Chapter 1

"Today, the sales of the 'Fate' game helmet have reached a new high, with the coverage rate among students over 14 years old reaching four-fifths..." The light from the TV shone on Wang Fusheng's face, making his features appear somewhat blurry in the dark room.

Reaching out, he stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray and turned off the TV, then walked into the bathroom. The water from the showerhead turned into droplets that slid down Wang Fusheng's not overly exaggerated but explosively muscular body. The scar on his back, which looked fierce, became somewhat illusory as the water droplets continuously slid down.

Wang Fusheng closed his eyes, and a series of images flashed through his mind, causing his muscles to tense up. Suddenly, he lifted his head, and the steam in the bathroom paused for a moment. Even the water from the showerhead seemed to freeze for a fraction of a second before resuming its flow. He grabbed a towel, dried himself off, did a few chest-expanding exercises, and then twisted his neck, making his bones crack.

"I hope you can help me relax, or I'll have to return to my past life. Wanting a normal life isn't that simple..." Wang Fusheng picked up the 'Fate' helmet and smiled bitterly, his face, though only in his twenties, carrying a deep sense of沧桑 (cang桑, meaning沧桑, which can be translated as '沧桑' or 'weathered').

On October 1, 3567, the survival game 'Fate,' hailed as a potential future war, began its public beta test.

'Fate' is a large-scale war and post-war survival game jointly developed by various federations across the galaxy. The game's background is set thousands of years ago, when humans first stepped out of Earth and a nuclear war broke out. The game simulates the world after the nuclear explosion, where various creatures have mutated due to radiation, allowing humans to relive the struggles of their ancestors to survive.

The game aims to make modern people understand the cruelty of war and warn them about how to survive if a war were to occur in the future. Therefore, it has been promoted by the Ministry of Education to teach students the importance of being prepared for danger even in times of peace.

Wang Fusheng, a student at Fudan University, has an ordinary appearance but a complex identity. For some reason, he chose to live a normal life, but his deep-seated instincts made him feel out of place in the ordinary world. The war-themed game 'Fate' became his attempt to calm his mind. A year ago, Wang Fusheng was a soldier, one of the best in China, but he was discharged for some reason.

Wang Fusheng chose to be discharged, but a normal life was not as simple as he imagined. A man who was accustomed to blood and fire, who struggled in piles of corpses, slept with a cold gun, and felt uncomfortable unless he ran at least fifty kilometers a day, and who spent five years in the chaotic African star domain, suddenly found himself shuttling between home and school every day, holding a pen for exams instead of a gun and a serrated military dagger. He no longer wore the various lightweight protective suits made of chameleons or the war machines of the land forces, but rather the uniform of a well-behaved student, which suppressed his inner aggression.

If this suppression was not relieved, Wang Fusheng might suffer from a mental breakdown, becoming either completely ordinary or a bloodthirsty killer. He discovered this problem less than a month after his discharge and had been looking for a solution. The arrival of 'Fate' gave him hope.

'Fate' is a 100% virtual game with a war theme, where everything from reality can be used in the game, and vice versa. Therefore, the game has been highly anticipated since its development. Although the war on Earth ended thousands of years ago, some immigrant planets still have war ruins, and the mutated creatures left by the nuclear radiation are still visible, making everyone highly interested in the game. Thus, it is also known as the third virtual world war after humans left Earth.

Ding! Welcome to the 'Fate' game. Your character's gender is male. Generating game data. You can name your character.

Wearing the game helmet, Wang Fusheng entered an empty world. There was nothing in this world, as if he were floating in the sky. He was like an observer, watching a series of images resembling a human anatomy diagram flash before him, starting from the most basic cells, then bones, organs, tendons, and flesh, gradually accumulating into a human form.

"Scavenger." Looking at the faceless figure that had been generated, familiar yet somewhat strange, Wang Fusheng said the name he wanted to use. He chose this name because it was related to his shadow-like military career.

Ding! Naming successful. Scanning attributes. You can choose random attributes assigned by the system or generate attributes based on your real-life physical condition (Note: Each basic attribute is 100. System random assignment may result in the maximum or minimum value. Generating attributes based on your real-life physical condition will be based on your real-life physical fitness).

"Generate attributes based on my real-life physical condition." Wang Fusheng was absolutely confident in his physical condition. Although he hadn't exercised much for over a year, generating attributes based on his real-life physical condition would make him closer to his real-life body, which would be beneficial for his combat.

Ding! Attribute data generated. Your data is as follows: Stamina: 90, Spirit: 93, Attack: 92, Speed: 87, Overall Combat Power: 181.

Ding! You can adjust your appearance by 20% up or down, and specify your desired features.

"Down 10%, darker skin, and a rougher appearance." Wang Fusheng said without hesitation.

Ding! Character creation successful. Do you want to enter the game?

A "Yes" or "No" option appeared before Wang Fusheng, and he clicked "Yes."

Ding! Due to your four basic attributes being one extremely excellent and three super excellent