In a dilapidated small village, a young man sat in a black wooden wheelchair, his face filled with melancholy.
Shen Xing hadn’t expected this. He was in a wheelchair in the real world, and now he was still stuck in a damn wheelchair after entering the game world.
It completely shattered his fantasy of being able to stand again.
Just then, he noticed a line of small, translucent text at the edge of his vision.
[A deep link exists between the game world and the real world. A player’s real-world body will be 100% synchronized with their body in the Land of Mist.]
...
’A 100% sync of my real body to the game? Sounds pretty amazing.’
Shen Xing chuckled softly. "If you’re so capable, why don’t you sync my in-game abilities back to reality?"
He stopped dwelling on the wheelchair and checked his attribute panel.
[Lord: Shen Xing]
[Level: 1]
[Attributes: Power 4, Spirit 6, Agility 0, Constitution 5]
[Skills: None]
[Talent: None]
[Evaluation: A Novice Lord just starting out in the Land of Mist. Physically disabled and incredibly weak. Doesn’t look like he’ll survive for more than three days.]
...
’You’re the one who won’t survive three days! And what the hell is with zero Agility Attribute?’
’Even if I don’t have legs, you can’t just give me zero Agility, right?’
Shen Xing complained internally for a bit. He felt that something about this game was strange.
’But then again, these graphics are incredibly realistic!’
The black wooden huts, the black earth—the entire village was filled with a grim, oppressive atmosphere.
If it weren’t for the warmth radiating from the brightly burning Campfire in the center, this place could have been a scene straight out of a horror game.
He looked toward the most conspicuous Campfire, and a block of information appeared before his eyes.
[Campfire: Level 1]
[Effect: Increases the temperature within a 20-meter diameter and dispels the Fog.]
[Upgrade Materials: Soul Stone x5]
[Note: This is your territory’s fire of survival. Be careful not to let it go out.]
...
’I remember Qin Lang saying in the group chat that we shouldn’t step into the Fog outside the village lightly.’
’In other words, our area of activity is limited to the range of the firelight.’
’Looks like this Campfire is really important.’
’If a monster from the Fog rushes in and destroys the Campfire, it’s basically game over.’
Shen Xing analyzed the situation and looked to the side of the Campfire.
There stood an entirely black structure that looked like an altar.
It was about three meters tall and looked as if it had been polished from Obsidian.
[Randomly draw a Unit Nest?]
’So this is where you draw your Soldier Type, huh?’
He didn’t hesitate and directly chose to draw.
BZZZT~
The Obsidian altar vibrated slightly, and a ball of white light surged out, transforming into a slowly rotating orb in front of Shen Xing.
[Draw successful. You have obtained an initial Unit Nest: Beastman Barracks (Normal ★)]
...
[Beastman Barracks]
[Level: Normal ★]
[Recruitable Soldier Type: Beastman Infantry (Normal ★)]
[Recruitable Quantity: 10 (First batch is free)]
[Recruitment Cost: Soul Stone x3, Vinar Silver Coins x3, Food x10]
[Upgrade Cost: Soul Stone x20, Vinar Silver Coins x20, Food x100]
[Introduction: An ordinary Beastman Barracks. You can recruit Green-skinned Orcs to fight for you.]
...
’Beastmen, huh? Kind of trash.’
As one of the initial Soldier Types, Beastmen could be considered an extremely common type.
Their brains were basically just for decoration, and one of them ate as much as three.
The only good thing about them was that they didn’t know the meaning of fear. They’d charge into a fight without hesitation and were extremely ferocious when they did.
’The first batch of soldiers is free. I’ll recruit them and see what they’re like.’
With a thought, Shen Xing placed the Unit Nest he had just drawn on an empty plot of land next to the Campfire.
A flash of light, and a large, crudely built wooden house, adorned with beast teeth and tattered flags, appeared out of thin air.
Then, the entire wooden house was enveloped in a layer of white light.
[Recruiting the first batch of initial soldiers...]
[Recruitment successful. Territory population +10.]
...
[Beastman Infantry]
[Level: 1]
[Attributes: Power 6, Spirit 3, Agility 4, Constitution 5]
[Potential: Normal ★]
[Skills: None]
[Talent: None]
[Bonds - Beastman (Activated): When more than 10 Beastmen are present at the same time, all Beastmen gain a 10% increase in Power.]
[Introduction: A batch of new Beastman recruits fresh from the barracks. They don’t look very bright.]
...
BANG!
The wooden door was slammed open, and one by one, Green-skinned Orcs about 1.5 to 1.6 meters tall scrambled out.
They lined up side by side with vacant expressions, clutching Rough Stone Axes. They looked absolutely pathetic.
"...Are you sure these are Beastmen?"
Although Shen Xing hadn’t held high hopes for this kind of initial Soldier Type, the gap between them and the tall, mighty Beastmen he had imagined was just too great.
’These things are just a bunch of green-skinned potatoes dug straight out of the ground.’
Shen Xing suddenly felt a bit depressed. According to the game’s rules, monsters would continuously emerge from the Fog to attack the village.
With this bunch of green-skins, he felt like he wouldn’t even survive the first day.
Just then, his phone, which was in his pocket, started to BUZZ.
Shen Xing immediately took off his glasses, and his vision instantly switched back to his cramped rental apartment.
He had to admit, the game’s design was quite convenient; you could log out at any time.
When he wanted to log back in, he just had to put on the glasses to instantly return, without any discomfort.
On Green Bubble, the four-person group chat was buzzing with activity.
Lend Alone for Ten Thousand Generations: "Holy crap! We’ve stumbled onto the real deal! This game is freaking awesome, isn’t it?"
I Eat and Eat: "Yeah, it’s so realistic it’s like entering another world."
"It’s a shame, though. I didn’t get the 1.9-meter-tall, six-pack furry dreamboat I wanted."
Hearing their comments, Loves Playing with Coriander sent a laughing emoji: "See? Now you believe me, right? This game is an absolute groundbreaking masterpiece. It’s definitely going to blow up in the future!"
The other two simultaneously sent a stream of agreeable emojis.
Lend Alone for Ten Thousand Generations then asked: "Qin Lang, you got into the game earlier than us. Got any experience to share?"
Loves Playing with Coriander: "I only started half a day before you guys. I don’t have any great wisdom to impart."
"But if you insist... there are a few things you should pay attention to."
"First is the Fog outside the village. Don’t enter it recklessly. I had a Half-Elf test it out earlier."
"Less than a few seconds after entering the Fog, black spots started appearing on the Half-Elf’s body. He almost died in there."
"He’s still lying in the barracks now, half-dead and barely hanging on."
Lend Alone for Ten Thousand Generations was shocked: "That terrifying? Doesn’t that mean we can only stay in the village?"
Loves Playing with Coriander: "Of course not. The difficulty of this game is very high. Monsters will attack the village at regular intervals, and they get stronger each time."
"If we just stay in the village, it’s no different from waiting to die."
"That’s why we need to use the [Horse Lantern] in the game. It’s in your personal inventory."
"The Horse Lantern can dispel the Fog in a certain area, allowing us to explore outwards and gather resources. But it only lasts for a limited time and needs to be brought back to the village to recharge."
Realization dawned on everyone. They all opened their inventories and, sure enough, saw an Ancient brass Horse Lantern.
After a pause, Loves Playing with Coriander added: "Also, there’s one more very important thing."
"Shortly after starting the game, we’ll face our first battle. You have to take it seriously."
"The system will rate your performance based on how you fight and the condition of your troops, then give out different rewards."
"From D-class to S-class, the rewards for each rating are vastly different."
"I heard that if you can get an S-class rating, you might even get extra special rewards, like a Rare Soldier Type or a Skill Book."
Everyone’s expression shifted. This was truly a crucial piece of information.
Different rewards based on battle performance.
A good performance could lead to a significant advantage in the early game.
"So there’s a mechanic like that," Lend Alone for Ten Thousand Generations pressed. "Qin Lang, what was your rating for the first battle?"
Loves Playing with Coriander sent a confident emoji: "When your bro Qin makes a move, of course it’s... C-class."
The three of them: "..."
Loves Playing with Coriander typed angrily: "Damn it, the difficulty of this game is no joke. The monsters’ skills are disgusting. The very first wave killed three of my Half-Elves."
"It was also because I was being an idiot and sent a Half-Elf to test the Fog. You guys better not copy me. This is a lesson learned through blood and tears."
While sending laughing emojis, they all silently committed this lesson to memory.
Just then, the glasses resting on Shen Xing’s lap began to vibrate.
After putting them on, a notification appeared before his eyes.
[Your territory is about to be attacked. Please prepare for battle.]
Shen Xing’s expression immediately turned grim as his consciousness returned to the dilapidated village.
The Campfire was still burning brightly. Ten dim-witted Beastman Infantry were drooling, completely unaware of the approaching danger.
He scanned his surroundings. Something seemed to be squirming in the thick Fog, and a chilling aura drifted over.
For some reason, Shen Xing felt his hair stand on end.
It was just like that night, the same fear of death that had sprung from the depths of his heart as that Dayun N6 truck was about to run him over!
’How interesting. I’m actually feeling scared in a game.’
He wheeled himself to the village entrance and gave a deep-voiced command, "Beastmen, prepare for battle."
"As you command, wheelchair... boss."
The Beastman in the lead, who had a mohawk, shook its head and led the other Beastmen toward the village entrance.
"..." Shen Xing’s face darkened. "The hell did you just call me?"
The mohawked Beastman just looked dumbfounded and scratched its head.
He sighed. ’Whatever. I can’t be bothered to argue with these muscle-brained, green-skinned potatoes.’
However, this small detail gave him a deeper appreciation for the game’s realism. Even these cannon-fodder troops had a decent level of intelligence.
At the same time, the gray Fog ahead began to churn violently.
HACK... HACK...
A series of hoarse sounds echoed out, like the dying gasps of someone whose throat had been ruined by smoke.
Immediately after, tall, thin figures emerged from the Fog, stepping into the range of the firelight.
They had humanoid silhouettes, and their bodies were charred black, like corpses that had crawled out of a fire.
One, two, three... a total of fifteen charred figures appeared at once.
[Lost One]
[Level: 1]
[Attributes: Power 5, Spirit 6, Agility 4, Constitution 4]
[Potential: Normal ★]
[Skills: None]
[Talent: None]
[Bonds - Lost One (Activated): When more than 10 Lost Ones are present at the same time, the Special Ability [Voice of the Lost] is activated.]
[Introduction: Creatures lost in the Fog. Their souls have long since dissipated, but their bodies continue to wander within it.]
...
’Fifteen monsters in the first wave. This is a bit tricky.’
A grave expression appeared on Shen Xing’s face. ’No wonder Qin Lang lost three Half-Elves right off the bat. And as for my ten Beastman Infantry...’
He looked at the group of drooling, dim-witted Beastmen, then down at the wheelchair beneath him, and suddenly his future felt bleak.
After all, even though Qin Lang was also a new player, he was at least able-bodied. At the very least, he could stand in the back and throw a few stones.
But all he could do was sit here and stare helplessly, completely unable to help.
But things had already come to this. He had to bite the bullet and face it.
Just as Shen Xing took a deep breath, preparing to command the Beastman Infantry to fight...
[Pioneer ’Shen Xing’ detected to have a special fate. Activating unique hidden Talent: Sacrificial Evolution.]
[Sacrificial Evolution: Permanently sacrifice one base Attribute to allow a single Soldier Type in your territory to undergo 1 Potential advancement. The Soldier Type will permanently gain the sacrificed Attribute Value.]
...