Jicheng High-Speed Rail Station.
"Uncle, I'm leaving now. Don't forget what you promised me!" Nangong Wu said, pretending to be reluctant as she looked back at Wang Xian.
"I won't forget," Wang Xian replied flatly.
"Uncle, will you miss me?" asked Cheng Yao, eyes hopeful.
"No."
Wang Xian's answer was immediate and merciless.
"Hmph! You're the worst!" she huffed and turned away with a pout.
Su Jin stepped forward. "Brother-in-law, make sure you come to Tianjin as soon as you can. I'll try to get in contact with my sister again."
"I'll be there soon," Wang Xian nodded, his expression turning serious.
Su Jin's reminder added to the unease already simmering in his chest. It wasn't just him—Su Jin hadn't been able to reach Su Mu either. But at least they were certain she was still alive.
"Son, your mother and I are heading out too!" his father announced cheerfully.
Wang Xian turned to them, lips pressed into a tight line.
Nangong Wu had invited his parents to the imperial capital as well. He hadn't stopped them. They were eager to go, and he respected their choice. Still, he couldn't help but recall the impassioned speech his father gave over lunch earlier—it had nearly made him choke on his rice.
But they were strong now, with new talents and resurrection marks to protect them. With Nangong Wu looking out for them, they'd be fine.
"The train's boarding. Go ahead. I'll join you all in the capital soon enough."
Wang Xian watched as they passed through the gates. Once they were gone, he turned and walked away from the station.
Planes were out of the question now. Multiple crashes in recent days had grounded all flights. Only trains were still running.
Later that night, beneath the clear, digitized sky…
Wang Xian lay in the grass, gazing at the stars. The night above shimmered with impossible brilliance, a beauty amplified by the digital veil now cast over the world. Here, far from civilization, it felt like he could reach up and touch the heavens.
"No wonder they call this place the last pure land of human civilization," he murmured to himself.
It had been half a month since he parted ways with the others, and ten days since he arrived here. Though mostly alone, he hadn't been idle. He'd climbed from level 30 to level 32, though without a party, progress was slower.
The conflict he once felt about his class and path had vanished thanks to the [Balance] skill he'd acquired at level 30. With that clarity, he'd finally allocated his backlog of free attribute points.
Now, whenever he was bored, he would open his status screen just to admire it.
Name: Wang XianTitle: Fairy KingRace: HumanClass: SacrificeAge: 24
Talents:
Learning (Normal)
Growth (Taboo)
Sage (Myth)
Human King Soul (Taboo)
Mana Source (Epic)
Level: 32XP: 75,014 / 300,000HP: 15,550MP: 4,650Physical Attack: 2,090Magic Attack: 420 +101Crit Rate: 0Physical Defense: 1,150Magic Defense: 575Strength: 418Agility: 87Spirit: 84 +9Constitution: 311Endurance: 230Free Points: 0
Deaths Remaining: 3
"As expected of me," Wang Xian said with a grin, closing the panel.
He hadn't come to this place to level, not really. He came for the star.
One of the brightest celestial bodies in the sky—tonight, it would fall. Inside it? A class transfer item for the hidden class: Lord of the Stars.
At first, Wang Xian hadn't cared about this class. After all, it had an owner in his previous life.
But during a conversation with Nangong Wu, something she said changed his mind.
Now he was here, ready to claim the class for himself.
As for its original owner? He would have to find another destiny.
He wasn't alone. That star's strange energy had drawn others.
Wang Xian counted thirty-one other players in the area, each one at least level 30, with their first class advancements completed. They were divided into three factions, each with a powerful leader:
Qin Zheng, with the hidden class "Emperor," flanked by five elite Dragon Guards.
You Ying, wielding the assassin-exclusive class "God of Slaughter," accompanied by nine shadowed killers.
Jian Twenty-Three, a "Sword Saint," leading fifteen members with balanced roles—fighters, mages, archers, assassins, and healers.
If Wang Xian included himself, that made four factions.
He knew they were all watching each other.
And he was watching them.
It was Jian Twenty-Three's group that caught his attention the most. The smell of iron and gunpowder clung to them—they were military. Government operatives, without a doubt.
He also noticed something strange.
The player who had held the "Lord of the Stars" class in his past life wasn't here.
Odd.
Very odd.
Meanwhile, the other factions were watching Wang Xian just as closely. A lone mage making it this far? In this monster-infested territory?
He didn't look powerful. But something about him unsettled them.
And for good reason.
Wang Xian had used his [Disguise] skill to appear like an average mage—average gear, average stats, nothing to see here. He even smeared mud on his face to conceal his features, in case any government agents tried to identify him.
He wasn't taking chances.
Up in the sky, the star was getting brighter.
It had begun to fall.
The air turned heavy with anticipation.
The time was close.
Wang Xian stood and summoned his staff—a basic level 30 green-tier weapon he'd looted from a boss. It wasn't strong, but it added just enough stats to sell the illusion.
To the others, he was a nobody.
They had no idea they were standing beside a man with two taboo talents, one mythic, and more death flags than they could count.
Tonight, the star would fall.
And when it did, Wang Xian would be the one to catch it.