Ripples in Reality

"Mmm--!"

Lin Mo groaned and opened his eyes.

The first thing that met his gaze was the familiar ceiling.

The dormitory ceiling, a bit yellowed, with a small water stain mark in the corner.

Beneath him was a hard wooden bed with a mattress that had been used for three years and had lost most of its elasticity.

The air carried a faint scent of instant noodles, and the familiar... smell of mildew.

He was back.

Looking around, the dormitory was still the same dormitory.

Three empty beds. Right. Those three guys went to the internet cafe last night for an all-nighter, they shouldn't be back yet.

Snack bags and drink bottles littered the floor, the computer screen was still on, paused at the anime he was watching last night.

The chirping of early birds came from outside the window, and the morning light streamed in through the gaps in the dirty curtains.

Eight o'clock in the morning.

Lin Mo looked down at himself.

He was wearing the "Don't Rush, Still Lying Down" otaku T-shirt and pajama pants from when he went to sleep.

He raised his right hand.

On the back of his hand, the faint golden Destiny Mark was still there, but it was fading at a visible rate, like ink spreading and dissolving in water.

In just over ten seconds, the mark completely disappeared, and his skin returned to its smooth state, showing no trace.

"It's hidden..." Lin Mo touched the back of his hand.

He tried to concentrate his thoughts, thinking "Check Status."

The next second, a pale blue light screen indeed unfolded before his eyes!

Although it was blurrier than in the game world, like looking through frosted glass, he could still see:

[Name: Lin Mo]
[Race: Human Race]
[Level: 3 (40/300)]
[Occupation: Lord (Legendary)]
[Status: Healthy]
[Health: 200/200]
[Attributes: Strength 21, Agility 21, Constitution 21, Spirit 26, Charm 21]
[Talent: Infinite Clone (Unique)]
[Occupation Skills: Lord's Majesty, Territory Construction, Troop Recruitment, Resource Command, Lord's Eye, Law Analysis]
[Legendary Exclusive Skills: Territory Sanctuary, Heart's Desire]
[Real World Status: Normal]

"I can check it in the real world too..." Lin Mo mused thoughtfully.

"My Essence Blood is also full," Lin Mo noticed the status bar. "The Essence Blood consumed in the game automatically recovers in the real world?"

He closed the light screen and rolled out of bed.

When his feet touched the ground, that feeling of "body being too light" struck him again.

It wasn't a light feeling of weakness, but a lightness as if a burden had been lifted.

He instinctively did a squat, feeling as effortless as if he hadn't used any strength.

He tried jumping again, and his head almost hit the bed frame above.

"My attributes... they really came back!" Lin Mo's eyes lit up.

Level three attributes, all stats at 20, probably double that of a normal adult male!

This improvement in physical fitness was tangible!

"I've hit the jackpot..." Lin Mo grinned.

But he quickly suppressed his smile.

Because his stomach began to protest violently.

"Grumble grumble--"

Hungry.

Unprecedentedly hungry.

Like he hadn't eaten for three days.

"Gotta eat first! Or I'll starve to death!"

He rushed into the bathroom and brushed his teeth and washed his face as quickly as possible.

The person in the mirror had a rosier complexion than usual and brighter eyes, the effect of his enhanced Spirit Attributes.

But other than that, he still looked like that somewhat lazy art student with messy hair.

While changing, Lin Mo noticed his muscle definition had become more pronounced.

While he hadn't turned into a bodybuilder, the flabby fat from being a shut-in for so long...

had tightened up considerably. He could see faint outlines on his arms and abdomen.

"Good, the changes aren't too obvious," Lin Mo breathed a sigh of relief.

If he suddenly became a muscular hunk, it would be hard to explain.

"Is this... a perk from the game?" He patted his stomach, very satisfied.

At 8:15 AM, Lin Mo burst out of the dorm building and headed straight for the cafeteria.

The campus was already awake in the early morning.

Students on morning runs panted as they passed him, couples strolled hand-in-hand, and those carrying backpacks to early classes hurried along.

Everything was the same as usual.

But Lin Mo knew this world was already different.

At least for those ten thousand beta testers, everything had changed.

The cafeteria was crowded.

Lin Mo ordered four meat buns, two fried dough sticks, a bowl of soy milk, and a plate of pickles. He found a corner seat and began to devour his food.

The flavors exploded in his mouth, and a sense of happiness washed over him.

"It's good to be alive..." he mused as he ate.

While he was eating, he overheard a conversation from a nearby table:

"Did you hear? Something big happened last night!"

"What big thing? Did another celebrity get canceled?"

"Much more serious than that! My uncle works at the hospital, and he said last night, in the middle of the night, they suddenly received over a dozen patients who were unconscious! The symptoms were all the same: they suddenly lost consciousness, their breathing and heartbeat were normal, but they just wouldn't wake up!"

Lin Mo's chewing slowed.

He perked up his ears.

"And then?" another student asked.

"Then things got even weirder!" the first student lowered his voice, but couldn't hide his excitement. "Around three or four in the morning, several of them suddenly... became brain dead! The doctors couldn't find any cause! The hospital has sealed off the news now!"

"No way, really? Don't spread rumors!"

"If I'm lying, I'm a dog! My uncle told me himself!

And it's not just our city; people online are saying that similar cases have appeared in several major cities across the country! There are even a few celebrities involved!"

"Celebrities? Who?"

"The chairman of Hongtu Group, Wang Zhenhai, you must know him, right? He suddenly fell unconscious in the early morning and was declared brain dead this morning!"