On Mercury, outside Hailan University in Hailan City, a sudden flash of white light illuminated a low-income apartment. a young boy had just arrived.
Watson opened his eyes. He didn't look like he'd just woken up; instead, he was frantically searching for something.
"Found it! Park, June 30, 2116!"
The moment he found his phone, Huasheng opened the calendar. After repeatedly checking that the internet was working, he leaned back on the bed and let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm back back five years in the past!"
Huasheng looked around excitedly, taking in the rented room that had once been shabby yet somehow cozy.
Then he reached under his pillow and found a tiny chip the size of a fingertip the connector to the game *The End*!
That was ninety-five years ago. Mercury was still as peaceful as ever, but a vast, resonant sound echoed from the clouds. After analysis by scientists, it was determined to be a mysterious force from the cosmos.
This mysterious force could influence human brainwaves, transporting them to a fully immersive world.
Here, there were NPCs, monsters, and players who had logged into this world. each an independent entity with their own consciousness and thoughts.
Following this major discovery, scientists worked tirelessly to capture these brainwaves and encapsulate them into a small chip. With just a thought, one could enter this world at will.
Everyone originally believed this was merely a game for entertainment .a gift from the universe.
Little did they know that twenty years later, [The End] would actually bring virtual objects from the game into the real world, becoming an endless source of resources!
By utilizing resources from [The End], Mercury achieved unprecedented economic growth, drawing even more people into the game.
But after [The End] had existed for forty years, it wasn't just the game's resources even the game's NPCs could freely travel to Mercury!
Only then did people realize that those NPCs were, in fact, self-aware, living beings.
But it was too late. Sixty years later, [The End] wasn't limited to so-called NPCs; even the monsters treated as resources began spawning on Mercury!
Eighty years later, Mercury was overrun not just by minor monsters; the game's map began merging with the planet itself. Boss-level monsters descended upon Mercury, destroying everything in their path.
Fortunately, the Federation rallied powerful adventurers to repel the monsters. To defend against them, they established the Adventurer University, recruiting students with exceptional talent and aptitude through a rigorous entrance exam to train them as heroes!
Watson was one of them .a Chosen One with the absolute SSS-rank talent.
Yet despite this, five years later marking the 100th anniversary of the [End] Mercury still met its doom!
One hundred years: that was the descent of the [End Labyrinth]. Possessing SSS-rank talent and an absolute Artifact, Watson became the strongest in just five short years. Alas, he was the only one who remained strong!
The [Labyrinth of the End] could not defeat Watson, yet it defeated everyone on Mercury.
"So what if I became the strongest? I still lost the entire world! And I lost the one I loved deeply!"
Watson clenched his fists involuntarily. Those were memories too painful to bear, but at that critical moment, Mercury existing like a mother earth allowed him to be reborn five years earlier, starting everything from scratch!
"Thank you, Mercury. Perhaps everything will change from now on. I may no longer possess an SSS-rank talent,
but I've realized that one person's strength alone cannot stop the [Labyrinth of the End]. I will find new hope!"
A smile slowly curled up at the corners of Huasheng's mouth. Though it was faint, the moment he was reborn, the smiling face of a woman appeared.
Behind that woman stood the various lords of the [End], revealing that her identity was far from ordinary!
...
It was now June 30th, meaning the college entrance exams had already passed. Barring any surprises, Hua Sheng would be admitted to the nearby Hailan University one of the top adventurer universities on Mercury with outstanding grades.
"There are two months left until the entrance ceremony. As a freshman, I'll participate in a competition where the winner receives an [Egg of Life], capable of hatching a high-tier pet!"
"But before that, I need to tackle the dungeons in [The End]. If I meet the SSS-rank clearance requirements, I'll receive generous rare items which will accelerate my development plan."
Although Watson had these plans in mind, he didn't rush to log into the game *The End*.
He understood that the price of his rebirth was the loss of his previous talents. Besides, the SSS-rank clearance requirements were extremely demanding was he really confident he could meet them?
"Huu ..
Taking a deep breath, Watson knew the difficulty had increased perhaps to Hell-level but with his five years of gaming experience, he was certain he could find a way!
Leaning back against the bed, Hua Sheng gripped the [The End] connector tightly. The last time he entered [The End] was on July 1st, so entering now meant the timing was slightly earlier, but it was still part of the character creation process.
The moment the college entrance exams ended, adventurers about to enter university had already qualified to enter [The End].
The reason he'd chosen July 1st back then was purely because he'd read the guides.
The first time entering [The End] brings a sense of dizziness a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time...
As if he'd just finished a roller coaster ride, Huasheng opened his eyes to find nothing but a blank screen. It was the familiar character creation screen. Of course, a single consciousness could only create one account; unless he deleted it, he wouldn't be able to create a new one for another month.
Many players constantly delete and recreate their accounts in pursuit of rare talents, but this wastes a lot of time.
"Welcome, new adventurer. Are you ready?"
"Yes!"
Facing the emotionless voice, Hua Sheng replied just as emotionlessly and clicked "Next."
"Drawing talents... please wait..."
Another emotionless voice, but this time, the wait felt significantly longer than before.
Just as Hua Sheng began to fantasize about whether he'd drawn an SSSS-tier talent taking him to the next level the system's cold voice sounded again.
"We're sorry, you were unable to draw a talent!"
Though cold and heartless, the words cut deeply into Hua Sheng's ears.
Over the years since [The End]'s inception, SSS-tier talents had appeared only four times. Back then, as the fourth SSS-tier talent, he had felt immense glory, but looking at it now, the contrast was simply too stark.
"It's okay. I've grown, and besides, I expected this outcome all along!"
Watson smiled and entered the next stage with a fearless attitude.
"[The End] initializing..."
"Simulating data. Please enter your ID..."
"Love Peanuts."
"Checking ID... ID created successfully. Please select a class."
"Ding~! System error. Unable to select a class. Entering the game!"
Just as Huasheng was about to choose a class, he was skipped over: " "Come on, are you kidding me?!"
...
ID: LovesPeanuts
Level: LV1
Class: Unemployed
HP: 100/100
MP: 100/100
Attack: 10
Defense: 10
Talents: None
Skills: None
...