As he waited, Zhao Lin gradually grew impatient.
Just then, three options appeared before him.
[Please select your starting Divine Realm]
1, Winter Divine Domain (Divine Realm)
Divine Realm Traits: Produces ice-affiliated races, which possess exceptional endurance and control abilities.
2, Blood Divine Realm (Divine Realm)
Divine Realm Traits: Produces blood-and-qi-affiliated races, which excel at prolonged battles and possess strong physiques.
3, Undead Divine Domain (Divine Realm)
Divine Realm Traits: Produces undead races, which wield dark magic and excel at fighting in groups.
Zhao Lin couldn't help staring in surprise at the options.
After carefully examining the descriptions of the three Divine Realms, he selected the second option, "Blood Divine Realm."
His view shifted, and the darkness before him faded away.
A wave of frenzied cheers suddenly rang out from ahead. Zhao Lin was astonished to find himself sitting on the Blood Throne. In the magnificent city, countless subjects knelt in worship, packed so thickly that they stretched beyond sight.
Their eyes were filled with fervor and excitement. Every so often, they lifted their heads and gazed at him with reverence.
"Great Blood Monarch, I will serve you all my life!"
"Above all, my god! I am your loyal servant!"
"My god, please protect your people!"
Countless prayers rang in Zhao Lin's ears, leaving him at a loss for a moment.
[Advance along the path to godhood and build a divine kingdom of your own!]
A line of text appeared in the scene, then quickly vanished.
Realizing this was the game's opening cinematic, Zhao Lin felt a sudden rush of excitement.
Being worshipped by countless subjects—he had to admit, it felt damn good!
The cinematic faded, and Zhao Lin's view shifted again. This time, he found himself inside a dilapidated house.
Dust covered the entire room, cobwebs hung everywhere, and the place was a complete mess. Clutter and rubbish littered the floor, and tools such as shovels and hoes sat among them.
With his sharp eyes, he even spotted a mouse darting right past him.
Sunlight streamed through the window, allowing him to clearly see the dust motes floating in the air.
When he pushed open the door and stepped outside, the stuffy air gave way to a fresh breeze.
Dusk had fallen. Thatched huts and mud-brick buildings stood scattered all around, as if he had returned to ancient times.
The painstakingly detailed scenery left Zhao Lin dumbfounded.
A game with one hundred percent realism!!!
If he hadn't been certain he'd only appeared here after launching the game, Zhao Lin would've wondered whether he'd somehow traveled to another world.
Highly realistic games already existed on the market, but even the most realistic among them fell short of fifty percent. Not a single game had ever surpassed that mark.
Creating a game with more than fifty percent realism required an enormous investment of time, manpower, and money, along with incredibly strict technical standards. So although major game companies had been trying, none had succeeded so far.
Still, the major game companies had never given up on developing a game with one hundred percent realism.
The profits success could bring were unimaginable. A fully realistic game could usher in an entirely new era. The old movie Ready Player One, made three hundred years ago, had already vividly depicted a world where virtual reality became a Second World.
It might not be exactly the same, but it was bound to share some similarities.
Players often joked, though, that getting to play a game with one hundred percent realism was something they'd have to wait until the afterlife for.
And yet here he was, playing a game made by a little-known studio that had actually achieved one hundred percent realism. Zhao Lin was stunned.
It felt like seeing a news report, while countries were busy developing new technology, announcing that some obscure little nation had invented a warp drive, a quantum computer, and a whole host of other advanced technologies.
It seemed utterly absurd to him.
He tapped the flame icon displayed in the upper-right corner. A translucent player interface immediately appeared before him.
Zhao Lin (Player) Divine Realm: Blood Divine Domain Strength Level: None Inheritance: None Territory: None Troops: None
Then Zhao Lin noticed a Store icon beside the character attributes panel. He focused on it, and the display before him immediately changed.
[Divine Realm Troop Store - Beginner] Blood Thrall (Low-Level Troop) Price: 10 Divine Power Attributes: Strength (5), Stamina (4), Intelligence (None) Growth Potential: F-rank Description: Suitable for manual labor; has no combat talent ... Blood Wolf (Low-Level Troop) Price: 30 Divine Power Attributes: Strength (12), Stamina (6), Intelligence (None) Growth Potential: F-rank Description: Suitable for combat and guarding territory; has weak combat ability ... Blood Gladiator (Low-Level Troop) Price: 300 Divine Power Attributes: Strength (21), Stamina (20), Intelligence (Low) Growth Potential: F-rank Special Ability: Blood Frenzy (While in a Blood Frenzy state, Strength and Stamina increase by 50% for 30 minutes. After Blood Frenzy ends, the Blood Gladiator enters a weakened state for 20 hours.) Description: Suitable for low-intensity combat; has weak combat ability ...
After checking his player panel and the Divine Realm Shop, Zhao Lin suddenly understood how this game worked.
Wasn't this just a construction-and-farming game?
Gather resources, summon troops from the store, and gradually build a faction of his own.
Interesting!
After calming himself down, Zhao Lin set off with curiosity, ready to explore the game.
A notification appeared in his mind.
Current Location: Boundless Realm - Northern Territory - Star Archipelago - Dragon Scale Island Game Tip: Gather resources as soon as possible, create your Divine Realm troops, and begin your path to godhood! Beginner Tip: There is a low-level Abandoned Mine two kilometers east of your location (Tip: Bring mining tools before setting out to avoid wasting time on a return trip)
The beginner tip left Zhao Lin a little bewildered.
Was the game really sending him mining right from the start?
Did it have to be this realistic? Couldn't he at least get a beginner's gift pack?
Still, Zhao Lin was full of anticipation for the game. Following the tip, he returned to the earthen house, picked up a pickaxe and a coal-oil lamp, and headed east.
As he walked, the scenery along the way and the fresh air put Zhao Lin in a wonderful mood. His frustration over being stuck on his writing vanished.
After about half an hour, Zhao Lin finally reached the Abandoned Mine marked on the map.
Carrying the coal-oil lamp, he entered the Abandoned Mine and headed deeper inside. The air quickly grew stuffy.
After walking for more than ten minutes, Zhao Lin stopped in front of a rock wall embedded with white stones.
As he studied it closely, information about the mineral appeared in his mind.
[White Condensation Stone (Level 1 Ore)]: Ore Details: A very common low-grade ore containing a faint trace of spiritual energy. Uses: Can be used to forge beginner weapons or build Level 1 defensive structures. Store Sale Price: 2 Divine Power
Realizing that the White Condensation Stone embedded in the rock wall was the resource he needed, Zhao Lin immediately raised his pickaxe and began chipping away at the wall.
But after a few strikes, the shock had numbed his palm, and Zhao Lin had to stop.
Did it seriously have to be this realistic? Damn it!
He rubbed his palm, unable to hold back the complaint rising inside him.
Still, Zhao Lin hadn't given up on the game. After resting for a few minutes, he picked up his hoe again and resumed mining.
He stopped several times along the way, but at last, grumbling the whole time, Zhao Lin dug out his first White Condensation Stone.
But selling it in the store would only get him 2 Divine Power. He still needed four more to create the cheapest troop.
With no other choice, Zhao Lin continued his miserable mining, all the while cursing the game designers and development team for their sadistic sense of humor.
An hour later, blisters had formed on both his palms, but Zhao Lin had finally dug up his fifth White Condensation Stone.
Without hesitation, he opened the store panel and sold all the White Condensation Stones.
[Game Tip: Sale successful. Received 10 Divine Power]
Excited, Zhao Lin opened the Divine Realm Shop and prepared to summon his first troop, a Blood Thrall.
He spent ten Divine Power and clicked confirm. The Blood Thrall in the store display opened its eyes and knelt before him on one knee.
At the same time, a crimson formation appeared in front of Zhao Lin, and a red-skinned figure slowly emerged from it.
[Congratulations! You have successfully created a low-level troop—Blood Thrall]
Before you continue