Chapter 1: Unemployed and owing rent, I awakened the only SSS-level talent in the entire server!

[Brain storage area: don't forget to take it back later, or I'll feed it to the zombies.]

[Good luck with the launch of the new book! Thank you in advance, everyone.]

[Wishing you all great fortune!]

[If the story isn't to your liking, please be patient with me. Without further ado, let's go!]

[Comment '666' to enter a draw for a game gift pack. Contents: 1x Yoga Milf, 1x Mature Beauty & 1x Loli, 1x Bodo-sensei Photo Album, 1x Sora-sensei's 10 Condom Torrents...]

Please enjoy the main text below.

"Lin Ye, final warning! If you don't pay this month's 800 yuan rent by tomorrow noon, you deadbeat, pack your bags and get out immediately! Don't take up my damn space!"

The moment the WeChat message popped up, Lin Ye gripped his phone tightly, his knuckles turning white. The screen's light reflected off his haggard face. The rental room was cramped and dark; unwashed clothes were piled in the corner, and a half-finished cup of cold pickled cabbage instant noodles sat on the table, a layer of oil floating on the broth. This was his only meal for the day.

Unemployed for three months, he had been maliciously laid off by an unscrupulous company without receiving a cent of compensation, and the hundreds of resumes he had sent out had all sunk like stones into the ocean. With only a few dozen yuan left in his pocket, he had just bought two packs of instant noodles yesterday. Now, let alone 800 yuan for rent, he didn't even have money for tomorrow's food.

At the foot of the bed sat a semi-worn holographic gaming pod. The casing was scuffed and covered in faded anime stickers, with the edges peeling. This was a second-hand unit he had bought on Xianyu after swallowing his pride to borrow 300 yuan from his childhood friend, Fatty Wang.

This wasn't for leisure; it was his only way to survive right now.

At 12:00 PM today, the world's first 100% immersive holographic MMORPG, gods domain: origin, would officially launch. The developers had long announced that gold, equipment, and materials could be traded freely across all platforms with instant withdrawals—no bank card linkage required. Countless gold farmers and studios were already gearing up, waiting to seize the first wave of profits upon launch.

Lin Ye had no other skills, but back in school, he was a renowned mechanical monster in the gaming world. No matter the game, if given the slightest chance, he could always work wonders. If it weren't for the industry winter, he wouldn't have ended up in such a state.

"Damn it, I'm going for it!" Lin Ye gulped down a mouthful of cold noodle soup, which was so astringent it made his throat ache. "If I can't even earn back the rent, at worst, I'll sleep under a bridge!"

He checked the time on his phone: 11:58, two minutes until the server launch.

He finished his noodles in a flash, wiped his mouth, and climbed into the second-hand gaming pod. The moment the hatch closed, a slight humming sound echoed, and the darkness before his eyes was torn open by a piercing golden light. A magnificent system announcement boomed in his ears, making his eardrums vibrate.

[Welcome to the holographic world of gods domain: origin. Scanning player's iris, binding identity information... Binding successful!]

[Please create your game character:]

A character creation panel popped up before him, filled with various races and classes—Warriors, Mages, Priests, and Assassins were all there. Lin Ye didn't even look twice and chose Warrior. For someone like him who wanted to farm gold quickly, being able to tank and deal damage without being picky about gear was the way to go.

[Please enter your character name:]

"Ye."

A single, simple word—clean and crisp, yet hiding the resentment he had suppressed for three months.

[Character name available. Drawing your innate Talent...]

This was the core setting of gods domain: origin. Every player would randomly draw an innate Talent before entering the game, with ranks ranging from F to SSS, creating a massive disparity. The forums had been in an uproar for a long time; some said there were fewer than five SSS-rank Talents in the entire server, and even Lucky Kings might not draw one, while Unlucky Players would at most get a C or D-rank, making even gold farming difficult.

Lin Ye's heart pounded wildly, and his palms were slick with sweat. He desperately needed a good Talent; this was his only chance to turn his life around.

The Talent roulette on the panel spun frantically, jumping through F, E, D, C... all the way up. The speed gradually slowed down until finally, a blinding crimson-gold light filled the entire gaming pod. The wheel stopped at the very top, causing even the system to lag momentarily!

[Congratulations to player [Ye] for awakening the server's only SSS-rank Ultimate Talent — Perpetual Energy Level Decay!]

[Talent details are loading...]

[Warning! Unknown top-tier Talent data detected, exceeding GM access level. Automatically encrypted!]

[Warning! This Talent is the only Ultimate Talent in the server. It has been synchronized with the server-wide database and cannot be copied, cleared, or transferred!]

A series of system warnings rained down, leaving Lin Ye completely stunned, his mind a total blank.

SSS-rank? And the only one in the server?!

He pinched his thigh hard. The piercing pain that followed confirmed he wasn't dreaming. The next second, the Talent details panel popped up. The crimson-gold text was exceptionally striking, each word making his breathing quicken.

[Talent Name: Perpetual Energy Level Decay (SSS-rank)]

[Talent Effects:]

1. Can stack infinite layers of the [Decay] debuff on hostile targets. Each layer deals true damage equal to 1% of the target's maximum HP while permanently reducing all attributes, skill effects, and equipment stats by 1%. There is no upper limit to the stacks, the effect is permanent, and it cannot be removed by any purification skills or items.

2. Core Rule: This Talent only takes effect against targets that actively initiate malicious attacks, bully the weak, or commit violations. If used against innocent players or ordinary NPCs, the Talent will be permanently disabled.

3. The Talent can unlock advanced forms based on the player's level and story progress. Current state: Basic Form.]

Lin Ye stared at the panel, dazed for a full half-minute, before letting out a burst of extreme, suppressed ecstasy!

Infinite stacks of debuffs? Permanent effect? And unremovable?!

This wasn't just a Talent; this was a heaven-defying bug!

When others fought bosses, they had to rely on gear, levels, teamwork, and luck. He, on the other hand, just needed to stack a few hundred layers of Decay. No matter how much HP or defense the boss had, their attributes would be reduced to zero, and their health bar would be slowly whittled away!

And that Core Rule, which specifically targets scumbags while sparing the innocent, suited his personality perfectly. What he hated most were those pieces of trash who relied on their wealth and power to bully newbies and monopolize resources in games.

[Server-wide Announcement: The game will officially launch in 10 seconds. We wish all players a prosperous journey in Gods Domain, may your martial fortune be prosperous!]

[10... 9... 3... 2... 1!]

[The Novice Village channel has opened. You are being teleported to Novice Village No. 003!]

The golden light exploded once more, and Lin Ye's figure instantly vanished from the creation space.

He clenched his fists, feeling the realistic sensations within the game. The strength in his fingertips was incredibly clear, and a mischievous yet hostile grin curled onto his lips.

The unpaid rent, the compensation he was cheated out of, the lost job... all the frustration and resentment should be reclaimed in this game, with interest!

Just then, a local system notification popped up: [Player [Young Master Kai] is maliciously attacking new players at the Wild Rabbit spawn point, causing multiple players to lose levels!] Lin Ye's gaze turned cold, and his grin widened. He had just awakened his Talent, and someone blind enough was already coming to his door? Perfect, he'd use him to establish his dominance!