【Perfect Completion Reward: Free Body Restoration. Please relax.】
That was the last message he saw.
As soon as the words appeared, a wave of exhaustion crashed over Lu Ce, too overwhelming to resist.
His consciousness faded into darkness.
Ding ding ding ding~~
Lu Ce wasn’t sure how much time had passed.
It could’ve been hours—or just minutes.
But suddenly, his alarm was blaring in his ears.
He jolted awake.
A familiar 10-square-meter dormitory washroom.
A familiar moldy corner on the wall.
And on the bedside table—his old second-hand Redmi phone.
His heart skipped a beat.
He immediately looked down.
Both legs—intact.
“…Was it a dream?”
It felt so real.
He let out a sigh—part relief, part disappointment.
Absentmindedly, he reached out to turn off his alarm.
BANG!
A loud, thunderous noise echoed through the room.
Startled fully awake, Lu Ce quickly switched on the light.
On his **bed frame—**a deep dent.
If not for the mattress cushioning it, his cheap old phone would’ve been shattered beyond repair.
His heart pounded.
A thought flashed through his mind.
He snatched his phone, connected to the dorm WiFi, and opened a social media app.
Right below the search bar, the top trending topic blazed in fiery red letters.
—CHOSEN’S PARADISE, THE GLOBAL GAME!
The number of searches? 1.8 billion.
For comparison—the highest trending topic in history had only ever reached 40 million.
1.8 billion?!
No celebrity, no PR firm, would ever dare to fabricate such an outrageous number.
Lu Ce tapped in.
News articles flooded the screen.
📰 "Mass disappearances at midnight. Air Canada flight crashes—pilot and co-pilot vanished mid-flight."
📰 "Mysterious live broadcasts appearing on phones, computers—even directly on people's retinas. Cannot be closed."
📰 "Australian man demonstrates superpowers, claims to be a Perfect Clearance Player. Declares himself future world ruler."
📰 "Many claim to be ‘chosen’ but state entry into the game is voluntary."
📰 "Experts suggest mass fraud; police investigating. Authorities urge real participants to come forward."
Official news outlets.
Not conspiracy blogs, not rumors.
This was real.
And the earliest report?
Less than 20 hours ago.
Yet the entire world was already consumed by it.
The entire front page was flooded with discussions about the game.
Nothing else mattered anymore.
Content creators and self-proclaimed "experts" were scrambling to analyze every clue.
For the **first time in human history—**the world was witnessing change.
A global shift.
And Lu Ce?
He was among the first to experience it.
No—he was the FIRST.
📰 "According to player interviews, after the first game ended, a ‘screen’ appeared in their eyes. They can access it at will with their thoughts."
📰 "Medical tests on volunteer players show no abnormalities in brain or eye structure."
Lu Ce’s heart pounded.
He focused—
And just like that, the floating screen appeared before him.
Completely natural.
As easy as moving his own limbs.
On the screen, there were only a few simple lines.
【Rest Mode.】
【For each game, you may choose to participate as a PLAYER or a SPECTATOR.】
【Of course, we believe the world welcomes players. And in the end, players will own the world.】
【Time until the next game begins: 47:54:43.】
【This is the Trial of the Gods. Welcome to CHOSEN’S PARADISE!】
“…Two days?”
He muttered, analyzing the implications.
According to news reports, time inside the game matched real-world time.
That meant players physically disappeared into another world.
**Not just a virtual experience—**but a true crossover.
Lu Ce frowned.
He kept reading.
Despite being ranked first, he knew almost nothing.
Yet online, other players seemed to know a lot more.
…
…Wait.
Didn’t the first game have an official “guide”?
And he…
Killed her.
Lu Ce stared blankly.
That had been his first time killing someone.
Yet—he felt no guilt.
No remorse.
Nothing.
And somehow, deep down, he knew—
The world’s moral rules and order were about to be rewritten.
He scrolled through countless discussions.
Then suddenly—
Sh*t! I’m gonna be late!
Snapping back to reality, he jumped out of bed, washed up in five minutes, and bolted out the door.
"Yo, Little Lu! You're up late today. Thought you already left."
The dorm manager, Old Wang, greeted him while cleaning.
Being an orphan, Lu Ce had applied for a poverty grant, allowing him to live in the dorm’s janitor room.
The conditions were awful, but it saved money and avoided unnecessary socializing.
"Yeah, yeah. See you later."
He waved off Old Wang and sprinted toward school.
"Excuse me!"
Senior Class 7.
Lu Ce stood at the classroom door.
The air felt different.
There was a restless energy, as if everyone was holding their breath.
The homeroom teacher, Mr. Liu, was at the podium.
But instead of lecturing—
The students were chattering among themselves.
Even the teacher wasn’t scolding them.
He was too busy reading his phone.
But the moment Lu Ce spoke—
Silence.
The entire class snapped their heads toward him.
Even Mr. Liu slowly put down his phone.
Five full seconds of dead silence.
Then—
"…Why are you late?"
Lu Ce had never seen his teacher take a tardy this seriously.
After a brief hesitation, he simply replied:
“…Overslept.”
Instantly—
The tension broke.
Students groaned.
Someone even clicked their tongue in disappointment.
Mr. Liu’s hopeful gaze dimmed.
He had thought—maybe his class had produced one of those “Chosen Players.”
The timing lined up perfectly.
But no.
Just an ordinary late student.
Seeing that no one cared anymore, Lu Ce quietly returned to his seat.
The entire senior class had abandoned studying.
Everyone was buzzing with excitement—
Eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new world.
"Ahem. Quiet down, everyone."
"By orders of the school and education department—classes are suspended today."
"We need to discuss and organize future plans."
"Even the college entrance exams may be postponed."
"Right now—nothing is more important than ‘that event.’"
The class fell silent.
But instead of fear—
Their eyes burned with excitement.
Mr. Liu took a deep breath.
“…I think you all know what I’m talking about.”
"Chosen’s Paradise."
"Is anyone here... one of the Chosen?"