Chosen Paradise, Global Game

[Perfect Clear Reward: Free Body Repair Function. Please relax.]

This was the last sentence. After hearing it, an irresistible wave of drowsiness instantly washed over Lu Ce, and he lost consciousness.

Ding ding ding, clang clang, ding ding~~

Not knowing how much time had passed, or perhaps it was only a few minutes, Lu Ce, who was fast asleep, was suddenly woken by his alarm.

Upon opening his eyes, he saw the familiar dim room, the familiar ten-square-meter dorm bathroom.

The familiar moldy corner, the old second-hand Redmi phone by his bed. Lu Ce was startled and looked down at himself—his legs were intact.

"Was it a dream?... It felt so real."

He sighed with a hint of disappointment. As he was thinking, he casually swatted at his phone to turn off the alarm, but it let out a loud bang.

The sound was so loud it fully woke him up. He curiously turned on the light and stared at the deep imprint on his bed, bewildered.

If it weren't for the mattress, his "luxury" phone might have been truly scrap.

Lu Ce suddenly seemed to recall something. He quickly opened his phone, connected to the dorm's Wi-Fi, and casually clicked on a social media platform.

The first trending topic below the search bar was burning with a fiery color. The description was simple, only eight characters.

—Chosen Paradise, Global Game!

The accompanying search count had reached a staggering 180 million.

Historically, the highest trending topic on this platform had only reached forty million. 180 million... that was a number no celebrity's management company would dare to fabricate during a publicity stunt!

Lu Ce quickly clicked into it and began to browse the numerous news reposts.

"Starting at midnight, a large number of people vanished into thin air. Canadian Airlines flight crashed; crew members reported the captain and co-pilot disappeared from the cockpit."

"Many people's phones, computers, and electronic devices suddenly displayed live broadcasts, with screens even appearing on their retinas, unclosable."

"An Australian man demonstrated superpowers, claiming to be a Perfect Clear individual. A new era has arrived, and he will become the ruler of the world."

"A large number of people claim to be Chosen Ones, but they were not forced into the game, stating they can join voluntarily later."

"Experts suggest this may be mass fraudulent behavior. Police are investigating and hope that those who have truly participated in the game will contact the authorities voluntarily."

Message after message filled the screen, and most of them were direct announcements from official media, fully illustrating the seriousness of the matter.

Lu Ce checked and found that the earliest publication time for this news was less than twenty hours ago, yet it had already spread so widely.

There was almost no other news on the entire page. Various self-media outlets rushed to report, and all sorts of mysterious videos filled the app.

This was the first time everyone had witnessed, with their own eyes, what a world-altering event looked like.

And Lu Ce himself was one of the first firsthand witnesses of this dramatic change, even... the very first!

"According to all current interviews, all eyewitnesses stated that after the first game ended, the screen suddenly entered their eyes, allowing them to view their data and the time of the next game with their minds."

"However, all volunteers currently in hospitals have shown no abnormalities in their eyes or brains..."

Lu Ce looked at the information from various interviews and only then realized something was off. With a thought, the screen appeared before his eyes.

This control was incredibly natural, like instinctively controlling his own body, requiring no teaching at all.

Currently, the screen was blank, with only a few simple lines of text.

[Rest Mode.]

[In each game, you can choose to be a spectator or a player.]

[Of course, we believe the world welcomes players, and players will eventually own the world.]

[Time until next game start: 47:54:43.]

[This is God's challenge. Chosen Paradise welcomes you!]

"Is that so? Only two days until the next game starts?"

"According to the news, time within the game and in reality is continuous; the time spent in the game is the same as the outside world's time."

"If participants disappear into the game out of nowhere, it means this game is more like transmigration, not just a mental entry..."

Lu Ce collected information and muttered to himself. He suddenly realized that although he seemed to have gotten first place, he didn't seem to know anything.

These other participants online seemed to know a lot.

Emmm... according to yesterday's explanation, there was a guide in the initial game, but he seemed to have killed him...

It was the first time he had killed someone in his life, but for some reason, he felt no psychological burden.

He could also vaguely sense that the entire world's moral standards and order were about to be reshuffled.

After watching for about half an hour, he suddenly realized he was probably going to be late and quickly jumped out of bed to wash up.

He successfully left the room five minutes later.

"Yo, little Lu, why are you up so late today? I thought you'd already left."

Most of the students had already left. The dorm supervisor, Old Liu, who was tidying up the room, greeted Lu Ce.

Because he was an orphan, Lu Ce was a student from a poor background and ended up applying to live in the janitor's cubicle within the building.

Although the living conditions were poor, it at least saved him an expense and also reduced a lot of complicated interpersonal relationships.

"Mhm, mhm, you go ahead and be busy."

He quickly gave a perfunctory response and hurried toward the school.

"Reporting."

In Class 3-7, Lu Ce, who was already late, stood at the doorway and called out.

The atmosphere in the classroom today was slightly different; one could almost smell a restless energy in the air.

In a senior year class, the homeroom teacher, Old Liu, was still standing at the podium, but everyone below was chattering amongst themselves. The homeroom teacher kept looking at his phone and wasn't managing anything.

After this one report, the entire classroom seemed to have hit a mute button. All eyes turned toward the doorway in unison, and homeroom teacher Old Liu also put down his phone.

The silence that followed lasted for at least five seconds before Old Liu took a deep breath and asked:

"Why are you late?"

Lu Ce had never seen such a fuss made over his being late. He paused for a moment and said:

"I overslept."

Instantly, the classroom returned to its noisy state, and even a "Tch~" sound could be heard from the crowd.

Homeroom teacher Old Liu's eyes dimmed slightly. He had initially thought that someone in his class had become one of the rumored players.

This was because, according to existing information, the game was scheduled to end around this morning.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him anymore, Lu Ce returned to his seat and sat down.

The entire senior year class, because of this matter, had put aside all studies and lessons. Everyone was discussing it with excited expressions, as if anticipating the arrival of a new world.

"Ahem, ahem, alright, everyone's here now, let's have some quiet."

"As per the requirements of the school and the Ministry of Education, classes are suspended today to discuss and organize some matters."

"As for the subsequent class arrangements, it will depend on the specific organizational situation of society, and even how the college entrance examinations are conducted will depend on the circumstances."

"Currently, the importance of 'that matter' surpasses everything!"

Despite the homeroom teacher's serious expression, not a single person in the audience looked serious. Instead, their excitement grew.

"Alright, everyone should know what I'm talking about."

"That Chosen Paradise."

"Does anyone in our class here get chosen, becoming that so-called Chosen One?"