"I, Alan Kuroskin, am not a fan of hard work."
"Same here."
"My dream is to strike it rich overnight."
"My dream is to have a friend who strikes it rich overnight."
"Congratulations."
"Congratulations to you too."
"Looks like your dream just came true."
With those words, our glasses clinked together in perfect sync. A clear ding echoed in the cozy tavern. The bell over the door chimed as a new customer entered, bringing with them a gust of wind from some faraway place and stirring the already lively atmosphere.
The young man who called himself Alan set his glass down and gazed out the window. The cobblestone streets glowed under a rose-colored sunset, while vines of white roses crept up from the magical supply shop across the street, winding all the way to the crystal lanterns hanging from the eaves.
Then, as if on cue, day turned into night. The magic kicked in. The lanterns blinked to life all at once, casting a dreamy glow over everything.
In the corner, the tavern's harpist changed his tune—from Spring Overture to Nocturne Suite, a melody filled with exotic allure. It made Alan turn his head.
A rowdy bunch of adventurers were celebrating nearby. If you listened closely, you could hear them bragging about finally clearing a high-level dungeon and scoring some sweet loot.
This was Celestial Saga, a massively popular full-immersion MMORPG that had taken the world by storm. With its advanced holographic tech and limitless gameplay, it was more than just a game—it was an escape, a second life.
Here, you could roam a world of swords and sorcery, chase glory, sing your own saga, or rewrite reality itself. Anything your imagination could dream of, you could make happen.
Right now, the young man—Alan—was in Silvermist City, one of the game's five major capitals. As for that "getting rich overnight" thing? Well... that was a long story.
His real name was Adrian, but everyone called him Alan, and his in-game ID was SweetwineDealer. He'd just turned twenty-four. Looking back at his life, there was one thing he could say for sure—he'd had pretty crap luck.
For years, he clung to the Law of Conservation of Fortune. As a rational believer in pseudo-science, he figured that if enough bad luck piled up, he had to be due for some good. Someday.
Yeah… wishful thinking.
Turns out, though, sometimes fate really does drop a pie from the sky.
Adrian inherited a fortune from a distant relative.
This relative had lived abroad his whole life, never married, and was absolutely loaded. The two of them had never met, had zero emotional connection, but it turns out Adrian's late father had once done the man a big favor. On his deathbed, the old guy decided to return that kindness. After a bit of digging, he discovered Adrian was the only one left in the family.
So he handed over the keys.
A few days ago, Adrian wrapped up all the paperwork. The inheritance wasn't a house—it was a set of commercial properties. In S City, where real estate was gold, the rental income alone raked in over a million yuan a year.
At first, Adrian hesitated. That kind of money… it felt wrong to just accept it, even with his father's goodwill behind it.
Then the lawyer said casually,
"The estate is worth over a billion."
…Right. Never mind. Carry on.
Just like that, Adrian became a rich man. And the very first thing he did with his newfound wealth?
He quit his job.
The properties he inherited weren't liquid cash, but solid real estate—all of it already rented out at reasonable rates. Adrian hired a lawyer to handle everything. The message to the tenants was simple: same lease, same rent—just a new landlord now. The lawyer was a pro and got it done fast. Then came the cherry on top: rent payments were due next month, and Adrian would be getting a cool half a million yuan. Straight into his account.
Adrian already had a plan: donate a little to give back to society, stash the rest away. If he was in the mood, maybe dabble in some investments. If not, just let it sit in the bank and collect interest.
For now, he still had some savings of his own—enough to live comfortably as a "freelancer."
And by "freelancer," he meant: *full-time landlord, part-time gamer*.
"So how much did you make selling that item earlier?" asked a low voice across the table, full of curiosity and barely-contained excitement.
Sitting across from Adrian was his longtime buddy, Charlie, in-game name *Feather Blossom*, a priest—aka the team's dedicated healer. The two had been friends since middle school and even went to college in the same city. Charlie was studying medicine, which meant that while Adrian had already graduated, Charlie was still grinding through school, buried in lab work, thesis hell, and hair loss. When he heard about Adrian's sudden inheritance, he nearly grabbed his friend's hand and said,
"If you ever get rich, don't forget your bro."
Adrian held up one finger.
Charlie squinted. "A hundred? A thousand?"
Adrian grinned. "A thousand. Cash."
He had just sold a legendary staff from a quest. If the stats had been better, it could've gone for way more. But hey, a grand is a grand.
By now, Celestial Saga had evolved into more than just a game—it was practically a full-fledged social platform. Making money here wasn't some pipe dream. You could earn rewards from events, flip high-level gear, run shops—there were all kinds of ways to turn time into profit. Even this little tavern they were sitting in? Player-owned.
Adrian loved gaming. Loved adventure. But up till now, he'd never had the time to fully dive in. He'd always been just another average player.
But not anymore.
Screw the grind.
Screw the 9-to-5.
Time to live it up.
Adrian, a man who stared life straight in the face, had learned to endure life's punches—and now, he was ready to embrace the windfall it threw his way.
If anyone was more excited than Adrian, it was Charlie.
"So what's your game plan now? If you're gonna make bank selling gear, just doing basic quests won't cut it. You'll need to run dungeons, and for that, you need a squad. PUGs are risky—skill levels all over the place, and one idiot can wipe your whole team. And those high-tier raids? They're all dominated by guilds. Getting a piece of that pie is almost impossible unless you're part of the inner circle—"
Adrian cut in, "Isn't the King's Game coming up?"
Charlie smacked his forehead. "Right! How the hell did I forget that?"
In Celestial Saga, the King's Game wasn't your typical party game. As the name suggests, it was issued by an in-game NPC King—an annual event famous for its brutal difficulty and wild mechanics. Players called it *The Crown of Thorns*.
Whoever claimed the crown would walk away with insane rewards.
No doubt about it—it was one of the biggest events in the game. And the best part? You didn't need a team to enter.
Perfect for a solo player like Adrian.
Charlie was tempted too, but he had no time. Even logging in to hang out with Adrian was pushing it—there was no way he could commit to a full event. That thought brought a faint sadness to his usually serene priest face. He reached out and patted Adrian's shoulder with a sigh.
"Alan," he said solemnly, "take care of yourself. Mommy will come heal you... when she has time."
"..."
Sometimes Adrian genuinely thought Charlie was a magical creature.
While every other guy in school wanted to act like someone's dad, Charlie was the one friend who could switch roles on the fly—one moment he was your mom, the next your dad. And if necessary? He could be your son too. A true shapeshifter.
They chatted a bit more before Charlie logged off.
In Celestial Saga, game time didn't run on real-world time. Each day and night cycle only lasted six hours. So while lanterns lit up across the in-game streets and night fell in Silvermist City, the real world had already hit midnight.
Adrian, jobless and school-free, strolled through the foreign city with zero urgency.
Silvermist City was one of the game's five major capitals, and even after midnight, it was still bustling. Thanks to full-immersion tech, the game felt nearly real—the distant chatter, the faint floral scent in the air... It wasn't perfect, but close enough to trick the senses. The cobblestones beneath his feet were detailed down to the cracks, and even the NPCs weren't your usual quest-givers repeating canned lines. They could pick up on keywords and hold basic conversations, some even came with their own personalities and backstories. It made the world feel alive.
Take that eccentric old archmage Adrian had been dealing with for the last few days. He'd been grinding favor with the guy to finish the staff quest.
The archmage got so moved by Adrian's dedication, he offered to make him his godson.
Adrian was also moved—and politely turned him down.
Weird side plots like that were par for the course in *Celestial Saga*. Players often joked that the devs were unhinged, but deep down, they loved it.
Anyway—no new dad for Adrian, but he had a hunch that old wizard still had more loot worth grinding for.