[Celestia: The Eternal Realms – First Realm: Mortal Domain. Official launch: June 1st, 12:00 AM!]
The official site for Celestia: The Eternal Realms looked as polished as always—almost too legit to question. Not that Isaac cared either way. It was Aegis, after all. The kings of overkill.
The insane production quality of the game was proof enough of that.
Isaac shook his head. Great marketing, but none of it applied to him. He wasn't the hero of this story.
He was a damn Hyenaman.
Oh well, whatever. It's just a game. He wasn't here to save the world. He was here to make money.
AishaDoll's stream was as boring as expected. She was still struggling to kill a level 5 mob like it was some kind of boss fight. Honestly, Isaac had stomped Daffino with less effort.
At least now he understood why no players had shown up near his leveling zone—they just couldn't level fast enough.
In-game, Isaac's XP Orbs were still ticking up automatically. Looked like his "Red Team" was still out there grinding. Whether they'd found any loot remained to be seen. He'd check once Daffino respawned.
Bored out of his mind, Isaac remembered AishaDoll mentioning the "nine major classes." He decided to check the game's site.
"Open class info."
Sure, he couldn't pick a class himself. But as a monster? Knowing what the players would eventually evolve into was essential recon.
[Nine main classes. Twenty-seven class paths. Infinite builds. Forge your own fate!]
[Players unlock class selection at level 10 by entering a major city. Currently, all three starter villages share one city.]
[In the city, players can begin practicing cultivation arts, activate their "Spirit Core," and unlock a fourth base attribute: Spirit Power!]
[Spirit Power is the foundation of divine skills and class advancement. It can be improved passively through online cultivation and actively through combat and alchemy.]
Isaac stared at the screen, expressionless. Honestly, it wasn't even that surprising. Aegis always had to throw in some weird mechanics.
[Once players unlock their Spirit Core, they may choose one of the following nine major classes:]
[Alchemist, Spirit Tamer, Martial Artist, Monk, Rune Scribe, Sword Disciple, Oracle, Puppet Master, Demolitionist]
[Life skills and player guild features will also unlock at level 10.]
"So basically, level 10 is when Celestia: The Eternal Realms really begins." Isaac muttered. "No wonder the players are torturing themselves just to get there."
Think about it. Becoming a Sword Disciple meant actual swordflight—gliding through the skies with the game's insane realism. Who wouldn't want to experience that?
Spirit Tamers might get to ride dragons, phoenixes, maybe even ghosts… just thinking about it was thrilling.
The other classes probably had equally hype moments waiting down the line.
And right now? All those guilds were unofficial. Real in-game guild features wouldn't unlock until everyone funneled into the same city at level 10. Aegis wasn't just building hype. They were staging a war.
Another tab on the site caught Isaac's eye.
"Guild Registry (in no particular order)"
He clicked in immediately.
The list was massive—over a hundred pages of officially registered organizations.
Some of the biggest names in MMO history had already set up shop in Celestia.
Skyborne Council, Terminal Blue, Silver Oath, RTS, XSX, G9… they were all in.
But a few names were… off.
"X Group"? "TEMU"? "WEB"? "Standard Chartered Bank"?!
"…Wait, what the hell? Even major corporations are forming guilds now?" Isaac felt a chill run down his spine.
But that wasn't even the craziest part.
Scrolling further, he saw names that made his eyes twitch.
"NSA-Alpha"
"USCYBERCOM-99"
"FBI-1"
"…You've got to be kidding me. Government factions are joining too?" Isaac was floored. None of these names had shown up on launch day.
"I mean, I've heard of the military using simulation games for training, but… Celestia: The Eternal Realms? Really?"
This was way beyond casual gaming. Isaac jumped over to the international section, only to find that foreign governments and military agencies had started joining on day one.
Celestia wasn't just a game anymore.
———————————————
CIA – Information Operations Center (IOC)
"Director, we've selected 500 of our top operators," said a sharply dressed officer, standing at attention.
A decorated general sitting at the head of the room nodded. "Excellent."
There was a brief pause. The officer hesitated, and the Director picked up on it instantly.
"You've got something on your mind, Max?" he asked with a faint smile.
"Well, sir… Are we seriously joining Celestia: The Eternal Realms? I mean… forming a squad for an MMO? Isn't that… kind of absurd?"
The Director didn't take offense. He simply chuckled. "Max, if you still think this is 'just a game,' then clearly you've missed something."
"…Sir?"
The Director stood, walked over, and patted Max's shoulder.
"There are things I can't disclose right now, but ask yourself—why are so many national powers entering this game? You think they're all in it for fun?"
"Gaming I can understand. This is a very… different game, after all. But entering under official government names? That's a stretch…"
Max trailed off, deep in thought.
"Mark my words, Max—Celestia is more than a game. It's the first ripple in a global shift. And we're not about to sit on the sidelines."
"I think I get it, sir."
"Good. But no, we're not rushing to conquer the level 10 city. That's not our mission right now."
"We're going to keep a low profile."
The Director's eyes gleamed.
"True power never shows up early."
Max nodded. "Understood."
"Oh, and one more thing—make sure people think we're only using this game as a simulation tool. Let them believe it's just high-end training."
"Yes, Director."
"But don't let that illusion affect our real progress. We're late to the party—we need to catch up. Levels, gear, performance—we can't fall behind."
"Leveling won't be a problem. These guys are machines. But the gear… I've checked the forums. Drop rates are abysmal. Everyone's relying on purchases, but even that's expensive."
The Director's smile returned. "Stick to reasonable price ranges. We've got dedicated funds for that. And I trust our boys will make sure it pays off."
"Yes, sir!"