2: Chapter 2 Global Frenzy, Server Launch Countdown

Morning light pierced through the clouds, spilling onto the playground of Yanjing University.

Lin Ye was shirtless, sweat sliding down the muscular lines of his back, evaporating into a faint white mist in the cool early autumn air.

He pressed his hands against the ground, his body taut like a straight line, his elbows bent to the limit before pushing up sharply.

The rhythm of every push-up was as precise as a machine, his breathing steady and long.

"Nine hundred ninety-seven... nine hundred ninety-eight... nine hundred ninety-nine... one thousand."

The last push-up was completed, and Lin Ye rolled over to sit up, grabbing the towel on the ground to wipe off his sweat.

There were a few scattered students exercising on the playground, their gazes filled with surprise as they looked at him—Lin Ye, who had been thin just three days ago, now displayed clearly defined muscular contours on his exposed upper body.

This wasn't the result of exercise.

At least, not entirely.

"The body digitalization process has started early..."

Lin Ye clenched his fist, feeling the power surging within his body. As someone who had experienced Rebirth, his Soul had undergone three years of tempering after the game Fusion, and its strength far exceeded that of an ordinary person.

When this Soul strength began to fuse with his physical body in the real world, it naturally triggered an adaptive evolution of his flesh.

According to his memories from his previous life, this phenomenon was supposed to appear only one month after the game launch, following the initial manifestation of player abilities. But now, with two days left before the launch, his body had already begun to change.

"Is the timeline accelerating? Or has my Rebirth triggered some kind of butterfly effect?"

Lin Ye stood up and did a few stretching exercises. His joints made slight cracking sounds, and he could clearly feel the contraction and relaxation of every muscle, with control precise to the millimeter level.

This was no superpower; it was the body control technique honed through countless life-and-death battles in his previous life. Once the Soul memories were awakened, the body only needed a little time to adapt.

"Brother Ye!"

Chen Hao ran over, panting, carrying two breakfasts in his hands. He stared at Lin Ye's upper body, his eyes wide: "Holy crap... what kind of potent medicine did you take? Three days ago, you still had a little belly!"

"The result of training." Lin Ye took the breakfast and put on the T-shirt lying to the side. "The physical training plan I asked you to do, did you finish it?"

"Finished, finished." Chen Hao made a bitter face. "Five hundred push-ups, one thousand squats, five-kilometer run... Brother Ye, my legs are shaking. Are we going to play games or join the army?"

"Combat in the game is more brutal than in reality." Lin Ye took a bite of a steamed bun. "The realism of 'covering the heavens era' is 99%, which means if you get injured in the game, your brain will receive 99% real pain signals."

"If your physical fitness is too poor and you get slightly injured in battle, causing your movements to become distorted, then what awaits you is death—the death of your game character."

Chen Hao swallowed his saliva: "D-death, what is the death penalty?"

"Rank drops by 1-3 levels, 1-3 pieces of equipment are randomly dropped from your body, and all attributes are weakened by 30% for twenty-four hours." Lin Ye said calmly. "If you die during key plot events, you might also permanently lose certain Legacy opportunities."

These were experiences exchanged for blood and tears in his previous life. In the Early Stage of the server launch, many players relied on the ability to respawn and fought without fear of death. As a result, in special areas like the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land and the Bronze Ancient Palace, the death penalty far exceeded their imagination.

Some people died three times in a row, dropping directly from level twenty back to level ten, all their equipment exploding, completely losing the chance to catch up with the first tier.

"That's too ruthless..." Chen Hao murmured.

"This is just the beginning." Lin Ye finished his soy milk and tossed the plastic bag into the trash can. "One year later, when the game and reality undergo Fusion, 'death' at that time will be real death."

Chen Hao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but looking at Lin Ye's serious expression, he finally just nodded heavily: "I understand. I'll add another 20% to the afternoon's training volume."

"No need, just keep this intensity and adapt for three days. Overtraining will actually damage your body." Lin Ye checked the time; it was 8:10 AM. "Let's go, back to the dormitory. We need to handle some things in reality today."

When the two returned to the dormitory, the hallway was already buzzing. Almost all the dormitory doors were open, and the boys were gathered together, with only one topic:

"Have you seen the System requirements for 'covering the heavens era'? Even the lowest configuration VR helmet costs eight thousand!"

"It's said that the top-tier game pod costs eighty-eight thousand! With neural connection technology, lying inside feels just like Transmigration!"

"What race are you choosing? I'm planning to choose the Yao Race; I heard that in the Late Stage, you can transform into an ancient Divine Beast!"

"Human Race, I guess; after all, it's the race of the Human Race protagonist Ye Fan, there should be quite a few hidden plot lines."

"The official website says that racial talents are balanced, with no difference in strength..."

Lin Ye walked through the corridor with an expressionless face.

These discussions, these excited faces, reminded him of the grand occasion before the server launch in his previous life. Back then, he was also one of them, enthusiastically discussing with his roommates what class and race to choose, fantasizing about dominating in the game.

No one knew that they were happily stepping into an abyss that would devour reality.

In the dormitory, Lin Ye turned on his computer and logged into online banking. Account balance: 1,024,763 yuan.

This was all the savings he had accumulated over his three years of college—bonuses from national-level scientific research projects, the highest scholarships for three consecutive years, wages from internships, and New Year's money saved since childhood. For a student, this was a huge sum of money.

But Lin Ye knew that in the coming era, this money wouldn't even be enough to buy a ticket to escape.

"Convert everything into gold... no, can't convert everything." He calculated quickly.

Buying two top-tier game pods, down payment of three hundred thousand, ignoring the installment part for now. The one hundred thousand for Chen Hao had already been transferred. Five thousand reserved for family living expenses. Ordering outdoor survival equipment cost thirty thousand. Satellite phone and backup supplies cost twenty thousand. About five hundred twenty thousand left.

"The game pod requires special nutrient solution, one box of twelve bottles, each bottle can maintain twenty-four hours of online time, price three thousand. Two game pods, calculated at eighteen hours online per day, consume one box every three days. The first month of server launch is a critical period, must prepare at least thirty boxes... ninety thousand."

"High-energy compressed food, to prevent hypoglycemia caused by long-term online time... five thousand."

"Backup power and voltage regulator, to prevent power outages... ten thousand."

"Network accelerator and dedicated fiber optic upgrade... twenty thousand."

Lin Ye's fingers tapped quickly on the keyboard, listing expenses one by one. Every penny must be spent on the cutting edge, because after the server launch, real currency would rapidly depreciate. Three months later, one hundred RMB wouldn't even be enough to buy a bottle of the most ordinary recovery potion.

"Three hundred ninety-five thousand left... buy gold with all of it."

He opened the precious metals trading platform and chose physical gold delivery. Three hundred ninety-five thousand, calculated at the daily gold price of 380 yuan/gram, could buy about 1040 grams—more than two jin of gold, which could be taken away in a small jewelry box.

But in the Early Stage of chaos, these two jin of gold could be exchanged for supplies sufficient for five people to live for half a year, or to buy shelter qualification from a medium-sized gathering place.

"Brother Ye, are you really going to convert everything into gold?" Chen Hao leaned over, looking at the trading interface. "Gold prices have been falling recently, do you want to wait two days?"

"Can't wait." Lin Ye clicked confirm payment. "On the third day after the server launch, the gold price will start to skyrocket. Not due to economic factors, but... panic buying."

He couldn't explain it in more detail. Should he say that because someone in the game obtained a "Gold Control" type ability and started collecting gold on a large scale, it caused the real gold price to soar?

"Alright, anyway, I trust you." Chen Hao scratched his head. "Then I have twenty thousand in private savings, should I buy it too?"

"You can, but keep five thousand in cash for emergencies."

"Alright!"

After handling the funds, Lin Ye opened the official website of 'covering the heavens era'.

The countdown on the homepage had been updated: Time until server launch: 2 days 0 hours 12 minutes 47 seconds.

The announcement area on the side had a few new messages: [Important Notice] Global server partitioning has been determined, the Huaxia region server code name is "Big Dipper", and the initial login point is the Jade Emperor Peak of Mount Tai.

[Technical Announcement] Game pod neural connection safety has been certified by international medical organizations, supporting continuous online time not exceeding 72 hours.

[Rules Explanation] The time flow inside the game is 10 times that of reality, please pay attention to arranging your rest and work reasonably.

[Disclaimer] Heavenly Dao Technology Company does not bear legal responsibility for any unexpected events that occur within the game.

The last disclaimer made Lin Ye narrow his eyes. In his previous life, few people paid attention to this seemingly formatted statement. It wasn't until after the game Fusion that people understood the true meaning of this sentence—after the boundaries between "in-game" and "reality" disappeared, there naturally wouldn't be any "unexpected events" that they needed to be responsible for.

"Brother Ye, look at this!" Chen Hao suddenly pointed at the screen.

At the top position of the forum's hot post list, a title was highlighted in red and bolded: [Internal Leak] 'covering the heavens era' is not a game at all! It is a selection tool for an alien civilization! Poster: Stargazer

Lin Ye clicked in.

The content of the post was much more detailed than the chat post from three days ago: "I am an observer at a national space agency. Three months ago, we captured an abnormal electromagnetic signal through a deep space array. After decryption, the content was precisely the basic code framework of 'covering the heavens era'. The signal source is located 1.2 light-years outside the solar System, propagating in the form of superluminal speed—which is theoretically impossible."

"What's even more bizarre is that after receiving our report, governments of various countries not only did not stop this project but instead fully pushed it forward. All relevant researchers were made to sign the highest-level confidentiality agreement. I once tried to disclose this to the media, but all channels were blocked."

"I suspect that 'covering the heavens era' is a 'civilization trial ground' deployed by some Advanced civilization. The so-called game is actually a form of screening mechanism. Players who reach a certain standard might be selected, while the losers..." The post stopped abruptly here.

The last login time showed five minutes ago, but the post had already been locked and could not be replied to.

The comments below exploded: "The OP has watched too many sci-fi movies, right?"

"Lol, alien civilization, why don't you say Heavenly Dao Technology is a cultivation School?"

"But it is indeed strange, this game's company is too mysterious..."

"Whatever, as long as it's fun!"

"If it's true, can we achieve Immortal Ascension if we are selected?"

Lin Ye closed the post and fell into deep thought.

Stargazer... this ID completely disappeared after the game Fusion in his previous life. Some said he was taken away by the government, some said he joined a secret organization, and some said he died in battle during the first Dark Turmoil. But one thing is certain: this person had much more information than ordinary players.

"Brother Ye, do you think this post is true?" Chen Hao asked in a low voice. "Alien civilization selection... that's too ridiculous, right?"

"True or false, we'll naturally know after the server launches." Lin Ye didn't answer directly. "But he is right about one thing: 'covering the heavens era' is definitely not an ordinary game. So every choice we make may be a matter of life and death."

He paused and continued: "You continue physical training in the afternoon, I need to go out for a trip."

"Where to?"

"Buy some 'insurance'."

In the suburbs of Yanjing, at a second-hand market.

Lin Ye was wearing inconspicuous sportswear, carrying a black backpack, and stopped in front of a shop deep in the market.

The shop sign read "Old Zhang Hardware," the facade was dilapidated, and the glass counter displayed rusty wrenches, hammers, and various metal parts. A man in his sixties was dozing behind the counter, with Peking opera playing on the radio.

"Uncle Zhang." Lin Ye tapped on the counter. The old man opened his eyes, his cloudy eyes sizing up Lin Ye for a few seconds: "What do you want to buy?"

"I heard you have some 'special' goods here." Lin Ye lowered his voice. "Something for self-defense." The old man's eyes sharpened: "Young man, this is a hardware store, only hammers and wrenches. If you want self-defense, go next door and buy anti-wolf spray."

"That's not what I want." Lin Ye took an envelope out of his backpack and pushed it onto the counter. "I heard you served in the army when you were young and know some crafts." The envelope was slightly open, revealing a stack of red banknotes inside.

The old man stared at the envelope for a few seconds, slowly stood up, walked to the shop door to hang up a "Closed for Business" sign, and pulled down the roller shutter. The back room of the shop was a small workshop, with various tools hanging on the walls and metal parts and drawings scattered on the workbench.

"What specifications?" The old man lit a cigarette and asked straightforwardly. "Portable, concealed, moderate power, doesn't need to be lethal, but must make an adult male lose the ability to act within three seconds." Lin Ye stated the requirements he had already thought out.

"Electric shock device? Taser gun?"

"Similar, but the projectile must be recoverable and cannot leave evidence."

"Interesting." The old man exhaled a puff of smoke. "How many do you want?"

"Two."

"Material cost five thousand, labor cost ten thousand. No bargaining, no invoice, no records left."

"Deal."

The old man dragged a wooden box from under the workbench, opened it, and inside were various parts. He started assembling them skillfully, saying while working: "Young man, you look young, you don't look like someone from the streets. Buying this stuff, did you get into some trouble?"

"Prevention is better than cure." Lin Ye said calmly. "In the next few months, the world might become chaotic." The old man's movements paused, and he looked up at Lin Ye: "You also think that game has problems?"

"You also know about 'covering the heavens era'?"

"My grandson talks about it every day, saying he wants to buy some game pod, over eighty thousand." The old man sneered. "When I was a soldier, my monthly allowance was only eight yuan. Kids these days spend eighty thousand to buy a toy."

"That's not a toy." Lin Ye said softly. "Uncle Zhang, if you trust me, buy one for your grandson and another for yourself. If you don't have enough money, clear out the stock in the shop and trade everything for food and medicine."

The old man put down the parts in his hand and looked at Lin Ye seriously: "Who exactly are you?"

"An ordinary person who wants to survive." The two stared at each other for a few seconds.

The old man suddenly laughed: "Alright, I'll trust you once. I'll give you a 20% discount on this stuff, consider it the money for buying the news."

Half an hour later, Lin Ye left the hardware store with his slightly bulging backpack. Inside the bag lay two metal objects: they looked like ordinary power banks, but there was a hidden firing port on the side, with three micro-electrode needles inside. The effective range was five meters, and upon hitting the target, it would release a high-voltage current, enough to make an adult male's muscles spasm for more than thirty seconds.

This was prepared for the chaos in the Early Stage of the reality Fusion. In the first month after the game Fusion in his previous life, social order had not completely collapsed, but the crime rate had soared tenfold. Many people discovered that the power they obtained in the game began to appear in reality, so they acted recklessly. Lin Ye remembered that in his university district alone, seventeen robberies and five homicides occurred within a week. At that time, a non-lethal weapon that could instantly make someone lose the ability to resist was more precious than gold.

When he returned to School, it was already three in the afternoon. Just as Lin Ye entered the dormitory building, he felt the atmosphere was wrong. The hallway was crowded with people, and everyone was staring at the public television hanging on the wall. The screen was broadcasting a live news report, and the host looked serious:

...The Cyberspace Administration of China issued an announcement today, designating 'covering the heavens era' as a key state-supported cultural industry project and opening the highest-level network data channel for it. The Ministry of Education simultaneously announced that it would pilot an elective course on 'Virtual Reality Technology Application' in one hundred universities nationwide, with course content deeply integrated with 'covering the heavens era'...

The screen cut to a news conference hall, where a middle-aged official in a suit was answering reporters' questions.

"Director Li, there are rumors that the developer of 'covering the heavens era', 'Heavenly Dao Technology', has no searchable registration information. Is this true?"

"Heavenly Dao Technology is a multinational high-tech enterprise. Its information involves trade secrets and cannot be disclosed."

"Then, will the game's claimed 99% simulation fidelity affect the mental health of players?"

"All released game products have undergone rigorous testing and comply with national safety standards."

"There is news that the military is also in contact with this game. Is this true?"

"Next question."

The camera shifted, and a segment of actual in-game footage appeared on the screen.

It was the scene of Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin: nine massive dragon corpses dragging a giant bronze coffin, moving slowly through the starry sky. Every scale on the dragon corpses was clearly visible, reflecting a cold metallic luster under the starlight. The surface of the bronze coffin was covered with ancient runes. As the camera zoomed in, those runes seemed to flow slowly, emitting an aura of vast antiquity.

The scene changed to the nine sacred mountains of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land. The mountain tops were shrouded in clouds and mist, where strange plants and flickering lights could be vaguely seen. The camera zoomed in quickly, landing on a fruit—the fruit was pale gold, with natural Dao patterns on its surface; just one look made one feel a sense of mental tranquility.

"This is the famous 'archaic sacred fruit' in the game." The commentator's voice rang out, "According to official data, this kind of fruit can greatly enhance player attributes and is one of the most important resources in the Early Stage of the server launch..."

A chorus of exclamations erupted in the dormitory building.

"This image quality! These special effects! I'd believe it if they said it was real footage!"

"archaic sacred fruit! I must grab one!"

"That Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin segment gave me goosebumps..."

"The state has stepped in; this game is definitely going to be a hit!"

Lin Ye silently walked through the crowd.

He knew that from today on, 'covering the heavens era' would no longer be a simple entertainment product. The state-level endorsement meant it had risen to a strategic level.

It was the same in his past life. One week before the server launch, governments around the world suddenly changed their attitudes, shifting from a wait-and-see approach to full-force promotion. At that time, people thought it was due to economic factors—after all, a virtual world with a billion users brings astronomical tax revenue and employment figures.

But now Lin Ye understood: the high-level government officials must know something. They might not be clear that the game would completely merge with reality in a year, but they must have sensed the uniqueness of this 'game.'

"Brother Ye! You're back!"

Chen Hao rushed out of the dormitory, his face full of excitement: "Did you see the news? The state is going to open a green channel for 'covering the heavens era'! We chose the right game!"

"Yeah." Lin Ye walked into the dormitory and closed the door. "Are you done with your training?"

"Done, all done." Chen Hao leaned in, lowering his voice, "Brother Ye, did you buy anything good on this trip?"

Lin Ye took a 'power bank' out of his backpack and handed it to Chen Hao: "Carry it with you, and don't let anyone see it. Press the button on the side, and it can temporarily incapacitate people within five meters."

Chen Hao took the 'power bank,' his hand trembling, almost dropping it on the floor: "Th-this is..."

"For self-defense." Lin Ye said calmly, "After the server launch, the real world won't be very peaceful either. Remember, this thing is not a toy. Unless your life is threatened, absolutely do not use it."

"U-understood." Chen Hao carefully tucked the item into his pocket. "Brother Ye, why do I feel... like we're preparing for war?"

"We are preparing for war." Lin Ye turned on his computer. "A war we cannot afford to lose."

For the next while, Lin Ye began to organize the final pieces of information.

He created an encrypted document, recording all the important time nodes, resource point coordinates, and hidden quest trigger conditions from his memory. This information was too complex; relying solely on his memory would inevitably lead to omissions.

"In the first hour of the server launch, there is a hidden treasure chest under the third stone tablet at the southeast corner of the Jade Emperor Peak on Mount Tai, containing [Bronze Ancient Key Fragment I]..."

"On the northern slope of the second sacred mountain of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land, there is a cave covered by vines. Inside the cave is a [Fragmented Array Map]; collecting three can synthesize a complete array map..."

"The hidden quest chain for the pawnshop owner in the Capital City of Yan State requires first helping him find his missing daughter; the reward is a clue to the [Void Scripture]..."

"The outer sect deacon of the Yaoguang Holy Land likes to drink. Giving him ten jars of 'Drunken Immortal Brew' can increase his favorability. Once favorability reaches friendly, he will reveal clues to the Nine Secrets..."

Lin Ye's fingers danced across the keyboard.

Every single piece of this information was worth a fortune in his past life. One month after the server launch, a complete walkthrough for a hidden quest could sell for one hundred thousand in real currency. Three months later, the coordinates of an undiscovered resource point could be traded for an apartment.

But now, they lay quietly in the encrypted document, known only to Lin Ye.

"Brother Ye, time to eat." Chen Hao came in carrying takeout. "I ordered braised pork for you to replenish your energy."

"Thanks." Lin Ye saved the document, set a triple password and biometric lock, and then got up to eat.

Halfway through the meal, his phone rang. The caller ID showed his father.

Lin Ye answered the phone: "Dad, what's wrong?"

"Xiao Ye, about the house... Your mom and I have discussed it." His father's voice was a bit heavy. "The house in our hometown was left by your grandfather; we can't bear to sell it. However, we bought the gold. Just as you said, we withdrew all our fixed deposits and exchanged them for gold bars, totaling five hundred grams."

"Okay, keep the gold safe and don't touch it." Lin Ye didn't push. "How are Mom and my sister?"

"Your mom is still worried about you and wants you to come home this weekend. Your sister... her School is also talking about that game, and she insists we buy her a gaming pod, saying all her classmates have one." His father sighed. "Xiao Ye, tell Dad the truth: what is so special about this game? Why do you value it so much?"

Lin Ye was silent for a few seconds. He couldn't tell the truth. If he told his father that the world would end in a year and the game would consume reality, his father would only think he had gone crazy and force him to see a psychiatrist.

"Dad, just pretend your son had a very realistic dream." Lin Ye finally said, "In the dream, this game changed everyone's fate. Some people rose to the top because of it, while others had their families destroyed. I want to be the former, and I want to protect our family from being the latter."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

"Okay." His father's voice suddenly became firm. "Dad believes you. I'll go buy your sister's gaming pod tomorrow. I'll work on your mom, and we'll try to move to the countryside to live for a while next week."

"Thanks, Dad."

Hanging up the phone, Lin Ye felt a wave of exhaustion.

The greatest pain of a reborn person is knowing too much but not being able to say too much. You watch disaster approaching step by step, watch people happily walking toward the cliff, yet you can only carry this secret alone, preparing silently in the darkness.

"Brother Ye, did you get things sorted with your dad?" Chen Hao asked.

"Sort of." Lin Ye rubbed his temples. "Ah Hao, if your family asks, just say we found a business opportunity in the game and are planning to set up a professional gaming studio. Don't say a word more about anything else."

"I understand." Chen Hao nodded heavily. "I've also fooled my parents, telling them I'm starting a business with you and need startup capital."

The two looked at each other and smiled, sharing a tacit understanding of fighting side by side.

At seven in the evening, Lin Ye turned on the TV. Almost all channels were reporting on 'covering the heavens era.'

The finance channel was analyzing the economic impact of the gaming industry; the technology channel was interpreting the Breakthroughs in virtual reality technology; the social channel was discussing the impact of long-term gaming on family relationships; even the military channel was vaguely mentioning the possibility of 'virtual battlefield training.'

It was overwhelming, pervasive. It felt as if the whole world was making way for this game, celebrating it.

The 'Global Simultaneous Server Launch Countdown Special Program' began. The host and several special guests sat in the studio, with a huge countdown board in the background: 1 day 17 hours 28 minutes 15 seconds.

"Good evening, viewers, and welcome to the 'covering the heavens era' server launch countdown special program." The female host smiled brightly. "Today we have invited three special guests: the first is virtual reality technology expert Professor Wang, the second is the well-known game streamer 'Mad Blade', and the third is psychology Ph.D. Dr. Li."

"Professor Wang, what is your take on the 99% simulation fidelity claimed by 'covering the heavens era'? Is this really technically achievable?"

The bespectacled old professor pushed up his glasses: "Theoretically, human senses can all be simulated through electrical signals. But to achieve 99% fidelity, a revolutionary Breakthrough in brain-neural interface technology is required. If Heavenly Dao Technology has truly achieved this, then even a Nobel Prize wouldn't be enough to match their achievement."

"Mad Blade, as a veteran player, what content in the game are you most looking forward to?"

A young man with dyed red hair said excitedly: "Of course, the combat System! Those scenes of Divine Abilities clashing in the trailer were so cool! And I heard that the Cultivation Techniques in the game can be self-comprehended and improved, with no fixed skill bars—this is the true open world!"

"Dr. Li, will prolonged immersion in a high-fidelity virtual world have a negative impact on the player's psychology?"

The middle-aged female doctor frowned slightly: "This is my biggest concern. When the boundary between virtual and reality blurs, some players with weaker psychological resilience may develop cognitive impairments. I suggest players arrange their gaming time reasonably and ensure at least four hours of real-world social interaction every day."

Lin Ye turned off the TV. The experts were right, but they were also wrong. They stood within the framework of the old era, using the theories of the old era to analyze a product of the new era. It was like using Newtonian mechanics to explain quantum entanglement; it was destined to not yield the correct answer.

"Brother Ye, I'm a little nervous." Chen Hao suddenly said, "What if... what if we don't do well in the game? What if those walkthrough tips aren't accurate?"

"They will be accurate." Lin Ye looked at the darkening sky outside the window, "Because that is experience I paid for with my life."

He paused, then added: "Even if we take a step back, even if we don't do well in the game, our preparations in reality are enough to deal with the chaos in the Early Stage. Gold, supplies, weapons—these are the real hard currency."

Chen Hao nodded, but still couldn't help asking: "Brother Ye, you said it hurts when you die in the game, so if it's really painful... can people pass out from the pain?"

"Yes." Lin Ye recalled the feeling of having his arm torn off by a Yao Beast in his past life; that excruciating pain made him afraid to log on for three whole days. "So you need to be mentally prepared. On the first day of the server launch, there will definitely be a large number of players who quit because they can't handle the pain."

"Then we..." "We have to endure it." Lin Ye's gaze was firm. "Pain is the first threshold for weeding out the weak. Only by crossing it can you see the true scenery."

At nine in the evening, Lin Ye began the final equipment check. Two gaming pods stood side by side in the center of the dormitory, their silver-gray shells gleaming with a cold luster under the lights. He opened the control panel on the side of the pod and checked the data item by item: Neural interface compatibility: 99.7% (Excellent); Brainwave synchronization rate: 98.9% (Excellent); Vital sign monitoring: Normal; Nutrient solution reserve: 100%; Backup power: Connected; Network latency: 3ms (Excellent). All indicators were in optimal condition.

"Tomorrow morning at eight, the people from the gaming pod installation company will come for the final debugging." Lin Ye said to Chen Hao, "Before six in the afternoon, we must complete all preparations in reality. Get a good night's sleep and rest up."

"I might not be able to sleep..." Chen Hao smiled bitterly, "Just thinking about entering that world the day after tomorrow makes me so excited."

"Even if you can't sleep, you have to." Lin Ye said seriously, "In the first month after the server launch, our daily sleep time will be compressed to less than four hours. The game's time flow rate is ten times faster; one hour in reality equals ten hours in the game. We must use this advantage to get ahead of everyone else."

"One day in reality is ten days in the game..." Chen Hao muttered, "That means if we are online for eighteen hours a day, one hundred and eighty days... half a year... will have passed in the game?"

"That's right." Lin Ye nodded, "This is the greatest advantage of the time flow ratio. In the first month of the server launch, we can accumulate experience and resources in the game equivalent to what others get in five months."

Chen Hao gasped: "Then if you don't log in for a month, wouldn't you be left behind by several years?"

"Therefore, this is a race that cannot stop." Lin Ye closed the door of the gaming pod, "Stopping is equivalent to death."

At eleven o'clock late at night, the dormitory building gradually quieted down. But Lin Ye knew that many people were awake just like him. The number of online users on the forum had broken historical records, and every time he refreshed, hundreds of new posts popped up:

"Looking for a team! Let's explore the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land together when the server launches!"

"Offering big money to buy gaming pod purchase slots!"

"Technical analysis post: Looking at the pros and cons of each class in the Early Stage based on the trailer."

"Any girls want to play together? I'll carry you!"

Madness, anticipation, anxiety, fantasy... all kinds of emotions were spreading in the virtual world, converging into a wave sweeping across the globe. And beneath this wave, an undercurrent had already begun to surge.

Lin Ye's phone vibrated, and he received an encrypted email. The sender's address was a string of garbled code, and the content was only one line: "You've come back too?"

Lin Ye's pupils constricted. He replied quickly: "Who are you?"

A few minutes later, a new email arrived: "After the server launch, meet at the ninth mountain of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land. Come alone. — Star Gazer"

The email automatically destroyed itself after three seconds, leaving no record behind. Lin Ye stared at the pitch-black phone screen, his heart beating violently.

Star Gazer... could this person who mysteriously disappeared in his past life also be a reborn person? If more than one person was reborn, what did that mean? Would the disturbance in the timeline be greater than imagined? Would there be more variables in the future?

The night sky outside the window was as deep as ink, and the lights of the distant city were still brilliant. But Lin Ye seemed to see that beneath that brilliance, something was awakening.

The indicator light on the side of the gaming pod flickered silently, and the dim blue light reflected on the wall like an eye slowly opening. The countdown ticked in the void: 23 hours 59 minutes 47 seconds. The door to the new era was about to open.