Cosmic-Level Game VirtuLink

**"There's actually a wristwatch inside the meteor?"** muttered Ethan Brooks to himself as he returned to his dormitory. He had just climbed over the wall and entered the second floor, making his way back to his room.

It was almost midnight. His senior roommate had gone out with a girlfriend, while the other two roommates—one had gone home and the other had gone elsewhere for an all-nighter—had left the dorm. Ethan Brooks was the only one in the room. He lit a cigarette and took a couple of fierce puffs, finally managing to calm himself down.

Holding the wristwatch in his hand, Ethan Brooks examined it carefully. The entire design of the wristwatch resembled an ancient martial artist's wrist guard, the kind often seen in Hong Kong Shaw Brothers films. Its surface was extremely smooth, featuring a screen slightly larger than an MP4 player. The watchband, as wide as the screen, was made of metal and currently separated to the sides. The entire wristwatch was designed in ultra-modern black metal, exuding an air of absolute trendiness.

After a moment of thought, Ethan Brooks placed the wristwatch near his wrist, and the metal band automatically fastened itself.

He searched for a while but couldn't find any switches or buttons. Just as Ethan Brooks was puzzled about how to turn on the wristwatch, he suddenly felt a small probe extend from the inside of the watch, pricking his wrist. With nowhere to dodge, he had to endure the sting, and a drop of blood was absorbed into the watch.

Ethan Brooks winced in pain. "Ugh, this watch has a needle. Is this how alien civilization's wristwatches work?"

At that moment, a clear and melodious female voice sounded in Ethan Brooks' ear: "Would you like to initiate the VirtuLink terminal's ownership recognition program? Press the green button for yes, and the red button for no." As she spoke, the watch's screen lit up, displaying a green circle and a red cross.

"This wristwatch is so advanced!" Ethan Brooks thought to himself. After all, it was retrieved from a meteor; it was indeed different.

Ethan Brooks pressed his finger on the green circle on the screen. The screen rippled like water, and the clear, melodious female voice continued:

**DNA detection in progress...**

**DNA detection complete. T306 carbon-based life form, within the VirtuLink user range...**

**Brainwave inspection in progress...**

**Brainwave inspection complete. Brainwave frequency 3875β, compatible with VirtuLink synchronization...**

**Physical fitness detection in progress...**

**Physical fitness score 10233, eligible to enter the VirtuLink world...**

**Would you like to lock the DNA? Press the green button for yes, and the red button for no.**

Ethan Brooks, eager to understand the purpose of the wristwatch, pressed the green circle on the screen.

The watch's screen immediately changed, displaying a large black book covered in countless arcane magical symbols.

The female voice sounded again: "You have entered the VirtuLink preparation interface. The VirtuLink sprite has been awakened and is synchronizing with your brainwaves... three... two... one... synchronization!"

With a **"bang!"**, a dazzling beam of light shot out from the wristwatch. A three-dimensional pattern emerged from the screen, filling the dorm room with a holographic space. Countless holographic petals scattered in the air. Among them, a sprite the size of a finger, dressed in green and flapping four transparent wings, emerged from the watch with a trail of diamond-like stardust. She spun around Ethan Brooks before flying in front of him.

"Hello, master. I am Tina, the 043rd high-class VirtuLink sprite. Greetings to you!" The sprite, holding a starlight wand, bowed gracefully in mid-air, exuding an air of ladylike elegance.

"Y-you... hello. Are you referring to me as the master?" Ethan Brooks, stunned, pointed at himself and asked.

"Of course. You activated the VirtuLink terminal, so I am speaking to you," the sprite replied, fluttering her wings.

Ethan Brooks extended his finger, attempting to touch the sprite, but his finger passed right through her body, which seemed like a mere shadow.

"I'm sorry, master. In the Pz201 dimension, I can only exist as an energy phantom powered by the VirtuLink terminal. To see my physical form, you need to be in the VirtuLink world," Sprite Tina explained, flying up.

"You mean you are a real sprite, existing in a world called VirtuLink?" Ethan Brooks asked, his excitement bordering on madness.

"Yes, now that you've activated the VirtuLink terminal, don't you know anything about the VirtuLink world?" Tina inquired curiously.

Ethan Brooks sheepishly scratched his head and said, "Hehe, it seems I don't. I found this terminal. Could you explain what the VirtuLink world is?"

"Found it? That's impossible!" The sprite beauty circled around Ethan Brooks, expressing disbelief. "The VirtuLink game is a universal limited-edition super game, with only ten billion sets sold across the entire universe. Moreover, your VirtuLink terminal is the Glory Noble Collector's Edition, of which there are only one hundred sets. The regular VirtuLink terminal is worth 120 million federal credits per set, while the Glory Noble Collector's Edition, also priced at 120 million federal credits, comes with an additional one million federal credit limit. These are only sold to special individuals. Saying you found it is like claiming to find a small precious metal asteroid in the middle of the Federal Administrative System—it's impossible."

"120 million federal credits? That sounds pretty high-end!" Ethan Brooks thought to himself, then said to the hovering sprite Tina, "But I really did find it."

Sprite Tina pondered for a moment, then said, "Oh? In that case, perhaps it was sent to you by a friend."

"So, Tina, what are federal credits and federal credit limits? How much is a federal credit worth? And what exactly is VirtuLink?" Ethan Brooks asked, puzzled.

"Has your star system not yet joined the Great Multiverse Federation? How could you not know about federal credits?" Sprite Tina asked curiously. Ethan Brooks felt embarrassed and mumbled, "Well, maybe we haven't joined yet."

"The Great Multiverse Federation is a vast political entity connecting thousands of dimensions and eighty-five percent of the intelligent life across an equally large number of universes, with a population of 758.6 trillion trillion people. The federal credit is the standard currency of the Great Multiverse Federation. One federal credit can sustain a person at the lowest living standard on an ordinary administrative planet for three days. The federal credit limit, on the other hand, is a special reward granted to those who make significant contributions to the federation. It cannot be bought or inherited and can only be obtained by completing special federation missions," Sprite Tina explained, fluttering around.

"As for the VirtuLink game, it is the most fantastic universal-level realistic game across all dimensions. It is the latest technological game with only ten billion sets sold across the entire multiverse. Through the game terminal, you can enter a realistic world where you can embark on adventures with swords and magic, wage wars between cosmic civilizations, or engage in urban adventures. You will encounter unprecedented monsters or aliens, obtain versatile treasures, acquire various magical skills, and enhance your attributes. Most importantly, you can bring those treasures back to your dimension. No one would dislike this game. I am specifically designed as an explanatory sprite for the Glory Noble Collector's Edition of the VirtuLink game and strongly recommend that you enter the game immediately!" Sprite Tina danced in the air as she spoke.

What did she just say? The ability to bring in-game items into reality? Ethan Brooks immediately realized the potential opportunity and asked, "Tina, what kind of functions do these in-game items have?"

"The variety of items is vast, and their functions are absolutely beyond what real-world items can achieve," Tina replied. "I strongly recommend that you enter the VirtuLink world, where I will provide a detailed explanation."

"How do I enter?"

"Master, place your finger on the magic book on the VirtuLink terminal's screen for ten seconds, and then think about entering the VirtuLink world. That's how you do it."

Ethan Brooks placed his finger on the magic book on the wristwatch screen and silently thought, "Enter the VirtuLink game!" After ten seconds, Ethan Brooks felt a dazzling white light before his eyes, and his body was drawn by an immensely powerful force. He lost consciousness in an instant.

...

"Master, wake up. You have entered the VirtuLink game's server selection interface," Sprite Tina's voice sounded in Ethan Brooks' ear. Ethan Brooks slowly opened his eyes.

"Whoa~~ This is too spectacular!" Ethan Brooks nearly fainted again from the overwhelming visual information that hit his eyes. Before him was a massive planetary array, like the giant photographs of Saturn and Jupiter in science fiction magazines. The planets, arranged in a circular pattern around a star, were layered and incredibly close to Ethan Brooks. Their immense size was almost oppressive and realistic, with visible planetary rings and asteroid belts. Several planets had huge halos reflecting the star's light, making them look like dazzling jewels in a jewelry tray.

What surprised Ethan Brooks the most was that he seemed to be in outer space, yet he didn't feel any difficulty breathing. The scene before his eyes was incredibly clear. If the world he had seen on Earth was like a nineteen-inch black-and-white TV, what he saw now was like a forty-six-inch high-definition television. The clarity was incomparable. The various planets' reflected light filled Ethan Brooks' mind with a visual impact that left him speechless for a moment.

Seeing Ethan Brooks' reaction, the sprite Tina was very satisfied. She flew around him and then hovered by his side, saying, "Master, this is the server selection interface of the great VirtuLink game."

Ethan Brooks looked at the hundreds of planets before him, clicked his tongue, and said, "Which one is the VirtuLink server? Are you saying these planets are the servers?" As he spoke, Ethan Brooks pointed to the massive, earth-yellow planet that resembled Saturn.