The forest blurred around Justin as the system menu materialized before him, tracing hands through the cyan system interface. His muscles ached from the duel with Luo Bingbing, a phantom pain that felt too real for a virtual world.
**[Menu → Log Out]**
A prompt appeared:
*"Warning: Logging out in combat zones may result in character vulnerability. Continue?"*
**[System Notification: Logout Sequence Initiated]**
*"Warning: Neural disengagement may cause temporary disorientation."*
The world dissolved into pixels.
Darkness.
Then—**sensation**.
The viscous nanogel lining of the VR pod retracted from Justin's skin like a living thing, peeling away from his face, his arms, his chest. The sudden rush of cool air against his damp skin made him shiver.
A sharp, electric jolt raced through his nerves as the VR pod's seals split open. Justin gasped, his lungs burning as real air replaced the crisp, artificial atmosphere of *Nine Heavens*. His fingers trembled against the pod's gel-lined interior, struggling to remember how to move a physical body after hours of digital combat.
His eyelids fluttered open to the dim lighting of his bedroom. the familiar clutter of his small apartment in Warri—clothes piled on a chair, a half-empty water bottle on the desk, the faint glow of his outdated wrist-com charging in the corner.
The familiar scent of home—wood polish, his mother's cooking, flooded his senses
"Ugh..." Justin groaned, peeling himself from the pod. His legs nearly gave out as he stumbled forward, catching himself on the edge of his bed.
**[System Alert: Post-Immersion Sync Complete]**
*"Total Playtime: 8 hours, 42 minutes. Neural fatigue detected. Recommended rest period: 6 hours."*
*"Disconnection complete. Neural sync at 98.3%. No abnormalities detected."*
Justin ignored the warning, He stumbled to the bathroom, flicking on the light. The mirror showed a face he barely recognized—eyes bloodshot, skin pale, hair damp with sweat and residual gel.
*"Just a game,"* he muttered to his reflection.
A knock at the door.
"Justin?" Alice's voice, muffled but concerned. "You alive in there?"
"Yeah," he croaked, clearing his throat. "Just... adjusting."
The door creaked open. Alice leaned against the frame, her sharp eyes scanning him up and down. "You look like shit."
"Thanks."
She tossed him a water bottle. "Drink. You've been in there all day."
Justin caught it, gulping down the cool liquid. The relief was instant.
"So?" Alice crossed her arms. "Was it worth six months' savings?"
A grin tugged at his lips. "Oh, you have no idea." .
---
Justin toweled off and pulled on a fresh shirt
Dinner was a quiet affair. Justin's parents exchanged worried glances as he mechanically shoveled food into his mouth, his mind still half-trapped in *Nine Heavens*.
"Son," his father finally said, setting down his fork. "This game... it's not *dangerous*, is it?"
Justin paused. The memory of Luo Bingbing's glacial blade flashed in his mind. *"Not yet."*
His mother frowned. "There are rumors. People saying the pods... change you."
Alice snorted. "It's just neural feedback. The Jhaymon Corporation's tech is safe."
Justin studied her. "You sound sure."
She shrugged. "Did some research while you were busy playing hero. Jhaymon's just a middleman—they licensed the immersion tech from some European lab. They don't even control *Nine Heavens*' servers."
That caught Justin's attention. "Who does?"
"Nobody knows. The game's AI, *Neura*, runs everything autonomously. Jhaymon's basically a glorified retailer."
Interesting. *So no corporate oversight.* No way to interfere with the game's "assimilation" when it came.
Justin filed that away for later
Sleep didn't come easily.
Every time Justin closed his eyes, he saw Luo Bingbing's glacial stare, Sleep came pitifully.
Justin woke in a cold sweat, dawn's first light creeping through his curtains.
The kitchen was empty when he entered. His mother had left a note on the fridge:
*"Gone to market. Food in warmer."*
Justin ate mechanically, his mind racing.
-The Saintess' Trial** awaited him in Nine Heavens
He really wants to advance his class so that he can continue leveling up, because he was sure he's by far the player with the highest level currently
He checked his wrist-com again. 8:23 AM.
He swiped through the holographic news projections floating above his wrist-com,
Justin leaned back in his chair, the glow of holographic headlines reflecting in his disinterested eyes. The world was losing its mind over *Nine Heavens*, and he couldn't bring himself to care.
**[450 MILLION PLAYERS IN 48 HOURS - JHAYMON DECLARES "MOST SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH IN HISTORY"]**
**[GOVERNMENTS WORLDWIDE SCRAMBLE TO REGULATE VR POD USAGE AFTER 14 DEATHS]**
**[FIRST "SSS-RANK" TALENT REPORTED IN BRAZIL - PLAYER "TITAN" DEMOLISHES DUNGEON SOLO]**
His fingers scrolled past the noise, pausing only briefly on a player-compiled list:
**"Top Players (Unofficial Power Rankings)"**
---
### **The Rising Players (Unofficial Rankings)**
#### **1. "Titan" (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)**
- **Level:** 5
- **Talent:** "Colossus Awakening" (SSS-rank)
- *Triples all stats for 30 seconds (5-minute cooldown)*
- **Feat:** Solo-cleared the "Molten Core" dungeon (Recommended: 5 players Level 6+)
- **Weakness:** Massive mana drain leaves him vulnerable after effect
#### **2. "Valkyrie" (Berlin, Germany)**
- **Level:** 5
- **Talent:** "Phantom Legion" (SS-rank)
- *Creates 2 afterimages dealing 40% damage each*
- **Feat:** Survived 1 hour in the "Deathbloom Thicket" (Level 10+ zone)
#### **3. "Wukong" (Shanghai, China)**
- **Level:** 5
- **Talent:** "Ruyi Jingu Bang" (SS-rank)
- *Staff attacks ignore 30% defense, reach extends during combos*
- **Rumor:** Spotted training with PLA special forces in-game
#### **4. "Revenant" (Location Unknown)**
- **Level:** 5
- **Talent:** "Soul Siphon" (SSS-rank)
- *Steals 3% of a defeated enemy's stats for 1 hour*
- **Disturbing Trait:** Only appears in PvP zones, never PvE
Justin smirked. *SSS-rank talents? How adorable.* His **Ancient-rank** abilities made these look like child's play.
Alice burst into the room, waving her tablet. "Did you see?! This 'Titan' guy has an *SSS-rank talent!*"
Justin yawned. "Huh. Neat."
"Neat?! He's basically a god in there!" She squinted at him. "What rank was your talent again?"
"E-rank," Justin deadpanned. "Got some useless mining bonus."
Alice groaned. "Figures. Meanwhile, the world's elite are out there rewriting the rules."
If only she knew.
A flashing banner caught his attention:
**[OFFICIAL JHAYMON STATEMENT: GLOBAL RANKINGS WILL BE RELEASED WHEN FIRST PLAYER HITS LEVEL 10]**
*"Neura will unveil the true leaderboards with special rewards for top player's."*
A leaked military briefing flashed on screen:
> **OPERATION: ASCENDANT (Global Defense Initiative)**
> **Findings:**
> - 0.0001% of players awaken SSS-rank talents
> - Average player reaches Level 3 in first week
> - Top 0.1% (military/spec ops) hit Level 5 in 48 hours
> **Conclusion:** Current growth rates make catching up to elite players impossible
Justin chuckled. They thought *Level 5* was impressive? He'd surpassed that before lunch.
A document from the Nigerian Armed Forces scrolled across his screen:
> **OPERATION: IRON ASCENSION**
> **Phase 1:** Insert 5,000 special forces operatives into *Nine Heavens*
> **Phase 2:** Secure territory in the Southern Continent's "Barren Expanse" zone
> **Phase 3:** Establish first military-controlled dungeon stronghold
> **Note:** Prioritize talent awakening for soldiers showing S-rank potential
Justin chuckled darkly. The Americans had "Project Overlord," the Chinese "Dragon March Initiative" - every superpower was scrambling to secure a strong foundation in *Nine Heavens*.
A second notification pinged—this one from Alice, sent hours ago:
*"Got my pod. Logging in tonight. Don't die before I find you."*
Justin smiled faintly. At least he wouldn't be alone in whatever this was.
---
*The strongest talent the "normal" players can get seems to be SSS rank,* Justin mused. *Still insects compared to me.*
**[System Alert: Re-immersion available 17 minutes]**
He exhaled, running a hand through his damp hair.
Alice caught him mid-prep. "You're going back in already?"
Justin nodded. "Got a deadline. Three days to impress a bunch of ice-wielding maniacs."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course you did."
As Justin climbed into his pod, Alice called out:
"Don't feel bad! Maybe you'll get lucky and find a better talent!"
Justin paused, then offered a lazy smile. "Yeah. Maybe."
The pod sealed around him once more.
**[Welcome back, Justin.]** *Neura's* voice was smoother now,
The digital world reassembled atom by atom—
And Justin opened his eyes to Brightmoon City's frozen dawn, Luo Bingbing's challenge hanging in the air like unsheathed steel.
**[Hidden Quest: Saintess' Trial - 71 hours, 48 minutes remaining]**