Chapter One: Wings of the Wind

"The Ningdong–Yinhai R1218 high-speed train will arrive in five minutes. Passengers who are getting off, please prepare." The sweet voice of the attendant echoed through the carriage.

"Finally here." Brian Carter stretched lazily, packed his luggage, and got ready to get off the train. This was his first time leaving Ningdong.

He was eighteen years old, about 1.75 meters tall, not particularly striking in appearance, but his facial features were sharp and well-defined, with a straight nose and moderately full lips. His short hair was thick and jet-black, giving him a touch of ruggedness beneath his handsome looks. His posture was upright, his movements brisk, and he gave off an air of decisiveness and competence that seemed a bit out of place for his age.

"Young man, are you a soldier?" An elderly man in a gray short-sleeved shirt beside him asked with a kindly smile.

"Sir, I used to be, but not anymore. I served for two years and then came back." Brian Carter replied with a faint smile.

"No wonder. Back in the day, I served too, in the 27th Air Force Brigade. But now I’m old." The old man’s face took on a nostalgic look.

Brian Carter understood how the old man felt. People tend to reminisce as they age. But Brian Carter didn’t have time to listen to his stories, so he slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Sir, I need to get off now."

"Hehe, alright, young man. Safe travels."

Brian Carter picked up a thick notebook from beside his sleeper bunk, with several hundred pages, its cover already very worn. Seeing this notebook, a wave of sadness rose in his heart. His mother had given it to him before he left for Yinhai, saying it was the only thing his father had left him. The notebook was so thick, and the handwriting so small, that it must have contained millions of words. He hadn’t had time to finish reading it yet, but he carried it with him everywhere.

The train came to a smooth stop. Brian Carter dragged his suitcase out of the carriage and looked around. It was his first time in the city of Yinhai. As he walked along, the marble floor beneath his feet sparkled, not a speck of litter in sight. The entire station was spacious and spotless. Brian Carter had lived in a remote, small city before, so coming to such a bustling metropolis all of a sudden felt a bit overwhelming. In any case, he needed to settle down here first.

The station was lined with billboards advertising a virtual game called "The Sword of Dictatorship," which would begin open beta testing across the Federation in three days. As he walked, the advertisements for "The Sword of Dictatorship" were everywhere, almost overwhelming.

In this era of material abundance, virtual games had become one of the main forms of entertainment. Entering a virtual game was like stepping into another world, a way to release the pressures of real life and seek a different existence. According to previous Federation statistics, virtual games had a coverage rate of 89%, and the annual spending of countless players in these games had reached an astonishing level.

Brian Carter had played a few virtual games before, but he didn’t have any special talent—just an ordinary player. Later, for various reasons, he stopped playing altogether.

Following the crowd toward the station exit, he saw some large screens broadcasting news about major studios recruiting professional players. The top fifty studios in Yinhai were all offering high salaries to skilled professional players, preparing for an all-out push into "The Sword of Dictatorship." The competition between studios for top talent was becoming increasingly fierce, and the value of the top-ranked professional players was skyrocketing.

Brian Carter often kept up with the news. With so many people playing online games now, top professional players enjoyed treatment on par with celebrities—tournament prize money, advertising endorsements, sponsorships—their income was staggering. Brian Carter remembered that when he was a child, his father had been a famous professional player, ranked third in China, at the height of his fame. But when Brian Carter was twelve, his father suddenly quit professional gaming and was left with a huge debt. Their family fell into poverty, and three years later, his father died in a car accident, leaving Brian Carter and his mother in deep grief.

From then on, Brian Carter seemed to grow up overnight, taking on household responsibilities and dropping out of school early to work. How he wished he could be like other seventeen- or eighteen-year-olds, sheltered under his parents’ wings. But sometimes, he had to learn to bear the burden.

Lost in thought, he found himself at the station exit before he knew it. A crisp shout snapped him out of his reverie.

"Hey, are you Brian Carter?"

Brian Carter looked in the direction of the voice and couldn’t help but be taken aback. A girl of about seventeen or eighteen was walking toward him. She wasn’t very tall, maybe around 1.6 meters, but her figure was curvaceous and graceful. Dressed in a pale yellow short skirt, she exuded a charming elegance. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall to her waist. Her delicate, oval face was rosy-cheeked, her thick lashes framing a pair of clear, bright eyes. The lively look in her eyes couldn’t quite hide her playfully mischievous nature.

"I’m Brian Carter. And you are...?" Brian Carter was puzzled as to how this beautiful girl knew who he was, and was momentarily stunned before finally asking.