Lu Yuan was once the top player in Apocalypse. After three years as a glorified tool, earning tens of millions for a crooked guild while taking home a meager salary, he finally reached the end of his contract.
That day, he tossed out all his contacts, bought a cheap headset, and plunged into the new game, Dawn.
While everyone else studied skill mechanics and equipment builds, he did no such thing!
He sat in meditation on the hills behind the beginner village for three days. At last, he “saw” spiritual energy.
While others conjured fireballs, he rode a flying sword.
While others piled on critical-hit stats, he comprehended the Dao.
While others spent money on top-tier gear, he used a battered wooden sword to cut through a hundred-player raid.
At the first global martial arts tournament, players around the world watched him descend from the sky on a flying sword. His opponent, Europe's supposedly “unbeatable” top knight, was pinned through with his horse by a single strike.
After the tournament, countless people flooded the forums: “This game has a BUG! Someone's cheating!”
The developers stayed silent for three days before finally issuing a statement: “Our investigation confirms that the player's class is [Cultivation]. This is part of the hidden setting, not a BUG.”
But only Lu Yuan knew the truth.
The NPCs in this “game” watched him with eyes that seemed far too real whenever he turned away.
The “energy fluctuations” left behind in ancient ruins were no data at all.
And the moment he broke through to the Golden Core stage in the game, he saw spiritual energy drifting through his rented apartment in the real world for the first time.
