"Two packs a day, with extra on weekends."
"It's just a small habit, how could I catch something from this?"
Dragon Country, inside a rented room.
The air was thick with smoke, mixed with the slightly pungent smell of instant noodles.
Lin Chen held a half-smoked cigarette in his mouth, staring gloomily at the diagnostic report on his computer desk.
A hospital report, crumpled and then smoothed out, lay on half of the keyboard. The words "Lung Cancer, Mid-Stage" were clearly reflected in his eyes.
This was the source of Lin Chen's feeling of helplessness.
He was a man who yearned for freedom, gradually becoming unrestrained after entering society.
Regarding work, he was inconsistent, working only when he felt like it.
Regarding life, the internet cafe was his second home, and games and cigarettes were the two great pleasures that sustained him.
Later, he relied on farming gold and taking orders in games, occasionally working shifts at factories to save up. He slowly managed to rent a room and buy a computer, living an even more indulgent and carefree life.
But he never expected that extreme joy would lead to sorrow.
The daily habit of constantly smoking had led to this bitter result. By the time he noticed his physical discomfort and became vigilant, it was already mid-stage lung cancer.
Early-stage lung cancer still had a chance of cure, but mid-stage... hope was slim.
Furthermore, Lin Chen was a mess; his savings rate could never keep up with the consumption rate of rent, food, and cigarettes. How was he supposed to treat this disease?
For many people, a serious illness is a death sentence with a stay of execution, and he was clearly one of them.
"Heh."
Lin Chen let out a cold laugh. "Was it too much to ask just to muddle through this life?"
What should he do now? Go crazy before he died?
Should he rob a bank and experience the thrill of an adrenaline rush?
Or should he return to the factory and beat the supervisor who always gave him a dirty look and docked his pay into a pig's head?
Or... various thoughts flashed through his mind.
Lin Chen had lost his interest in playing games, but he habitually reached for the cigarette pack and pulled out the last one.
With a 'clang,' the sound of a lighter sparked, and a flame appeared.
Since things had come to this, he might as well smoke first!
He took a deep drag and exhaled the smoke. His worries seemed to vanish with the blue haze.
"A mesmerizing feeling. Too bad lung cancer is a huge problem..."
A look of reluctance appeared in Lin Chen's eyes.
"If life could start over, I would definitely turn over a new leaf and race against the God of Death, changing two packs a day to three packs a day! I'd strive to enjoy more before I die!"
He indulged in wild fantasies. When he snapped back to reality, he found the cigarette pack empty, so he prepared to get up and go out to buy more.
Just then—
A mechanical synthesized voice, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, suddenly and without warning, rang out directly in his mind:
[The Myriad Heavens Game is about to descend. All Blue Star inhabitants are requested to prepare. The connection channel will open in two hours. Simply chant 'Myriad Heavens' silently to log into the game first!]
Lin Chen froze, the cigarette butt nearly falling from his lips.
"Auditory hallucinations? Is this a symptom of lung cancer? Or am I having pre-death illusions?"
"No, wait, I should still have some time before death..."
While Lin Chen was puzzled, the voice sounded again:
[Myriad Heavens is a vast world full of infinite opportunities. Players can adventure to their heart's content and gain unparalleled power through hard work!]
[After the game officially opens, players who have not yet logged in will be forcibly pulled into the game world in batches every minute. Please participate actively!]
"It's happening again. There really is a voice in my head..."
Lin Chen took the cigarette he was smoking and lightly touched the burning, hot tip to the palm of his other hand.
Sizzle!
His skin reacted immediately to the flame, and a sharp pain shot through him.
"It's not a dream... nor an illusion..."
Almost simultaneously, the world outside the window confirmed Lin Chen's judgment—
The already noisy city became even more tumultuous!
"Holy crap! What the hell is talking inside my head?!"
"Myriad Heavens Game? What kind of new scam is this, brainwave transmission?"
"Aliens? Gods and demons descending? The end of the world?!"
"Damn it! I just finished paying off my mortgage! I haven't had a single good day yet, don't mess with me!"
"Help! I don't want to be pulled into some weird game!"
The voices of people, clearly filled with panic, came through the window gaps and stairwells.
Lin Chen quickly walked to the balcony and looked down.
On the street, people were running, cars were jammed and honking—it was utter chaos.
Seeing this scene, Lin Chen strangely calmed down, even feeling an indescribable excitement welling up.
Since he didn't have long to live anyway, if the world truly went haywire, it suited him perfectly!
He retreated inside, locked the door, grabbed his phone, and browsed the news.
Sure enough, the headlines on all platforms were dominated by the same message:
[Urgent Bulletin: Unknown anomalous phenomena have appeared globally. A large number of citizens report hearing a mysterious internal prompt sound!]
[The authorities are urgently evaluating the situation. Citizens are requested to remain calm, avoid panic, and refrain from believing or spreading rumors!]
[Experts initially speculate this may be related to mass psychological phenomena or unknown technology. Details are currently under investigation...]
A global event!
News about the mysterious voice sprang up like mushrooms after rain across various media platforms.
Lin Chen saw that the comment sections beneath the articles related to the mysterious voice were almost all overflowing:
"I don't care if it's real or fake. I have nothing to lose anyway. If a game really is descending, I'm all for it!"
"The person above, don't incite others. If people die, can you take responsibility? Are you so sure that being pulled into the game will definitely have a good outcome? Stop dreaming!"
"So scary. That voice seemed to say people would be forcibly pulled in? I don't want to! I can't bear to leave my current life!"
"Me too. It's so much fun flirting with girls, drinking, and playing games every day. But if they want me to fight and kill people in a game? I'm not doing it!"
...Fear, doubt, speculation, and incitement from those who wished for chaos... all were present.
"Interesting."
Lin Chen felt no fear. He rushed out the door and, before the chaos outside intensified, ran to the corner store downstairs and bought an entire carton of "Hongtashan" cigarettes.
Back inside, he sat down at the computer again and lit another cigarette.
He clearly remembered that the time on the bottom right corner of the computer screen was exactly 10:00 when the voice first sounded.
This meant that the Myriad Heavens Game would descend at 12:00 PM.
Whether it was real or fake, an opportunity or a trap, he was going to strive to be the first person to enter the game!
Now, all he had to do was wait.
As time passed, the commotion outside became more pronounced.
Although a few people remained stubborn, believing that the game's descent was complete nonsense and continuing their daily lives without concern.
But they were the minority.
In one company, an employee typing away at his computer suddenly stopped, roared, "Screw this job!" and violently picked up his keyboard, smashing it at his nagging superior. Immediately, other employees joined in the action.
Those marginalized people who were idle in the past, those dissatisfied with life but afraid to vent, now seemed to have smelled a signal and began wandering the streets simultaneously.
Soon, "zero-dollar shopping" phenomena appeared, making the streets even more chaotic.
Of course, most ordinary people were not so impulsive and chose to hide at home.
They debated online, seemingly hoping that the authorities would come forward to clarify that everything was a hoax perpetrated using unknown technology.
Meanwhile, the wealthy magnates and influential figures waited anxiously under the protection of security personnel... This phenomenon was not only happening in Dragon Country but was unfolding across the entire world!
Soon, sirens blared everywhere in the city, and official personnel were dispatched to maintain order, but the disturbance outside still hadn't completely stopped.
Lin Chen had already used a wardrobe to barricade his door, locked the windows, and drawn the curtains, sitting inside and staring at his computer.
Time ticked by, second by second.
11:59 AM.
Lin Chen took a deep breath.
11:59:45.
He began chanting silently in his heart, faster and faster, more urgently:
"Myriad Heavens! Myriad Heavens! Myriad Heavens—!"
The instant the time display in the bottom right corner of the computer screen accurately jumped to 12:00—
Ding!
Everything before his eyes was suddenly swallowed by darkness.
[Welcome to the Myriad Heavens Game!]
[Congratulations! You are the first player from Blue Star to log in, obtaining the unique hidden reward: 'Heavenly Dao Blessing'!]
Lin Chen had not lost consciousness. He clearly heard the mechanical synthesized prompt and was ecstatic!