Earth Online is not a form of entertainment, but a spirit-energy farm established by the advanced civilization of Kronos.
Background: The primal spirit energy on the planet Kronos was depleted by the "Rust Tide." To ensure their civilization's survival, they turned Earth into a server and made humans NPCs, harvesting the spirit energy they generated through immersive experiences.
Structure: On the surface, it's the real world, but underneath, everything has been digitized. GMs, such as the protagonist Yao, maintain order, while the NPCs unknowingly "produce resources." Special areas like "Silent Tokyo" are isolated test sites used to measure the output of high concentrations of spirit energy.
Crisis: Some NPCs begin to awaken, like Yao's younger brother Ying, and can see status windows and quest panels. The System labels them "abnormal data" and releases a "data plague" to eliminate them. As the protagonist's group tries to save their loved ones, they gradually uncover the truth about the farm and face the ultimate choice: obey the System or rebel and seek salvation.
Theme: An extremely inspirational story.
