The next morning, Luo Shen stood inside the secret development lab beneath his company's Beijing headquarters. Only a few trusted people even knew it existed.
Sophia handed him a cup of strong coffee. "You haven't slept."
"I don't need to," Luo said calmly. "Not after last night."
His eyes held a strange glow, as if lines of code floated behind them. Inside him, the Realm Shaping power pulsed like a second heart.
He placed his hand on the main console of the game server. "Open the Core Editor. Access: Creator Mode."
The screen in front of him went black. Then a golden interface appeared—one only the true Creator could see.
> Welcome, Architect. Reality awaits your design.
---
Inside WORLD
Luo's consciousness entered the system again. But this time, it wasn't through a player character. He entered as himself.
The ground rose beneath him as if recognizing its god. Trees bowed slightly. Wind moved differently. Time slowed, then flowed again.
This was his world now.
He focused and spoke a single word: "Create."
The system responded:
> What shall be created, Architect?
"A hidden zone," Luo said, "for special players. A training ground for leaders."
He imagined a vast floating island, high above the main map, surrounded by thunderclouds and skyfire.
> Location: Sky Veil Isles Created.
He imagined temples for martial training, data chambers for strategy, mental towers for willpower. Each one guarded by elite NPCs with unique skills and personalities.
> Training Chambers Installed. NPC Guardians Initialized.
And at the center, he placed a single gate with golden patterns and a glowing lock.
> Divine Gate – Locked. Only players with 'Mark of Growth' may enter.
Luo smiled. "Let's see who's worthy."
---
The NPCs React
Far across the map, NPC cities buzzed with subtle changes. They felt something in the air—like gravity had shifted.
In Sunspire City, a wise old mage named Elder Kirok looked up from his scrolls. "The Code breathes again. The Old Power walks."
In Ironfang Fortress, a warrior captain named Serana Blazeheart raised her sword skyward. "A storm comes. But we have a god now, don't we?"
And in the underworld region of Duskwind Hollow, a dark NPC named Mael Venn, rogue and shadow broker, felt the shift and frowned.
"The Architect has returned... He'll want control. But not all of us bow."
---
The Divine Mission
Back in the Sky Veil Isles, a glowing platform rose before Luo. On it, a divine scroll hovered.
He touched it, and the words burned into his mind.
Divine Mission: "Awaken the Watchers"
Objective: Find and activate the three hidden Watcher Statues across WORLD.
Purpose: Unlock deeper layers of the game.
Danger Level: High.
Reward: World Influence +1, Divine Blueprint (Unknown Structure).
Luo frowned. "Even I don't remember coding this."
But the system's voice replied:
"Not everything was made by you. Some things were... found."
---
Back in Reality
Luo exited the VR chamber, breathless. Sophia looked up from her tablet. "Everything okay?"
He nodded. "I've created the Sky Veil Isles. It's ready."
"What now?"
"Now we select the first players to enter the real game—not the public beta. The true WORLD."
He sent a message to his core dev team and world testers around the globe.
> "You are invited to Project Eden. A secret test begins today. If you pass the entry trial, you'll access the true WORLD. Prepare for challenges not in the code."
Within minutes, players across real-world countries—Japan, India, Germany, Kenya, Brazil—began responding.
---
Player Scene: The First Awakener
In New York City, a young man named Jayden Cruz, former esports champion and now a bored student, opened his mail.
He clicked the "Project Eden" invite. The screen flickered, and his game console rebooted.
He entered WORLD—and found himself not in the usual starting town, but in a forest of golden leaves.
A message appeared: "You have been marked. Prove your worth."
Jayden smiled. "Finally. Something real."
---
Meanwhile… in Deep Space
Queen Xyrella of the Vorthai stood before a massive hologram of Earth. Around her, captains of the Ascension Fleet waited.
"Our sensors confirm the emergence of a Core Architect on Earth. The seed has matured."
A general with glowing veins hissed, "We strike now?"
Xyrella raised a clawed hand. "No. Let them build. Let them dream. We will crush them when they taste power."
Behind her, a gateway pulsed—linking their galaxy to a hidden point near Jupiter.
"Send the first probe. It must not be seen."
---
The Divine Blueprint
Back in WORLD, Luo followed a hidden trail to the base of a broken mountain. There, half-buried in snow, he found the first Watcher Statue—an old machine wrapped in vines.
He placed his hand on it. A sudden flash of energy surged through the world.
> Watcher One Activated. 2 Remaining.
> Reward Gained: Divine Blueprint: Echo Spire
A model formed before him: a towering building made of memory crystals. It allowed players to record, share, and relive battles to learn faster.
"This will accelerate evolution," Luo whispered.
He returned to the Sky Veil Isles and placed the spire near the training grounds.
> Structure Online. Connected Players: 0.
"Not for long," Luo said.
---
End of Teaser
As the day ended in the real world, Luo stood alone in his office, looking over Earth's lights on the global map.
The war was still far away. But the first steps had been taken.
And he would guide humanity—through data, through war, through divinity.
"Let the players come," he said.
"The true game begins now."