Chapter 1: A Ridiculous Start

"Snap—!"

A bolt of lightning suddenly tore through the ashen sky, illuminating the heavens and earth like a Hollywood blockbuster opening scene. The abrupt thunderclap startled Jack awake, only to find himself standing atop a mountain peak. Before him stretched a dark, lifeless canyon shrouded in mist, with faint dragon roars echoing from within, sending chills down his spine.

Jiang Han gazed at the spectacle before him. Though he felt a strange sense of wonder, he remained remarkably calm because he knew exactly where he was. Without hesitation, he declared firmly: "Skip this!"

Come on, as an old-school gamer, he instantly recognized this as the opening cinematic for *Eternal*, one of those flashy game intros full of explosions and over-the-top action sequences designed to make players feel like superheroes. But who had time for that? Floating clouds! All of it could wait. Any serious player would skip straight to the gameplay to get ahead while everyone else ogled the pretty visuals.

As soon as the words left his lips, a sweet, feminine voice chimed in his ear—

"Ding!~"

System Prompt: Dear player, would you like to skip the opening sequence? (Please note: skipping will result in a 50% reduction in experience gain for the next hour.)

Jack: "..."

Seriously? Who does that?

Any hot-headed gamer might've rage-quit right there. A 50% XP penalty early on was brutal. With no other choice, Jack sighed and planted himself back on the mountaintop to endure the show.

"Roarrrr!"

In the distance, accompanied by a deafening dragon cry, a colossal silver dragon over half a mile long soared out of the canyon, its massive wings blotting out the sun. It charged toward Jack's position, stirring up winds strong enough to knock over trees. Even though Jack had seen countless epic openings, watching a monstrous silver dragon hurtle directly toward him still left him awestruck.

At the same time, he noticed a figure clad in a gray robe standing below in the canyon. The man's face was pale, but his lips curled into a mischievous grin. In a raspy voice, he sneered, "Even if the Dragon God himself came, he'd fall here. What makes you think you stand a chance?"

With that, the man casually leapt into the air, raising his leg almost lazily. His foot connected squarely with the side of the dragon's head, sending the beast flying backward like a bowling pin. It crashed into the edge of the canyon, triggering an avalanche of boulders and dust so thick it looked like someone had detonated a small nuke.

"Swoosh!"

A sword beam as sharp as a lightsaber screamed through the air. The gray-robed man flicked his fingers dismissively, deflecting the attack. The rebounding energy sliced through the cliffside like butter, leaving behind a scar so deep it seemed to split the earth itself.

"This level of power isn't even worth pulling out my legendary weapon," the man said smugly.

Talk about flexing your muscles! Jack couldn't help but mentally comment.

"Today, I shall seal you here forever."

From the mist shredded by the sword beam emerged a silver-haired swordsman wielding a gleaming blade. His expression was resolute, carrying the weight of someone ready to die gloriously in battle.

Predictably, the two began trading blows, unleashing dazzling attacks that turned the canyon into what looked like the aftermath of a Michael Bay movie set. Each strike carved craters into the landscape, creating a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Okay, this must be the part where they unleash their ultimate moves to finish things off, thought Jack. Openings shouldn't drag on too long. He figured it was about time to wrap things up. Rubbing his hands together eagerly, he imagined how cool it would be to ride a dragon—or better yet, a dragon god!

The developers promised NPCs intelligent enough to rival humans, which meant he could totally hook up with some impossibly beautiful virtual girlfriend. Why not? And given how groundbreaking this game was, making bank—say, a cool million or two—seemed entirely plausible for a seasoned gamer like him.

Lost in these fantasies, Jack struck a dramatic pose atop the mountain, arms crossed, looking down imperiously at the chaos below. "Hmph," he muttered under his breath, channeling every anime protagonist ever. "Two measly ants."

Silence.

Both combatants froze mid-battle, turning their heads slowly to stare at Jack. Their expressions shifted from confusion to disbelief.

Who is this guy? They thought in unison. He looks weaker than a wet noodle, yet he's been standing there since the beginning—and now he's calling us insects?

Or…is he hiding his true strength? Did we completely misjudge him?

"Uh…" Jack blinked awkwardly under their scrutiny. Sure, the NPCs were impressively lifelike—but come on, this was getting ridiculous!

One second…two seconds…

The tension grew thicker than Thanksgiving dinner with your in-laws.

"Hahaha…" Jack forced a nervous laugh, then cleared his throat. "Just kidding, guys! Carry on, don't mind me."

"I'll see just how much you're capable of, daring to call me an ant!" The gray-robed man snapped, clearly triggered. Pulling out a shimmering blue sword that even the silver-haired warrior hadn't managed to force him to use earlier, he unleashed a devastating slash powerful enough to cleave the universe in half.

The sword beam whistled through the air, growing larger and larger in Jack's vision until—

"Flash!"

White light engulfed everything. The canyon, the fighters, and the chaos vanished, replaced by a golden palace glowing with opulence. Majestic music swelled around him like the soundtrack to a superhero origin story.

"Ding!~"

System Prompt: Would you like to create your character?

"…"

Suppressing the urge to report the developers for trolling, Jack took a deep breath to steady himself. "Yes," he replied curtly.

An instant later, a young man appeared before him, dressed in tattered gray-and-white robes. His features were clean-cut, his eyes clear and bright, and his overall appearance eerily similar to Jack's real-life self.

"Can I change my appearance?" Jack asked immediately. Having your in-game avatar look identical to your real self was practically begging for trouble. What if someone recognized him in real life and decided to settle scores? Or worse, what if hordes of fangirls started stalking him offline? These days, being too handsome online could land you in more drama than a soap opera.

"Ding!~"

System Prompt: Appearance can be adjusted by up to 20%.

A translucent panel materialized in front of Jack, allowing him to tweak his character's looks. After a few minor adjustments, he hit submit.

"Ding!~"

System Prompt: Adjustment successful. Please name your character. (Note: Once created, names cannot be changed.)

Naming… Jack pondered for a moment. "How about 'BiggestBadassInKindergarten'?"

"Ding!~"

System Prompt: Age verification failed. Name rejected. Please try again.

Really? Now they're policing names based on age? Jack rolled his eyes, unsure whether to admire the game's attention to detail or mock its absurdity.

"Fine, let's keep it classy," he muttered, thinking carefully. Finally, he settled on "ColdRiverFlowing." Honestly, he didn't think anyone would connect his username to his real name, nor did he consider his name particularly unique. Plenty of people probably shared it.

"Ding!~"

System Prompt: Name available. Confirm?

"Yes."

In a flash of white light, Jack found himself transported to a dilapidated village surrounded by glowing figures—other players spawning into the world alongside him. Time to grind!

Spotting a frail old man leaning on a cane nearby, Jack pushed past the crowd and approached him. "Hey, gramps, need any help?"

The old man glanced at him disdainfully. "You? Help me? Don't make me laugh."

"Excuse me?" Jack shot back, incredulous. "Are you seriously dissing me right now?"

Seriously? This NPC was sassier than a New Yorker cutting in line at Starbucks.