“Unfortunately, you did not win the closed beta qualification! But don’t worry, more closed beta slots will be gradually opened in the future. Please continue to follow ""Dark Sands""!”

William Carter couldn’t help but sigh—he never expected that, as someone who’s always unlucky, he would finally become a lucky winner this time?

But then again, maybe it was his thousands of hours of gaming experience and several platinum trophies in virtual reality games that increased his chances.

Anyway, no point overthinking it—let’s get into the game!

William Carter immediately went to wash up, changed into pajamas, then put on his consciousness-link VR headset and lay down on the bed. After finding the most comfortable position, he entered the world of ""Dark Sands"".

……

In his field of vision, there was a countdown to the official start of the closed beta, surrounded by dazzling special effects like chaotic streams of time and space, as if preparing for a journey through time.

He could also faintly hear a battle anthem playing in his ears, stirring up a sense of excitement.

Soon, the countdown hit zero.

Those dazzling space-time effects gradually condensed, converging into a vortex-like portal, which then instantly expanded, as if about to swallow William Carter’s consciousness!

William Carter’s vision instantly went blank, and the faint melody in his ears abruptly stopped, as if time itself had frozen.

Meanwhile, in reality, William Carter, already lying on the bed, had fallen into a deep sleep.

A moment later, William Carter’s vision returned.

However, he still couldn’t control his body. Instead, he saw countless images shifting before his eyes from a fixed perspective, a bit like the opening sequence of a movie.

Then, the images in his vision finally froze. It was a bird’s-eye view from high above, piercing through layers of clouds, revealing the outline of the land of Jiuzhou.

Mountains stretched endlessly, peaks rose majestically, great rivers surged eastward into the sea.

His gaze swept across the magnificent landscape, and a deep female voice seemed to speak softly right beside his ear.

“Vast is Jiuzhou, where all things are born and flourish…”

William Carter had already seen this opening CG on the official website before.

But the one on the website was just a 2D version, while now it felt as if he was truly there, leaving William Carter deeply amazed!

As the final line, “And this is the mission of the Order Restorers,” ended, clouds and mist once again shrouded William Carter’s vision.

When the mist cleared, he found himself in a special space.

It was a heavenly palace floating in the sky, surrounded by swirling mist like the abode of immortals. Everywhere he looked, massive white stone pillars soared into the clouds, seemingly eternal.

But at this moment, the place felt a bit deserted, because in this vast hall, there was only one person.

A young man with delicate features, dressed in modern clothes, sat on the stone steps at the center of the hall, his face full of defeat.

In front of him were four shimmering, colorful screens, like entrances to some kind of illusion.

William Carter stepped forward, and as he looked at the young man, he noticed a line of text above his head: “The Mediocre Order Restorer Who Failed the Trial.”

“This name…

“Is this the game’s ‘Ryan Clark’?”

Well-versed as he was, William Carter had a vague idea of what was about to happen.

This young man looked quite handsome, just a bit dejected.

Of course, he didn’t look like Henry Clark at all—he was a character created by Brian Clark at Henry Clark’s request.

The reason was simple: Henry Clark couldn’t reveal his real-life identity. If he looked exactly like an NPC in the game and was that handsome, it would be hard to explain.

They had to be handsome in their own unique ways to avoid suspicion.

At this moment, “Ryan Clark” automatically responded according to Henry Clark’s previous instructions.

“Another Order Restorer here for the trial?

“Heh, how reckless. It seems you have no idea what kind of despairing fate awaits you.

“Never mind, wasn’t I just like you once?

“Take this—it’s the key to enter the trial illusion. I’m entrusting this heavy burden to you, and now I can finally leave in peace and return to being an ordinary person.”

As he spoke, “Ryan Clark” reached out and handed over a uniquely shaped jade pendant.

The jade pendant shimmered with seven colors, as if many different rays of light converged into a vortex—truly unforgettable at first glance, clearly no ordinary item.

William Carter was momentarily stunned, then snapped out of it and reached out to take the jade pendant.

As he handed over the jade, “Ryan Clark” showed a relieved yet somewhat meaningful smile: “I hope that after you experience the endless cycle of death and despair in the trial illusion, you’ll also find the next unlucky successor.”

Then, his figure gradually faded away, leaving William Carter alone in the vast hall.

“The beginning is pretty ordinary—very simple and straightforward. But…

“The closed beta recruitment announcement was actually true; this game really is 100% real!”

William Carter was deeply shocked by everything he saw, heard, touched, and felt.

Is this a game that surpasses 100% realism? Although there’s a bit of exaggeration, it’s not entirely untrue.

Because the game shows many scenes that are impossible to see in real life!

Is there any palace floating in the sky in reality?