In the dark Haven Fortress.
Sanya's Pov
I had just finished my bath and was ready to sleep. Today had been an eye-opener—I thought I could simply enjoy a new vision beyond the solar system, but… the space outside almost killed us. It's good Brother was there. Otherwise, I don't know what would have happened.
I lay down on my bed, the soft sheets cool against my skin, when a notification lit up my phone.
My attention snapped to it. In space, there had been no internet at all. But now that we were back on Earth, the connection had returned.
I picked up the phone, thinking I'd check the latest news before closing my eyes.
The screen flooded with posts—every single one about Free Fire.
No, not Free Fire anymore.
Eternal Ascendancy is peak. Try it out.
How do I react faster in the game?
Which boosting stones should I use to one-shot enemies?
Why don't I feel pain in the game? I can feel the air on my skin, the ground under my feet, everything… but no pain?
For three to five days straight, the internet had been nothing but this game.
My thumb scrolled faster. My heart picked up speed.
Brother had told me the game in his previous timeline was only focused on profit—nothing special, just another cash grab. No real future. No excitement.
But this… this was completely different.
A full VR world. Immersion so real people could feel the wind, the texture of the ground, their own heartbeat. No pain, though—only sensation. Posts were filled with awe, confusion, obsession.
It looked like the game developers had used essence flow to create a new technology.
But why did the game name feel so familiar?
*Ascendancy*… this kind of word, my brother uses it the most. Could he have given the name to the game company?
Hmm… I'll ask him later. For now, let me see what this game is really about.
I had never played it before. My brother always told me not to—not yet. He said focus on becoming strong first. Later, when my clones come, I can play, just like he does.
I listened to him and never touched it.
But now? My attention was already drawn in. It's the first true VR game, and I don't want to be late. I'll just try it out. This is just a game—how could it distract me? I have a very strong mind. I won't be distracted by this.
I downloaded the game. Then I opened it and lay on my back.
Just as I clicked to start, I felt my mind pulled into a separate place.
In the pure white space, my eyes opened.
But my mind was elsewhere. Is the technology really this advanced?
In just a few months, has everything changed so much? How can it pull even my consciousness here? My mind isn't normal. I'm a cultivator—even if not as powerful as my brother, I'm very strong!
So how can this game pull my mind?
Meanwhile, far away in the hidden island, Eternal Ascendancy headquarters. In the room where Sphera's main system was kept. A screen flickered alive.
Words appeared on it.
"A special player has entered the game… unlocking all locked things… giving them access…"
The screen closed again. No one in the building knew it had even flickered.
Back in the game, I was still wondering how it could pull my consciousness.
Just then, a window appeared in front of me. I already knew it would—from the videos I had watched. Players had recorded their gameplay and uploaded them.
How could they record in this dream world? Because it was a built-in function. The game recorded gameplay not just from the player's POV—it could record from any angle.
And where did they upload the videos? On E.A.
This was a new platform, created by the game company (Sphera), where Eternal Ascendancy players could upload their videos. It had reached billions of downloads in just three days.
The platform had become available after the game's update.
I then looked at the screen. It was normal, same as any new player.
But when I went to the store to customize a character, I noticed something strange: I could customize anytime, as many times as I wanted, without using any game points!
My points were zero. Just like any new player.
Yet the customization option stayed free. No cost. No limit.
I thought it was a glitch. But how could a game this advanced have a glitch? I had heard no hacker could even breach the system—it was too powerful, too perfect. So how could something like this slip through?
I tried creating my first character anyway.
The game only offered adult or middle-aged forms—no child, no teenager, no elderly options.
I liked that. Not many people wanted to fight as a child or an old man.
Even though I'm only 12+, cultivation had already matured me. My height, my features—I looked 20. So creating an adult form felt natural. Comfortable.
In the videos I watched, some teenagers had been awkward in their adult bodies. I didn't feel that at all.
The character I created was beautiful. Heroic. Strong lines, sharp eyes, long flowing hair that caught the light. She looked like someone who could stand against anything.
And even after I finalized her… the option to customize again was still there. Still free. No points deducted.
I could make another character. Or ten more.
Without wasting anything.
But all the characters created in the game are unique. No one can copy another player's appearance exactly. The system simply won't allow it—if the design is too similar, it rejects the creation outright.
That means I have to think even harder if I want to create any new character.