C1 Transcending into a Game Character

"Martial God Ring, my Martial God Ring, you've finally appeared!"

Seated at a computer in the internet cafe, Xu Ming was fixated on the screen, shouting with wild excitement.

Xu Ming's eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse, and his mouse-moving hand tingled with numbness.

Indeed, Xu Ming hadn't slept for three straight days and nights, but the sight of the shimmering golden ring on the screen made it all seem worthwhile.

The Martial God Ring was one of the three great Divine Artifacts in the game world of Martial God Continent. Possessing this Divine Artifact meant that a character's attributes could evolve endlessly, allowing their bloodline to grow without limit!

With the potential for infinite evolution of his character's attributes, dominating other players in the game would only be a matter of time.

As a devoted player of Martial God Continent and an enthusiast for enhancing his character's attributes, Xu Ming had always dreamed of acquiring such a Divine Artifact, tirelessly grinding through the night to defeat monsters.

After three relentless days of monster farming and boss battles, Xu Ming had finally secured the Martial God Ring from a dungeon in Four-direction City.

"Congratulations to player 'Xu Ming' for obtaining one of the Martial God Continent's three supreme Divine Artifacts, the Martial God Ring!"

As Xu Ming opened the treasure chest, a massive banner unfurled above Four-direction City, sending all the players in the area into a frenzy.

Game avatars flocked to the scene, and within minutes, the area swelled with thousands of players.

The gathered players, some green with envy and others full of admiration, refrained from attempting to steal the ring, instead furiously typing messages on their screens.

The game's rules dictated that since Xu Ming had spawned the ring, it belonged solely to him.

Gazing at the gleaming ring hovering before him, Xu Ming guided his in-game character to reach out slowly, ready to claim the Martial God Ring for real.

But just then, something utterly deflating occurred.

Xu Ming's computer screen turned blue!

Yes, at this pivotal moment, Xu Ming's computer crashed!

Xu Ming was dumbfounded!

Despite his perseverance over the past three days and nights, the internet cafe's computer processor had reached its limit. It crashed right at the moment Xu Ming was about to lay hands on the Divine Artifact!

The Divine Artifact that was within grasp vanished in an instant. Staring at the blue screen on his computer, the joy in Xu Ming's heart instantly transformed into towering rage.

"Ah, why is this happening!"

Xu Ming's roar echoed through the internet cafe as he grabbed the keyboard in front of him and shattered the blue screen to pieces.

In that moment, Xu Ming felt so infuriated that not even setting the entire internet cafe ablaze would quell his anger.

It was like a guy who had struggled immensely to win over his dream girl, only to find out on their wedding night that she was actually an old and ugly deceiver!

Overwhelmed by intense anger and a sense of injustice, Xu Ming's blood pressure skyrocketed. His brain, having gone without rest for days, was reeling. After smashing the keyboard, he suddenly felt his body weaken, fatigue washing over him.

Xu Ming struggled to stay upright, but his head spun as if it were about to explode, and his heart thumped wildly in his chest.

The commotion of Xu Ming collapsing caught the attention of the internet cafe's manager. By the time the manager arrived, Xu Ming had already stopped breathing and lost consciousness.

"Martial God Ring, give me back my Martial God Ring!"

These were the last words the internet cafe manager heard from Xu Ming. After speaking, Xu Ming's body convulsed a few times before his eyes widened and he passed away, his death marked by unresolved resentment.

Xu Ming had a lifelong passion for online gaming, but tragically, this was how his story ended.

~~~~

Resentment, an endless tide of it, swirled through Xu Ming's mind.

He cursed the heavens, the earth, all living beings, and fate itself with unyielding hatred...

But then, a chilling voice cut through Xu Ming's resentment.

"Xu Ming, the Gene Evolution System has been activated. Would you like to claim ownership now?"

"Xu Ming, the Gene Evolution System has been activated. Would you like to claim ownership immediately?"

"I don't need any gene system. I, Xu Ming, just want my Martial God Ring," Xu Ming mumbled in response, hearing his name called out.

"The Gene Evolution System is the heart of the Martial God Ring. You must claim ownership of the Gene Evolution System to truly become the master of the Martial God Ring."

The voice was chilling and devoid of any emotion, as if it were generated by a machine. Yet, what caught Xu Ming's attention was the mention of the "Martial God Ring."

Xu Ming's eyes snapped open, but he was no longer in the familiar setting of the internet cafe. Instead, he found himself in a completely foreign environment.

He was in a rudimentary woodshed with an old stove, atop which sat a pot billowing steam.

Xu Ming lay on a bed next to the stove.

"What is this place? How did I end up here?" Xu Ming blurted out instinctively.

"You are in Four-direction City on the Martial God Continent," came the same mechanical voice, reminiscent of an electronic sound.

'Four-direction City? Isn't that the game map where I got the Martial God Ring?'

At this thought, Xu Ming immediately asked, "If this is Four-direction City, then where is my Martial God Ring?"

"The Martial God Ring is in your hand."

Xu Ming glanced at his hand and, sure enough, he was clutching a ring identical to the one he had won from the treasure chest.

Something felt off to Xu Ming, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"Wait, wasn't I in an internet cafe? What is this place?"

With a mind brimming with questions, Xu Ming noticed a mirror beside him and grabbed it.

The reflection in the mirror made Xu Ming jump with fright!

The person in the mirror was not him at all, but rather resembled the character he used to play in the game!

My God, could it be that I, Xu Ming, have crossed over into the game? Was the game I played not just an ordinary online game, but an actual world?

Staring into the mirror, Xu Ming became more convinced that his speculation was correct.

Previously, while gaming, Xu Ming had always fantasized about being transported into the game world like the characters in online novels, conquering all in his path.

Now, he had actually entered the game, bringing along the supreme Divine Artifact, the Martial God Ring, with him.

Though his past dreams had come true, the thought that he might never return to the real world filled Xu Ming with a mix of excitement, uncertainty, and bewilderment.

Was it sheer coincidence or fate at play?

"Ten seconds remain to claim ownership. If you do not claim me within ten seconds, the Gene Evolution System will shut down permanently, and the Martial God Ring will vanish!"

The icy voice echoed once more.

"The Gene Evolution System is now active. Would you like to claim ownership immediately?"

"Claim ownership, right now!" Xu Ming responded without a moment's delay.

He might not have grasped the situation fully, but that didn't matter; he had to claim ownership first and prevent the Martial God Ring from slipping away.

Once Xu Ming consented to ownership, a display visible only to him materialized.

Xu Ming: Human

Genetic Rank: Grade Eight

Gene Points: 903

Gene Evolution Requirement: Eligible for Grade Nine

Beast Soul: None

System Merchant Shop: Insufficient Gene Points, access currently unavailable.

Gifted Item: One Gene Evolution Manual

The screen was filled with tiny, dense text. As Xu Ming scrutinized the information, the mechanical voice spoke for the last time.

"Ownership confirmed. Gene Evolution System activated!"

With those final words, a flash of light ensued, the screen vanished, and a book materialized in Xu Ming's hands.

"Damn, I didn't get to see it all."

Xu Ming grumbled, examining the book that detailed various methods for accruing and obtaining Gene Points.

"Practice the Eight Extremes Fist to gain +3 Gene Points."

"Consume wild boar meat for +9 Gene Points."

"Consume demonic wolf meat for +17 Gene Points."

~~~~~~~

As Xu Ming perused the book, a surge of unfamiliar memories flooded his mind. Upon closer inspection, he pieced together the puzzle.

The youth, also named Xu Ming, was the fourth son of the Xu family's Patriarch, one of the three major families in Four-direction City. He had been relegated to the Xu family's farmstead because, at sixteen, he had not achieved Martial Dao Grade Seven as required by family standards.

His body bore numerous scars, old and new. The residual memories of his character revealed that these were inflicted by a member of his family, Xu Yang.

"Who would have thought this game character wasn't just a figment, but a living person with such a rich backstory?"

Xu Ming shook his head, set aside the book, and stepped out of the room.