Chapter One: Is This Really a 2D Game?
“What’s happening to me...”
It felt as though I had been dreaming for ages, my mind foggy and heavy, my head nearly splitting apart. In that haze, I finally managed to open my eyes.
Above me was an old, battered ceiling. One corner bore clear traces of moss, likely due to a leak in the roof. As my sense of smell returned, a strange, unpleasant odor invaded my nostrils.
The scent was a blend of decay and a faint, fishy staleness.
“Something’s wrong...”
I furrowed my brow, fragments of memory surfacing.
Before this dream, I had just started the official release of "Star Abyss," created my account. Everything was normal, until I entered a CDKEY for a newbie suit—a code given to me by a stranger in our penguin chat group. That’s when the bizarre happened!
A black dot appeared at the center of my screen, growing larger and larger, swallowing the entire world like a black hole. My body seemed to plummet endlessly, and when I awoke, I was here.
So... is this the game, or reality?
My mind grew sharper, memories coalescing. I recalled who I was.
My name is Ding Han, a graduate from Suzhou. I had just finished my postgraduate studies, and together with my childhood friend, Fatty, we started playing a so-called AAA-level 2D game called "Star Abyss."
In the beta, my gaming instincts earned me a final ranking of 99th across all servers. So after the official launch, I invited Fatty to join me, planning to make a name for ourselves in this unexpectedly brilliant 2D game.
Even if we couldn’t rise to fame, with a top-100 beta ranking, earning some pocket money would be more than enough.
But reality diverged so sharply from expectation. As soon as I finished creating my account and clicked login, dizziness hit—and suddenly, I found myself in this place.
...
“Uh...”
I pressed my arms lightly, trying to prop myself up.
“You’re awake?”
Suddenly, a voice came from beside the bed.
Turning, I saw a strikingly beautiful head appear—she was a young woman, large eyes, high nose, flawless skin, radiant and delicate as if carved from jade.
“And you are...?”
My heart skipped.
“You’ve been unconscious for a long time. I brought you back from the wilderness,” she said, rising to reveal a pair of muscular arms—so thick they were wider than my calves, biceps bulging, veins prominent!
‘What the hell is this!?’
Panic seized me, and I instinctively shuffled back on the bed.
“Don’t be afraid.” The muscular beauty forced a smile, thinking it was gentle. “This is Winter Springs Town, one of the few settlements in the nearby wilderness. My name is Aurelia, the town sheriff. Don’t worry, I won’t harm you.”
“Oh...”
I slowly sat up, looking at my own arms and legs. I wore a dirty white shirt and dark blue jeans—everything felt so real, not the least bit like a game.
So, is this really a game? Or have I crossed into another world, not a game at all?
At that thought, dread gripped me—if so, I’m doomed. A newly graduated, wide-eyed student like me wouldn’t survive even a chapter in a dangerous otherworld!
“You’ve slept for a long time; you must be hungry.” Aurelia turned toward the table, saying, “Eat something, we’ll talk about the rest once you’ve recovered.”
“I’m not hungry yet...”
But as soon as the words left my lips, my stomach betrayed me with a loud growl.
Aurelia took out a bag, retrieved some stick-like food and set them on the table, then poured water from a vessel. She glanced at me, “Eat these now. I don’t have time for your nonsense.”
“A bit is fine...”
Ashamed of my stubbornness, I sat at the table. The stick food looked dry, filled with fibrous threads, but when bitten, it had a surprisingly fragrant taste.
“What is this?”
After finishing half a stick, I clapped my hands, picked up a bowl of water and drank it in one gulp. My parched, sore throat felt much better.
“Biscuits made from dried earthworms and powdered flying insects.”
“What are flying insects?”
“Cockroaches.”
“Ugh—”
I couldn’t help but gag, trying to vomit up everything I’d just eaten.
“Swallow it!” Aurelia seemed angry, slamming her fist onto the table, making the crockery jump—and my heart too, fearing she’d kill me with a single blow!
Staring at this Popeye-like beauty, I forced myself not to retch.
“Eat the rest.” She said coldly, “Food is scarce. People in town live frugally; you can’t waste a single crumb. Eat, rest, and recover. Afterwards, you can leave if you wish. If not...”
She sized me up, “You’re young and strong. You could stay as my deputy, become the town’s assistant sheriff.”
With that, Aurelia turned to sit by the window, gazing at the bright moon, savoring her biscuit as if it were a delicacy.
The atmosphere grew awkward, neither of us speaking.
...
Finally, I decided to act, at least test whether this was reality or a game.
“Aurelia, how many is this?”
I held up three fingers.
“Three.”
She was terse.
“And this?” I raised my middle finger.
“What’s wrong with you?” Aurelia stared, puzzled.
Confirmed—no mechanical behavior. She’s not an NPC.
After a while, silence seemed to irritate Aurelia. She stood, took a double-barreled shotgun from the wall, and opened the door, “I’m going out to get more food. Don’t leave; your body’s still weak and you could easily become a snack for mutants.”
“Mutants...”
I frowned, ripples in my heart.
In "Star Abyss," hostile creatures are called “mutants”—beings mutated by prolonged nuclear radiation, distinct from humans and beasts, and very troublesome.
After Aurelia left, the room became empty and silent again.
Perhaps thanks to the food, my strength returned. I walked around, familiarizing myself with the surroundings.
Eventually, my gaze settled on a hatchet hanging on the wall.
Its handle was smooth from years of use, scarred and battered.
As I stared at the hatchet for more than three seconds, something strange happened: faint white text appeared, hovering in the air.
My heart thumped faster. I stepped closer, and the text floated up and down with my movement. When I was near enough, I saw smaller lines beneath:
[Aurelia’s Hatchet] (Quality: Gray)
Basic Parameters: Attack 2-3, Attack Speed 1.2 sec/turn, Durability 25/100
Requirements: None
Description: Aurelia’s trusty hatchet, her indispensable companion!
...
“Whoa...”
My scalp tingled. So this really is inside the game?
I gripped the hatchet—it was slightly heavy.
At that moment, a series of chimes sounded in my ear.
[System Unlocked!]
[Character Panel Unlocked!]
[Skill Panel Unlocked!]
[Interdimensional Storage Unlocked!]
...
‘Character panel?’
As I silently thought the words, a glow gathered before me, forming a data panel.
[Shadowchaser] (Main Profession Unlocked: No)
Level: 1
Attack: 3-4
Defense: 2
HP: 100
Critical: 0
Charm: 0
Force/Spirit: Not Awakened
Combat Power: 5
Potential Points: Strength 0/Agility 0/Mind 0/Endurance 0
Achievements: 0
...
I squinted—an utterly standard level-1 newbie panel.
In "Star Abyss," each level grants 3 freely assigned attribute points, and every even level yields a precious skill point.
Skill points are crucial: every new skill learned requires one. For a “quasi-expert” ranked 99th in beta, skill allocation at each stage is vital.
Currently, I’m level 1, with 3 points to assign. My main profession is strength-based, so I allocate all points to strength—my attack rises from 3-4 to 4-7.
The concept of combat power is basically combat strength, but "Star Abyss" features a fusion of force, spirit, and technology, so combat power is used instead. Just seconds ago, my power was a mere 5—a total scrub!
Alongside character and skill panels, the interdimensional storage was unlocked.
“Come out.”
I called softly, and a blue cube about a meter across appeared. It was empty, but my hand could reach inside unhindered, items could be placed or removed, fast and convenient.
The storage is bound to me—probably only I can see it.
Sitting in the cramped room, my thoughts scattered.
So, is Winter Springs Town, this wilderness settlement, my starter village? If so, every player should be racing to level up and pick up quests—sitting here isn’t wise.
But safety matters. Everything I see tells me this is a game with 100% realism and no logout option. If I die in-game, the consequences could be dire—maybe even my real self would be affected, or I might never wake up.
Then my gaze landed on an old radio in the drawer.
It was covered in dust, clearly broken for ages. Conveniently, I had chosen “Repair” as my secondary profession when creating my account.
Eyes brightening, I searched for a screwdriver, opened the radio, and found a worn-out wire. After a quick fix and finding two AA batteries—both bearing teeth marks—I installed them.
As the radio crackled to life, blue text flashed before my eyes.
[Secondary Profession “Repair” Unlocked!]
[Skill “Basic Repair” (C Rank) Acquired!]
[Congratulations, you successfully repaired the radio, skill experience +300!]