Chapter 1: Prologue

Twenty-seventh century. Technology has reached unprecedented heights, and the release of the gaming dive helmet has made a game called Battle Song—abbreviated as BS—an international sensation. Through the dive device, people are transported into a virtual reality world, where they experience the game with all the senses and perceptions of real life.

The helmet’s universal static current allows players to feel sensations in their bodies. This game, set in the era of modern warfare, offers a range of cathartic and competitive modes, helping people alleviate the pressures of everyday life. Within Battle Song, players can enjoy simulated shooting ranges, faction battles, and grand campaigns, experiencing the thrill of countless weapons, all while uplifting the spirit.

This device is hailed as the single greatest invention of the twenty-seventh century.

The company that later took over the game launched a design and manufacturing system, enabling any talented player to design weapons and items through its platform.

At the first Battle Song Weapon and Item Design Competition, a newcomer with the player ID Wu Yue Ling took the crown, having designed a steam-powered bomber. This aircraft, based entirely on the principles of the steam engine, exuded a distinctive steampunk charm. It captivated every judge and even earned praise from renowned designers around the world, who proclaimed this university student the future Edison. The concept was subsequently adopted, constructed, and successfully test-flown.

Sun Fangwu walked across the school’s track, hugging his arms and sneezing. Autumn had just begun, and the first gust of wind had already left him with a cold.

He returned to his dormitory, greeted his roommates, chatted for a while, then poured himself a cup of hot water. Out of habit, he donned his helmet, powered it up, and waited for the holographic interface to appear.

By the time he finished his water, the login screen had loaded. Sun Fangwu climbed into bed, pulled the covers over himself, and entered his account credentials. After a retinal scan confirmed his identity, the data began to load.

Before Sun Fangwu appeared the character he was about to inhabit—a petite, black-uniformed girl: Wu Yue Ling.

It felt as if he were plummeting from midair. The immersion was complete. Interface frames emerged at the edges of his vision, and the din of voices surrounded him. Players’ avatars bustled on all sides. He felt a sense of homecoming in this world.

He glanced down at his small hands, clad in fingerless black gloves, then sprinted forward. His black skirt danced in the wind, lending her a dashing air that easily drew glances from other players.

She entered a guild building, ordered a glass of red wine with in-game currency, and approached a sailor in a white naval uniform—her roommate, whose player ID was Righteous Navy.

Wu Yue Ling wore two black rose revolvers at her waist, and her black formalwear fit snugly, accentuating her slender figure.

“Heh, cross-dressing again, and a loli at that,” Righteous Navy said gruffly, slinging an arm around Wu Yue Ling’s shoulders and rubbing his stubbled face against hers.

With a look of pure disdain, Wu Yue Ling shoved him away, replying in a clear, feminine voice, “Ugh, get lost! Who do you think you’re touching?”

“Come on, I don’t want to catch your cold…”

They bickered for a while. Soon, their other three roommates logged in.

Half an hour later, the guild war began. Two guilds faced off on a single map, and victory would go to whichever side captured the enemy base the most times.

Wu Yue Ling, as deputy commander, sat with the guild leader at the artillery post.

The first battle was lost due to an overly aggressive assault that blundered into the enemy’s prepared barrage. In the second round, Wu Yue Ling led a sniper team, shattering the opposition’s formation and securing two consecutive victories.

If the enemy managed a comeback in the final round, the match would drag into a hard-fought stalemate. But with a clever stratagem, Wu Yue Ling personally led the vanguard artillery to strike the enemy’s airfield, clinching the win. The night’s guild war was over.

“I’m off, Navy,” Wu Yue Ling said, quitting the map. She opened the voice channel to Righteous Navy, guiding her character as she sprinted toward the guild entrance.

“Oh? Where to?” he asked.

“I’ve got a midnight quest to finish. My weapon mod box is nearly complete—just missing one ultra-rare ingredient,” Wu Yue Ling said, her excitement obvious.

“How rare are we talking?” Righteous Navy replied, feigning indifference.

“Official lottery draw, quest activation code required, only five slots on the global server. The material is called Shining Tearstar.”

“Wow! If you finish the weapon, you have to let me try it out!” Righteous Navy’s voice came through, full of excitement.

“Of course. You’ll be the first to test my exclusive weapon!”

“Deal!”

“I’m off, then!”

“See you!”

Wu Yue Ling arrived at the official designated location—a simple map teleport point. She checked the time; midnight was close. As soon as the clock struck twelve, she stepped into the portal and arrived at a dimly lit region.

Black clouds shrouded the sky, the light was grim, and an activation code prompt appeared on the interface. She entered the code provided by the developers and waited for the system to confirm.

Controlling Wu Yue Ling, Sun Fangwu surveyed the desolate landscape: withered trees, broken branches, endless wild grass, all shrouded in an eerie silence. The atmosphere was oppressive. Was this a new map? Its somber tone felt all too real. After a minute, the quest panel popped up.

“Eliminate the bandits ahead and rescue the besieged woman. Retrieve the material—Shining Tearstar—from the bandit chief. Assigned weapon: antique musket.”

“How odd—bandits? And with a musket?” Wu Yue Ling muttered. Suddenly, a woman’s desperate cries rang out from ahead. She dashed forward in a low sprint, cresting a hill to see a group of men in foreign garb, brandishing curved blades and harassing a sobbing woman. The chief bandit was tearing at her clothes, her pale chest exposed beneath her half-ripped shift.

“So that’s the target. A bit too realistic, if you ask me. Good thing I’m of age!” Wu Yue Ling drew the musket and rushed in, pulling the trigger. The explosive gunshot sent crows screaming from the dead forest and cut short the bandits’ laughter.

A second shot rang out, and another bandit fell. By the third shot, the rest scattered in panic, shouting in strange tongues, abandoning their fallen comrades.

Wu Yue Ling confirmed the chief was dead and saw the woman had fainted from terror. She retrieved the rare material—Shining Tearstar—from the bandit’s body. Yet, at the very moment she grasped the Shining Tearstar, she felt the world spin, and her character vanished from the game.