Descend

In a society where everyone tries to reach for the stars, Lucas's sky was bleak. It was as if the black hole had absorbed everything including the moon and the stars. He had no aspirations or great ambitions like his family.

With his eldest brother, Hubert Yang, and second brother, Mike Yang, there was no need for another Yang in the family. He often felt that his birth was a joke. Hubert excelled in both sports and academics. Calling him an all-round is an understatement - he's an overachiever. As the eldest son of the Yang family, he never stopped pushing himself to exceed the limits. It was expected that he would graduate from a reputable university and be groomed to take over the family company - Majestic Technologies. Lucas's grandfather was an entrepreneur who made his riches in technology and the company's business comprises mobile telecommunication, network security, and practically anything that was related to the tech world. Hubert was a natural leader, the destined future CEO of Majestic Technologies.

As for Lucas's second brother, Mike Yang, his talent and innate abilities were distinct at a young age. He was the genius of the family who displayed coding and mathematical talent when he was just a child. Growing up, Mike was groomed by their father to become the next CTO in Majestic Technologies.

Their father, George Yang, was proud of his two sons. When he knew he was welcoming another child, he was over the moon. Perhaps this child would grow up to become like one of his brothers or even better? Maybe he could become the CFO and manage the company's finances. He had high hopes for his third son.

On a frosty winter morning in December, Lucas was born. Everyone who knew the Yangs and even the servants of the house were eager to see how this child would shine. The Gods have blessed the family with two talented children, and the third Sagittarius son must be another blessing too.

As time passed, they realized that this child seemed rather…normal. He did not have any natural talent like Mike. Neither was he a born leader like Hubert. As a child, it wasn't clear if he had any special talents. Perhaps because his brothers were too outstanding that no matter what qualities Lucas possessed, they were underwhelming. He wasn't a bad athlete - he represented his school at tournaments but Hubert competed in the nationals. He did well academically too but he could never outwit Mike when it comes to anything to do with figures. It didn't help that he went to the same schools as his brothers did. Hubert and Mike broke every record there were and created new ones. They earned many medals and accolades. As for Lucas, he did make a name too and won a science competition once but his father did not even take time to attend the award ceremony.

In the beginning, Lucas didn't mind living a life overshadowed by his brothers. If he had anything that outshined his brothers, it was his cheerful attitude. Then, he was still too young to understand what it meant to be an underachiever in his family, in this elite society that his butler Maison said he was born into.

Growing up, his classmates teased him for leeching on the family. He was laughed at by relatives for being mediocre. Even the servants at home treated him with less respect. It wasn't as if he laid around doing nothing. He tried hard to excel at school and did everything he could to make a difference. He wanted to gain his family's recognition, especially from his father who always seemed disappointed in him.

But he just wasn't as good as his brothers. No one was interested in any of his achievements because they were nothing compared to Hubert and Mike's. As children, they played together and cuddled up under the same blanket. Watching his brothers getting busy preparing themselves to take on the family business made him feel lonelier. Although Hubert and Mike did not treat him like a mediocre kid in the family, they spoke less to him as they became teenagers. There were brothers by blood and that seemed to be the only connection that remained between them.

The only person who cared about him was his mother. When she passed away due to sickness, Lucas's world shattered. His ever-doting mother would never caress him with her gentle touch and tell him that "it's alright" again. The year she died, he had just turned thirteen. He remembered his father couldn't make it in time to her deathbed. His mother's last wish was to see her family once more but that never came true. He bore a grudge against his father because of that. No matter how busy he was, nothing should come in the way of family.

It was the first time Lucas experienced the death of a loved one and it was heartbreaking. Without his mother, the family fell apart. His father was always buried with work and his brothers had their own circle of friends. Conversations at the dining table revolved around work or news. Otherwise, it was silence. They had become a dysfunctional family.

Maybe there was a reason why he was born in winter - he was destined to lead a cold, isolated life like a lone tree in winter. His cheerful disposition faded away and he no longer found meaning in his family. At home, he stopped joining them for meals and kept to himself most of the time. At school, he stopped giving his best since nobody recognized his efforts anyway.

People thought he was wasting his good life away but they didn't understand him. He just wanted to disappear from the world. He very much liked to de-associate with the elite society who was full of people like his father, a man too busy to come to see his wife on her deathbed. He no longer felt like he had brothers. He was sure nobody in the family missed him. Even if he was gone, his epitaph would read: Here lies nobody.

Gaming became his obsession to get away from reality. He could be anyone inside the game - a warlord, a magician, or even a commoner. No one would judge him for being who he is. He was in control and he could build worlds and destroy them. And he started playing all sorts of games from MMORPGs to MOBAs. He even started collecting old video games.

They said that people you meet in virtual worlds aren't real. You'd never know if they were hiding their true identities. But to Lucas, it was a place where he met real friends like his teammates in Dreams of Jianghu. Of all the games he played, he invested the most in this one. Deep in his heart, he wanted to be a hero who could create miracles and earn the respect of others.

And that was how Ash Knight was born. A knight living in the ashes - that was the meaning behind his gaming identity.

The only thing he was grateful for being a Yang - he was rich, and nobody paid attention to how he was spending money. While his brothers bought luxurious cars and clothes, he bought game credits, armor and weapons. His family was aware of his obsession with games but they just let him be.

That was how Lucas grew up to be a 21-year-old who knew nothing else besides gaming. Going to school was merely a "routine task" for him. No one cared about his existence there anyway. He spent all the time in the world perfecting his gaming combat skills to become the strongest player in Dreams of Jianghu.

And today, he had once again proved himself to be unbeaten. If only he was Ash Knight in real life, he might enjoy being a human better.

Lucas looked up at the skies, hoping to spot a twinkling star somewhere. Still, there was only darkness.

It was almost 3 A.M. after he parted ways with Janson at the Internet Cafe. He didn't feel like going home so he wandered along the streets.

"Skerrrrt!"

The screeching of tires disrupted his thoughts. A black van had stopped right in front of him. For a moment, he thought someone was here to pick him up…but no, he didn't recall asking Maison to send a car.

The doors of the van slid open and several men dressed in black emerged. They had masks on. Before Lucas had a chance to react, they knocked him unconscious and dragged him into the van. He remembered hearing one last thing before he passed out.

"Get to the yacht now."