Chapter 1: A Peculiar Game

Chapter 1: A Peculiar Game

After enduring a grueling day of work, Lu Yao wearily made his way back to his modest rental abode. Enclosed within the confines of a small-scale company, housing no more than a dozen individuals, he found himself surrounded by a disparate collection of coworkers, mostly consisting of interrelated kinfolk idling away their time. With the exception of the boss and his partners, only a triumvirate remained genuinely dedicated to their tasks. And while only three months had passed since Lu Yao began working here, the weariness that enveloped him made it seem as though an entire year had transpired.

Nevertheless, he dared not tender his resignation until he secured an alternative means of livelihood. In these economically challenging times, survival took precedence, relegating future prospects to the realm of secondary consideration.

Yet, at this juncture every day, Lu Yao sought refuge in relaxation, momentarily setting aside the day's tribulations and allowing himself a sliver of solace.

Now, it was game time.

With a mixture of anticipation and weariness, he powered on his antiquated computer, his mouse cursor gliding languidly across the screen.

Today, which game shall it be?

A competitive pursuit aimed at attaining a lofty rank?

An immersive adventure brimming with intrigue?Visitt novelbin(.)co/m for the latest updates

Or perhaps a captivating strategy game, like Romance of the Three Kingdoms?

...

However, within this assortment of choices, an inconspicuous icon captured Lu Yao's attention.

Positioned unobtrusively in the lower right corner of the screen, its logo, a green pixelated island, blended seamlessly with the verdant grass of the computer's background, barely catching his eye. Its unassuming presence piqued his curiosity.

"The Celestial Experience"?

What manner of game could this be?

Lu Yao had no recollection of downloading or purchasing such a title.

Driven by an insatiable curiosity, he clicked on the file properties, hoping to glean additional information. The source file, a modest 20 megabytes in size, hinted at its status as a relic from the bygone era of gaming.

Lu Yao's computer, equipped with meager specifications, had dutifully served him since his college days. Reluctant to bid it farewell, he persevered, enduring the lowest graphical settings to savor the likes of League of Legends and Dota. For more popular titles, he relied on cloud gaming and content consumption, immersing himself in the gameplay videos of others. In the scarce moments of respite that life afforded him, Lu Yao delved into the rich tapestry of classic old games.

With unwavering determination, he chose to open "The Celestial Experience."

Gradually, the screen faded into darkness.

Accompanied by the harmonious strains of old-fashioned, 8-bit electronic music, white Chinese characters materialized one by one on the ebony canvas, evoking a nostalgic pixelated aesthetic reminiscent of bygone eras.

"On this momentous day, the world rejoiced as the esteemed lord once again graced the realm."

"Your advent has bestowed renewed vigor upon this desolate earth. Your indomitable might shall forge a brand new civilization."

In due course, the solemn scene yielded to a bustling tableau. An assemblage of characters, their actions synchronized like a well-choreographed dance, tirelessly erected intricate structures, cultivated fertile fields, and exulted with arms raised high. The pixelated artistry exuded an aura of novelty and nostalgia, momentarily easing the weariness that had gripped Lu Yao's fatigued spirit.

Against this backdrop, three pristine options beckoned, gleaming like precious gems amidst the pixelated landscape.

"New Game."

"Continue the game"

"Quit"

Lu Yao eagerly initiated the game by selecting the "New Game" option, an ember of anticipation kindling within him. As the screen gracefully dissolved into obscurity, a splendid screen akin to a painting unfurled before his eyesan artful mosaic of vibrant green pixels, akin to an expertly rendered composition of paint blocks on a sable canvas.

Lu Yao continued his explorations, his deft hand effortlessly navigating the new interface that materialized upon the virtual facade of the ancient temple.

Captivating his gaze within the center of the image stood an austere stone bonfire, commanding attention with its presence. Beside it, a gray humanoid statue sat in a serene posture, its countenance obscured by a hazy veil, devoid of any distinct gender. This enigmatic figure was a manifestation of pixelated imagination, embodying the divine essence itself.

At the forefront of the statue, an elongated table stretched out, adorned with two distinctive slots, each bearing a purpose and intriguing Lu Yao's inquisitive mind.

The left slot, clearly labeled as "Sacrifice," held an air of comprehensibility, providing a designated space for the faithful and the temple's denizens to offer their heartfelt tributes to the gods.

On the right, a smaller slot, elegantly labeled as "Gift," aroused curiosity, suggesting the temple's potential to bestow remarkable powers or sacred artifacts upon its devoted inhabitants.

Could this be the miraculous discovery they had sought so fervently?

Lu Yao scoured every pixel of the virtual environment with meticulous dedication, his eyes darting across the digital tapestry before him, searching for any clues or interactive elements. Yet, to his dismay, he found nothing amenable to manipulation. Frustration gripped him as he grappled with the enigma laid before him, stumbling at the very first hurdle.

Amidst his perplexity, a peculiar observation seized Lu Yao's attention, like a tiny pearl glimmering amidst the vast digital sea.

The elongated table before the divine statue bore a striking resemblance to his own workstationa serendipitous convergence of the virtual and the tangible world.

An uncanny coincidence, surely...

The two slots, the sacrificial one resembling the rectangular shape of a keyboard, and the gift slot, its contours graceful and ovalresembling a mouse.

A sudden realization dawned upon himwas the enshrined deity himself engaged in the act of playing with a computer?

The notion startled Lu Yao, his mind recoiling from the implications it carried.

Impossible...

It had to be a mere fortuitous alignment of symbols.

However, a daring notion sprouted within him, like a fragile bud breaking through a crack in the concrete.

With delicate precision, he positioned a clove of garlic next to the bowl of instant noodles, placing it exactly adjacent to the mouse-shaped slot.

Lu Yao fixed his gaze upon the virtual mouse, anticipation coursing through every fiber of his being.

Within moments, the garlic clove slipped from its precarious perch, succumbing to gravity's inexorable pull.

"It truly was just a coincidence," Lu Yao chuckled, masking the subtle tinge of disappointment tugging at his heartstrings.

But then, a bewildering turn of events unfolded before his incredulous eyes.

The fallen garlic clove vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of its existence.

Lu Yao's instinctive response was to shift his gaze toward the computer screen, seeking answers within the digital realm.

And there, in the temple's "Gift" slot, a pixelated icon of garlic materialized, shimmering with a mystical aura.

[Garlic]: A divine offering, possessing both the allure of culinary delight and the healing properties of ancient remedies.

In that moment, a line of text emerged on the screen, a messenger from the virtual realm.

Might I beseech you to bestow [Garlic] upon your faithful followers?

[Accept] or [Decline]

Lu Yao's trembling hand grasped the mouse, its weight imbued with the weight of destiny itself.