"Glory" is about to launch!"荣耀"即将上线!"A game co-developed by over a hundred countries!""由一百多个国家共同开发的一款游戏!""A revolutionary leap in entertainment!""娱乐领域的一次革命性飞跃!""An immersive experience that far surpasses VR!""一种远超虚拟现实的沉浸式体验!"
...
Riven Locke was stunned. 里文·洛克惊呆了.
"I... I've been reborn?" "我...我重生了?"
"Back to the launch day of Glory...""回到荣耀的发布日..."
After a moment of disbelief, Riven quickly accepted the truth.在短暂的难以置信之后,瑞文很快接受了事实.
Glory—a game that would soon change the entire human civilization."荣耀"——一款即将彻底改变整个人类文明的游戏.
At first, it was just a global MMO.起初,它只是一个全球大型多人在线游戏.But later... monsters from the game began appearing in the real world.Attributes and abilities from the game could be transferred to reality.
Unfortunately, in his previous life, Riven was just an overworked corporate drone.He had no time for games.By the time he joined Glory, it was already too late.He died shortly after in the chaos that followed.
But this time... he had another chance.
"Screw work." "螺杆的工作.""Playing Glory is all that matters!""玩"荣耀"才是最重要的!"
To enter Glory, you needed a neural-connection headset.These headsets were ranked by immersion level: D, C, B, and A.
D-rank headsets were the cheapest, around 3,000 yuan——but had poor immersion and were limited to basic gameplay.
A-rank headsets offered full sensory immersion——but cost a whopping 30,000 yuan.
Riven knew better than anyone: immersion mattered."Just like gaming on a bad PC—low specs mean lag and dropped frames.""If I'm going in, I'm going all in. Only an A-rank headset will do!"
But the price... was a problem.
Riven had just graduated. No job. No savings.
Then a thought struck him.
His little sister was about to head off to college.Their parents, living abroad, had just wired over the tuition and living expenses.Around... 30,000 yuan.
"I'll just borrow it from her... temporarily."
He knocked on his sister's door.
"Come in~"
He stepped inside and was momentarily dazed.She was only eighteen now—radiant and full of life.So different from the mature woman he remembered from his past life.But still... beautiful.
"What's wrong, bro?" Jia Jia asked, tilting her head.
Riven smiled awkwardly."Hey, can I borrow your bank card for a bit? I need some money."
Jia Jia nodded without hesitation and handed it over.
Only then did she ask,"Is it for your business? Are you short on cash flow?"
Business?
Oh right...
At this point in time, he'd already been fired.But to keep his sister from worrying, he'd lied—saying he was running a startup.
In truth, he was scraping by, living off high-interest loan apps.And yet, she still believed in him.Trusted him without question.
Riven felt his chest tighten.
He remembered the pain they had suffered in his previous life...and how much she'd endured for his sake.
Forcing a smile, he said,"Yeah. Just a temporary cash crunch.""But don't worry—once I get through this phase...""We'll never have to worry about money again."
Jia Jia nodded brightly."Then when you make it big, you have to treat me to a feast!"
…
Riven ordered the top-tier headset online using the money.
"One week.I have to earn 30,000 yuan in a week and pay her back.""She can't miss her college registration because of me."
Although Glory would eventually merge with reality,that was still far off.
Until then, he had to live smart.
And making money?
That could also happen in Glory.在"荣耀"中也可能发生那种情况.
The moment Glory launched, it took the world by storm.
With the backing of over 100 nations,major global banks partnered directly with the game's systems.
In-game currency could be exchanged for real-world money at any time.
Glory became a literal goldmine.
…
That afternoon, the headset arrived.
The game would officially open at 8 p.m.
Riven made dinner for his sister early, scarfed down a few bites himself,and locked himself in his room, waiting.
8:00 PM sharp.
Riven put on the headset.
His body felt light—as if he were floating—soaring into the clouds.
"Welcome to the world of Glory...""欢迎来到"荣耀"的世界..."
A voice echoed around him, ethereal and divine.
A radiant goddess with snow-white wings appeared, her beauty otherworldly.
Expressionless, she looked directly at Riven.
"Please awaken your talent."
Riven took a deep breath.
In Glory, talent meant everything.
Everyone received one, and it was completely random.From lowest to highest: F, E, D, C, B, A.Above that—S-rank, one in a million.And at the peak... the ultra-rare SSS-rank talents.
"I have memories of my past life...""But if I awaken an F-rank talent, I'm still screwed."
F-rank talents were practically useless.Like being born with a disability.
Tense, he extended his hand.
"Begin talent awakening!"
"Top-tier headset detected.""Luck factor increased by 100%."
Riven blinked.
"Wait—high-end headsets increase awakening luck?"
Worth every penny.
With the luck bonus, his chances of drawing a trash-tier talent dropped dramatically.
A massive roulette wheel spun in front of him.
As the pointer slowed—
Riven's eyes widened.
No way...
SSS-rank?!
"Congratulations! You have awakened the SSS-tier Talent — Phantom Hands!"
[Phantom Hands (SSS-tier)][幻影之手（SSS 级）]
Active Effect:Steal with 100% success.Gain one of the target's most valuable items.Cooldown: 24 hours.
Passive Effect:Every successful attack has a 1% chance to trigger a steal.100% success rate.Can steal any item on the target.No cooldown.