chapter one

In the year 2657 AD, the Earth was ravaged, and humanity uncovered the first sentient planet beyond their own, birthing the Human Federation and embarking on a journey into the unknown depths of the cosmos.

In the year 3910 AD, the Human Federation discovered the 36th planet of life, leaving their mark upon the stars and making their presence known across the galaxy.

For over a millennia, mankind braved the hostile environments of the stars in search of new frontiers, but the toll was heavy, and many lives were lost.

In the year 3920 AD, a daring expedition discovered a world of mystic stones, using it as a bastion from which to rule the virtual realm.

Eight decades passed, and from the ashes of their predecessors, the massive online game "Wilderness" was born.

In the year 4000 AD, the world entered a new era, and "Wilderness" opened its doors to the masses.

36 celestial bodies, billions of citizens, and countless organizations converged on the virtual frontier, cementing its place as a bastion of power and wealth in the darkness of space.

...

A convoy of transports plied the void, laden with precious cargo bound for the 35th planet of the Federation.

Within, 10,000 devices of entry into the world of "Wilderness" lay sleeping, waiting for the hands of the chosen.

But as fate would have it, marauders from the depths of space appeared, and a fierce battle erupted.

In the chaos, a singular device, a login ring, survived the destruction, falling into a wormhole and disappearing from sight.

Black-Wood Village.

Black-Wood Village is surrounded by mountains and water, with the vast and surging Chengyang River to the south, and hills on the east, west, and north. It is located at the foot of Black-Wood Mountain on the north side.

This day.

Lu Qingfeng irrigated the five-mu terraced fields on the west side of the mountain, and returned to Black-Wood Village with a tired body.

His younger sister, Lu Qingyu, carried two empty buckets and chattered non-stop as she followed behind Lu Qingfeng.

"Big Brother, you had it easy today, you didn't have to work all day."

"That's true, if he had come in the morning, Big Brother wouldn't be able to slack off in the afternoon."

"With Big Brother's small build, he definitely wouldn't pass the test of Guizhen Sect. Even if he passed, he's not allowed to go!"

he is skinny and small, always exposed to wind and sun, and looks like a black girl who has not grown up. She looks like she's only seven or eight years old, but in reality, she's almost twelve.

Along the way, many villagers in coarse hemp clothes worked hard. These people had no color in their faces and no radiance on their faces, like walking dead.