God-Level Overlord System: VR Eternal Overlord

Lin Chen stood by the window of his rundown rental apartment, gazing at the hazy skyline of the megacity beyond. His fist clenched involuntarily. It was 2025 in Shanghai—a city where technology advanced at breakneck speed, skyscrapers pierced the clouds, and neon lights flashed endlessly. But to an ordinary young man from the bottom rung of society like him, this metropolis felt more like a monstrous beast that devoured dreams. At twenty-five, the prime age of life, he had just lost his job."Damn it, unemployed again!" Lin Chen growled, slamming his fist into the wall. Plaster flakes fell away, revealing the mottled surface beneath. His previous job was as a programmer's assistant at a small tech company, handling trivial code debugging and data entry. The pay wasn't great, but it was enough to scrape by. Then the company suddenly went bankrupt—the boss absconded with the funds, leaving a pile of employees demanding wages in vain. As for him? He'd thrown out over a hundred resumes, only to receive silence in return. The job requirements were getting more and more ridiculous: AI-assisted programming experience, cloud computing certifications, at least three years of real project experience... How could a self-taught coder like him compete with those elite graduates from top universities?Lin Chen rubbed his aching knuckles and slumped onto the creaky old sofa. The rental was cramped and stifling, the air thick with the smell of instant noodles. A few crumpled bills lay scattered on the table—his last savings, barely enough for next month's rent. His parents had passed away early, leaving him only one heirloom: an ancient jade pendant that hung around his neck. Its cool touch always reminded him of vague childhood memories.His parents... Lin Chen's thoughts drifted. More than a decade ago, a mysterious car accident had taken their lives. That rainy night, he had huddled in a corner, watching police and medics bustle about. As his father lay dying, he grasped Lin Chen's hand, his voice weak but resolute: "Chen'er, you're not ordinary... Remember the jade pendant... It will guide you..." Guide him to what? Over the years, Lin Chen had pondered it endlessly, but found no answers. The pendant was engraved with strange patterns—runes that looked ancient, yet somehow like circuit diagrams. He'd searched online and found nothing. Maybe it was just his father's delirium. But whenever he hit rock bottom, the jade pendant would grow slightly warm, as if reminding him: Your destiny isn't meant to be this mundane."Buzz—" His phone suddenly vibrated. Lin Chen picked it up and saw a notification: Eternal Era VR Game Public Test Lottery Results Announced! His heart skipped a beat. This game was the hottest thing this year—a masterpiece developed by the global tech giant "Eternal Group." It was a fully immersive virtual reality game, hailed as the "Second World." In the trailers, players became heroes, battling across realms, leveling up, slaying monsters, building cities and empires. Even better, in-game currency could be exchanged for real money! The public test helmets were limited to 10,000 units, with hundreds of millions entering the lottery. He'd casually participated on a whim, never expecting..."Congratulations! You have won! Please check your exclusive helmet activation code." Lin Chen stared wide-eyed, rubbing his eyes before looking again. It wasn't a hallucination! He had won! One in ten thousand odds—and it landed on him! "Hahaha! Finally, the heavens have opened their eyes!" Lin Chen burst into laughter, wild and unrestrained. Unemployment? Poverty? Screw that! This helmet was already being scalped for hundreds of thousands on the market—if he sold it, he could turn his life around! But no, he wouldn't sell it. He was going to play! He'd heard that even casually grinding monsters could earn real cash. Besides, he had a feeling this wasn't coincidence—the jade pendant was warming up again.The delivery arrived quickly. Lin Chen unpacked it: a sleek silver-white helmet lay in the box, streamlined and futuristic, glowing faintly with blue light like something out of a sci-fi movie. He put it on, lay down on the bed, and activated it according to the instructions. His vision went black, then a beam scanned his retinas."Welcome to Eternal Era. Identity scan complete... Binding successful. Player Lin Chen, you are the 8888th lucky participant in the public test. The game will begin shortly. Please create your character."Lin Chen's consciousness plunged into virtual space. Before him unfolded a vast cosmic backdrop: stars twinkling, floating continents drifting in the void, adorned with towering cities, dense forests, volcanoes, and glaciers. The epic background music swelled, stirring his blood. "This... it's too real!" he murmured, feeling the wind on his face and even smelling the earth. Full-immersion VR lived up to the hype."Please select your character nickname." The system's voice was gentle yet mechanical.Lin Chen thought for a moment and typed: "Chen Overlord." Domineering! He was going to dominate this world and rise from the ashes!"Nickname confirmed. Please select your appearance template."Lin Chen browsed the options: handsome swordsman, mighty warrior, mysterious mage... He chose the swordsman template but tweaked the details—black hair and eyes, sharp features, piercing gaze like an eagle. Tall and lean, exuding an aura of extraordinariness. Wasn't this the him of his dreams? His parents' dying words echoed again: "You're not ordinary..." Perhaps in this game, he could find the truth."Character creation complete. Initial attributes: Strength 10, Agility 10, Constitution 10, Intelligence 10, Spirit 10. Luck: Hidden."Lin Chen blinked. Luck hidden? Did other players have that? Whatever—time to enter the game."Teleporting to Novice Village: Azure Cloud Village. Enjoy your adventure."His vision shifted, and Lin Chen appeared in a quaint village square. Cobblestone paths underfoot, wooden houses and fences around him, rolling mountains in the distance with birdsong filling the air. Players bustled about in novice gear, wielding wooden swords or staffs, looking around excitedly."Wow, this game is insane! Feels like I've transmigrated!""Hurry, grab quests and level up!"Lin Chen took a deep breath, clenching his fists. In reality, he had nothing—but here, everything started from zero. He would level up, grow stronger, prove he wasn't a loser!Suddenly, the jade pendant warmed in reality, and in-game, a surge of heat flowed through his avatar. "This is..." He looked down as the interface flashed: "Unknown energy source detected. System initializing..."Lin Chen's pulse raced. Was the pendant connected to the game? His mysterious origins were starting to unveil. But now wasn't the time. He strode toward the village chief NPC to take his first quest.The chief was a white-bearded old man, smiling kindly: "Young adventurer, welcome to Azure Cloud Village. Wolves are plaguing the outskirts—slay ten for me, and you'll be rewarded with experience and coins.""Ding! Quest accepted: Hunt Wolves (0/10)."Without a word, Lin Chen charged out of the village. In the grassy fields, a gray wolf bared its fangs and lunged. He dodged instinctively, thrusting his wooden sword—"Pfft!" Blood sprayed as the wolf collapsed."Wolf slain. Experience +10."So refreshing! Utterly exhilarating! In real life, he'd never even killed a chicken, but here it felt like second nature. Perhaps this was his talent?But it was just the beginning. Lin Chen's eyes burned as he swung sword after sword, his experience bar soaring. While others grouped up to grind, he soloed three in a row."Holy crap, that guy's a beast! His swordplay is spot on for a newbie!""Must be a beta tester."Lin Chen's lips curved into a mysterious smile. Who knows? His origins were never meant for ordinary people to understand.By the fifth wolf, something unexpected happened. An elite wolf emerged from the pack—larger, with blood-red eyes. "Roar!" It pounced like lightning.Lin Chen's heart tightened, but he stayed calm. Sidestepping, he countered with a slash to the neck. "Critical hit! Double damage!"The elite wolf howled and fell, dropping gear: Wolf Fang Necklace (Strength +2)."First kill on elite monster. Bonus experience +50!"Lin Chen equipped it, boosting his strength to 12. Power surged through him. "This game... it's tailor-made for me!"The quest wrapped up quickly. Back at the village, the chief exclaimed, "Young man, you have extraordinary talent! Extra reward: a coin pouch."Opening his inventory: 100 copper coins. In-game currency exchanged for real RMB—100 copper = 1 yuan. A small profit!But what excited him more was the growing warmth from the pendant. The interface flickered: "Unknown energy fusing... System awakening soon."What system? Lin Chen had a hunch—this was his golden finger. What secrets had his parents truly left behind? What conspiracy lurked behind that accident?As the sun set, Novice Village buzzed with activity. Lin Chen stood in the square, gazing at the distant mountains. There lay stronger monsters, greater opportunities."Eternal Era, here I come. From today on, I, Lin Chen, will dominate everything!"