Ye Tianxie's home was located in the most luxurious villa district of Jinghua City, where any single villa was far beyond what an ordinary person could afford in a lifetime. Every resident here was a magnate among magnates. However, Ye Tianxie was an anomaly in this place—he never socialized, had no job, and was often the subject of idle gossip from passersby wondering how he could afford such a villa. Perhaps the only plausible explanation was that he had inherited a vast fortune from a relative.

To him, this was merely a villa, but not a home. It was empty, with only one person present when he returned.

Entering his room, Ye Tianxie lay down on his bed, raising his left hand in eager anticipation. He pressed his fingers against the center of the wristband, attempting to issue the mental command: "Enter the game."

Then, a scene that many had doubted, even ridiculed, unfolded before his eyes. His vision went blank, and after a brief moment of disorientation, a dazzling world of shifting, intertwining colors emerged. Amidst this vibrant spectacle, a crisp and melodious female voice sounded:

"Ding… Welcome, Mr. Ye Tianxie, to the world of Destiny. The game will officially launch in two hours and thirty-nine minutes. Please be patient. As this is your first time using the game device, would you like to create your character?"

"Yes," Ye Tianxie replied.

The initial experience was no different from the mainstream virtual games of today. However, what caught his attention was the voice of the system—it bore no trace of artificial synthesis, sounding as natural as a real person speaking. It seemed that the so-called "99% realism" claim might not have been an exaggeration.

"Ding… In the world of Destiny, you will embark on a new life with a new fate. A person's life has only one starting point—once you choose your path, there is no turning back. Please carefully select the destiny you wish to pursue. Now, please create a name that will accompany you for a lifetime. Since your gaming region is in Huaxia, your name must be in Huaxia characters, with a minimum of one and a maximum of ten characters."

The meaning behind these words was crystal clear. In Destiny, there were no second chances—no character resets, no do-overs. Once a name, attributes, or class was chosen, it was permanent. The game was called Destiny, and in destiny, there were no multiple choices.

"Tian Mo Xie!" Ye Tianxie uttered the name without hesitation.

"Ding… The name you have chosen is already taken. Please select another."

"What?!" His brow furrowed instantly, his expression darkening. A flicker of danger flashed through his eyes.

With billions of people in Huaxia and nearly everyone owning a Destiny device, it was not surprising for names to be taken. However, for this particular name to be occupied—it meant something far beyond mere coincidence.

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"Sir, the name ‘Tian Mo Xie’ has indeed been taken. Please choose another."

The voice, as if sensing the shift in his mood, carried a hint of unease. Despite his rage, Ye Tianxie couldn't help but be impressed—the emotional nuance in this system-generated voice was flawless.

After a long silence, he finally spoke again.

"Xie Tian."

Deep within his gaze, a chilling glint flickered. Daring to take that name… Are you provoking me? Fine. But I hope you can bear the price of such provocation.

"Ding… ‘Xie Tian’ has been successfully registered. Would you like to adjust your appearance?"

A smirk played at Ye Tianxie's lips.

"Increase it by 100%!"

"……" The female voice noticeably paused before replying hesitantly, "Sir, the maximum adjustment limit is 20%. Shall I enhance it by 20% instead?"

"That will do."

"Appearance enhancement complete. This adjustment serves to protect players' privacy during the early stages of the game. However, the effect will automatically disappear after your first class advancement. If you wish to continue concealing your identity, you may purchase a free exquisite mask from any city’s general store. Now, please select your pain sensitivity level. The range is from 5% to 100%. This setting affects pain perception only and does not impact other senses."

"Of course, 5%." Ye Tianxie answered without hesitation.

Only a fool would choose 100% pain sensitivity and subject themselves to endless torment in a game full of combat. He was not someone who tolerated losses—if someone dared to prick him with a needle, he would find a way to cut them ten times over.

"Pain sensitivity set to 5%. Now, please allocate your initial attribute points. Each player has 25 initial points, which can be freely distributed among the four basic attributes: Strength, Constitution, Agility, and Spirit. Each attribute must be at least 4 and no higher than 10. Additional points can be earned by leveling up. Please make your selection."

A white attribute panel appeared before Ye Tianxie, listing the four stats along with their descriptions.

* Strength: Affects physical attack power.

* Constitution: Affects health and defense.

* Agility: Affects accuracy, evasion, and ranged physical attacks.

* Spirit: Affects magic attack power and mana.

Each attribute had varying importance depending on the chosen class.

Staring at the panel, Ye Tianxie fell into deep thought. Attribute allocation was directly tied to class selection. What kind of class should he choose this time? The lightning-fast Phantom Assassin? The unbreakable Iron Guardian? Or the unseen Lord of Shadows?

A fleeting image of a delicate silhouette crossed his mind. His fingers finally moved, tapping on Strength—maxing it out at 10. Then, he allocated all remaining points into Constitution, bringing it to 7.

With 10 Strength, 7 Constitution, and 4 in both Agility and Spirit, it was evident that he was opting for a melee class.

"Attribute allocation complete. Now, please distribute your fixed attributes. Every player has 10 fixed attribute points, which can be assigned to Luck, Comprehension, and Charm. Each attribute must be between 0 and 10. These fixed attributes can only be increased through equipment or special means."

* Luck: Affects drop rates, critical hits, and the success rate of special events.

* Comprehension: Influences skill learning efficiency, including crafting skills. Each point also grants an additional 0.3% experience boost.

* Charm: Affects favorability with NPCs and animals.

"Please allocate your points wisely."