Chapter 1

“Knock, knock, knock...”

The old wooden door was being knocked on, and instantly, in the small and quiet courtyard, Yang Xuan, who was practicing boxing, slowly stopped, and casually wiped the sweat from his forehead with his worn-out, faded sleeve.

"It must be Sister Xinran if someone is coming to see us so early."

Yang Xuan pulled the somewhat rotten door bolt open, and with a creak, he saw a beautiful woman standing outside the door. Her snow-white, pretty face was tinged with a faint smile, and her tall, slender figure was accentuated by her white dress. At that moment, she was holding a large black bag in her hand.

"Sister Xinran, you came so early? Why aren't you going to work..." Yang Xuan was somewhat surprised to see the woman outside the door.

"Little fool, it's the weekend today, what work?" Xu Xinran rolled her eyes at him, then, seeing the somewhat awkward Yang Xuan, she giggled and said, "I won't go in. I came early to give you something, and then I have to go back to work. Here you go~"

Xu Xinran handed the large black bag to Yang Xuan.

"What is it?" Yang Xuan was somewhat curious, and after taking it, he opened the bag without hesitation. He was taken aback, "What is this?"

Looking at the dark blue helmet-like object in his hand, Yang Xuan was puzzled.

Xu Xinran, seeing Yang Xuan's surprised expression, said, "Have you heard of 'The Other World'?"

"'The Other World'..." Yang Xuan's body trembled, and he suddenly looked up at Xu Xinran, "Is this the game helmet for 'The Other World'?"

"Yep! That's it."

Instantly, Yang Xuan stuffed the helmet back into the bag and handed it to Xu Xinran, took a deep breath, and said solemnly, "Sister Xinran, this helmet costs about 8,000, right? It's too expensive, I can't accept it. 8,000 is a significant amount for you too."

Xu Xinran didn't take the bag but winked playfully, "Is the favor you did for me not worth this helmet?"

Yang Xuan shook his head and said, "It's different. Sister Xinran, you've been helping us all these years, and my master, his wife, and my junior sisters are already very grateful to you. Besides, since you recognized me as your brother, saving you back then was only right!"

"Since you call me sister, giving you the helmet is only right too!" Xu Xinran puffed out her chest, and her proud, graceful curves were enough to make many artificial beauties blush.

Yang Xuan firmly handed the bag back to Xu Xinran, "Sister Xinran, this helmet probably cost you more than a month's salary. I practice every day, and I'll be eighteen soon, so I'll have to find a job. I won't have time to play games, and this helmet won't be useful to me."

"I bought another one, and this one is specifically for you." Xu Xinran pushed the bag back, "Since you know this is something I worked hard for over a month, why are you hesitating? And... don't you want to earn some money to make your junior sister and your master live better?"

Yang Xuan didn't understand Xu Xinran's meaning and looked at her in confusion.

"Idiot!" Xu Xinran pointed at the game helmet Yang Xuan was holding, "'The Other World' is the world's first fully intelligent virtual online game, launched by the Federation. It not only provides a new era of mental lifestyle but also helps solve employment issues and reduce crime rates, and even creates a large amount of virtual economy... In other words, this game is not just a game; for some people, it can be a tool to earn money. Don't you want to try?"

"Moreover, I heard that 'The Other World' is closely linked to the player's reaction ability, motor nerves, and physical fitness in real life. Although real-life physical fitness won't completely break the game's balance, it will give you an edge over ordinary players. Your kung fu is so good, you'll definitely do well in the game too!"

...

In the dim and shabby small room, Yang Xuan looked at the dark blue helmet on the table, his mind in turmoil.

"The advertisement says this is similar to online games, but instead of displaying on a screen and operating with a keyboard, this game will place the player's consciousness in another world, operated by the mind. I wonder if it's really that amazing."

"But I've never played online games before. Can I play this well? If I can't earn money, I'll not only disappoint Sister Xinran but also waste her month's salary..."

After much contemplation, Yang Xuan surprisingly didn't go to practice.

"Sister Xinran has helped us so much over the years. Without her support, our lives would be much harder. Since Sister Xinran trusts me so much, I can't let her efforts go to waste!" As he thought, Yang Xuan's gaze gradually became firm, with a hint of enthusiasm and anticipation in his eyes.

Yang Xuan met Xu Xinran a few years ago, and the process of their meeting was quite dramatic, similar to the classic hero-saving-the-beauty plot in TV dramas.

However, at that time, Yang Xuan was only fourteen, and Xu Xinran was only eighteen, meaning they met four years ago.

At that time, Xu Xinran seemed to be doing a part-time job and had to pass through this slum area. Due to the delay in her work, she passed through here around ten o'clock at night. As a result, she was accosted by a few local hooligans.

In this remote slum, robbery and assault were common.

As society became more advanced, employment had become saturated, so many people were unemployed and had become numb, leading to a rise in criminal activities.

Fortunately, when Xu Xinran shouted for help, the fourteen-year-old Yang Xuan, who hadn't completed his training, was being punished by his master to stand. Hearing the cries for help, he rushed to the scene.

He would never forget the beautiful face of Xu Xinran that night, with her eyes full of panic and fear. That helpless and desperate beauty made Yang Xuan's heart flutter for the first time.

However, due to his timely arrival, the hooligans didn't even touch Xu Xinran.

Next, Yang Xuan, relying on the kung fu he had practiced since childhood, easily injured the hooligans, and one of them, who had a foul mouth, was directly disabled.

Afterward, Xu Xinran was both shocked and grateful. Knowing that Yang Xuan was an orphan and lived nearby with his master, his wife, and a few junior sisters, she often came to visit them and gradually became familiar with Yang Xuan's junior sisters and his master.

At that time, Xu Xinran, still a student, secretly saved her living expenses and bought a lot of food for Yang Xuan and his family. During holidays, she would take out her saved pocket money to buy some meat dishes and bring them to Yang Xuan and his family, occasionally celebrating with them.

Not long ago, Xu Xinran had graduated and started working, and with her salary, she would often buy food and visit Yang Xuan and his family.

...

Thinking about the most anticipated thing in the past few years, which was seeing Sister Xinran come to visit everyone, Yang Xuan couldn't help but smile. Because whenever Sister Xinran came, she would definitely bring delicious food, and even half a roasted duck could make them happy for a long time.

Although he wasn't as excited about half a roasted duck as before, Yang Xuan still looked forward to seeing Sister Xinran. Not for anything else, just seeing her made him feel happy and at ease.

"At noon, the server will open. It seems Sister Xinran left in a hurry to prepare for the game. Since she gave me such an expensive gift, I can't let her efforts go to waste. I'll log in before noon and try to level up as much as possible. A higher level means a better chance to earn money!" Yang Xuan gently stroked the dark blue game helmet and began to set it up according to the instructions.

After a quick lunch and a brief greeting to his master's wife, Yang Xuan immediately returned to his small room, lay down on the bed, and put on the helmet.

As soon as he put on the helmet, his consciousness became blurry, and then a white light flashed. Instantly, Yang Xuan found himself in a white, empty space, with no one around. In the sky, several numbers as bright as the sun appeared.

It was a countdown!

Yang Xuan looked at his body in shock, finding it so familiar, just like in real life, even the veins on his palms were clearly visible!

"Truly a joint effort of hundreds of countries in the Federation. The feeling in 'The Other World' is no different from reality. In the future, anyone who can afford the helmet will likely enter this game to experience it. It truly is a second world for humans!"

Yang Xuan marveled inwardly and then looked up at the countdown in the sky.

"Half an hour left. Let's check the forum for any information about 'The Other World'."

Following the instructions in the game helmet's manual, Yang Xuan moved his mind, and a floating screen appeared before him, which was the official forum of 'The Other World'. He saw mostly posts like "Looking for a team," "Looking for a mentor," and some recruitment posts from studios, with only a little information about 'The Other World'.

After reading the introduction, Yang Xuan looked at some of the recruitment posts from studios.

"XX Studio has just been established, completed official registration, and is preparing to fully enter 'The Other World'. We are recruiting 10 to 15 people. Age: 18 to 35, gender: no limit, excellent physical fitness in real life, and frequent exercisers are preferred. Base salary: 2,000; those with combat training experience are preferred, base salary: 3,000 to 5,000."

"Our company has heavily invested in establishing the 'Other World Logistics Department', recruiting a large number of production players. Requirements: engage in production professions in the game, such as herbalism, mining, hunting, etc. No age or gender limit. Those who complete the studio's requirements daily will receive a base salary of 1,000, with more work leading to more pay."

"Our studio is about to form a gold-farming team, requirements..."

...

A series of recruitment posts made Yang Xuan's eyes dazzled, and at the same time, gave him some thoughts about future earning methods.

"According to these posts, even if I practice a production profession, as long as I complete the studio's tasks daily, I can earn a monthly salary of over 1,000. If I can earn this money, my junior sisters can occasionally have some meat."

"However, this is not my goal. Since Sister Xinran trusts me so much, I have to do better! Some posts offer salaries of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of yuan per month for experts. As long as I work hard, I might become an expert. My biggest advantage over other players is the reaction and awareness I've practiced since childhood, which are essential for playing this game well!"

Seeing the generous salaries of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of yuan per month offered by large studios, Yang Xuan suddenly felt boundless motivation.

Amid the anticipation of countless people, the server was about to open.

"Ten seconds until the server opens, entering the countdown phase."

A clear female voice echoed through the sky, then began the countdown.

"10!"

"9!"

...

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"Game start!"

As the clear female voice faded, a white light flashed before Yang Xuan's eyes, and he found himself in a vast, magnificent hall.

The hall was enormous, with golden walls adorned with murals of ancient races in battle, giving a sense of grandeur and epic awe.

At that moment, the hall was crowded with people, and Yang Xuan could clearly see everyone's faces, just like in real life.

"The few people in front must be the NPC guides for character creation!"

A player suddenly shouted, and instantly, a large crowd surged toward the few beautiful elf NPC guides. Then, large groups of players disappeared from the hall, presumably having created their characters and entered the game.

However, as large groups of players disappeared, more and more players entered the hall, making it look like a sea of people, showing the immense popularity of 'The Other World'.

Yang Xuan didn't want to fall behind and ran to the beautiful NPC, and instantly, a system prompt sounded—

"Do you want to create a character?"

"Yes!" Yang Xuan chose without hesitation, eager to enter the game and level up as soon as possible. Even if he couldn't level up faster than others, he couldn't fall behind, or he would be left behind by other players.

"Please create a nickname."

"Xuan Yang." Yang Xuan thought for a moment and said.

"Nickname can be used, bound. Please select a profession."

Then, the system introduced the professions.

In 'The Other World', there are seven main professions: Swordsman, Thief, Knight, Mage, Priest, Archer, and Taoist. The first three are melee, and the last four are ranged attack professions. Of course, it's said that there are some special hidden professions in 'The Other World', but the conditions to trigger them are unknown and not mentioned on the official website. Players can only discover them through exploration, and with good luck, they might be able to change to a hidden profession during a class change.

After some consideration, Yang Xuan chose the Chinese-characteristic profession—Taoist.

"Congratulations, character creation successful. Do you want to be teleported to the beginner town?"

Yang Xuan was about to say yes, but suddenly, he saw a player sneak behind the NPC, seemingly discovering something. Upon closer inspection, it was a staircase!

Most players who just entered the game were eager to create their characters and quickly enter the game to level up, so they wouldn't wander around the beginner hall. Yang Xuan didn't expect someone to observe so carefully and even discover the staircase behind the NPC.

Yang Xuan hesitated for a moment, decided not to enter the game, and walked toward the staircase.

"This staircase seems to lead directly to the top of the hall. Is there something special at the top?" Yang Xuan thought.

At that moment, the player who discovered the staircase had already climbed it and was heading toward the top of the hall, which was several dozen meters high. Yang Xuan hesitated for a moment and then quickly climbed the staircase, heading toward the top of the hall.

"Anyway, it won't take long to reach the top of the hall, and I might discover something."

Before long, Yang Xuan climbed up, but before he reached a third of the way, he found the staircase was cut off, and a few meters away, another staircase was visible.

It seemed the staircase was cut off in the middle, like a cliff, with a gap of a few meters.

"Did the player who climbed the staircase fall down?" Yang Xuan couldn't see the player anymore.

"In real life, I can easily jump this distance with my skills. I wonder how it works in the game." Yang Xuan thought for a moment, gritted his teeth, and decided to try. After all, it's just a game, and he wouldn't die if he fell.

So, Yang Xuan followed the method he used in real life, circulated his inner energy, and infused it into his legs. A surge of energy swelled, as if about to explode, producing a thunderous roar!

Then, Yang Xuan slightly bent his legs, compressed the energy to the limit, and finally leaped, the force in his legs bursting instantly!

In a blink, Yang Xuan had leaped to the other side.

"Success!" Yang Xuan smiled, realizing he could jump as far in the game as in real life. The player who discovered the staircase was probably just an ordinary person in real life, able to jump only a few meters, so it was normal for him to fall.

Yang Xuan looked at the staircase ahead and continued forward.

He had a hunch that this sudden break in the staircase was a test, and if so, there must be something unusual at the top of the hall!

So, Yang Xuan continued forward. However, when he was close to the top of the hall, he was stunned.

The staircase was cut off again, and this time, the opposite staircase was ten meters away!