Chapter 1 – Extraordinary Game

Night, with a deep moonlit sky.

Drifting dark clouds obscured the moonlight, yet Baijiang City remained brightly lit. The neon lights of towering buildings shimmered like a dazzling ribbon, while the streets and alleys bustled with pedestrians as the night market just began, painting a lively scene.

However, the brilliant lights did not cover the entire city, nor did the liveliness.

At the edge of the city, a streetlight flickered on and off. Its dim, yellowish glow seeped through a half-closed window, casting a long, hazy light across the ceiling of a second-floor bedroom, clearly revealing the uneven cracks.

Beneath this faint light, Mu Yuan sat upright before a flickering computer screen, his fingers nimbly tapping the keyboard with a crisp, rapid sound.

He stared intently at the screen, the shifting light illuminating his sharply defined profile, his expression grave.

“This world… it’s not quite normal!”

Mu Yuan, a native of Baijiang City in the Xuan Nation, was a transmigrator, possessing the standard background of one.

His name and appearance were the same as before his transmigration, and his circumstances were largely similar. The cultural environment and technological level of the Xuan Nation also resembled his previous life, making adaptation relatively straightforward.

…Or so Mu Yuan had initially thought.

But,

“Shocking: Man Dies Mysteriously Late at Night, Dozens of Bite Marks Found on His Body—Who Could Be Responsible?”

“Eighty-Year-Old Woman Dies Tragically at Home, Investigation Reveals Her True Identity as a Young Woman.”

“Man in North River Dies as Skin, Fur, and Flesh Peel Away; Experts Claim It’s a New Disease, Suggest Naming It After the Victim.”

“Two-Meter-Tall Giant Wolf Appears in Galan Nation—Pictures and Proof Included!”

One after another, uncensored and horrifying images appeared before Mu Yuan’s eyes. He frowned, deep in thought.

“Information on the internet can be both true and false, and creating similar fake images isn’t difficult. But… I know very well that these rumors aren’t fabricated, at least not entirely.”

“Because…”

A few days ago, on the very first day he transmigrated, he witnessed a ‘supernatural death’ incident.

A burly man suddenly widened his eyes, blood gushing from his waist as his body was cleanly severed in half.

Utterly abrupt!

Since then, Mu Yuan had been continuously searching for similar information. Sure enough, he found more and more bizarre death cases, involving both men and women, though the deceased were predominantly young.

He also came across a rumor on a certain forum.

—”These sudden deaths are all because of a game. They were lucky enough to obtain eligibility for the game, but unfortunately, they couldn’t survive the dangers within. When their game characters died, their real bodies… naturally died along with them.”

The replies below were filled with mockery.

“If you can make up stories like this, why not go write novels?Not to mention the game rumor, even the gossip about these sudden deaths were hardly believed by anyone. Very little of it circulated openly, with truth and falsehood mixed together. If Mu Yuan hadn’t witnessed it himself, even if he came across such videos online, he would have at most smirked in disbelief.

What era is this? Who still believes in such things?

“This explanation does align with the various bizarre sudden deaths. At first glance, it seems far-fetched, but since I’ve transmigrated, it’s only reasonable that a mysterious game exists in this world.”

Based on this information, Mu Yuan continued his relentless search.

The moonlight in the night sky grew dimmer, and the scattered lights among the residential buildings went out one by one, leaving only the glow from Mu Yuan’s room still shining.Late into the night, Mu Yuan prepared himself a cup of instant noodles and added two ham sausages.

He brought the noodles to his computer desk, slurping them while staring thoughtfully at the interface of this secret forum.

“This mysterious game is probably real.”

“Rumors say this mysterious game connects to a vast world where players can control their own characters and command countless types of troops… The truly mind-blowing part is that players can manifest the rare treasures they obtain through exploration in the game into the real world!”

“The game world is completely real!”

“Not only that, through the game, players can also wield supernatural powers—capable of splitting mountains, shattering rocks, and overturning rivers and seas!”

This mysterious game is the key to the supernatural world.

Is it appealing? Absolutely!

The secret forum Mu Yuan found contained plenty of information about this supernatural game. Some players shared their experiences firsthand, but most were ordinary people desperately seeking access.

A wealthy individual even offered an astronomical sum—equivalent to a small fortune—just to obtain a game qualification.

Yet, they still couldn’t get it.

Acquiring game qualifications seemed entirely random, with only a select few stumbling upon them by chance. They were the chosen ones, the favored by the world, the predestined Lords, the naturally lucky kings.

“But is being chosen by the game truly a blessing?”

“Looking past the allure of supernatural powers, it’s an extremely dangerous world where death could strike at any moment.”

“Bringing treasures from the game world into reality and gaining supernatural abilities—these are the gifts from the game world. In exchange, the price is… if the character representing you in the game dies, you will die in the exact same way in reality.”

Surviving in the game is an incredibly difficult, difficult, difficult task.

Players initially appear in an abandoned Village, which becomes their own territory. They also receive a small number of starting soldiers—common units like Lancers, archers, bandits, or goblins.

Players must defend their territory and, more importantly, ensure their own survival.

However, the surroundings of a player’s territory are fraught with danger, with monsters frequently harassing and attacking. Some players meet their end right from the start, while others manage to fend off initial assaults. But as time passes, their soldiers get injured, combat strength dwindles, and eventually, they too fail to hold on.

The game world is far too perilous!

Being chosen by the game—it’s hard to say whether it’s a stroke of luck or a curse.

Mu Yuan naturally yearned for supernatural powers and had initially hoped the game qualification would come to him.

Yet, thinking of the countless players who met gruesome deaths—their bodies drenched in blood, their eyes filled with unconcealed terror—he hesitated.

If obtaining the game qualification meant living in constant fear day after day, perhaps it was better not to have it at all.

At least, in the Xuan Nation of this world, the environment was stable, and ordinary people could live comfortably as long as they had money.

“Instead of chasing after a game qualification with such low odds—one that might not even be real—it’s better to focus on making money. That’s what truly matters.”

Ding!

A resounding chime, majestic as the voice of heaven and earth, suddenly erupted beside his ears.A fierce wind howled, parting the drifting clouds to reveal the vast land below. Ancient trees stood with rugged strength as giant birds soared past, perching upon their branches; majestic cities rose imposingly, where solemn soldiers stood guard upon the city walls, drawing their swords to point toward the distant tide. There were also withered trees and parched earth, with crimson mist drifting and spreading an ominous aura.

Suddenly, the vast world unfolded before his eyes.

Characters as scorching as flames appeared one by one, profound and ancient in their essence.

“White mist shrouds the land, filth flows unchecked, epic legions shatter the heavens, and immortal heroes echo through eternity.”

“Chosen youth, you have entered the Eternal Continent. Now, fight to save the world.”

The ancient characters slowly faded, and the perspective swiftly shifted from distant to close, finally settling on a village with only a few dilapidated wooden huts.

Mu Yuan jolted awake.

The vast world shattered like a flower in a mirror or the moon reflected in water. It felt as if he had woken from a dream, his body drenched in sweat. Yet, staring at the game that had somehow started running and the dilapidated village on the screen, Mu Yuan could only exclaim from the depths of his heart:

“Huh?”

——

(End of Chapter)