Chapter 10 - The Challenge of Two Friends

Herolick and BuuBuu had been friends since they were young. Thirty years ago, they embarked on the ambitious project of creating the virtual world and the super AI that would ultimately become the foundation of the Yunatea virtual world. 

After extensive research and significant investments of both energy and money, they were able to bring their dream to life.

Immortal Legacy became an immersive game set in a virtual world called Yunatea, a place with a seemingly real and time-honored history spanning tens of thousands of years. The world's lifelike, accelerated progression was made possible by a remarkably advanced Artificial Intelligence. 

By the time the players started entering the virtual world after the game's release, Yunatea had already evolved into an independent realm with complex and intricate plots and a diverse cast of characters.

Upon its public grand opening, Yunatea transformed into an astonishingly realistic alternative world, evolving organically with minimal intervention from the game developers. The game's development was driven entirely by the actions and decisions of the players and the native inhabitants within the game.

As BuuBuu rose to become the most influential person in the Golden Age Company, taking on the role of CEO in charge of Immortal Legacy, Herolick had been missing for over a decade. He had vanished without a trace as if the earth had swallowed him, and his disappearance was largely concealed, especially since he had hidden his real identity from the public, even hiding information about his family.

Though Herolick left behind a huge ambition that he never saw come to realization, at least as BuuBuu understood. Herolick's vision had been realized, however, as Immortal Legacy grew into an international phenomenon with tremendous investment value, revolutionizing the lives and lifestyles of people around the world.

In a towering building in the heart of downtown West Lake, a 49-year-old man with salt-and-pepper hair sat in an office. His frame was draped in a long white coat, and a pair of glasses framed his focused eyes. 

Marco Flare, better known by his gamer name 'BuuBuu', was renowned for his contribution to the success of the popular game 'Immortal Legacy'.

As usual, Marco was sitting in front of his computer, carefully monitoring and preparing the best way to develop Immortal Legacy in the future. The task had been weighing heavily on him lately, particularly since one of the deities of sin had yet to choose their champion.

Suddenly, the pocket of his white coat vibrated. Without hesitation, Marco answered his ringing phone.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Marco, it's good news! Akidia, Goddess Akidia!"

"Yes, what about the Goddess?" Marco asked casually.

"She has chosen her Divine Champion!"

"Wait for me," he commanded. "I'll be right there; make sure you have all the information I need."

By evening, while the majority of the company's employees were required to work regular hours, a select few were assigned the night shift. 

In a spacious control room, a large screen on one wall and several smaller ones on the other displayed critical events that had just transpired within Immortal Legacy and a group had gathered to monitor these significant events.

Hurrying over, Marco adjusted his glasses as he gazed at the screen. Upon seeing Akidia conversing with a player none of them were familiar with.

"Akidia? What made her decide to go with this player? Could you show me the status of that player?"

"What?!" he exclaimed aloud. "A level 25 player? How is that possible?"

"Broken..." Marco murmured under his breath, referring to the player's online gamer name.

The woman beside him responded, "Mr. Marco, I am not sure what Goddess Akidia thought when she chose that player, but according to the data we found, it seems he has only been online for an hour each day over the past year. 

Despite this, he has accomplished a remarkable feat, completing a lot of the side quests available at his level, as well as the hidden quests and a few other tasks that only a few players manage to complete. Even though he wasn't focused on leveling up, he still reached level 25 within a year of playing Immortal Legacy."

She added, "This occurred when the player named Broken was completing a hidden quest to find a spirit companion, and Akidia suddenly appeared before him."

"What kind of reward did the system give him for this encounter?"

Marco then reviewed the details of the reward, paying particular attention to the two titles the player had received.

"The boost in stats is quite significant, but the real game changer here is the Ethereal Form. This skill could prove to be very troublesome for many players, and if used by the right person, he could become untouchable," he said.

Marco remained silent, lost in thought. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around how Goddess Akidia made this decision," he said. "She has always gone her own way, and this time seems no exception. But she must have chosen wisely... this person is certainly hardworking."

"Yes, Mr. Marco," the woman replied, "even though he doesn't log into the game very often. I wonder if this honor will encourage him to play more frequently?"

"Good, then," he said with a nod and a smile. "We will work even harder after this. All the deities of sin have chosen their champions, and there are sure to be countless exciting adventures ahead."

"But, Mr. Marco."

"Yes?"

"There is one pressing matter that needs to be addressed," she said hesitantly. "If I may, I would like to show you..."

The large screen in front of them again displayed the data about the blessings and all the bonus rewards Akidia had given to her Divine Champion.

"She gave the Transcendence Blessing to him? And five passive skills?!" Marco exclaimed.

"Not only that, but she also gave him spirit contract tickets. Oh my goodness!" He added, his breaths quickening. "This... this is far too much, too unfair for the other players or even the other Divine Champions."

"Does she understand the risks of her actions, Mr. Marco?"

"By choosing only one champion, she risks everything. Without any backups, if her champion encounters trouble due to all the blessings she has bestowed upon him, she might be the first deity to lose the chance to have a champion. She could become an outcast deity or even lose her deity status entirely."

The room fell into silence.

"Does this mean bad news, Mr. Marco?"

"This is bad because she's placing too much responsibility on a single player. Are you sure she really understands how this champion system works?" 

Marco turned to his assistant, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. He then took a deep breath and exhaled, a hint of despair in his voice. "It looks like we can't expect too much from the Goddess of Sloth."

Marco massaged his forehead, feeling dizzy with the current situation. "Please keep a close eye on the upcoming developments," he instructed. "And since this is going to be a very big phenomenon, make sure Leon also gets enough security."

With that, Marco walked away from the large room, leaving his assistants puzzled and frowning in confusion.

"Leon?" one of them asked. "Who is Leon?"

"Leon is the player behind the username Broken," another replied.

"But, how did the director know that name? We haven't mentioned that to him yet?"

"I don't know," the other responded, "maybe he is also monitoring the same situation from his room?"

Meanwhile, Marco returned to his office. He walked over to his desk, and his eyes landed on a small frame containing a picture of two men in long white coats, both smiling cheerfully.

"Arthur…," he whispered softly. "Please tell me this is just a coincidence."