Chapter 1: The Game System That Traverses Ten Thousand Worlds

Ou Xiaolu descended from the plane, his face clouded with gloom. Everything that had transpired over the past few months felt so surreal that he could hardly believe it was real.

Six months ago, on the very first day of college entrance exams, as a senior high school student rushing to the test site, Ou Xiaolu was struck and sent flying by a truck.

The result of that collision was five long months in a hospital bed, and the amputation of his left arm up to the elbow.

Yet Ou Xiaolu had no grounds for complaint. The company owning the truck handled the incident immediately. Besides a sincere public apology and five million yuan in compensation, they even helped Ou Xiaolu secure a place at a renowned branch of a prestigious university in the Lighthouse Country of Amiliki.

Once he had mostly recovered from his injuries, they even paid for his plane ticket, sending him straight to the city of Xinxiang in Amiliki's Lighthouse Country.

Their overly solicitous attitude made Ou Xiaolu suspect there was a deeper reason behind the accident—otherwise, why would they treat him as though he were a plague god they couldn't be rid of fast enough?

The moment he set foot on the soil of the Lighthouse Country, a voice sounded in his ear.

"System binding successful."

Then, everything around him froze. A pale blue screen appeared before Ou Xiaolu, displaying a face composed of zeros and ones.

Staring at this bizarre visage, Ou Xiaolu hesitated before cautiously asking, "What kind of system are you?"

"Cross-World Game System," the face replied, launching into its own explanation. "I am not the system itself, merely the system's novice guide. 'Cross-World Game' is a product originating from Bitstar, designed for routine daily participation by native species. This game..."

"Wait, wait, wait—what is Bitstar? Who are these native species? I’m asking why you’ve chosen to bind to me."

As he spoke, Ou Xiaolu glanced around, realizing time had truly stopped. No one thought him insane. Relieved, he changed the subject casually.

"The game system binds randomly to newborns—binding occurs at birth, and activation is triggered at age twelve, once self-awareness develops," the face explained.

"So why didn’t I activate at twelve?" Ou Xiaolu protested. "Does your version of 'twelve' differ from ours?"

"No, at twelve, an attempt was made. However, that year marked the lowest point of this world's spiritual energy, rendering the system too weak to activate. A second attempt was made at fourteen, but you were gravely ill, your vitality lacking; forced activation could have resulted in death, so it was aborted. At sixteen, a third attempt was made, but was forcibly suppressed by a mysterious force in your left arm, resulting in interruption. Now, having left the range of your left arm's mysterious power, activation is possible once more."

"My... my left arm?" Ou Xiaolu's face hardened. "Are you saying my arm is still out there, and someone went to great lengths to take it from me?"

"It is unclear which part of your arm contains the mysterious force, but approaching the range of your arm will trigger a natural response."

"Enough. Say no more," Ou Xiaolu shouted. "Just answer one thing: if I use your so-called system, can I get my arm back?"

"It's the 'Cross-World Game' system," the face corrected.

"Forget the name—just answer my question." Ou Xiaolu's face flushed red, like an enraged bull.

"Analysis suggests that if you reach level five within two years, there is hope of retrieving your arm."

"And what about after two years?" Ou Xiaolu pressed.

"According to current environmental analysis, two years from now, this world will experience its first major spiritual energy resurgence. At that point, level five will no longer guarantee success."

The novice guide's words calmed Ou Xiaolu somewhat. He sat on the ground, head bowed, silent for a long moment before asking, "Is there a direct connection between this spiritual resurgence and my lost arm?"

"Not particularly," the guide replied frankly. "However, I suspect your arm may play a key role during the resurgence."

"That’s possible," Ou Xiaolu admitted. He stood, pressing his right hand to his face and exhaling deeply. "Very well. Regardless of who it is or why they’ve targeted me, I’ll remember this grudge. Let’s begin. The 'Cross-World Game' system, right? What do I do?"

The guide showed no displeasure at having his authority usurped, instead swiping the pale blue screen aside.

"Please open your novice gift pack. The 'Cross-World Game' system's treasure chests come in three types: gift packs, given during holidays and events; stage packs, awarded upon completing tasks or worlds; and mysterious chests, found during missions.

Regardless of type, each contains exactly five items. Gift packs always contain one character card and one world card. Stage packs always offer a spatial fragment related to the level. Mysterious chests guarantee a skill book relevant to a nearby character."

"Character card and world card?" Ou Xiaolu asked curiously.

"You'll know when you open the pack."

"Hold on, explain what the 'Cross-World Game' actually is. What do you do? Do I enter different worlds and fight?"

"No. Barring special circumstances, you may only enter worlds after reaching level five, and only conquer them after level ten."

"So what now? How do I play before level five?"

"Have you played idle games? You assign characters to worlds, watch them act autonomously, and collect the rewards and experience they bring back."

"That boring, huh? Can this system at least digitize my physical stats? Like, even if I’m mortally wounded, as long as I’m not out of blood, I can still fight?"

"No. Generally, if your head gets chopped off, not even a player can survive, so you must be cautious."

"That’s no good. Can I at least see other people's attributes?"

"There is no attribute visualization."

"This won’t do, that won’t do—what’s the point of this system? I quit—take yourself back to wherever you came from!"

"Just so you know, I've been bound to you for years. If I leave, the life force assimilated with you will be withdrawn, and you won’t live more than two years."

"Uh... On second thought, this is a great game. Idle games are my favorite—perfect for my skill level. What do I do next, just tap here to open the gift pack?"

Ou Xiaolu tapped the screen, and five cards appeared. He tapped each one, and after a flash of four white lights and one blue, all five cards flipped over.

[Genin, Character Card, Minion Grade, Combat Power 71/71, possesses Transformation Jutsu, Clone Jutsu, and Substitution Jutsu.]
[Medical License, Item Card, White, when presented, you will be regarded as a qualified doctor.]
[Red Wine, Item Card, White, gifting increases favorability by 10–20 points.]
[Designer Sunglasses, Equipment Card, Blue, provides immunity to blindness, petrifying gaze, and all eye-targeted attacks.]
[Sunken Ship, World Card, Micro, 3/3/0, opens a passage to a sunken ship in the deep sea, spawning random enemies and treasures, with a chance to trigger a story.]

Reading the descriptions on the cards, Ou Xiaolu couldn't help feeling like his surname meant 'average.' Clearly, these were baseline offerings, the bare minimum—hardly impressive.

Fortunately, the novice guide refrained from comment, moving straight to instruction.

"Let's begin. The 'Cross-World Game' lets you use characters to explore various worlds, collect resources, and grow stronger. First, we need to understand your character. Open the character panel."

As the guide spoke, the screen transformed. In the center appeared a silhouette shrouded in black.

The figure held a kunai resembling a small dagger, appearing unremarkable. From time to time, it split into two or three copies, sometimes morphing into an ordinary person, sometimes into a wooden stake.

Clearly, the figure was demonstrating its skills. Below the shadowy figure, a short line of text appeared.

[Projection 50, Possession 10, Summon 20.]