Isaac immediately selected the "Special Sturdy" prefix—Strength was hands-down the best pick at this stage.
[Character Bound: Isaac]
[Race: Special Sturdy Agile Robust Hyenaman]
[Quality (Star 2, Tier 1): +100% base Strength, +50% base Agility and Constitution]
[Level: 6 (EXP: 18/20,000)]
[Attributes – STR: 20 | AGI: 15 | CON: 15]
[Attack: 36–39]
[Defense: 10]
[HP: 550]
[Talent: Inferior Hyena Bloodline (Tier 2): 14% chance for 2x crit damage.]
[Talent Evolution Shard: 0/80 (Tier 3)]
[Quality Evolution Point: 0/40 (Star 2)]
[Monster Reputation: 0]
Star 2 Quality doubled his base Strength outright. Isaac had just hit level 6, yet his attack was nearly 40, and his defense had broken into double digits.
For comparison, a regular player at level 6 without gear would barely hit 20 attack and 5 defense.
"My name's so long now, I could get spotted just hiding behind a tree…" Isaac laughed. "Still, these stats? Worth every second I grinded today."
He'd been playing all day—hardcore grinding—and was totally wiped.
"I'm beat. Gonna crash. Pick this up tomorrow."
Isaac wasn't worried about being overtaken. Most players were still trapped in newbie village traffic, and even if some had made it out, they wouldn't be solo farming.
As levels climbed, the gap between players and Hyenamen only widened. And since mobs often grouped up, players had to team up.
But XP Orbs were split in a party—even with bonuses, they'd have to kill multiple times more mobs than Isaac just to keep pace.
"Let's handle these clubs before logging off." He opened his inventory.
Inside were 11 Hyenaman Clubs—two of them were rare drops:
One with +3 AGI / +1 CON
One with +1 STR / +2 AGI / +1 CON
Feeble Hyenamen rarely dropped anything, let alone gear. But Isaac wasn't farming Feeble mobs—his loot came from high-level specials. The drop rate still wasn't great, but it was better than nothing.
"List the regulars at $300 each. That's nine clubs."
"As for the two semi-rares… auction them. First one—meh, +3 AGI isn't that helpful. Start at $400, buyout at $700."
"Second one's better. Start at $500, buyout $800."
He had no market reference, so he priced them based on gut feeling.
"Take it or leave it…"
With that, Isaac logged out and made himself some instant noodles.
Sitting alone in his tiny apartment, slurping noodles under a dim light, he felt a twinge of solitude.
This wasn't technically a one-person place. His sister, Felicity, used to live here too. She had the bedroom; Isaac crashed on the fold-out couch.
But recently, she'd moved into her company's dorm.
Felicity worked for Horizon Esports, and she'd told him weeks ago they were preparing to launch into Celestia: The Eternal Realms. Since leveling early was critical, many staff who lived far away were now staying in the dorms.
Without her constant chatter, the apartment felt a little too quiet.
"Hope that airhead's doing okay…" Isaac murmured.
After eating and washing up, he unfolded the sofa, laid down, and pulled the blanket over him.
His goal was simple: make money and give his sister a better life.
Exhausted from grinding, Isaac fell asleep instantly.
…
While Isaac slept, Celestia: The Eternal Realms remained buzzing.
"Yo, do you guys not sleep? Still crowding around the village gate? You know science says sleep deprivation kills your… never mind. Just log off!"
"It's almost 11PM. C'mon, we're not getting out of here tonight. Just go to bed!" Of course, the loudest voice stayed online too.
"Can anyone explain why there are even more people now?! I've been sightseeing in this damn newbie village all day! AND PUT THAT GUN AWAY—I'M A DUDE!"
"So wait… is there only ONE newbie village map?"
"Every time I close my eyes, I see billions of avatars stomping on me!"
"Hey cutie, wanna add me? Maybe video chat while we wait?~"
"Get lost! I've been groped all day—I'm in a bad mood!"
At the village gate, a chorus of desperate voices rose:
"LF party! Veteran MMO player here, follows orders, great XP Orbs per hour!"
"Mob-sniping pro seeking group! I've got radar ears and eyes—20m auto-lock-on!"
"Scam alert! Avoid Shortcut Studios! Promised 300 for 2 levels. One day in, I only got half an XP bar and they kicked me!"
"Dude, calm down. 100 XP Orbs is solid. Each mob only gives 3 XP—you got 33 kills, that's not bad."
"I paid them. They owe me!"
"Forget studios. Even most pro guilds haven't hit level 2 yet."
"Screw leveling. Who's up for some Texas Hold 'Em?"
"3-bet!"
"All-in!"
…
Meanwhile, the lights were still on in A City at 10PM.
Inside the towering headquarters of G9 Esports, a shareholder meeting was underway.
Onstage, Marketing Director Wyatt was presenting his latest slides.
"Aegis has just released the day-one data. From 10AM to now—just 12 hours—Celestia: The Eternal Realms has hit 700 million active global users." He pointed to a sharp upward graph with a laser pen. "The momentum is massive."
Next slide.
"So far, over 6,844 professional teams with 300+ members have officially entered the game. Domestically, that's 1,612 teams—almost every newbie village has at least three guilds competing already."
"We expect this number to double by this time tomorrow."
Next slide.
"And this—our transaction data from within Celestia."
"Because of the game's low drop rates, trade volume is still small—only 169 transactions, all involving the 'Worn Hyenaman Club.' But here's the key: when priced at 350 RMB or less, they sell out in under 2 minutes and 18 seconds."
A middle-aged man in glasses frowned.
"Level 1 low-quality gear selling for that much? That's unheard of in any other game."
"Mr. E," Wyatt replied, "this is the only known level 1 drop. While its 3–6 damage isn't flashy, guilds and paying players see it as the key to escaping the newbie zone. The combination of massive player volume and low loot rates makes every piece of gear extraordinarily valuable."
"Right now, as long as the price isn't absurd, any gear you list will sell. Guaranteed."
Mr. E nodded slowly.
"If that's true, we're looking at a self-reinforcing economy. Once players realize they can earn real money in-game, it'll attract even more users—expanding the market further."
Wyatt smiled.
"Exactly. That's why every major guild is diving in headfirst. Celestia is more than just a game—it's an opportunity."
Mr. E looked at the other shareholders, all nodding in agreement. He stood up.
"Alright. Wyatt's data speaks for itself. I assume no one objects—this game is our gateway to a new era for esports organizations."
"And not just the gaming world. I believe Celestia: The Eternal Realms will change everything."
"Effective tomorrow, at 8AM, all G9's pro MMO teams will officially enter Celestia: The Eternal Realms!"