2: Chapter 2 Temporary Summoning

Xiao Guang flickered in the air, and a few lines of task lists were automatically filtered and appeared before Zhen Lu's eyes:

[Temporary Summoning] World: Ash Plain · Requirements: None · Capacity: 1,000,000 people · Reward: 500 Credits/24 hours · Note: Urgent recruitment for infantry, no experience required, skills available

[Temporary Summoning] World: Ring Road Circuit · Requirements: Must have automobile repair skills · Capacity: 5 people · Reward: 550 Credits/24 hours · Note: No combat

[Temporary Summoning] World: Frostwhisper Fortress · Requirements: None · Capacity: 300 people · Reward: 250 Credits/24 hours · Note: Moving supplies, just need strength

[Temporary Summoning] World: Red Cliffs Battlefield · Requirements: None · Capacity: 10,000 people · Reward: 150 Credits/24 hours · Note: Waving flags and shouting, no fighting required

Zhen Lu did not make a decision immediately. He raised his head and looked around the plaza again.

He had been busy having the rules explained to him by Xiao Guang, so he hadn't actually had time to get a good look at this place.

The white stone under his feet felt warm to the touch, unlike the hard, cold paving stones of the plazas in reality. He crouched down to touch it; it felt like touching a stone that had been baked by the sun, yet there was clearly a starry sky above, with no sun in sight.

The ground was not perfectly flat; very shallow patterns spread across the surface of the stone, looking like the veins of some plant or the tributaries of a river, extending from his feet to the edge of his vision. Those patterns were glowing faintly—not with a blinding brightness, but with a rhythmic pulse, dimming and brightening like breathing.

Zhen Lu stood up and looked around.

The plaza was much larger than he had imagined. Unlike the small plazas in front of the Logistics Center that would be full with just a few hundred people, this was truly vast, stretching beyond the horizon.

Looking past the low white buildings, he could see tall buildings in the distance, with points of light floating between them—he didn't know if they were lights or something else.

The starry sky overhead rotated slowly. It wasn't like the rigid, monolithic movement of a dome projection; instead, every star had its own trajectory. The nearby ones moved quickly, while the distant ones barely moved, just like a real universe.

There was a faint, sweet scent in the air, like the aroma of some plant. Zhen Lu took a couple of breaths and felt his lungs lighten. The corridors of the Beehive Apartment were filled year-round with the smell of rust from the exhaust vents and the cooking fumes from his neighbors; having lived in those two smells for six years, he had almost forgotten what fresh air felt like.

People were walking around the plaza. Some players had names floating above their heads, while others did not. A person wearing deep red armor walked past him with two swords crossed on their back; the scabbards were inlaid with flowing light patterns.

That person walked without a sound, and the armor made no noise either, as if they were stepping on cotton. Zhen Lu stared at them for several seconds, only withdrawing his gaze once they had walked far away.

He noticed a pattern.

Those who were well-equipped and glowing had a different gait. They weren't putting on airs; it was a sense of relaxation that seeped from their bones, as if the entire plaza were their living room.

These people were often followed by one or two intelligent sprites. Unlike the basic model like Xiao Guang, these were models that could transform, glow, and had more complex colors.

There were also others wearing ordinary clothes similar to his, standing in front of the portals, staring at information panels for a long time with hesitant expressions. Some were whispering to their companions about whether they could "split the cost," while others were crouching by the roadside with a few low-level treasures brought back from the worlds laid out in front of them, calling out softly.

Zhen Lu crouched down, pretending to tie his shoelaces, and listened to the prices at a nearby stall.

"Mist Crystal Shards, three for one hundred Credits, thirty-five each if sold separately. Just brought from Fog Town, guaranteed authentic."

The person hawking the goods was a young woman with a quiet voice, as if she were afraid of being overheard. Her stall was covered with a gray cloth, upon which lay a few gray crystals the size of fingernails that barely reflected the white light from the plaza floor.

Zhen Lu stood up, took one last look at the woman, and then turned to walk in the direction of the Mission Hall.

He remembered the advertisements for the Realm of Holy Light access device; even the cheapest model cost tens of thousands of Credits.

He earned 4,200 Credits a month at the Logistics Center; even if he didn't eat or drink for a year, he couldn't afford the cheapest tier. Yet everyone in this plaza—whether they were wearing glowing armor or squatting by the roadside selling Mist Crystal Shards—had an access device.

His had been scavenged. From an explosion site. It had popped off some poor soul who had been blown up inside their aircraft.

He touched the ring on the ring finger of his left hand. The silver-gray metal was warm, as if responding to his touch.

In the distance, there was a golden portal with seven or eight people gathered in front of it, seemingly arguing about something. Zhen Lu vaguely heard the words "difficulty" and "profit."

Next to the golden portal was a green one, and further away was a purple one, all scattered across the plaza like colorful mirrors dropped on the ground. People stood in front of every gate; some stood alone looking at information panels, while others were in groups of three or five, discussing.

"Are these gates always here?" Zhen Lu asked Xiao Guang.

"The portals exist permanently and will not disappear," Xiao Guang floated to his shoulder. "Behind every gate is a world, but the entry point for the first time is always different. You can anchor it when you come out, and the next time you enter, it will be fixed."

Zhen Lu thought for a moment. "And what about these buildings? Can I go inside?"

"Most of the buildings around the plaza are public facilities. The Trading Hall, warehouse, rest areas, and skill training grounds are all over there." Xiao Guang's light flashed toward the direction of those white buildings in the distance. "You will go there often in the future. Today, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the portal system first."

Zhen Lu nodded. He was twenty-four years old and had lived in Radiance City for twenty-four years, never having seen the real starry sky. The dome projection didn't rotate; it only changed colors at specific times. He hadn't known that stars actually moved.

Xiao Guang gently tapped his shoulder. "Tasks?"

Zhen Lu snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh, right."

Zhen Lu looked down the list one by one, his gaze stopping on the top one.

Ash Plain, infantry, 500 Credits.

It paid more than moving supplies, and with a million people at once, he should be able to slack off.

He hesitated for two seconds, then clicked in to look at the detailed information:

[World Name: Ash Plain]

[World Type: Ancient Battlefield]

[Summoning Mode: Temporary Summoning]

[Task Content: Participate in the descent as a soldier]

[Attached Skills: Basic Spear Technique Lv.1, Basic Combat Lv.1, Basic Formation Lv.1]

[Capacity: 789,823 / 1,000,000]

[Note: This task is a large-scale battle; no loot drop upon death]

500 Credits. He calculated it in his mind. The Logistics Center paid 4,200 a month; divided by thirty days, that was 140 a day. After deducting rent, utilities, and food, he could save less than 30 a day. Spending one day in this world was equivalent to working more than three days at the Logistics Center. And that was after taxes.

He glanced at his panel; his attributes were all 5, and his rank was F. The Temporary Summoning mode had no loot drop upon death and included three skills. It was basically a free experience.

He looked up at the plaza one last time. Those portals stood there quietly, and behind every gate was a world. He suddenly felt it was a bit surreal; a few minutes ago he was still in his twelve-square-meter studio in the Beehive Apartment, and now he was standing under an infinitely extending starry sky, about to enter an ancient battlefield.

Praise the Realm of Holy Light.

Zhen Lu didn't hesitate any longer and clicked accept.

[You have accepted the Temporary Summoning task]

[Mode: Temporary Summoning]

[Confirm entry?]

"Confirm."

The moment Zhen Lu clicked "Confirm," everything before his eyes changed.

It wasn't like the feeling of white light exploding when entering the Realm of Holy Light; this time, it felt more like being yanked into another space by someone. His vision stretched violently, sharp wind rushed into his ears, and his body felt like it was falling from a great height.