The Nine Provinces of the Blue Star, District YN5086.
A handsome man who was clearly in his mid-thirties but possessed a youthful appearance suddenly sprang up from his sofa.
He was trembling all over, his breathing ragged, and a sinister light flickered in his eyes.
He stumbled into the kitchen, yanked open the refrigerator door, grabbed a can of a purple beverage, and tilted his head back to chug it.
The ice-cold liquid slid down his throat, and the agitation in his chest gradually subsided.
His trembling body slowly regained its composure.
“Phew… That really was… Ha! A feeling I haven’t felt in a long time…”
Dragging out a long breath to exhale the stale air, he pulled the patchwork-covered game terminal off his head.
The screen of the jet-black watch on his wrist displayed the number “75.”
‘I did it! I’m finally connected! But… I really chose something incredible, didn’t I?’
He stretched his stiff back.
‘I should have saved her… but she held out for so long.’
‘I hope that girl doesn’t strangle that poor little octopus… I didn’t mean to burst her belly.’
Upbeat music suddenly blared from the living room, followed by a narrator’s voice: “The commercials are over. Welcome back! Up next, we continue with: ‘The Strongest Demon King in History vs. the Strongest Saintess of the Current Era!'”
“It’s on!”
His eyes lit up, and Luke rushed back to the living room, staring at the television screen with excitement.
What was playing was the latest plot documentary of the world-famous fantasy game, *Estella Fantasy*.
On the screen was the final scene of the game’s most powerful Saintess, the previous generation’s Hero, and the current Holy Knight Order joining forces to crusade against the strongest Demon King in history, Krul.
“The same script, the same ending. Tiny living beings forever repeating a ridiculous ritual!”
“Saintess, what is the point of the sacrifice you believe in?”
“Nothing more than a pawn on a chessboard, manipulated by that existence that calls itself a god.”
“Your faith, your struggles—they are nothing but toys for entertainment.”
Demon King Krul spoke, his massive body coiling across the sky, covered in scars.
“That’s exactly what Demon King Lucius used to say.”
Hero King Aiden gripped his holy sword.
His armor, covered in blood and cracks, hissed with scalding white steam.
He swung!
An incomparable blade light flashed out.
“For Estella!!!”
A battle cry shook the heavens!
A resolute face was revealed beneath a broken helmet as Knight King Carlyle led a formation of Holy Knights in a charge.
“Light! Bless the triumphal song of peace!”
Her holy armor withstood the Demon King’s final strike, its light fading, but Saintess Alicia’s forbidden spell had reached its final incantation!
“Hero, Saintess, seals, heroes… such a boring cycle…”
Before Demon King Krul could finish his words, his body disintegrated silently.
Alicia’s spell was completed at that exact moment, and a divine light swept through the area.
The Demon King’s crumbling body was forcibly kneaded like dough and entirely sealed within her body.
The light faded, and the smoke and magical embers settled.
The heaven-shaking battle cries and the hum of swords fell silent, leaving only the wind whispering across the wasteland like a requiem for the departed Saintess.
The heroes’ eyes were fixed like nails upon a crystal statue.
That was the final form of Saintess Alicia, sealing Demon King Krul.
King Aiden knelt on one knee, plunging his holy sword into the scorched earth.
“You never complained, never backed down! Your brilliance forges the future! Estella will forever sing your name!”
The clanging of armor echoed across the plains as the Holy Knight Order lined up in perfect formation, their war spears held high.
“Heroes are immortal! Glory is eternal!!”
“Heroes are immortal! Glory is eternal!!”
The crystal statue suddenly trembled slightly, and ripples spread through the air as if awakened by an invisible force.
A song began—an ancient chant praising the Saintess:
“Daughter of Light, your brilliance shines forever upon all living things!”
“Forge peace! Estella spreads your illustrious name!”
“Soul ascending to the embrace of the light… leading us forward…”
The song was solemn and long, echoing for a great while.
Narrator: “Every Saintess who seals a Demon King will have her statue fall into an unknown corner, sleeping forever.”
Narrator: “*Estella Fantasy* returns to an era of prosperity!”
Narrator: “But… it has been a long time since the last Saintess went to her slumber…”
The familiar *Estella Fantasy* theme song played as the ending, and the bullet comments on the screen were unlocked, with comments flooding in:
— So, what does the Saintess actually look like!
— This Demon King is so weak, we couldn’t even trigger a ‘damaged’ illustration? I wanted to see the Saintess’s true face.
— You thief! How dare you disrespect the former Saintess!
— How is that disrespecting her? She’s been a model worker in the ‘Heavenly Realm’ for over ten years.
— The best medicine for replenishing SAN.
— I was in elementary school back then, and now I’m in college.
— Hmph, a bunch of virgins who couldn’t get qualification! Unlike me—
— Look! A wild SAN-user!
— SAN-users are all obsessed with the *Estella Fantasy* world; they don’t have time to bicker with little virgins!
— I get it! He’s a ‘Seal’! Beat him!
— I hope this brother’s SAN hits 0 soon~
— Brother, that curse is a bit much…
After watching the frantic bullet comments for a while, Luke turned off the TV and leaned back into the depression of the sofa.
Setting the game terminal aside on a shelf, he sighed with regret.
“Alas, we still do not know what that Saintess looks like~”
Just then.
The darkened screen lit up again on its own, playing an advertisement: “Shed your youthful lunchbox and stand tall with a fuller self! Please use—”
Luke shook his head helplessly, reaching out to pick up a small robot wearing an apron from the coffee table and placing it beside him.
“Ava, you’re just a smart servant. You need to learn to recognize reality.”
The little robot nodded mechanically.
“Understood, Master.”
Immediately after, it twisted its head to stare at Luke.
“So… what about the reward money? That iron hat—can it be used now?”
Luke was stunned for a moment, then leaned in with a chuckle.
“Hehe, how about a set of Grade B bionic skin?”
Ava continued to stare at him, motionless.
Luke scratched his head, his expression becoming fawning as he tested the waters again.
“Ugh… then… Grade C?”
Ava withdrew her gaze and turned her head away, her articulated mechanical fingers poking at each other.
“Grade C is fine. Ava doesn’t want Master to go hungry… besides, Master will have to buy a lot of SAN-Leda in the future.”
Luke pulled Ava into his arms and hugged her.
“Aww~ you really are my little sweetheart~”
Ava made a tentative struggle.
“Then… what kind of Imprint did Master draw? Magic? Warrior? Or Prosperity?”
Luke’s body stiffened with a creak.
A strange light flickered in Ava’s eyes.
“Master… don’t tell me you don’t have an Imprint? (Doubt)”
Luke rubbed his head.
“No, no, no! Naturally, I have one! Probably… roughly… maybe it’s a Magic Imprint?”
He didn’t even know what his Imprint was.
After entering the game, his brain had been shaken into a mess.
What he saw was like eating a poisonous red mushroom—everything was blurry, and he didn’t know how much Sanity he had left.
He just remembered crawling out of a belly.
Then, relying on willpower, he saved a woman who was likely his mother in the game.
“Could it be that Master chose a different race?”
Ava stopped looking at him, turned her head with great certainty, and continued looking at the TV.
Luke rubbed his chin with a mysterious expression.
“Hmm… the kind with an octopus lower body!”
Ava clapped her hands (monotone).
“Oh my~ truly a crooked pot for a crooked stove, a perfect match for Master’s character!”
Luke reached out and gave her a flick on the head!
“Stop right there!”
*Dong—*
“Ow! I’m going to short-circuit~”
Ava shrieked and went completely limp in Luke’s arms.
Luke shifted into a comfortable position, his gaze landing on the oil painting of *Hero Ace* on the wall.
A look of nostalgia flashed in his eyes.
“Let me reminisce for a bit. Ah~ it’s been nearly twenty years~”
*Estella Fantasy*.
A holographic game that appeared out of nowhere over a decade ago, a game that appeared directly without any prior hype.
It started its promotion with slogans like “Reality and Fantasy, 100% Simulation,” “Consciousness Traveling to Another World,” “Fields, Dogs, and Romance,” and “A Different Kind of Love and Adventure.”
Dreamy scenery, a vast world, intelligent NPCs that seemed truly real, and a high degree of freedom and interaction attracted the first batch of players.
The official developers initially released 3,000 game qualifications, but only a little over 1,000 people made reservations to participate.
The other slogans were simply too suspicious, sounding more fake than a scammer pretending to be the First Emperor asking for money.
And Luke was one of them.
He was the first player to log into the game, and as a result, he obtained the exclusive Imprint: [THE ORIGINAL OTHERWORLD HERO].
But who could have guessed?
Those first players who went in wanting to garden and raise flowers had their eyes go wide the moment their feet touched the ground!
The claim of “reality” was no lie, but this was no pastoral poem—it was a feast served by the King of Hell!
From old men about to keel over to toddlers in open-crotch pants, anyone with two legs was carrying a sharpened weapon.
Monsters.
In the mountains, fields, tree branches, and bushes, bizarre monsters could jump out at any moment.
There wasn’t an adventurer or mercenary who wasn’t covered in blood!
Every one of them was murderous, their eyes glowing red…
Less than two days into the open beta, the first batch of players had almost all fled.
“This garbage game! It’s pure entrapment!”
A group of “weaklings” who had never had RPG experience were simply no match for the monsters.
Add to that the 100% simulation setting; after dying once, ninety percent of them didn’t dare try again.
Videos and posts denouncing *Estella Fantasy* for false advertising appeared one after another, demanding refunds.
The developers did issue refunds, but they made no response to the false advertising claims, letting the situation simmer.
A casual game being a hardcore RPG naturally attracted players who enjoyed that sort of thing.
But the realistic sight of death, which literally scared souls out of bodies, turned those people away as well.
The developers realized this and added a pain perception adjustment option.
The promotional efforts were intensified several times over, but unfortunately, the number of online players became even more pathetic.
One month later, there were only ten players left online.
Everything seemed set in stone; this was another game destined to fail!
However… at the end of the second month, a glitch occurred!
Out of the remaining ten people, one gentleman was forced out of the game.
After being forcibly logged out, his mental state became abnormal.
He seemed to have gone mad, rushing out of his house shirtless, running and howling in a public square, shouting syllables that no one could understand.
When a madman appears, naturally, some burly men go to stop him.
Then, a sudden transformation occurred! Several men were actually knocked back a long distance by a violent punch that came out of thin air!
This player had actually used the [CRUSHING FIST] skill belonging to the Warrior class in the game.
That scrawny frame of his had actually grown solid muscle!
Once the skill was unleashed, the player’s mind regained its clarity.
But before he could catch his breath, he screamed at the top of his lungs in front of everyone: “I learned it!” He immediately performed the [CRUSHING FIST] on a stone brick in a roadside flowerbed!
The hard stone shattered on impact!
At that time, it was the 8:00 PM peak hour, and the incident took place at the “Brave Slope” square in the city center.
More importantly, that crazed player was wearing a game terminal with the name “*Estella Fantasy*” written on it in bright spray paint.
The matter simply couldn’t be hidden.
The *Estella Fantasy* qualifications that had initially failed to sell out were snatched up that very night.
Videos of that player’s vivid self-account were everywhere, and the legend of being able to master game skills in reality became common knowledge within a few short days.
Another strange aspect of *Estella Fantasy* was revealed to the world: the 1:10 ratio of real-world time to game time was no lie!
That player was, of course, Luke.
That was also the highlight of his life.
The first player to bring back a skill!
The highest-level player!
Well, it was also his final highlight…
Because one year after the incident, he was cornered by Demon King Lucius!
In the game back then, it could be said that it was an era where lords were everywhere and bosses were common; even the dog by the road could be an elite monster.
History calls it the [END OF THE SCARLET ERA].
Luke, who had managed to become the first player to break through Level 60, ran right into the Demon King’s army the moment he stepped out of the [Novice Village]—and it was the kind led by the Demon King himself.
Thus, the great Hero Ace died like that—**killed in a struggle with the Demon King**.
Killed in the literal sense!
His terminal could still enter the [LOGIN SPACE], but he had lost his qualification to enter the game; the door to enter the world was locked.
Not only that, the skills he had brought back to the real world could no longer be used; they were taken away as well.
His tough physique and sharp mind remained, but after losing his mana, he was merely an “ordinary person” whose body and mind surpassed others.
This incident also served as a warning to other players: any player killed by a Demon King would have their account banned and lose their game qualification.
But things weren’t all bad, because the name Hero Ace spread throughout *Estella*, and he was known as the most courageous hero.
As for why he was called “Ace”?
It was said that in his final moment, Luke still shouted: “I’ll stab your ASS!” as he boldly plunged his holy sword into the Demon King’s crotch!!
This scene was not only made into a promotional video but was also written into the Revelations and recorded in the historical colorful paintings of various churches.
It became an unquestionable “timeless classic.”
In the contemporary biographies of *Estella*, it is described like this:
[In the year 3130 of the Estella Calendar, the bravest Hero Ace! The youngest Hero Ace! Faced with a Demon King a hundred times more powerful, he was brave and fearless!! The holy sword pierced the Demon King’s body, gaining a breathing space for the world. The Demon King finally had a weakness.]
[In the year 3180 of the Estella Calendar, Saintess Lilith led a team to crusade against the Demon King! She loudly recited the Hero’s resolute last words, “I’ll stab your ASS!”, precisely captured the Demon King’s flaw, and finally defeated and sealed Demon King Lucius!]
Luke didn’t know the specific details of the subsequent plot, but from the public forums that anyone could access, he still learned part of the truth.
After his account was banned, the game world entered the [DAWN ERA].
That one “Thousand Years of Death” strike forced Demon King Lucius to recuperate for nearly forty years before recovering.
It also gave the NPCs of the entire continent a major breathing space, allowing them to grow rapidly.
Players also grew up during this period, using various methods the NPCs had never seen to kill off many powerful enemies.
And now, nearly twenty years have passed since the open beta of *Estella Fantasy* on the Blue Star.
The game world had truly become what it had been promoted as long ago; seventy to eighty percent of the places were peaceful.
Since the game exploded in popularity, the official developers have added 5,000 to 20,000 slots every month.
By now, the number of players in the game has reached nearly 3,000,000.
Anyone could buy a game terminal, but it could only be used to watch live broadcasts within the game and learn about the world of *Estella*.
The qualification was the key to access, and it could only be used by the owner, obtained through a random draw after reservation.
But if a certain game terminal was used when a player was killed by a Demon King, that hunk of metal could never touch the world of *Estella* again.
Anyone could log into such a terminal, even without a qualification.
However, they could only stare blankly inside that [LOGIN SPACE] and must remember not to touch the sealed door, or they really would go mad.
For certain reasons, the price of these terminals had skyrocketed, becoming several times more expensive than normal terminals.
Over the past ten-plus years, the Blue Star had also undergone earth-shaking changes.
Knowledge from various fantasy worlds, as well as “superpowers” that shouldn’t have existed, pushed the civilization of the real world into constant upheaval.
The knowledge of both worlds merged.
This was an era where a hundred flowers bloomed, and also an era full of unknown fanaticism.
Luke, once the top player (Hero Ace), was no longer a person of interest (except for the NPCs in the game), but because of this incident, he lived a life many dreamed of.
To thank him, the officials provided him with comprehensive security for his life: everything from housing to normal expenses for food and entertainment was reimbursed by the officials.
Furthermore, they deposited 50,000 in real-world currency into his card every month, calling it the “Retired Hero Subsidy.”
This money also became one of the sources of funding for Luke’s secret research on how to restart his terminal.
After more than ten years of working day and night, consuming thousands of game terminals—either normal or discarded—purchased from various places…
He and his assistant successfully assembled one!
A “non-official” terminal capable of re-entering the game.
In the meantime, Ava, the mechanical smart servant accidentally assembled from various strange parts, gradually learned to assist Luke after her birth, becoming his indispensable assistant.