[Do NOT log into Eternal Realm Online! It's a trap set by the gods!]
[Once you link your consciousness, you will all become slaves to the gods!]
[The Asgard Empire will unleash devastating sanctions against all gods who threaten Earth!]
...
Room 307, Premium Apartment, Central District, Valoran City.
"Kalis!!! Finish this energy drink, and we'll head to the Eternal Realm～"
A clear, sweet voice rang out. Her silvery-white twin tails swayed like fluffy clouds, and her blue-purple pupils sparkled like they held starlight.
The girl Lenore held up a canned drink, her delicate, doll-like face brimming with eager anticipation.
Beside her, Eira's long silver hair cascaded down to her waist, her purple eyes as deep as amethysts.
Dressed in a black cropped camisole and cargo pants, she raised her glass elegantly, her mature, sensual aura a stark contrast to Lenore's.
A lazy smile tugged at her lips: "Don't worry, I'll still be the support this time, Lenore's the DPS, and you..."
"I'm absolutely not being the tank!"
Kalis, with his blue-gray gradient short hair and clear blue eyes, interrupted without hesitation while biting into a sandwich.
His gaze was calm as night, and his neat, blue-gray gradient short hair exuded a sharp charm.
As the core member of "Stardust Twins" Studio, he had been forced to take on the frontline role for three years.
Every time he saw a boss's attack effects, he wanted to quit the game on the spot.
Eira raised an eyebrow, her fingertip gliding over the game introduction on her tablet: "But Eternal Realm Online is a cross-dimensional game crafted by the Creator God, the 'Eternal Ruler'.
Its mind-link technology has zero latency, with a 10:1 in-game to real-time ratio.
They say that after reaching max level, you can even gain real-world abilities bestowed by the gods. Our studio can't compete for the leaderboards without you, our 'Mobile Fortress'."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Lenore pounced beside Kalis, her twin tails brushing his arm as she winked mischievously.
"Last time you played a knight and held off an assault from ten guilds. Even if you play a mage this time, you'll probably can't help but charge forward anyway～"
Kalis rubbed his forehead in exasperation. These two silver-haired twin girls were his childhood friends and the soul of the studio.
Eira was calm and scheming, adept at formulating tactics; Lenore was lively and impulsive, her skills sharp enough to be mistaken for cheating.
The three of them had claimed the top spot on countless game leaderboards together, but this time, he really wanted to switch to a ranged class and enjoy the thrill of dealing damage.
"Ultimatum: Mage, or I'll queue solo." Kalis set down his sandwich, his eyes firm.
Eira and Lenore exchanged a glance, then sighed in unison: "Fine, fine, we'll listen to you this time. But if you die too quickly, don't blame us for deleting your account and rerolling～"
Only 1 hour remained until the game's launch.
Golden sunset streamed through the apartment's floor-to-ceiling windows as the three lay on recliners, adjusting to their most comfortable positions.
According to rumors on the forums, maintaining a "pious" posture before launch increased the chance of triggering a hidden talent.
The emergence of Eternal Realm Online was like a miracle.
Three days ago, all humans worldwide received a divine oracle in their dreams: This is a trial ground crafted by the Eternal Ruler for all intelligent life in the universe. No equipment or internet connection is needed; you can link in with just your consciousness.
In the initial phase, players will develop on exclusive maps corresponding to their civilizations.
Once they reach Level 255, they can break through civilization barriers and enter the true "Eternal Divine Realm", clashing with powerhouses from other planets.
The game has no in-app purchases, no administrators, and no trading platforms—pure as a gift from the gods.
Kalis closed his eyes and muttered "Eternal Realm Online" in his heart.
"Welcome to Eternal Realm Online!"
"56 minutes and 19 seconds remain until launch. You may pre-create your character."
In the next second, his consciousness was wrapped in a warm force. The apartment scene vanished instantly, replaced by a radiant temple.
Its dome is inlaid with billions of stars, its floors paved with softly glowing crystal bricks, and the air filled with a faint sacred fragrance.
A water mirror appeared before him. In the mirror, the boy's blue-gray gradient short hair fell in messy strands across his forehead, his blue eyes brighter than in reality, and his sharp facial features carried a hint of coldness.
"Tsk, the character models in games are really more handsome." Kalis winked at the mirror, preening.
"Please select your class."
An ethereal divine voice echoed through the temple. Six weapon icons appeared on the water mirror:
Longsword (Warrior)
Shield (Knight)
Staff (Mage)
Tome (Priest)
Dagger (Assassin)
Longbow (Ranger)
Seeing the Knight's shield icon, Kalis frowned instinctively. The shadow of three years as a tank still lingered. He pointed firmly at the Staff: "Mage."
As soon as the words left his mouth, his starter cloth armor transformed into a deep blue mage's robe, silver star patterns embroidered on the cuffs.
A wooden staff wrapped in vines appeared in his hand, seemingly ordinary, yet he could feel surging magical energy within it.
"Please enter your character name."
"Kalis."
"Character name confirmed!"
The system notification had barely faded when a golden beam of light suddenly descended from the sky, enveloping Kalis.
"Ding!"
A clear chime sounded in his ear: "Detected that your brainwave intensity exceeds the cosmic average by 50%. Triggering 'Gift of the Gods': awarding an additional lottery chance!"
A massive glowing lottery wheel materialized out of thin air, divided into countless grids colored from white (Common), green (Fine), blue (Rare), purple (Epic), orange (Legendary), red (Mythic), up to the pinnacle rainbow (Transcendental Mythic, Unique in the Universe).
Rewards included equipment, skill books, hidden class scrolls, and more.
"Even this kind of bonus?" Kalis raised an eyebrow, a flash of surprise in his blue eyes.
He reached out to touch the wheel, muttering in his heart: "Give me the absolute best."
The wheel spun rapidly, golden light streaking through the air.
After half a minute, it gradually slowed, and the pointer came to a steady stop on the sole rainbow grid.
"Transcendental Mythic?!" Kalis's heart raced.
"Ding! Congratulations on obtaining the Transcendental Mythic talent [Ultimate Amplification]!"
[Ultimate Amplification]: All skill effects are amplified by 10,000 times.
"Damn..." Kalis couldn't help but whisper. Ten thousand times skill effects? This was simply a game-breaking, bug-level talent!
He thanked himself for insisting on choosing Mage; if he'd still played a tank, this talent would have been wasted.
He couldn't wait to share the good news.
When he withdrew his consciousness from the game, he saw Eira and Lenore still immersed in character creation, Lenore letting out soft exclamations from time to time, while Eira frowned, seemingly hesitant about her class choice.
Kalis opened the global forum for Eternal Realm Online and found that many players had posted about receiving a "lottery chance".
Some had drawn rare skills, others had obtained Epic weapons, and one player even showed off a hidden class transfer certificate for "Flame Swordsman".
It turned out that almost all Earth players received a lottery chance.
But it seemed he was the only one who'd drawn the transcendent god-tier unique talent.
After browsing the forum for ten minutes, only 10 seconds remained on the launch countdown.
Kalis closed his eyes again and linked his consciousness to the game once more.
"Eternal Realm Online launch countdown: 10, 9, 8...3, 2, 1!"
"Welcome, Kalis..."