Skyscrapers that were hundreds and thousands of meters tall rose from the ground.
They were all of different shapes and sizes. Some looked normal with their rectangular shapes, nothing unusual. But others were extremely strange and even violated basic architectural principles. It was almost impossible for them to exist in reality.
The ground was clean and tidy. Not a speck of dust could be found, and pedestrians could even see their reflections.
There were a lot of people of different races walking on the streets. They had unusual appearances and different heights. Some were of similar builds as regular humans while others were up to six meters tall. There were some who were half the size of an adult. You couldn’t see them unless you lowered your head.
At the center where the streets converged, there was a wide square. And in such an environment, Wang Teng appeared abruptly here.
The crowd around him glanced at him indifferently. When they didn’t find anything special about him, they stopped paying attention.
“This is… the virtual universe?” Wang Teng looked around curiously with surprise in his eyes.
This was vastly different from the virtual reality that he had once entered. Back then, the cities in virtual reality were empty, and you couldn’t see anyone. But here, it was crowded with people and full of life and excitement. It was bustling.
Just like the real world!
“How is it? I didn’t lie to you, right? Isn’t this amazing?” Round Ball’s prideful voice sounded in Wang Teng’s mind.
“I didn’t expect you to actually succeed.” Wang Teng communicated with Round Ball as he observed his surroundings.
He realized that people were followed by small figures of different appearances. Some looked like tiny beasts while some were little people with wings. There were even plants with human faces, which could speak. It seemed magical.
“Of course. I’m an intelligent lifeform!” Round Ball’s nose was almost pointing up at the sky. It followed Wang Teng’s gaze and began introducing, “These are intelligent fairies. They can assist their masters in the virtual universe. However, they also have different grades. You probably won’t be able to find intelligent lifeforms like me.”
Wang Teng rolled his eyes when Round Ball started to brag and boast. It was too narcissistic. “Where are we now?”
“We have connected to the virtual universe from the Great Qian Empire’s territory. Hence, we are on the Great Qian Mainland.”
“Great Qian Mainland!” Wang Teng blinked.
“That’s right. Great Qian Mainland. It’s an extremely vast land. The Great Qian Empire is a high-tier civilization with vast and boundless territory spanning thousands of galaxies and countless planets. At every moment, people from countless races enter the virtual universe, which is why Great Qian Empire’s territory in the virtual universe is huge. Although it is called the mainland, it is actually much bigger than the area of several planets combined.”
“Unbelievable!” Wang Teng was amazed.
“Let me introduce you to the virtual universe. Over here, as long as you have the money, you can enjoy everything. Duels, learning, trade, finance…” Round Ball rambled on, “The universe is too vast and the distance between planets is huge. It’s very difficult for friends to meet. However, in the virtual universe, this distance is shortened. You can communicate with your friends and even directly teleport to them. It is very convenient!
“And you can even meet like-minded martial warriors and spar with them, increasing your social links.
“Besides that, you can also trade and do financial transactions in the virtual universe. Here, your bank card is bound to your identity, which is why you can execute financial transactions and buy whatever you want from across countless galaxies…
“On top of that, there are various forms of entertainment such as ladies, food, and games…”
“Wait, ladies are considered as entertainment?” Wang Teng was surprised.
“Well, there are so many races in this universe, and females from each race have their own flair. Wouldn’t men like you want to experience it for themselves?”
“Ahem.” Wang Teng was trying to display that he was a gentleman. Women were just vixens.
“Hehe~” Round Ball smiled mischievously and continued, “In short, there’s everything here. Eating, drinking, and playing. Many people get immersed in this, treating this place as the real world. A century would pass for these people in the blink of an eye.”
“What? This is a virtual world after all. There are people who have been immersed in it for a hundred years?” Wang Teng found it hard to believe.
It wasn’t a few months or years. It was a whole century. There were people who did something like this?
“Try and you will know.” Round Ball smiled. “I’ve said it before. The virtual universe is no different from the real world. It is not impossible for someone to treat it as their reality.”
“It’s not necessarily a good thing for it to be too real!” Wang Teng exclaimed.
He couldn’t help but think of the otakus back on Earth. They would stay in their homes for several years, and some would even stay indoors for ten or twenty years as they were obsessed with their games. Now that he thought about it, the virtual universe was similar to that.
Furthermore, the virtual universe was much more realistic compared to the games on Earth. Once the otakus experienced this, they would be reluctant to get out. They might probably stay there till they died.
To them, this was their paradise at home!
Wang Teng had a strange thought.
“However, powerful people have strong wills and wouldn’t be addicted to the virtual universe. They treat it as their social and communication platform to provide convenience for themselves. And if they are too poor, they wouldn’t be able to stay here for a century. After all, everything in this world costs money.” Round Ball rubbed its fingers.
“This is really… very realistic!” Wang Teng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Well of course. Otherwise, the virtual universe wouldn’t be so easy to enter.” Round Ball’s tone changed. “Nonetheless, it still has lots of benefits. You can do things like dueling with others and fighting star beasts. Although you can’t increase the level of your realm or stages, you can improve your battle experience and you won’t die.”
“I’ve tried this before, and it’s indeed useful.” Wang Teng nodded.
“The one you tried previously is just a broken version. It can’t even be compared with the present one at all. Experience it yourself and you will know,” Round Ball said with disdain.
“I shall try then.” Wang Teng walked out of the square with excitement, “I’ll go out of the city!”
“Wait. I think you need to get yourself some money before you do that.” Round Ball stopped him hurriedly and said, “Look at yourself.”
“Uh… What’s this?” Wang Teng lowered his head and was stunned. “What happened to my clothes?”
He realized that he no longer had his real-world clothes. Instead, he was wearing a plain and simple gray training attire. He didn’t even have a weapon on him. He looked like a poor man.
“Everyone who enters the virtual universe appears like this. If you want better items, you will have to buy them.” Round Ball smirked.
“Damn it. This is so pitiful!” Wang Teng cursed, “This virtual universe is all about money. It’s as shameless as those unscrupulous game companies.”
“Is it shameless for them to earn money?” Round Ball asked.
“…” Wang Teng realized that he couldn’t refute it and accepted this cruel reality. He took a deep breath and asked humbly, “Where should I go to get money?”
“Have you seen the shops on the street? You can just go to a store and trade if you want to sell anything.”
Wang Teng glanced around and saw shops scattered around the square. If he listened carefully, he could hear faint shouts coming from the crowd.
“We’re buying rat skins for fair and honest prices…”
“Take a look, take a look. We sell all kinds of rune weapons. Don’t miss this!”
“We buy all kinds of ores, star cores, star bones, and rare treasures… Prices are negotiable. If you’re interested, please come over to Thousand Treasure Chamber!”
…
“Why does it seem like a marketplace?” Wang Teng muttered as he walked towards the shop.
“Hehe, the competition is fierce.” Round Ball smiled.
Wang Teng’s target was the Thousand Treasure Chamber. He had many star cores and star bones to sell for some money.
Sigh~
It was so tough to be poor!
