A bright light enveloped Ethan as he stepped through the exit gate of the Valley of a Thousand Trials. His body felt weightless, as if he were floating in midair. The soft whisper of the wind brushed against his ears before the world around him slowly shifted.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You Have Completed the Valley of a Thousand Trials!]✅ Final Rewards:
Advanced Breath of the Spirit Technique (Mastered) Attribute Boost +5 (Qi +3, Endurance +2) New Title: Trial Valley Disciple
Ethan blinked as he found himself back at the starting point, just before entering the valley. The sun was now higher in the sky, indicating that a considerable amount of time had passed since he first embarked on the trial.
"I've truly grown… I can feel it."
He clenched his fists, sensing the steady flow of Qi within him. He was no longer the same person who had first stepped into this game.
However, before he could process everything, a new system notification popped up in front of him.
[Warning: You Have Been in the Game for 48 Hours Without Logging Out!][For the sake of player health, the system recommends taking a break in the real world.]
Ethan froze. "It's been that long?"
Inside the game, he had been so immersed in training and battles that he completely lost track of time. His real body must be exhausted by now.
Reluctantly, he opened the main menu and pressed the Log Out button.
The Virtual World Fades Away…
Ethan opened his eyes, feeling himself return to reality. He was still lying on his bed, the VR headset covering his face. Slowly, he removed the device and stared at the ceiling of his apartment.
He took a deep breath. "I'm back."
But something felt strange.
His body felt lighter, more refreshed—almost as if all the training he had done inside the game had somehow affected his real body as well.
He clenched his fists and felt something even more shocking.
"What is this… Qi?"
His heartbeat quickened. This wasn't just a lingering sensation from the game. He could actually feel something akin to Qi flowing within him.
The real world and the virtual world…
Was this truly just a game?
Or was something much bigger happening?
Ethan sat up on his bed, deep in thought.
"It looks like I need to find out more."
And with that, his adventure was no longer confined to the virtual world—it was about to unfold in the real world as well.