New Era Calendar, Year 233, March, 14th.

Lower City.

District Nine, 47th High School.

School had ended a while ago. Each classroom was empty, the only sign of life the creaky ceiling fans spinning half-heartedly.

The homeroom teacher for the Senior class 3, Dong Kai, had finished collecting his lesson plans and was ready to leave for the day. As usual, he checked to make sure all the windows and doors of the classroom were securely closed.

The door wasn't locked, and the lights were still on.

In the very back of the classroom, lay a figure doing something on the table.

"Ivy."

The name rose in Dong Kai's mind, a student who was relatively transparent in the class.

He didn't have a strong impression of this student. In general, her academic performance was decent, her martial arts performance average, and overall, her grades weren't particularly remarkable.

Her personality wasn't noteworthy either, reserved and oddly quiet.

Her only strong point was that she never caused trouble in all three years of high school, and...Oh, right, she'd volunteer to help clean up the trash on cleaning days?

Ivy pulled her headphones off and stood up. As expected, she was not very talkative, simply responding, "Teacher Dong."

Dong Kai nodded and glanced at her test paper, advising, "Your academic performance is decent. If you can improve your martial arts score in the last few months, you might have a chance to pass the entrance exam for District Nine's colleges."

He didn't mention anything about aiming for a college in District Eight or higher.

Ivy knew her situation before the high school graduation exam. She understood that with her mediocre academic scores, it was more beneficial to focus on improving her weaknesses in martial arts within the limited time.

However,

The problem was, academic tests only cost paper and pencils, but improving martial arts cost money.

At least for someone like her, with a weak constitution and average aptitude, martial arts training required money, not just hard work.

Ivy felt a pang of heartache, but her expression remained unchanged as she replied, "I understand, Teacher Dong."

"Go, it's getting late. Head home," said Dong Kai, turning off the fan as he spoke.

Ivy gathered her backpack, bowing her head as she walked towards the exit.

"Right, several students in the class still haven't submitted their college entrance exam qualification certificates. I think yours is among them. Make sure your family gets it done on time, don't miss the exam."

as she passed, Dong Kai seemed to suddenly remember this, casually reminding Ivy.

Ivy, with her back to the homeroom teacher, only grunted from her throat. Her face remained expressionless, and her footsteps on the hallway sounded heavy.

Three years had passed since she arrived in this world.

Ivy had gradually accepted the various oddities of this world, but two things stuck in her throat like fly specks, a constant source of bitterness and resentment.

One was the college entrance exam requiring a qualification certificate, a certificate that had to be purchased. In essence, this world even discriminated against poverty in college admissions.

The second was...

Exiting the teaching building, Ivy tilted her head toward the sky. A vast, pitch-black expanse covered the heavens, thousands of meters high, resembling a gigantic coffin lid engulfing the entirety of District Nine.

And at the bottom of that coffin, countless fleshy tumors of all colors sprouted, eternally replacing the sun and moon, day after day, night after night, illuminating the lower world.

"The thing covering the sky is obviously not a coffin, but the pinnacle of human scientific technology - the Higher City. Looking up from the lower city, it's just the endless butt of the Higher City. And those colorful things are definitely not tumors. How could they be tumors?"

"They're the beacons of human civilization that illuminate the darkness."

Ivy recalled the knowledge she'd gleaned from her textbooks, curling her lip in disdain.

She had no ambition to sneak a peek at the Higher City, nor did she have the curiosity to delve into the truth. Her doubts stemmed solely from the fact that she hadn't seen the sun in three years.

She almost forgot what the sun looked like. It felt like the last time she saw sunlight was in a previous life.

She couldn't help but seriously suspect that her weak constitution was partly due to a lack of calcium caused by a lack of sunlight.

She cycled all the way home.

It was an old, run-down housing complex, a chaotic mix of rusty, self-built iron sheet houses and dilapidated brick buildings. From the street, littered with trash, they looked like a cluster of grotesque, oversized earthworms tangled together, the air thick with indescribable stench.

Even after three years, Ivy still couldn't fully acclimate to the smell.

Locking her bicycle by the entrance, Ivy took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

The 70-square-meter apartment was cramped and cluttered with old furniture. On the living room table sat a plate of synthetically processed meat, a rare feast in this dilapidated dwelling.

The table was set with plates and chopsticks, but no one was seated. Obviously, her father, who worked in the sanitation department, hadn't returned yet.

Her mother, Wang Suli, was still busy in the kitchen, the occasional clatter of dishes echoing through the apartment.

Her younger sister was watching TV on the sofa, the volume quite loud.

Ivy sat down on the sofa. The two siblings didn't exchange a word, one engrossed in the TV, the other staring blankly at it.

A minute later.

Their father, Eric Ruiz, returned. Their mother greeted him and helped him remove his uniform.

Only after he settled at the dining table did the two siblings follow suit. They waited for their father to take the first bite before picking up their own chopsticks.

During dinner, the family started chatting. Mostly, it was their father asking questions, their sister answering, and their mother smiling in response. Ivy just kept her head down, eating.

"Did you get your constitution test results back?"

"Yes, the school had all the freshmen who turned fifteen take the constitution test at the start of the week. The results came out this morning. My constitution score is 87, third in the class."

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"Good, good, good. 87 is a superior constitution, good."

"The school will move me to the experimental class this weekend. Dad said if I can get into the honors class, you will buy me a brand new full-function wristwatch."

"I'll keep my word. We'll go buy it for you in two days. But you have to avoid becoming arrogant and complacent. If you have a superior constitution, you need to work even harder. Our family's hopes rest on your shoulders. You understand?"

"Oh, I understand."

Audrey's face lit up with joy at the promise. Eric, who usually had a stern, authoritative demeanor, even cracked a smile.

"You shouldn't just be stuffing your face, Your sister's done so well, you should be happy for her," Eric suddenly directed the conversation towards Ivy.

Ivy put down her chopsticks and nodded, offering a couple of congratulations to her sister.

Eric glanced at his usually dull daughter, a hint of displeasure flitting across his face: "I remember your entrance exam score, your constitution score was 49?"

A mixture of complex emotions filled Ivy's eyes. That was the day she had transmigrated over.

She still remembered waking up in the school's storage room, half submerged in freezing cold water, a chilling sight of a knife on her wrist, and a dazzling score sheet stained crimson with blood.

That was like a suicide note from the original body owner, a secret shared between them.

Ivy responded in a somber, yet calm voice, "49, a substandard constitution."

Seeing Ivy's heavy yet composed tone, Eric furrowed his brow: "You must have taken the test at the beginning of the week, right? What was your score?"

Ivy replied, "Academics score: 521, Martial Arts score: 236, total score: 757."

"Is it enough to pass the District Nine?" Eric didn't even bother asking his big daughter further, instead turning to his second daughter.

Audrey shook her head firmly, "The academic and martial arts scores are both 750 each, making the total score 1500. For years, the lowest passing score for District Nine has been a single score of 650 in Academics, 550 in Martial Arts, or a total score above 900. Big sister score is far off, whether you look at the single subject or the total."

Eric set his chopsticks down, staring fixedly at Ivy, his voice low and heavy, "Is your sister right?"

Ivy didn't argue, "Yes, but the college entrance exam is still three months away. I can try harder and improve my academics score. If I could get a Bone Tempering Pill, maybe I can..."

Bone Tempering Pills, as the name suggests, could enhance constitution potential. They weren't cheap. Each person only gets one effective dose. Moreover, the worse the original constitution, the more effective the pill.

In other words, if Ivy had the chance to take one, her constitution could potentially see a huge boost, possibly gaining 5-10 points.

But for Audrey, it would only be a minor boost.

Eric didn't bother listening to his big daughter's unrealistic hopes, cutting her off with a cold voice: "A Bone Tempering Pill. I could probably trade for one with all my merit points from the sanitation department, but..."

Ivy only heard the word "but", and her heart sank. Audrey, on the other hand, perked up, her eyes gleaming.

"Giving it to you, even if it boosted your constitution by 10 points and your martial arts scores improved accordingly, wouldn't change the fact that you have a substandard constitution. It would be a losing proposition for you and for our family. It's better to save it for your sister, to help her level up. What do you think?"

Though Ivy had no hope in her heart, she still felt like her heart had been stabbed with a knife. She took a deep breath, her voice hoarse, "Dad's right. After all, my sister is the hope of our family."

Audrey's face beamed. She addressed Ivy with a sweet smile, "Thanks, sister. You can be sure, I'll never forget what you did for me. I'll remember it for the rest of my life."

Ivy reluctantly nodded.

Eric, seeing the harmonious scene between his children, felt satisfied. He then spoke to Ivy in a serious tone, "Good that you understand this. After you graduate high school, I'll use my sanitation department connections to find you a job. If you do well, you can contribute to the family..."

The conversation then avoided any topic related to "college entrance exam qualification certificates." The whole family tacitly chose to ignore that issue.

A college entrance exam qualification certificate wasn't exactly cheap, nor was it a bargain. It cost roughly the equivalent of five of the latest wristwatches.

But,

Knowing that the exam was just a formality, why waste money? It was better to save it all for Audrey. She had talent, and she'd need money later.

Eric had his own calculations. He didn't feel sorry for his daughter. This was her fate, what could he do? Blame others?

If the family wanted to live a decent life in Lower City, someone had to be the pillar, someone had to be the hope of the future, and someone had to sacrifice silently behind the scenes.

Ivy generally guessed her father's intentions. She couldn't argue, so she could only eat her dinner silently and return to her room.

Her mother watched her go back to her room, several times wanting to say something but stopping herself in the end.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was slightly heavy, but it didn't last long. Soon, Audrey's sweet words and antics coaxed smiles back onto her parents' faces.

Closing the door behind her.

Listening to the laughter and chatter of her family outside, Ivy sat at her desk, the black computer screen casting her face in a haze of shadows.

After a while, Ivy let out a self-deprecating, cold laugh, laced with bitterness.

That bitterness was the last, deepest emotion left behind by the original owner of this body.

Ivy herself had no resentment. She was a transmigrator, a soul inhabiting a borrowed body, an outsider in a borrowed skin. How could she love, how could she hate?

She merely felt a sense of restraint and unwillingness, like a bird locked in a cage, her inadequate, powerless wings unable to break free from the heavy shackles.

In the face of her real-life powerlessness, she could only vent in the game.

Ivy sluggishly turned on her computer and launched an offline game.

This game was the one she started playing when she first arrived in this world, a game that she'd continued playing non-stop for three years, despite the initial fear and shock.

It was a game about building an organization, simulating business and strategy.

It had a dark and eerie art style, a wicked storyline, extremely high freedom of exploration, and gameplay unlike any other.

The game's storyline, while fantastical, subtly blended in many real-world shadows. The maps, nations, governments, organizations, environments, historical events, they all felt incredibly realistic, like a lifelike imitation of a tiger painted on a cat.

Most importantly, the game timeline started from 30 years ago—203 years, 3 months, 14 days in the past.

The game time flowed at a speed 10 times faster than real-time. This meant that today, on this very date, the game timeline and the real world timeline would converge.

As a hardcore simulation game, Ivy was eager to see how the game's storyline would unfold once the timelines aligned.

Ivy logged into the game. Her eyes glanced at the time display: 【Year 233, March, 14th, 22:47】.

The real-time was 【Year 233, March, 14th, 22:53】.

In just a few minutes, the game time would catch up with reality.

And true enough, soon after, accompanied by a deep, resonant BGM, the two times flickered and overlapped.

The BGM music faded slowly, and the screen image transitioned into a silent film.

[Year 203, March, 14th, You founded the organization – Destiny!]

[Year 203, April, 7th, You led the organization to massacre a civilian merchant guild, seizing vast wealth and confidential documents.]

[Year 203, June, 13th, The organization was first exposed to the eyes of official forces. Your organization were placed on the wanted list throughout the city.]

[Year 203, November, 11st, Under your leadership, the organization penetrated the secret government structure of District Seven. You obtained a list and a key to a secret portal. Destiny was placed on the wanted list by District Seven, and branded as a force of extreme evil.]

[.......]

[Year 227, April, 9th, Destiny suffered heavy losses. A portion of the organization went into hiding underground.]

[Year 228, February, 15th, The organization reorganized, becoming more secretive, terrifying, and vast. The Higher City Council issued an SSS-level extermination order against Destiny.]

[......]

From the start of the game in Year 203, each character's appearance, every major event, every significant accomplishment, played out as animated scenes across the screen.

The story continued until [Year 233, March, 14th...] The line of text filled the screen.

The BGM music reappeared, a vast, heroic symphony.

"So, I've done so much in this game. It's a shame it's just a game. If it were real, it would be amazing. Oh well..."

These were the wistful thoughts in Ivy's mind.

On the screen, a familiar yet strange face slowly emerged from the distance.

It was strange because it was completely different from Ivy's own.

This familiarity stems from the face that Ivy remembers, a face she sculpted from her past self, representing her lingering regrets and emotional attachments from her previous life, a face that she poured all her feelings into.

The player’s name – Unity – is also her previous name, a homonym with a different character.

On the screen, Unity was dressed in a crisp suit with polished leather shoes. Her body was elegant and imposing, her black ebony staff striking the marble floor, echoing like a cold heartbeat responding to fate.

The camera angle rose, revealing a large round table behind her. Figures radiating an aura of terror sat around the table, their gazes following her back with reverence.

She walked towards the massive floor-to-ceiling window, her gaze indifferent as she looked down. The city below was as small as dust motes, dwarfed by the swirling purple-black clouds and flickering lightning that painted her as a god holding the reins of fate.

"Begin,"hshe uttered, her voice a quiet command.

The roar of thunder shook the very air, as if the sky itself had been ripped open. Ink-black rain poured down in a torrential downpour, engulfing the earth.

The image froze, a set of red letters overlaying the screen.

[All has ended, and yet it is the beginning. When illusion and reality overlap, fate will surely awaken from its slumber. Awaken your fate, Player!]

"???"

Ivy’s eyes widened, her heart pounding in her chest. Her fingers hammered the mouse frantically.

The image remained unresponsive.

Ivy slumped back into her chair, feeling drained. After a long moment, she moved the mouse to close the game window.

Ding—

The game window closed, but a line of text suddenly appeared before Ivy's eyes. It was sharp and clear, as if etched onto her retina.

No,

Not as if,

It was!

[Player identity confirmed!]

[Ivy—Unity, cooperation lock completed!]

[Current world data error detected, repair in progress.....10%.....50%....99%....]

[100%, upgrade complete!]

[Enjoy your game, Player!]