaoyin was quite surprised.

"You're a girl, and I thought it would be inconvenient for a boy to pick you up, so I came myself. The car is downstairs, let's go."

"Um!"

Lin Zhaoyin said goodbye to her parents and set off with Jiang Jiang.

A surge of emotion was raging within her; Lin Zhaoyin's life had finally reached a new crossroads.

——End of full text——