Junlin Esports Club.
Zhao Mingwei had just finished his morning training and was now being... well, not scolded exactly—more like lectured with painful sincerity by his coach.
"Xiao Ye, I know you've been in a slump lately, but your performance in the scrim just now was really beneath your usual level."
The coach held his data report, visibly frustrated.
Zhao Mingwei was already tempered steel—battle-hardened steel, even. But recently, that steel had dulled. Or perhaps, it was simply... distracted.
In the just-finished scrim against another team, Zhao had made a number of basic errors—mistakes a seasoned pro like him shouldn't be making.
"Yes."
Zhao didn't argue. He knew his condition had been slipping.
Even though he no longer wanted to stay in Dispute—their competitive circuit—this was still his livelihood.
"Even if you don't want to stay in this scene, you've still got two years left on your contract with Junlin. You can't just start throwing games until retirement, right? Hold on two more years, and you can retire in peace."
The coach wasn't wrong. He knew what Zhao was struggling with.
But… hold on?
When did playing games require that kind of endurance?
Zhao gave a bitter smile, but said nothing.
The coach misread that smile.
"Think about it. Seven years in Dispute—you've given your life to this game.
Once you retire, sure, maybe you can still earn a living streaming Dispute.
But honestly, what else do we have besides this game?
We're just net-addicted teens who got lucky enough to go pro."
The coach was pushing harder now—trying to reach him.
"On the pro stage, you're Xiao Ye—that heroic icon admired by thousands, the God of Combat.
But in the real world… we're nothing. Aren't we?"
The words stung more than Zhao expected—because they were true.
In the real world, he… was nothing.
The talk didn't even last thirty minutes. Zhao excused himself, citing his poor state, and headed to the restroom.
He splashed cold water on his face.
The icy sting helped clear his mind a little.
Staring into the mirror, Zhao suddenly raised his right hand and made a sharp pushing motion—
—it was the motion for casting Qi Wave in the game.
But of course… nothing happened.
No light. No energy. Just cold water droplets trailing down his fingers.
What am I even doing…
His reflection smiled back bitterly.
That powerful feeling of wielding Nian Qi in the game—it had felt so real.
So real that even now, in reality, Zhao felt stronger…
…but it was all an illusion.
Here in the real world, he was just an ordinary human.
Not a Qi Master blessed by a Nian Beast.
Just then, his phone buzzed with a notification.
The game app had just updated with a new feature.
[Abyss Hunt]
"Cracks from the Abyss will appear in your world.
Monsters will flood out—
Warriors, this is your invitation. Join the Hunt!"
[Abyss Hunt mode activated. Please see full details.]
Zhao tapped the new interface.
A map of Jiangcheng appeared on-screen.
Right on the city's food street, a swirling black vortex had appeared.
AR mechanics?
Zhao had played too many mobile games not to recognize this.
This kind of "real-world linked" mechanic was common in mobile games.
But in this massive title—easily several terabytes, maybe even tens of thousands of gigabytes in scope?
AR events felt… childish.
Wait.
He opened the reward list.
A row of dark orange items lit up the screen like a supernova.
Special Gear?
What even was that?
One item in particular caught his eye:
Memory of the Light Elf
Rarity: Special Equipment
Level: 0
Description: A memory shard from a Light Elf. Allows duplication of Light-element spells.
Effect: When casting Light-element spells under level 30, there's a chance to cast again automatically.
Light Attribute Boost: +10
Zhao wasn't too interested in the +10 Light boost.
What mattered was the duplicate casting effect.
Qi Cannon was a Light-element spell!
It was one of his main damage dealers as a Qi Master.
This gear meant… double the fun!
He began reading how to participate in the Abyss Hunt.
Usually, these mobile-style "mini-games" just required a tap to join.
But in this case, the only option available—[Descent]—was grayed out.
Why?
Was it… location-based?
Did he have to physically go to Jiangcheng's food street?
Zhao glanced at the time.
He had two hours before afternoon training.
Junlin's HQ was only two metro stops from the food street.
Without hesitation, he changed clothes and hopped on the bus.
Jiangcheng Food Street
One of the city's busiest and most iconic streets.
A must-visit spot for tourists.
Zhao, wearing a mask, walked into the crowd and pulled out his phone.
The [Descent] option was still grayed out.
Why?
He was already right near the black vortex's GPS location…
Maybe he had to get closer?
He followed the map marker toward the vortex.
But after just a few steps, the street exploded into chaos.
A swarm of people rushed past him in panic.
He barely had time to register what was happening.
Suddenly, the sunny sky turned black—choked with storm clouds.
Explosions erupted at the far end of the street.
Roars. Screeches.
Zhao's eyes widened.
At the far end, space itself cracked—like shattered glass.
The fissure widened, then burst open—revealing a pitch-black realm.
From it, a massive creature stepped through.
Behind it, hordes of smaller monsters swarmed out of the fracture.
Goblins? Orcs? Gremlins?
Zhao's mind raced with fantasy references.
Was this a movie?
An AR stunt?
But then the beast—at least three meters tall—raised its massive wooden club and smashed it into a nearby car, turning it into debris.
The roar. The panic. The destruction.
It was too real.
This wasn't a game.
This wasn't virtual reality.
This was happening—right now, in the real world.
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(End of Chapter)