Prologue

"Damn it!" Xue Long exclaimed, as he banged the table furiously. "Why can't I complete this damned game!!!??" This game he was talking about is Finding Immortal in The Abyss, well known in the game world for its rating at 0 and plenty of horrible reviews. For a reckless gamer like him who stakes everything on his skills and pride, didn't believe there wasn't a game he could complete. Unfortunately, he met his nemesis here in this game.

In the ten years that he had been a NEET, he had put in much blood, sweat and tears into the progress of FITA compared to others. When this game was first released two years ago, it was still popular around his neighborhood, but gradually, the players enthusiastic about the game lost interest and found something other to play. Being an earnest worker in games, Xue Long thought he could be the first one to complete this game as long as he kept working hard.

The routes were all bad endings. The sticker notes on the wall noting events from the game, leveling up events, hidden scenarios, recovering areas and disasters. He made different choices for each of his route but ends up dying unable to help the main character from destruction whether he was the mc's childhood friend, uncle, dad, mum, or an enemy. Right now, this was his 1413th attempt, his last attempt before quitting it.

Mc: [Will you marry me?]

XL(Xue Long): [Yes.]

{You have died ....}

. . . With a blank expression, Xue Long stared at the screen. Why, of course, although it was as expected, his hope was at least completing this game to end his obsession with games. Xue Long sighed quietly in frustration, wanting to wreak havoc in his mind. Holding back on that thought for later, he splurged money on the most expensive food in the internet cafe and vented out his anger. He recovered his self esteem and got out of the internet cafe as soon as he could for it was getting dark outside.

Unlike the clouds which were fuming in anger, he, on the contrary, was in great spirits, over the moon for tomorrow would be the day to finally put an end to his NEET career! He has obtained the chance to start his life over and earn his own money, finally able to repay his parents for their long lifetime of hard work. He laughed faintly, tickled pink, waiting for any more notifications from his future workplace.

Ding! A message popped up on his phone while he was looking through his playlist for suitable celebratory music. The news he received was different from what he wanted. It was from the hospital. His phone vibrated from a call of the emergency staff. Picking up the call, he focused on what the paramedics had to say, stopping in his tracks.

A desperate voice rang into his ears. "Xian sheng, I regret you to inform that your parents are now on the brink of death, bleeding profusely. We will need you to decide whether you will sign the surgery form in order to sustain their lives."

"I will!" He replied hurriedly, while running towards the hospital. "Doctor, please save their lives!" There was no reply to his answer. Instead, the voice that called him became dimmer, moving further away. The nurses were yelling at the paramedics to move the patients quickly, the instruments needed for surgery reverberated in the corridor. He ended the call, for he had a rough idea of the situation.

His instinct warned him to get to the hospital faster. Out of breath, he reached the entrance of the emergency department. He tried to search for the doctor among the crowd. Among them, a young man in his thirties with monocle necklace, holding glasses, turned to look at him.

Xue Long approached him. From his appearance, he had a bold guess on who he was. The girls who talked in the cafe often gossiped about him, something like getting injured to meet him, and catching his attention. That time, he scoffed at whoever was the target of their affections, nonetheless, now, he was thankful to their blabbering of his appearance that made him able to recognize the so called target immediately. "Are you a doctor?"

"Yes. I am."

"I am looking for my parents, Fu Xingshen and Yun Niang. Have you seen them?"

The young doctor had a grim face as if something got stuck in his throat. "I am sorry." He bowed. "They were dead before I started treating their injuries."

"What?" Taken aback, Xue Long wavered a few steps back. In front of many people, he composed himself, taking a deep breath. "What about their corpses?"

"After this incident is settled, we will deliver them to the mortuary. Would you like to see them one last time?" He asked kindly.

"No thanks. I will see them the day before they are buried. Please contact me then." Looking nearby, he tore off the sticky note and wrote his contact information on it. "I am counting on you." He trudged out of the hospital and felt his steps becoming heavier, even the cloud was sympathizing with him, sprawling out tears of rain.

By the time he reached home, he was a mess. His coat and trousers were drenched, his eyes were swollen, red from crying and rubbing it. He tossed his clothes into the laundry basket, his bag into the bedroom and managed to fling himself on bed and cover himself with a blanket. A notification resounded, bringing him back to reality.

Xue Long wanted nothing other than to rest but he couldn't help but check if there were further news of his parents.

[Congratulations. You have achieved an impossible feat.]

What? He was visibly baffled as to why a game message would turn up on his screen. This was his last day of playing games.

He came to a realization. The only game he played these days was Finding Immortal in the Abyss. An impossible feat? So what? He scorned himself, flipping over to the darker, more comfortable side of the bed.

Although in the game, he had accomplished many high record and firsts, in reality, he did nothing to change his life. Though he had plenty of time to turn over a new leaf and become a protagonist, he was mean in character, casual with his parents, never took a step outside after what happened in high school, whereas, his emotional support, which were stemmed from his parents, now gone forever. He realized this only too late. That they were supporting him financially with every step of his journey.

Opening the drawer, he placed the phone inside and took out a pill box for insomnia. He swallowed one, staring at the view outside the window. Gradually, his eyes closed, becoming heavier, wishing in distress that today was just a nightmare or just a future prophecy to be careful of what's to come.

"Ughh.." Xue Long could feel something clutching down his thighs, growing longer. It wrapped itself around his thighs, his arms and attached itself firmly on the ground. He was slowly being lifted up upright. Despite feeling his waves of drowsiness wash over him, he urged himself to open his eyes to see figures of black mists in front of him.

"Xue Long, we had made a mistake in retrieving your soul early." Despite not getting the clear outline of their appearance, he figured it would be better to play it safe, replying respectfully.

"May I know who you are? This seems like a dream but I could never touch the things I imagine off, but in here, absurdly, I can feel the sensation of the rough vines on me. Why have I been bound up?" The last sentence reverberated louder to the judicial not because it was unmannerly, however, it carried a tone of annoyance.

Unlike humans, judicial consists of various races and were empathetic to human nature such as emotions, therefore, they couldn't sympathize with his grievance on dying early. He carried on as the judicial seemed to have no intent on answering. "I have no intent on suicide just because my parents died. Aren't I allowed to enjoy my life a bit more?"

Disregarding his opposition, judicial answered, "We are the judicial. As your soul can't be placed back inside your body, we found a suitable body to replace you, but not in this dimension. Would you consent to it?"

Xue Long knew, although they weren't on equal terms in regards to bargaining the conditions, he was still permitted to ask a certain extent as long as it is in control of their authority. "If I go there, can I revive my parents?

The judicial kept quiet. It seems to be outside of their expertise. I guess it is impossible. How could dead people be revived, he sighed silently in his mind as he changed the topic. "Do I have any restrictions in my new body?"

"..." They sank to whispers as the questions he were asking were almost crossing the line where one side agreed that mortals shouldn't know anything about this matter and the other suggested a compromise, explaining that in the end, they were the ones who made the mistake and reminded the others that to send Xue Long there, they needed his absolute consent.

One reluctantly diverged the tip of information. "Your new body will be observed by superiors, as well as the target near you."

"Why? Is he that much trouble?" He had a feeling he would be refused but couldn't help asking. "May I at least know his name?!"

Xue Long managed to hear their message before blacking out. "You will see. You are quite familiar with him. Good luck in your new life."