JC Kings team base.

After the morning’s training, Zhao Mingwei was being reprimanded by the coach—although it would be more appropriate to call it earnest and well-meaning advice.

“Smiley, I know you’re having a slump, but you were really sub-par in this training match.” The coach said, clutching a pile of reports of Zhao Mingwei’s statistics.

He looked a little unhappy that his player was failing to meet expectations, but Zhao Mingwei had done so once—and across many difficult battles. Even so, he felt rather worn lately… or indeed wasn’t really focused on [War].

And in the training match with another team just now, Zhao Mingwei made many mistakes he should not be making as a veteran esports player.

“Yes.” He did not try to retort since he was well aware that his statistics were slipping. Still, even if he did not want to keep playing [War], it was how he made his living.

“Even if you wanted to stop playing, there are two more years left in your contract with the team… surely you can’t play so badly that anyone would walk all over you, right? Just hold on for two more years, and you’ll be able to retire in peace.” The coach seemed to be aware of Zhao Mingwei’s predicament too.

Even so…

Hold on?

Why would someone have to ‘hold on’ when playing a game?

Zhao Mingwei made a pained smile but said nothing. However, the coach took that for a different meaning.

“You should think about it,” the coach said, furthering his counselling session for Zhao Mingwei. “Seven years, playing [War]. You invested all the time you had in it, and after you retire you at best work as a commentator. Everyone’s a professional, but to tell the truth… we are all addicted youths who know nothing apart from playing [War].”

“Moreover, you can only be Smiley in the professional scene—the great hero admired by millions of players, the god of melee. But aren’t we all nothing in the real world?”

The coach’s words were especially hurtful to Zhao Mingwei’s ears, because he was entirely right.

He was nothing at all in the real world.

***

The coach’s lecture lasted less than half an hour when Zhao Mingwei excused himself, went to the toilet and washed his face a few times.

The feeling of the cool water over his face woke him up. He looked at his own reflection in the mirror, and suddenly made a pushing motion with his right hand.

It was a movement in Sacred Souls which he used to release aura beams.

However, nothing appeared in his right hand—no Aura Beam or aura, only damp droplets of water.

‘What am I doing?’

Zhao Mingwei withdrew his hand with a smile full of bitterness, but kept staring at his palm.

The aura power in Sacred Souls felt ever so genuine that Zhao Mingwei felt stronger even in the real world.

Nevertheless, it was just an illusion, just as he was a normal human being in the real world, and not an Aura Bender in Sacred Souls who had received Aurabeast blessing!

As all those thoughts flooded his mind, his phone rang. Zhao Mingwei took it out to see that the Sacred Souls app had been updated with a new function.

[Abyssal Hunt.]

[The rift to an abyss would soon appear in your world, and hordes of monsters would soon swarm within. Champions! Accept the call and join the hunt!]

[Abyssal Hunt function has been unlocked. Please read on for further details.]

Zhao Mingwei clicked into the Abyssal Hunt interface, and the map of River Town promptly appeared on his phone.

There was a dark vortex swirling slowly on Food Street.

Was it an AR function?

Having played many mobile games, Zhao Mingwei naturally connected that to real-world map gameplay, although those would require some assistance.

Still, Zhao Mingwei was doubtful why a game like Sacred Souls that was basically 5TB or 6TB… or indeed 10TB would suddenly release such a childish function.

Zhao Mingwei clicked on the list of rewards for Abyssal Hunt, which almost instantly blinded his eyes with the trail of Dark Orange¹ items.

Wait a minute.

Unique item? What on earth is that?

Zhao Mingwei never came across anything like that before, but one of those items managed to catch his attention.

[Memories of the Light Elves]

[Grade: Unique item]

[Level: 0]

[Description: A memory fragment from a light elf, able to replicate skills with Light-attributes.]

[Item attribute: Chance to cast any light-attribute spell beneath Level 30 for a second time]

[Light attribute +10]

Zhao Mingwei did not quite care for the Light-attribute +10 stats, but the double casting effect certainly caught his attention!

The Aura Cannon was amongst the moves he would most frequently use as an Aura Bender from now on. It was a Light-attribute spell, and having that item would mean double the fun!

Zhao Mingwei began to check how he could participate in the Abyssal Hunt. Reasonably speaking, rewards for minigames like these would be redeemable with just a click.

However, there was only a button that read ‘Soulfall’, not to mention that it was gray and could not be selected.

At that very thought, Zhao Mingwei checked the time. There were still two hours left before his afternoon training, and Food Street was just two stops away from the JC Kings’ team base.

Without hesitation, he changed into casual clothes and catch a bus to Food Street.

It was one of the busier streets in River Town, often frequented by tourists.

Zhao Mingwei wore a face mask, and whipped out his phone when he arrived at the crowded street.

However, the Soulfall option remained locked.

Why? He was already quite near the dark vortex… perhaps he had to get closer?

With that in mind, Zhao Mingwei followed the instructions of the map and approached the dark vortex, but there the street suddenly erupted in an uproar before he could walk more than a few steps.

A huge, panicking crowd was running towards his direction and past him, leaving him unsure what was happening.

Before he knew it, the skies which had been cloudless for miles were suddenly covered in thick black clouds, and the sounds of explosion could be heard from the other side of the street… followed by an unusual roar.

Zhao Mingwei’s eyes widened when he saw the edge of the street shatter like a broken mirror, the crack rapidly expanding before finally breaking, exposing a pitch-black space behind the rift.

An enormous monster slowly stepped out from it, with countless smaller monsters beneath it swarming out as well.

Goblins? Orcs? Gnomes?

Those were words that came to mind when Zhao Mingwei saw those monsters.

But weren’t they supposed to be creatures of fantasy?

Was this a film? Or some AR event?

However, a deafening roar, as well the sight of a panicked crowd and a three-meter orc who smashed a car into pieces with its wooden hammer alerted Zhao Mingwei that it appeared to be reality.