
"What's up, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him, who looked dazed as he looked at the sky.
"Oh, the announcement ..." He pointed at the words in the sky.
"But I didn't see anything?" She said.
"Hm? You can't see the words in the sky?"
He shook his head, prompting Yuan to ponder. 'Maybe the NPC can't see the game notification?'
—
—
—
"Xiao Hua, what is Qi?" Yuan decided to ask him, who he believed had more knowledge than him about this world.
"Qi is the core of this world; that's what people use to cultivate."
"Cultivation, yeah. The old man said the same thing ... Let me try this ..." he closed his eyes and positioned himself to sit in the lotus position before activating the skill.
ding!
<5 5.000>
<10 5,000>
<15 5.000>
His Qi experience increased by 5 for every second he developed. Moreover, when he activated the Heaven Consumption Technique, his breathing naturally became calm and rhythmic, and his entire body felt refreshed, almost like breathing through every pore present.
In just a few minutes, Yuan suddenly felt his entire body explode with a cold feeling, almost like he had been thrown into a pool of cold water on a hot day.
'All I have to do is sit here and cultivate to grow stronger in this game? How boring!' Yuan foolishly thought to himself. 'But it did feel nice, almost like I was relaxing in a warm tub or something.'
—
Name: Yuan
Cultivation: First-tier Spirit Apprenticeship
Legacy: None
Lineage: None
Physique: Physical Purification of Heaven
Physical Strength: 134
Mental Strength: 375
Soul Power: 1,310
Physical Defense: 110
Mental Defense: 1,221
—
"Congratulations on becoming a Cultivator, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him with a smile.
"It's all because of you, Xiao Hua. Thank you for that."
"Then let's continue playing!" He stood with the ball already in his hand, ready to be thrown.
Yuan smiled bitterly, but he did not refuse and continued to play with him.
Surprisingly, when he stood up, all the fatigue he had experienced a moment ago disappeared; he had completely recovered all his depleted energy when he became a Cultivator.
The two start playing again, but the speed of the ball thrown seems to be faster than before.
—
Meanwhile, the world is churning from the game's first world announcement.
The rich and powerful companies in the real world began searching for this player named Yuan in hopes of finding his true identity. However, it is an almost impossible task due to the way the game handles the privacy of the players.
Unlike other games where one can see the name of the player at a glance, Cultivation Online does not have such features. Unless individuals allow it, no one will be able to see their name, not even their friends.
After spending a lot of resources and time searching for Yuan, people quickly realized that if Yuan was unwilling to reveal himself, his identity would not be known forever. But that alone was not enough to force these people to give up on trying to find him.
Internet, gaming forums, even newspapers, people started offering real money for information about Yuan, even paying thousands for the person himself to reveal himself.
Virtual reality has become so involved in the real world that it is no exaggeration to say that professional and top-ranked gamers have more fame and respect than even the top celebrities in the world.
Some professional gamers, in fact, get seven digits each month from advertising alone!
In fact, even casual players can earn more money than people with normal jobs just by selling in-game items for real money!
With so much advertising and appeal, it would seem obvious that people want to be a gamer where they can have fun and earn money rather than choosing a job involving labor.
—
After throwing the ball for several hours without breaking a sweat, Yuan suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling tired again?" Xiao Hua asked him.
"My brother called me; it's dinner time" he said.
"You're going?" His expression instantly turned grim upon hearing his words, feeling reluctant to let him go. He was afraid that he would not come back after he left.
"Don't leave Xiao Hua alone!" He hurriedly said, almost crying.
Yuan patted his head with a smile. "I'll be back playing with you later, I promise."
"...You promise?"
"If I break my promise, then I will swallow ten thousand needles!" He swore clearly in a loud voice.
"OK...then Xiao Hua will wait for Big Brother Yuan here." He sat down near the same tree and closed his eyes to rest.
"Get out!"
Yuan's vision blurred, and the warmth in his limbs gradually disappeared. Darkness surrounded his gaze, and he could no longer see or feel anything.
—
"Sister, how's the game going?" Her brother's voice echoed beside her.
"That's .. fun." She showed a gentle smile, but deep down, she was reluctant to leave a bright and colorful world where her body was useless.
"What dinner is today?" He asked her, even though he knew the answer.
"Chicken soup!"
Yuan smiled bitterly. After all, he had eaten nothing but soup for the past few years.
"Here, let me help you stand." He removed the helmet on his head before raising his head and adjusting his body to a sitting position.
He started giving her warm soup with a spoon soon afterwards. "How's the temperature?"
"Perfect…"
The room became quiet with Yuan drinking soup being the only sound that could be heard.
After Yuan finished dinner which contained only one large bowl of soup, he laid it back on the bed. "I'll be right back to clean you up" he said.
Moments later, she returned to the room with a towel, a bucket of warm water, and a new shirt.
"Sorry, brother." He said before stripping it completely.
"... Yu Rou ..."
"What's that?"
"I'm sorry…"
"..."
The room immediately became quiet.
"What are you saying now? You get weird, brother," he chuckles, breaking the silence.
"I know, but I— Mmm?!" His words were interrupted by a warm towel pressing down on his face.
"You don't have to worry about me, brother. When you cure your illness someday, then you can pay me back."
"...Un..." An indescribable feeling welled up in Yuan's heart.
'Is such a day coming?' he wondered in his heart.
"okay! You're all clean now, brother! Even your precious little things! Hehe..." Tempted Yu Rou with a timid laugh.
"ah! You little! Don't mess with my body because I can't feel anything!"
"Eh? What are you talking about? I definitely didn't touch anything!"
"You must have done it!"
Laughter filled the room.
"Yu Rou, thank you." Yuan suddenly said, "I'll repay you someday, this I promise..."
Wearing his clothes for her, Yu Rou smiled, "I won't be humble when the time comes."
—
"All right, brother, we're done for tonight. I'll be back in the morning."
"Ah, can you put that helmet back on before you leave?"
"You want to keep playing? What about sleep?"
"I don't think I can sleep tonight, and playing that game is already considered sleep, you know?"
"What would I do with you if you were addicted? It may harm your body if you stay up too often. Just tonight, okay?"
"Un."
—
"Brother Yuan, you're really back!" Xiao Hua instantly stood up with a happy expression upon seeing him appear out of nowhere like a ghost.
"I did make a promise to you," he patted her, who was poking her head at him with clear indications.
"What do you want to do now that the stars are already out?" he then asked.
"Play games!" She answered without hesitation.
"I'm figured." He nodded with a smile.