"Holy sht, are you sure this isn't a movie? This is actual gameplay?"
"Fake. Calling it now. I'd sooner believe in an elixir of immortality than a game company actually developing 100% realistic VR."
"To be honest though, even if it is a movie, it's shot incredibly well. Haven't seen battlefield scenes this bloody and realistic in years."
On the newly launched official game website, a flood of netizens spammed the comments section.
Most were skeptical about the so-called "virtual reality game."
But as some players who had received insider news and accessed the forum without logging into the game started to share their experiences, the tide began to turn.
"Tested it myself. Absolutely real!"
"The game company isn't trying to make money in the early stages. The VR helmet is such high-tech gear, yet they send it to your door for free. You don't even have to pay for shipping. Don't come crying that you can't afford it once the game blows up and they start charging."
"Check the sticky post on the forum! Five hundred new Closed Beta slots just opened up. If you want to know if it's a scam, try registering. Just a heads up, be mentally prepared so your jaw doesn't drop when you log in."
---
A rural village on Earth.
Xia Zhang lay on the kang, eyes dull and lifeless, scrolling through his phone numbly.
It was as if he were trying to find something, anything, swiping endlessly, but no information could hold his gaze for even a second.
He just swiped mechanically.
After all, what else could he do?
That was the thought of a young man who, at only twenty-three, had lost the use of his lower body forever due to an accident.
Suddenly.
Xia Zhang's finger paused. Not because it was sore or tired.
But because he saw a post that brought a flicker of life back into his dead eyes.
"I lost my legs forever in a real-life accident. But convinced by my family, I entered the game with skepticism and hope.
When I felt my feet firmly planted on the ground again after so long, I knew... in that moment, I was reborn..."
It was a post by a player named "Dawn," who claimed to be one of the lucky few to get a Closed Beta slot.
Below his post, netizens scoffed.
Some repeatedly asked if it was real, asking if someone riddled with illness could find relief in the game.
Some treated it as a joke, making random quips.
Some claimed to be stubborn believers and said they had already registered.
Gulp.
Could it be real?
Xia Zhang stared silently at his phone screen as it dimmed.
Could it be real.
It wasn't a question.
Xia Zhang affirmed the answer.
He wanted to try.
He wanted to try feeling his feet firmly on the ground again, just like that player named Dawn.
Xia Zhang quickly registered his personal information according to the official website's requirements.
Then he threw his phone aside, refusing to look at it again.
He was afraid someone would come out with the "truth" to debunk the rumor too soon.
He didn't want to see that.
---
"WTF is this?"
Rick, the rancher, took the box from the delivery man.
"Damn it, you spendthrift woman! What kind of junk did you buy for the house this time!" Rick shouted at his wife, who was cooking in the kitchen.
Rick seemed very angry, evident from his reddening face.
As the head of the household, I really need to teach this foolish woman a lesson!
Rick thought to himself.
Despite his complaints, Rick didn't ignore the box.
Grabbing a fruit knife from the table, Rick sliced open the box and finally saw what was inside.
"This is... WTF, son of a btch, it's actually real!"
Rick looked shocked, slapping his forehead. It seemed this package was actually his.
---
A five-star hotel.
"Are you sure this thing can actually play games?"
Leonardo's uncle, David, looked skeptically at his nephew, who had already put on the VR helmet.
---
Westeros.
People often say: There are only two cities in Westeros—King's Landing and the others.
Judging by the stench of King's Landing alone, that statement isn't an exaggeration. This densely populated city is indeed prosperous.
Varys, the Master of Whisperers, came to see his little birds again.
The eunuch from the court greeted every child kindly.
After distributing a small gift to each child, he pulled a little girl with messy hair and yellowed teeth into a corner.
He spoke softly:
"You didn't see him."
It wasn't a question. The Master of Whisperers just wanted to know the reason.
The little girl just stared at the small pouch in his hand. After a long while, she shook her head.
The Spider crossed his hands, his expression unusually serious in front of a little bird.
"I want to know why."
Varys handed the pouch to the little girl. The girl nodded heavily, then turned and left.
"Lord Varys."
It was a Lion Guard. The Red Cloaks were everywhere in the Red Keep.
Varys looked at the newcomer, a Lannister soldier.
"My Lord, the King commands everyone to the Tower of the Hand immediately." The Red Cloak looked respectful.
Varys had a guess in his heart. As he approached the Red Cloak, he still lowered his voice and asked softly:
"Can you reveal the reason?"
It was a Gold Dragon.
Feeling the cold metal in his palm, the Red Cloak leaned in and whispered to Varys:
"Last night, the Hand of the King, Lord Jon Arryn..."
Varys feigned a look of shock:
"By the Gods..."
---
Inside the Tower of the Hand.
The Small Council, the King, and the Queen were all gathered here.
The King, who had been indulging in wine and women just yesterday, was surprisingly silent.
Grand Maester Pycelle hunched over, wearing a look of sorrow.
Queen Cersei held her head high. When she felt Varys's gaze, he offered a benevolent smile.
Yes, smiling before the earthly remains of the Hand of the King. The Master of Whisperers knew this was what Her Grace the Queen wanted.
She had always wanted her brother in the white cloak to serve as Hand.
Now that the Hand had passed, it seemed she might get her wish.
Varys's smile caused the Queen's sharp gaze to pass over him.
The King turned around and looked at his Master of Whisperers.
He saw the sorrow on Varys's face.
"Sigh, I never thought a man could collapse so quickly." The deceased was not only his Hand but also his foster father.
Robert had thought countless times: I should order the old man to stand up, just as unreasonably as I did when I was young, and make him continue to run the kingdom for me for another fifty years.
Until I, the King, die at eighty with a belly full of wine and a girl in my bed.
But Robert didn't. He was no longer young, and he didn't want the man he respected to know no peace even in death.
"It is all the will of the Gods." Varys approached the King at the right moment and sighed.
"Sigh. I swear to you, with the Gods as my witness, I will watch over and raise your heir." Robert didn't want to stay in this joyless place any longer. He dropped a hasty promise and left the Tower of the Hand.
Queen Cersei, who hadn't spoken a word the entire time, turned and followed him out.
Gods grant that our Queen won't suggest Ser Jaime take over as Hand too quickly.
Because that would turn the court into a marketplace.
Varys withdrew his gaze from the retreating backs of the King and Queen. Unfortunately, his eyes met those of Lord Petyr Baelish from the Fingers.