"The 24th test sample has been injected with the Valkyrie solution, survived for 2 minutes and 45 seconds, and the time of death is 4:22 in the morning..."


    I''m the only one at home, who''s talking?


    Han Xiao suddenly opened his eyes, and the glare of the white light blinded him. The familiar game cabin was gone, replaced by a pure white ceiling. The white walls around him had a cold, metallic feel, filled with a sci-fi atmosphere. The room was set up like an intensive care unit, and he lay on a metal bed, with his bare upper body connected to several instrument wires. The metal against his back was ice-cold, and he felt a chill run down his spine.


    Several people in white coats, resembling researchers, stood beside him, their faces pale as if they had seen a ghost.


    "I just accepted a client''s request to practice a new account, and I chose the normal starting point. What is this place?" Han Xiao''s head hurt terribly, and his thoughts were in disarray, as if a large amount of information had been forced into his mind. His last memory was of accepting a client''s request to practice a new account in the game "Star Sea," and then he smelled the pungent smell of burned protein...


    "Quickly go and inform Lady Hela that the test subject has come back to life!"


    "Call the guards, and control the test subject immediately."


    The people in white coats shouted and called out, and Han Xiao, although he didn''t understand their language, could grasp the meaning. Words like "test subject," "survival time," and "guards" made him feel uneasy. The sound of rapid footsteps came from outside, and someone was approaching quickly.


    Should he wait or run? Han Xiao hesitated for a moment before deciding to run. He wasn''t one to wait for death, so he flipped over and broke free from the instrument wires connected to his body. He stumbled and staggered towards the laboratory door, and the people in white coats retreated, not blocking his way.


    "Bang!" He burst through the door, and outside was a long, white corridor. At both ends of the corridor, over a dozen guards in black combat uniforms, holding electric batons, surrounded him. On their left chest was the emblem of a half-tree seedling.


    Han Xiao recognized the emblem and sucked in a breath of cold air. "The Sprout Organization from the 1.0 version of Star Sea? Weren''t they already annihilated?"


    A guard swung his electric baton down heavily, and Han Xiao subconsciously raised his hand to block it. The intense pain from the electric shock made his body tremble violently, and his bones felt like they were about to shatter. Half of his body was numb.


    "This pain is 100% realistic?!" Han Xiao was shocked. The pain limit in the game "Star Sea" was 40%, and exceeding that would cause damage to the player''s nerves. The game cabin had a monitoring function to track the player''s physical condition, and such a malfunction should have automatically disconnected him from the game.


    What was going on? His game cabin, which he had just replaced seven years ago, was malfunctioning again? He had paid 300 dollars for maintenance just a few days ago, and the worker had guaranteed that it wouldn''t malfunction for half a year. It seemed that the worker was unreliable, and Han Xiao thought to himself that he would call the customer service to request a refund when he got the chance.


    Over a dozen strong guards rushed towards him, and Han Xiao felt like he was being overwhelmed. He was dragged away and thrown into a small, dark room. The guards locked the door and left.


    Han Xiao was left alone in the darkness, his body aching all over. He rubbed his wrist, trying to ease the pain.


    As his mind cleared, a flood of information surged into his brain.


    After a while, Han Xiao finally understood what was happening.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Have I crossed over into... Star Sea?"


    Han Xiao stared in surprise, his eyes wide with shock.


    Star Sea was a highly immersive, full-sensing game with servers all over the world. At its peak, it had nearly 60 million simultaneous online players.


    The game was set in a starry universe, with maps and scenes generated automatically by the latest generation of light-brain computers. The game world was vast, capable of accommodating hundreds of millions of players online at the same time without any issues. Many guilds and corporations operated within the game, making money and running instances. A single, top-grade piece of equipment could sell for tens of millions of dollars.


    As a highly popular game, Star Sea had to maintain a good balance between players who spent money and casual players. To achieve this balance, the game focused on enhancing its competitive and technical aspects, which led to the emergence of professional players and leagues.


    Although Han Xiao made a living from playing games, he was not a professional player. He was a so-called "dead" game player, a solo player without a studio, and a substitute player for others.


    As a veteran substitute player in Star Sea, Han Xiao had experienced all the version updates and had some fame. He was usually ranked among the top 100 players in the Chinese district. With his skills, he could have played professionally, but he chose to remain a substitute player out of interest.


    "The Sprout Organization, the 1.0 version of Star Sea, the novice planet, the event on Sea of Blue..." Han Xiao muttered to himself. Before he crossed over, Star Sea had been operating for over a decade, and the 1.0 events were already history. Had he traveled back in time?


    Han Xiao''s expression turned serious. That meant the 300 dollars he paid was gone?!


    "Slap!" Han Xiao slapped himself. After crossing over, he was still thinking about getting a refund? What a fool!


    It seemed that some of his memories were missing. He didn''t know about his past experiences or even his name. All he remembered was some common knowledge about this world, such as the time. He was currently in the year 687 of the Star Sea calendar, and the official public beta test would begin in 358 days, 11 hours, and 3 minutes.


    In the 1.0 version era, the three universe-level forces, the Glory Federation, the Red Empire, and the Virtual Spirit Sect, were still at peace, as they had been since the end of the Exploration Era. The Silver Revolution Army had not been formed yet, the source of the Super Ability Disaster was still on a desolate planet, the Shining World had not been born, and the World Tree civilization had not invaded from the unexplored universe. The Broken Star Ring, where the Sea of Blue was located, was still on the edge of the visible universe, playing a minor role.


    To keep the game attractive, Star Sea borrowed from an old game called Mountain and River. Each updated version was a disaster or major event. Although it was exciting to play, if he really crossed over...


    A line of semi-virtual blue text suddenly appeared before his eyes:


    [You have been injected with the Valkyrie solution, endurance potential +1, acquired specialty - High Concentration, acquired specialty - Low-Level Mental Toughness]


    "Panel information!" Han Xiao was thrilled.


    A semi-transparent blue screen unfolded before his eyes, with a sci-fi feel that didn''t obstruct his view.


    Name: Han Xiao


    Race: Carbon-based human (Yellow)


    Template: NPC (1.0 version public beta test countdown: 358 days, 11 hours, 03 minutes)


    Total level: 1


    Experience: 0


    Sub-job: Civilian lv1 (0/50)


    Main job: None


    Personal attributes: Strength 2, Agility 2, Endurance 3, Intelligence 3, Mystery 1, Charm 2, Luck 1


    Free attribute points: 0


    Vitality: 0 (lv0)