The Double Drop Buff Surviving The Endless Ocean novel Chapter 187

Leeanne had a rough night, so she was feeling pretty sluggish when she woke up.

She couldn’t even be bothered to eat breakfast. Instead, she flopped onto her bean bag chair and pulled up the chat screen.

Plenty of people were in the same boat as her, some hadn’t slept at all. The chat channel was buzzing.

[My daughter’s coming today! I’m so excited. She’s already 16 and she’s really athletic.]

[My son’s 16 too, and he’s on his way, but I still don’t know which zone my wife is in.]

[Why did they bring us all here? Is Blue Star done for or something?]

[No clue, but at least we’re all together now. That’s better than being split up. My raft’s up to 300 square meters now, and I’ve even made a little yard. My dad can raise rabbits and grow veggies here. He’s even stronger than me. With him around, I’ll finally have someone to rely on.]

[What am I gonna do about my kids and my parents? Middle–aged folks have it rough, always worrying about the old and the young, no matter where they are.]

[Yeah, but what if you’re the only middle–aged person in your family, with two parents in their seventies and three recently weaned triplets? How are you supposed to deal with that?]

[Come on, that’s way too extreme! Most families only have one kid nowadays. If your parents are already seventy, your kids are probably grown up.]

Most people were feeling pretty worried.

At nine in the morning, three hovering doors suddenly appeared on the deck in front of Leeanne.

They were the same size as regular doors, but inside, thick mist shrouded everything.

Amidst the mist, large black letters appeared. [Please say or type the name of the family member you want to summon!]

At the same time, a game announcement rang out.

[System Announcement: The interdimensional portals are now open. Please enter the names of the family members you wish to summon right away.]

Leeanne was so excited that her heart was racing. She rushed over to the portals and quickly entered her little nephew’s name in the first, her grandfather’s in the second, and her grandmother’s in the third.

She didn’t really care about the order. Three portals were all she needed anyway.

Others weren’t so fortunate.

[Man, I’ve got a son and a daughter. One’s seventeen, the other’s fifteen, but there’s only one portal. Which one do I pick?]

[Dude, at least your wife can get a portal too, so chill.]

[Man, I’ve got it the worst. An eighty–year–old mom to look after and a one–year–old daughter…]

[Seriously, how late did you get married? No matter how you look at it, that combo just doesn’t make sense!]

[Maybe he’s some rich old man, with a young wife, having a child at forty–nine!]

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1:06 pm P W TW

Chapter 187

[Poor rich guy. Could his first wife not have kids or something?1

II don’t have to worry at all. My parents are in this batch, and my grandparents are gone.]

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[That’s how it is for most young folks. But people in their forties have it the worst. They have to pick between their and their kids.]

Soon, fifteen minutes had passed, and another game announcement popped up.

[The second batch of players is about to be teleported. Here are the rules:]

parents

[1. Players who aren’t summoned will be sent to another casual game. Their basic needs will be taken care of, but life will be pretty dull, and they’ll live out their lives as usual, aging and eventually dying. If you meet the health requirements, you can apply to join Survival on the Seas.]

[2. Summoned players from the second batch can choose for themselves. They can join Survival on the Seas to help their family, or they can go to the other casual game where their basic needs are taken care of. If someone isn’t able to choose, their family or whoever summoned them can make the decision.]

[3. People who can’t take care of themselves and enter the casual game will get the care they need.]

[4. Players in the second batch can decide for themselves whether they want to join hunt mode or not!]

[5. The portals will remain open for 24 hours. Within this window, second batch players can change their decision if they want. After 24 hours, the portals will close and no further changes can be made.]

[6. Teleportation will begin in three minutes. Have fun!]

As soon as the announcement dropped, the chat channel exploded.

[I’m literally crying right now. My parents finally have a way out! As long as they’re safe and have food, that’s way better than them having to tough it out in Survival on the Seas!]

[Man, what a relief. Honestly, this works out pretty well!]

[To be real, I kinda wish my mom could join me here. There’s endless possibilities now. I used to be pretty weak, but my strength and speed have shot up. I’d be a total superhero back in the old world!]

[Same! I’m 49 and a half, but after some crazy luck, I feel like I’ve gotten ten years younger. My white hair turned black again, and I’ve got so much energy I could run laps all day!]

[Honestly, most of us who’ve made it this far have picked up some pretty sweet perks. Our bodies are way stronger now.]

[Now that you say that, I’m kinda hesitating too. Maybe I should bring my mom over? I’ve got this fruit that makes me more energetic the more I eat it. If I get her here and let her eat it every day, plus find her some treasures to boost her strength and constitution, she’ll just keep getting younger and younger. That’s gotta be better than letting her spend the rest of her life feeling miserable.]

[That makes sense, but this isn’t the end. Who knows what’s coming next?]

As Leeanne scrolled through everyone’s messages, she felt her worries slowly melt away.

Five minutes later, the misty portals started to change.

The first portal.

[Summoning player Archie Dillion…]

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3:07 pm P W TW.

Chapter 187

[Summoning failed. Archie Dillion has already been summoned by player WW000678!]

Leeanne shot to her feet.

Her little nephew, Archie, was only five years old. He was the one she’d been most worried about.

Why did it fail? He was taken by player WW000678. Who is WW000678?‘ Leeanne wondered, her mind racing.

Suddenly, an unbelievable thought flashed through her mind..

Before Leeanne could wrap her head around it, the second portal flickered with new text.

[Summoning player Edgar Dillion…]

[Summoning failed. Edgar Dillion has already been summoned by player WW000678!]

Leeanne couldn’t even put her feelings into words.

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WW000678 had to really be something. If he managed to summon two people, his raft score had to be at least 500.

Anyone with a score that high was definitely one of the top players in the game.

‘We can’t summon someone unless we’re actually related. Could it really be him?‘ Leeanne thought.

Just then, the third portal started to change too.

[Summoning player Maeve Dillion…]

Leeanne anxiously fidgeted with her hands.

Maeve was her grandmother. WW000678 already summoned two people. ‘Surely he can’t take her too, right?‘ she wondered.

‘Is he really going to leave me with no one?‘

[Summoning successful! Maeve Dillion has arrived on your raft!]

The white mist swirled, and out stepped a lively old lady.

Her hair was cut short and tidy, mostly light brown with a few streaks of white. She looked sharp, hugging a duffel bag to her chest and hauling a massive burlap sack on her back.

In her right arm, she carried a gleaming rake and a brand–new shovel.

It was Maeve.

[Don’t worry about vulnerable groups like kids, the elderly, or pregnant women. No one will be bullied or mistreated in this story. If they choose to join Survival on the Seas, they’ll have a real opportunity to become stronger.]

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