An outrageous start

The sky, shrouded in gray, suddenly split with a thunderbolt, illuminating the heavens and the earth.

The abrupt thunder startled Jiang Han, causing him to hastily open his eyes. To his surprise, he found himself standing atop a towering mountain. Before him stretched a dim and desolate canyon, veiled in mist, with distant echoes of a mighty dragon's roar, sending shivers down one's spine.

Despite the strange sensation, Jiang Han, aware of his virtual location, remained composed. Without hesitation, he decisively exclaimed, "Skip!"

As a seasoned gamer, he recognized this as the opening scene of the game "Eternal." He anticipated the upcoming battles, dazzling elemental displays, and the chance for players to flaunt their skills.

All of this, however, was mere spectacle. Only the wise would focus on seizing the gaming advantage rather than getting lost in the frivolities.

Following his command, a gentle and sweet female voice chimed in his ears, "Ding!~"

System prompt: Hello, player. Do you wish to skip the game's opening scene? (Note: Skipping the opening scene will result in a 50% reduction in experience gain for one hour as a penalty.)

Jiang Han: "..."

This penalty seemed excessively harsh in the early stages. Helpless, he stood atop the mountain, patiently observing.

"Ao!"

In the distance, accompanied by the dragon's roar, a colossal silver dragon, over a kilometer in length, soared from the canyon into the sky. Its wings could blot out the sun as it swiftly approached Jiang Han, creating turbulent air currents.

Jiang Han raised an eyebrow, finding the sight of the fierce silver dragon impressive, even for someone accustomed to extravagant game openings.

Simultaneously, he noticed a man in a gray robe standing below in the canyon. The man's face was pale, but a mischievous smile played on his lips. In a hoarse voice, he chuckled, "Even if the Dragon God himself were to come, he would perish here, let alone you."

With impeccable timing, the man leaped, lifting his right leg nonchalantly, striking the side of the silver dragon's head. He effortlessly kicked it, sending the dragon crashing into the canyon's edge, causing a significant collapse of rocks and a cloud of dust.

"Swoosh..."

Sword energy, like a series of whips, howled.

The gray-robed man, disdainfully raising his hand, flicked his fingertips, sending sharp sword energy flying. It tore through the rock wall, leaving a deep and unfathomable mark. Jiang Han couldn't help but comment inwardly on the ostentatious display.

"Today, I will surely suppress you here."

Emerging from the mist, split by the sword energy, came a silver-haired man wielding a sword. He wore a resolute expression, seemingly prepared for death.

As expected, the two engaged in a dazzling display of techniques, causing havoc within the canyon. Jiang Han anticipated the exchange of powerful moves to conclude the battle.

The opening scene shouldn't drag on too long. Jiang Han believed it was about time, itching to showcase his prowess in the game.

Dragons in the game? Undoubtedly, his future mount would be a colossal dragon, or even a Dragon God!

The official statement claimed that NPC intelligence rivaled that of humans. Could he, in this fantasy world, find an extraordinarily beautiful NPC as a girlfriend and show off a bit?

Watching the two fighters, Jiang Han daydreamed about reaching such levels of skill, or perhaps surpassing them. A surge of adolescent energy filled him, hands crossed arrogantly, sneering, "Hmph, two ants!"

...

Jiang Han's unexpected declaration left the two combatants puzzled and unsure.

Who is this guy? Clearly weak, yet he dares to stand there from the beginning and now speaks disdainfully, calling them ants?

Is he deliberately hiding his true strength, or did they misjudge him?

The awkward atmosphere persisted for a moment.

"Hahaha..."

Jiang Han couldn't help but laugh, then regained his composure, "I was just kidding. Continue, don't mind me."

"I want to see how capable you really are, daring to call us ants!"

The gray-robed man, eager to test Jiang Han, drew a brilliant blue sword that even the silver-haired man couldn't force out. He released a domineering sword energy, seemingly capable of cleaving the world.

...

In a flash, the tense atmosphere dissolved into awkwardness. Jiang Han chuckled nervously, "I was just joking. You guys continue, pay no attention to me."

System prompt: Do you wish to create a character?

...

Suppressing the urge to report the game to the authorities, Jiang Han took a deep breath and nodded, "Yes!"

The next moment, a young man in tattered gray-white clothes appeared in front of him. Their features were remarkably similar.

"Can I change my appearance?" Jiang Han asked.

System prompt: Appearance can be adjusted within a 20% range.

In the next second, a translucent virtual panel appeared before Jiang Han, allowing him to modify his character's appearance. Without much thought, he made a few adjustments and confirmed.

System prompt: Modification successful. Please name your character. (Note: Once the character is created, there is no option to change the name. Please choose carefully.)

Name...

After some contemplation, Jiang Han decided, "Yi Jianghan!"

...

System prompt: Verification failed. The chosen name does not meet the age standard. Please choose another name.

Does my age affect the name I can choose?

Jiang Han was torn between admiring the game's precision and mocking its twisted sense of humor.

"Fine, let's be serious." Jiang Han shook his head, carefully considering, "One Jianghan!"

System prompt: Verification successful. Are you sure?

"Yes!"

...

In an instant, a bright light enveloped him, and Jiang Han found himself in a dilapidated village, surrounded by numerous players who, like him, had just arrived as adventurers.

First, take on quests!

Jiang Han scanned the area and targeted an old man leaning on a cane nearby. He pushed through the crowd, arriving in front of him and asked, "Hello, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"With you?" The old man gave Jiang Han a disdainful glance, saying, "You're worthy?"

Jiang Han was momentarily stunned by the retort, then glared, "Old man, who do you think you're looking down on?"

Damn, this NPC is wild.