"Wu Shaochen, go to the finance department to settle your salary. You don't need to come to work tomorrow."
A middle-aged man, sparse hair and a beer belly, sat in a spacious leather chair and addressed the young man standing before him.
"Why are you firing me?" Wu Shaochen asked, his face full of indignation.
He had a rough idea of the situation. It was probably because when he came home late after working overtime yesterday, he had realized halfway that he forgot his keys. When he returned to the office to retrieve them, he had accidentally caught his boss in an intimate moment with his secretary. But really, was it such a big deal?
"Because I'm the boss, and I can fire whoever I please," the middle-aged man said smugly.
"This guy must be afraid that I'll report him to his wife," Wu Shaochen thought to himself. His wife often visited the office, so it was easy for her to run into him. If he just fired him, there would be no need to worry about it.
Although he wanted to tell his boss that he wasn't the type to meddle in others' affairs, he quickly realized it would be pointless. A boss like this might just make his life miserable even if he stayed.
"You can fire me, but according to the law, the company must pay three months' salary for a unilateral dismissal," Wu Shaochen said, deciding that if he had to leave, he would at least maximize his benefits.
"Do you think I'm worried about that?" The middle-aged man sneered. "Just go to finance and get your money, and then get lost."
Soon, Wu Shaochen had his salary settled and packed up his things, leaving the office. Standing on the busy street, he didn't know where to go. Two years after graduation, he had achieved nothing, and now he'd lost his job. In a city like SZ, money was everything—without income, he couldn't even afford to add sausage to his instant noodles.
"Forget it, I'll look for another job," Wu Shaochen muttered to himself.
At that moment, a poster suddenly flew toward him and stuck to his face. He took it off and saw the promotional image for the globally popular game *Divine Oracle*.
Over the past month, *Divine Oracle* advertisements had been everywhere. It was said that the mastermind behind the game was not of any existing civilization but a product of a new era. The game's origin was a closely guarded secret, and it was developed in collaboration by the five leading global gaming giants. The game boasted 100% realism, meaning the sensory experience in the game was identical to that of real life.
"This is truly a game of a new era," Wu Shaochen thought, but unfortunately, it wasn't a game you could play on a computer. You needed to buy a game helmet.
"Damn it, one helmet costs ten thousand. My savings after two years of work haven't even hit five figures."
"Wait a minute, I just got three months' salary, which is exactly ten thousand five hundred. Maybe..." Wu Shaochen's mind began to race. This game was unlike any traditional game—it had infinite possibilities. As an experienced gamer, he could see that.
He was confident in the game, but not in himself. After all, this game would have players from all over the world. The top-tier gamers and the wealthy would undoubtedly rush to play it. While his gaming skills weren't bad, he knew he couldn't compete with them.
"This is a gamble," Wu Shaochen muttered. For him, ten thousand yuan was a fortune—it drained nearly all his savings. Without that, he would barely survive in a city like SZ. After today's salary, his bank account had only two hundred left, and by the end of the month, he wouldn't even be able to pay rent if the game didn't bring in money.
"Damn it, I'll gamble. Worst case, I sleep under a bridge. If it doesn't work out, I'll find another job. Besides, I love games. Since this opportunity is right in front of me, I can't pass it up."
He immediately hailed a cab and rushed to the nearest helmet store. Why take a cab when he was so broke? Because *Divine Oracle* would officially launch at noon today, and it was already close to 10:00. He couldn't afford to fall behind.
At the store, he saw a long line. The game had been selling helmets for a month, and the line had been long every day. Now, just before the launch, it was still packed.
Wu Shaochen waited for over an hour before finally getting his hands on a helmet. Looking at the time—11:25—he quickly hailed another cab to head home, urging the driver to hurry. He finally arrived at 11:50.
Suddenly, he felt hungry. He remembered he hadn't eaten breakfast that morning, and he would be in the game for a while, unable to get up. His body wouldn't last without food.
There was no time to cook or go out, so he scoured his house and found a bag of bread that had somehow fallen under the bed. The packaging was unopened, and without much thought, Wu Shaochen tore it open and devoured it in a few bites.
With a satisfied burp, Wu Shaochen leisurely put on his game helmet. The time was 11:55.
"Wait, why does my stomach hurt?"
Wu Shaochen's consciousness soon immersed in the game, and before his eyes appeared a vast battlefield. Countless monstrous beasts blotted out the sky, attacking tiny humans below. On the ground, more beasts chased fleeing humans, tearing apart anyone who was caught.
Yet, many strong humans fought back against the beasts—mages in noble robes hovering in the air, casting elemental spells on the beasts; archers firing arrows at airborne monsters; shield bearers standing firm, blocking waves of monsters; warriors charging through the beasts with axes; and assassins stealthily striking at weak monsters. In the back, holy-looking priests in white robes healed their allies.
This was the *Divine Oracle*'s six main classes: Mage, Archer, Shieldbearer, Warrior, Assassin, and Priest.
Although there were many powerful humans, they couldn't withstand the overwhelming beast army. Eventually, all the humans fell, and the beasts roared in triumph, as if celebrating their victory.
Wu Shaochen stood frozen, stunned by the scene. The feeling of being immersed in the world sent chills down his spine. It was terrifying—it didn't feel like a game at all; it felt real. Was this just the opening animation?
As he was still in awe, the scene shifted, and Wu Shaochen suddenly found himself in a grand hall. A system prompt rang out:
"Brainwave scan in progress..."
"Scan complete..."
"Blood sample extraction in progress..."
Wu Shaochen felt a sharp pain in his scalp.
"What the hell? The game helmet even draws blood?"
After a long wait, another prompt appeared:
"Blood sample extraction complete. DNA binding in progress..."
"Binding complete."
"Identity verification in progress..."
Name: Wu Shaochen
ID: 32**********8517
Age: 24
Nationality: China
Your bank card has been linked for in-game cash transactions.
...
"This... this is a game?"
Wu Shaochen stared at the space in front of him in disbelief. They had even checked his household registration and identity—how terrifying was this?