What's the Point of Playing an MMO Without Money?

In 2060, the hardcore full-dive xianxia MMORPG Three Realms opened its public beta. The instant the game officially launched, Chong Qian, a 2026 game designer who had devised too many pay-to-win schemes and angered the players, was made the company's scapegoat. After quitting, he was promptly hit by a heavy truck and sent into this future game world, where he became one of its NPCs.

After learning about this world through his character panel, Chong Qian was astonished to discover that this 2060 full-dive game still used the oldest subscription-card billing model. The best gear in each update had to be earned through grinding, and the only way to spend money was on the cosmetics shop.

Because he had both a player's and an NPC's character panel, Chong Qian couldn't join any of the official sects. To survive in the perilous Three Realms, he had no choice but to return to his old line of work.

If he had no master, he'd create one.

If the official game wasn't going to take money from the whales, he would!

It was time to give the next generation of players a taste of the old-school pay-to-win experience.

From that day on, a mysterious sect appeared in the Three Realms. It had the most absurd stats, the most hand-holding mechanics, and a powerful senior disciple who led the team through high-level dungeons.

The price, however, was a character-building expense beyond ordinary people's imagination. Even so, wealthy players from all over the world flocked to join.

After all, if you don't have money, why are you playing an online game?