Extra: The beginning of it all

The young man climbed out of the gaming pod and stretched.

"Finally... I've finished the Goddess of Beauty's route too."

His name was Wuma Xiu. His compound surname was Wuma, and the Xiu in his given name came from the Asura path.

His grandfather, who was almost obsessed with the jade-faced Asura Lanling Wang, had given him that name.

In his grandfather's day, wars had still raged.

His grandfather's lifelong wish back then had been to ride across the battlefield in iron armor, silver spear in hand, just like Lanling Wang.

So his grandfather had trained hard for ten years.

Unfortunately, that wish had shattered just as he was about to head off to war.

Someone had told his grandfather:

The war was over, and they no longer needed to fight.

That day, his grandfather had quietly shattered, pounding his chest and saying that if he'd known, he wouldn't have trained for so long.

Later, when Wuma Xiu's father was born, his grandfather kept thinking of that day.

So he named Wuma Xiu's father Wuma Sui.

Later still, when Wuma Xiu was born, his grandfather began reminiscing about his old wish again.

So he named him Wuma Xiu, as a tribute to the dream he'd had in his youth.

Wuma Xiu had, in a way, lived up to the name.

Only, his domain wasn't the war-torn frontier, but the fantastical world of games.

Wherever he went, misery followed in his wake.

Except that the screams and wails were often mixed with wave after wave of furious... croaking.

Yes, Wuma Xiu was a true [Asura] in the realm of gaming. Whatever he played, even the romance games popular with girls,

he always ended up dominating the rankings in first place.

Over time, he gained many fans, and his fame continued to grow.

Some time ago, Wuma Xiu had received a package of unknown origin. He had opened the tightly sealed packaging and read the instructions, then almost gasped in shock.

It was a holographic gaming pod, something that had existed only in rumors and science fiction.

A succinctly worded invitation had come with the pod.

There was no name in the signature, only the emblem of an anonymous company.

The letter mentioned that they were developing a game called "Domain of the Gods."

It was currently in a highly confidential closed beta, and they urgently needed a gaming expert to try it out and offer feedback.

The expensive gaming pod was a gift to show their sincerity in inviting Wuma Xiu.

As someone who had spent years immersed in games, how could Wuma Xiu possibly say no?

Even if he had never heard of any company on the market truly overcoming the technological barriers to creating a holographic pod.

But since the thing had already been delivered to him,

wouldn't it be a terrible waste not to try it?

It wasn't April Fools' Day, and what if it was real?

Wouldn't he have struck gold then?

Deciding to give it a try and feeling there was absolutely no risk, Wuma Xiu embarked on his journey to conquer the game.

When he first played it, Wuma Xiu was blown away.

"Domain of the Gods," as its name suggested, was a creation epic built around an immersive holographic experience. It depicted the gods from their glorious birth to their fated demise at twilight.

Its magnificent art was a visual feast, every frame worthy of being a painting.

The dazzling combat effects were even more mesmerizing.

But what truly captivated Wuma Xiu was the gods' unparalleled beauty.

That was right. He never denied that he was a hopeless, through-and-through sucker for good looks.

Ninety percent of the games he had played were very good-looking.

Before starting "Domain of the Gods," he had to choose any one of the many breathtaking gods as his character, then choose a game mode.

The game had two modes.

[Mode one: Path of Role-Playing]

Follow a predetermined course of fate and the god's existing lore and legends, living out a destined life by the book.

[Mode two: Chapter of Freedom]

Break free of the confines of all lore and the shackles of fate, and act as one pleased.

Wuma Xiu gazed at the two options, the corners of his lips slowly curving upward.

He had always enjoyed making the impossible possible.

The more dangerous the peak, the more determined he was to climb it.

So Wuma Xiu chose mode two—the Chapter of Freedom.

And so his own epic of the gods began.

That year, Wuma Xiu barely left home, devoting himself wholeheartedly to the game.

Finally, he had ground his way to the last god.

The Spring God, who held dominion over spring's return to the land.

Once he finished this one, he would have fully cleared "Domain of the Gods."

The mere thought of it thrilled Wuma Xiu.

So he hurriedly wolfed down a few mouthfuls of bland instant noodles, then eagerly climbed back into the pod.

This round of grinding lasted another half month. Aside from meals, baths, and other necessities, Wuma Xiu even slept in the gaming pod.

Even a beast of burden would have been put to shame by that attitude.

Finally, the day came when Wuma Xiu finished the grind.

He was thinking about writing down his experiences and suggestions and was about to climb out of the pod when everything went black, and he collapsed.

He never got back up.

[Hello, host. I am the God Disguise Role-Playing System.]