Chapter 0: A New Hope (1)
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Sky Sword City.
Just two days ago, the non-stop snow that had blanketed the area for nearly a week finally decided to take a break.
The entire city was buried beneath a thick layer of snow, sparkling like a pure palace in the distance, as if waiting for a royal ball.
Anyone who didn’t know better would surely marvel at the grandeur and splendor of Sky Sword City.
But who would’ve guessed that just over a month ago, nearly 3 million people had called this place home?
Below that thick, soothing snow layer lay who knows how many corpses and remains, as well as countless stories of joy, sorrow, love, and heartbreak—all lost to the emptiness of abandoned homes.
Aside from the 300,000 NPC residents, a whole bunch of fresh players who had just jumped from reality to this strange new world had yet to experience even a smidgen of the game’s delights. They were met instead with the ugly side of humanity—deceit, betrayal, and bloody carnage—and swiftly departed this world, heads hanging low.
Now, all that remained in the ruins of the city was a ragtag group of a hundred or so players, led by none other than Xiao Ai, who had managed to survive by the sheer luck of dodging the metaphorical falling anvils.
Xiao Ai vividly remembered the intense battle above the City Lord’s Mansion. They had believed the Cold Moon Witch would triumph and wipe out all the Fallen Species in one glorious swoop.
But out of nowhere, a Man in Black Robe had popped up and trapped the witch in a giant lotus flower, rendering her utterly helpless. Well, that was unexpected!
At one point, they thought the witch had bought it at the hands of the black-robed dude.
Xiao Ai was so despondent she could’ve won the “World’s Laziest Survivor” award. With their last glimmer of hope—the witch—potentially dead, how could they possibly find a way out?
The players, cowering in their little corner, awaited the inevitable slaughter by the Fallen Species.
After a while, to their utter amazement, the sky was filled with Fallen Species that, instead of putting a finishing blow on them, suddenly followed Li Hanbo and left the City Lord’s Mansion like they were done with the party.
Shortly thereafter, Sky Sword City was eerily quiet again, with terrified citizens hardly hearing anything except for the gentle thuds of snowflakes falling to the ground, like soft whispers of ghosts.
At one point, they nervously entertained the idea that this could be a trick by the Fallen Species, scheming to wait until the players let their guards down before swooping in to share a good laugh as they plunged them from the peak of hope to the valley of despair.
These twisted guys had played this game before.
However, as night fell, Xiao Ai and her friends still didn’t sense a single trace of the Fallen Species lurking about.
It was only then that they confirmed the Fallen Species had actually left Sky Sword City. As for where they went, well, they didn’t want to put their money on a guess.
No one could say for certain whether the Fallen Species would return.
But, as always, if there’s even a flicker of hope, people just can’t help but cling to life.
The City Lord’s Mansion still had enough supplies to last over a hundred of them for about two months. Other guilds, having lost most of their members to the Fallen Species, might still have a few supplies stashed away. If the Fallen Species didn’t make a comeback, they could easily survive until the spring of next year.
Gathered in the castle’s grand hall, Xiao Ai and the others sat around a crackling bonfire, a large pot bubbling away with rice that smelled absolutely divine.
Everyone was quietly settled, either sitting or lying down, enjoying the peace before dinner, as if the memory of their mad dash for survival was nothing but a bad dream.
Just then, one player, who had been lying flat on his back staring at the ceiling, suddenly jumped up, exclaiming, “Whoa! We can log onto the forum!”
“What? For real?! Let me try!”
Ever since Sky Sword City had been sealed off, not only had all exits been shut down, but even the players’ last remaining privilege—viewing the forum—had been rendered useless.
They thought this feature had been locked down by the System!
Little did they know it was simply because of the city’s shutdown that the forum had gone ghost-town as well.
Now, with the departure of the Fallen Species, not only had Sky Sword City been unsealed, but the forum had also sprung back to life!
Players who hadn’t had contact with the outside world for nearly a month rushed in, eager to catch up on everything that had happened beyond Sky Sword City.
At first, they were thrilled, but gradually, their expressions froze and sunk heavier and heavier.
Xiao Ai was the first to jump onto the forum.
“Tragic! People are eating each other outside Deficient Moon Valley, it’s like hell out there!”
“Sky Void City has been sealed! And we’re being called refugees? The nerve!”
“Shocking! Thought the Demon Race territory was a safe haven, but it turns out we’re being treated like labor for hire—two buns a day and twelve-hour shifts!”
“The Monster-Catching Tribe has turned into a fortress! Any human that gets close gets shot on sight. For the love of everything, my brothers and sisters on the forum, steer clear of the Monster-Catching Tribe!”
“It’s a k*ll-or-be-killed situation with the villagers—it’s either you d*e or I do!”
Xiao Ai thought Sky Sword City had it rough, but little did she know, the entire Asking Dao Continent was full of fresh players screaming, “You think you’ve got it bad? Hold my beer!”
Almost every city and village was in full-on “stay the heck away” mode against the human players pouring in like locusts.
To them, the players were no different than bandits, snatching up whatever little winter supplies remained.
And the Demon Race had all but carted players down to the mines, treating them worse than cattle. Every snapshot players shared on the forum dripped with bl**d and tears.
Then there were those “we’re eating each other” regions, littered with the remains of humans in the snow, the living raised their glazed-over eyes, clutching other people’s limbs, making the whole scene grotesquely chilling.
But from their perspective, Xiao Ai and her crew simply had no ground to throw blame.
People just want to survive; no matter who you are, in a situation that bleak, how could anyone maintain the standards of civilized behavior?
Even though each player could only log onto the forum for a few fleeting minutes each day and post or reply just twice, the forums were still bustling with activity.
A large number of posts sprouted up from players desperate and exhausted, sharing their “live-streaming my d*ath” experiences because they were too drained to move from one area in search of food to another.
Some started writing, then the very next day, there was silence.
This is when others began posting replies, “This person has passed, let’s mourn them, may heaven be free of hunger.”
And then, there was one post that struck Xiao Ai right in the feels, bringing her to tears.
“I’m about to kick the bucket. After I go, feel free to use my body however you want; treat me like a skinny little pig. Don’t feel burdened! I’ll become part of you, gazing at the stars of this world together. It’s been a wild ride—this world has shown me what heartbreak feels like, what desperate hunger does to a person, and even a flicker of light hidden in humanity.
I hope my flavor doesn’t make you gag; I imagine you’d be reluctant to let me go, though.
Eat me, and you might muster the strength to chase after a new hope.”
Attached to the post was a photo.
The date suggested it was a snapshot from the first day this female player arrived on the Asking Dao Continent.
In the picture, she leaned against a cluster of brilliant flowers, grinning like mad, her face and figure enticing enough to make anyone drool.
How blissful and joyful she looked, dreaming of conquering the game world with friends.
If only reality didn’t love to act like a mean old bully.
No one could escape its clutches.
“The living suffer, while the dead are at peace!”
Xiao Ai quietly recited these eight words, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Wait a minute! A new hope! I found a new hope!”
One player suddenly shouted.
