"Cough! Cough!"

In a rented apartment in Huaxia's coastal city, Ji Dongfeng suddenly snapped his eyes open, bolting upright as he gasped for air, breaking free from the suffocating sensation that had gripped him.

"What the hell... Didn't I drown? This is... my old apartment?"

Staring at the familiar surroundings, Ji Dongfeng froze for a moment before frantically turning to check the calendar on the desk.

"April 1, 2078."

"April Fools' Day, '78?! The day before *Epoch* officially launched its open beta?" His pupils contracted sharply as he fumbled for his phone, only to find it flooded with news about *Epoch*'s imminent release.

*"Humanity Will Enter a New Era Through Epoch!"*

*"Top Gaming Studios Offer Hefty Rewards to Recruit Pro Players—Free Helmets for Qualified Candidates!"*

*"Limited Edition 9-Star VR Helmets Now Available! Hidden 10-Star Helmets Spark Nationwide Treasure Hunt!"*

*"1-Star Helmets Priced at 50K! Experts Say Skipping One Meal a Day Will Get You One in No Time!"*

*"Epoch Exposed! Eastern Cultivation vs. Western Magic—Clash of Civilizations?"*

As his eyes scanned the headlines, Ji Dongfeng's vision burned red before he threw his head back and burst into laughter.

"I actually went back three years! Rayburn! Annihilation Studios! Just you wait! If I don’t bring you all down, my name isn’t Ji Dongfeng!"

The next second, he threw on his clothes and dashed out the door, sprinting toward a nearby marketplace as memories from his past life surged violently through his mind.

In that life, Ji Dongfeng—alone and adrift—had graduated only to face unemployment, sinking into a haze of gaming. When *Epoch* announced its open beta, he couldn’t even afford the cheapest 1-star helmet. In the end, he had no choice but to join Annihilation Guild’s gold-farming team, scraping by with a hand-me-down headset.

Players entering the Era game start with two innate talents: one is the initial talent awarded by the system after scanning the player's personal background and history, while the other is a bonus talent attached to the gaming helmet.

Talent levels range from 1 to 10 stars. The odds of drawing a 9-star talent with a 1-star helmet are a mere 0.01%, while a 9-star helmet increases that chance to 0.1%. As for 10-star talents, they are exclusively obtainable with 10-star helmets—guaranteed, no less. However, 10-star helmets aren’t sold publicly; they can only be acquired through redemption codes, which the Era Corporation has hidden in obscure corners of the world.

A popular saying in the game was: *"If your combined talents don’t even reach 5 stars, not even a dog would want you!"* Yet, in his past life, Ji Dongfeng’s innate talent was only 3 stars, and his helmet bonus was a pitiful 1 star.

With such abysmal talents, Ji Dongfeng lived like a dog under the oppressive guild *Annihilation*, toiling endlessly for meager rewards. Watching the gap between himself and top players widen, he gritted his teeth, paid his way out of the guild with all his hard-earned savings, and finally broke free.

After leaving *Annihilation*, luck finally smiled upon him—he obtained a 9-star artifact in a hidden dungeon.

But as it turns out, excitement can make a man reckless.

Overjoyed, Ji Dongfeng shared the news with his childhood friend Lei Peng, hoping they could rise together. Instead, Lei Peng sold him out to *Annihilation* without hesitation.

At first, *Annihilation* tried to lowball him for the artifact. When Ji Dongfeng refused, they slandered him as a traitor to the guild and launched a relentless in-game manhunt.

Thanks to years of gaming experience, Ji Dongfeng narrowly escaped their clutches multiple times. Just as *Annihilation* was losing patience, Lei Peng led their enforcers straight to his doorstep in the real world. Their plan was to strong-arm him into surrendering the artifact—but Ji Dongfeng’s frail body couldn’t withstand their brutality. After a round of "waterboarding," he never woke up.

Recalling the agony of his past life, Ji Dongfeng clenched his fists and quickened his pace.

*"I remember the game’s top body-refining cultivator, Situ Dali, once shared the location of his 10-star helmet on the forums—somewhere in the nearby wet market… I hope he hasn’t gotten to it yet. There are only twelve 10-star helmets worldwide, and just four in all of China! Only with that can I stand a chance against Annihilation."*

Five minutes later, Ji Dongfeng arrived at Binhai Wet Market, making a beeline for a watermelon stall in the northwest corner.

The vendor perked up at the sight of a customer.

"Take your pick, all fresh and legit melons here!"

Ignoring him, Ji Dongfeng grabbed a nearby cleaver, scanned the stall with sharp eyes, and without hesitation, brought the blade down on the most unremarkable "grenade melon" tucked away in the corner.

*CRACK!*

"Hey! You little brat! Daring to chop my watermelon?! Looking for trouble, huh?" The vendor's eyes bulged in outrage, but before he could react, Ji Dongfeng burst into laughter. Quick as lightning, he scooped up the split watermelon halves and scanned a payment of 100 yuan with his phone.

"I'll take this one. No need to weigh it—100 should cover it, right?" With the watermelon cradled in his arms, Ji Dongfeng turned on his heel and strode off.

The cheerful *ding* of the payment notification instantly melted the vendor’s anger into a beaming grin. Meanwhile, the other vendors stared at Ji Dongfeng like he was the biggest sucker of the 21st century.

"Whoa there, young man! Nice moves! Don’t rush off—how about splitting a couple more?"

"Hey, kid! Ever tried smashing a durian? Way more satisfying—better grip, bigger thrill!"

"Over here! Just 50 a pop! I’ll teach you personally—guaranteed fun and satisfaction!"

Amid the chorus of eager shouts, Ji Dongfeng bolted out of the market, his face alight with excitement. Only when he finally reached home did he exhale sharply, his heart still racing.

Carefully setting the watermelon down, he pried a red card from one of the halves. Most of it had been buried deep in the fruit’s flesh—unless someone was deliberately searching for it, the card would’ve gone unnoticed.

The card bore minimal details: the emblem of *Epoch* at the top, followed by a string of 20 digits.

Ji Dongfeng pulled out his phone, navigated to *Epoch*’s official website, and entered the code in the helmet redemption section.

**"Congratulations! You’ve discovered an *Epoch* 10-Star Helmet. Please provide your delivery address and verify your ID. Your helmet will arrive within 12 hours."**

After triple-checking the address and personal details, he finally hit *Confirm*.

Just as he was about to collapse onto the couch to process it all, a sharp knock echoed at his door.

Ji Dongfeng’s lips curled into a cold smirk. "Almost forgot—he was coming today."

The next moment, Ji Dongfeng pocketed the card and opened the door to find a wiry young man barging in unannounced.

"Feng! I got in touch with the Annihilation crew! They're giving us a shot at the trials! Come on, man! This could be our golden ticket!" the man exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Lei Peng, you go ahead without me. Got some stuff to handle first—I'll be logging into Epoch a bit later," Ji Dongfeng replied nonchalantly, taking a bite of watermelon.

Lei Peng froze for a second before his face twisted in disbelief. "You're bailing? How the hell are you gonna afford the helmet then? Listen, Feng, in a game like Epoch, even half a day’s delay could cost you big. Annihilation’s offer is legit!"

"Don’t worry, I’ll get my hands on a helmet soon enough. Just go ahead and take their test—don’t mess up your chance because of me."

"Fine, but hurry up. I’m counting on us tearing it up together in-game!"

After a brief exchange, Lei Peng turned to leave, snagging half the watermelon on his way out. Ji Dongfeng smirked, lying back on his bed as he mapped out his strategy.

"My advantages? First, the 10-star talent. Second, in my past life, I practically lived on the forums—I know every hidden quest and secret event like the back of my hand. Third, I’ve got the weak spots of every major boss memorized..."

"In Epoch, players from China enter a cultivation world. Everyone has to choose between Qi Refining or Body Tempering... Then, based on their spiritual roots, they join different sects—basically like picking a class in other games. Last time, I was an Earth-rooted Qi Refiner... This time, I’ll decide after seeing my talent."

"If I remember right, there are three hidden quests in the starter village..."

Ten hours later, a sharp knock echoed at the door. Ji Dongfeng opened it to find a hulking man in a black suit staring him down.

"Name," the man demanded.

"Ji Dongfeng. And you?"

"Epoch Helmet Delivery Division. Place your hand here for fingerprint verification."

"Got it."

"Beep. Verification complete."

With a crisp electronic chime, the burly man handed a sleek black suitcase to Ji Dongfeng.

"The VR headset, accessories, and user manual are all inside. If everything checks out, please sign here."

"Appreciate it."

**8 hours until the launch of "Epoch Online"**

Ji Dongfeng packed his belongings and vacated his apartment under the cover of night.

**3 hours to go**

After crisscrossing the coastal city of Binhai, he finally settled on a modest one-bedroom unit in the suburbs.

**1 hour remaining**

Ensuring he wouldn’t be disturbed, Ji Dongfeng unpacked, set up the headset, and gave it a final inspection.

"Top-tier gear really is something else," he murmured, admiring the sleek silver helmet in his hands. Designed for maximum comfort, its built-in ventilation system conformed seamlessly to the wearer’s head.

**30 minutes before launch**

Ji Dongfeng logged into the game. Though the servers weren’t officially live yet, players could already create avatars and receive randomized traits.

"Welcome to *Epoch Online*, Mr. Ji Dongfeng. The system will now scan your facial features and neural patterns to generate your in-game appearance and assign innate abilities."

As the virtual world materialized around him, Ji Dongfeng found himself suspended in the vast expanse of space, legs crossed as if meditating amidst swirling galaxies. A melodic chime resonated in his ears.

The stars began a slow, hypnotic dance, sending waves of dizziness through him.

"Never thought I’d witness this again," he chuckled under his breath. "Last time, I just gaped at it for a solid ten minutes..."

"Scan complete. Avatar generated. Please name your character."

"East Wind Breaker."

"Name confirmed. Extracting helmet talent... Extraction complete. Congratulations, you have obtained the 10-star talent: Thunder's Tyranny."

"Thunder's Tyranny

10-star talent

: You wield the power of lightning. Your spiritual root is replaced with the Thunder Root. Every basic attack carries the force of thunder, which grows stronger as your cultivation advances. However, this tyrannical power demands submission, not companionship. All active skill effects are reduced by 50%, while all passive skill effects are increased by 1000%."

Hearing this, Ji Dongfeng's eyes lit up. The Thunder Root was one of the rarest spiritual roots—so rare that it might not appear even among millions.

"Extracting player's innate talent... Congratulations, you have obtained the 10-star talent: Infinite Resurrection."

"Infinite Resurrection

10-star talent

: You are either forgotten by the underworld or had your name erased by the Great Sage. You possess the ability to resurrect infinitely. Death incurs no penalties. For the first three deaths each day, you will receive generous rewards based on the manner of death. After exceeding three deaths in a day, each subsequent death still has a 5% chance to grant a random reward. This talent can evolve."

"Congratulations on achieving the Dual 10-Star Talents milestone. Hidden attribute drop rate permanently increased by 20%."

As the system's announcements echoed in his ears, Ji Dongfeng's pupils constricted in shock.

"What's going on? A 10-star talent? Shouldn't mine have been the 3-star talent that boosts defense? How could this—"

Before he could make sense of it, a flash of white light engulfed him, and his figure vanished from the starry cosmos.

Epoch had officially begun!