Chapter 1003 – Game Open Beta

June 20, 2026, 7:20 PM.

Across the world’s major forums, gaming communities, social media platforms, and even some professional tech news websites… almost simultaneously, posts appeared with highly similar content but from different accounts with untraceable IP addresses:

【Revolutionary Immersive Experience! 《Holographic Game: Apocalypse Descends》 Global Open Beta Countdown: 72 Hours! Reserve Now, Limited Edition Game Helmets Free! Global Delivery!】

The timing, the platforms, and the flawless yet untraceable method of publication immediately triggered an explosive reaction across the internet.

Gaming enthusiast communities:

“Holy crap! Is this footage in-engine? Or CG? If it’s in-engine, can current hardware even run this?!”

“Free helmets? Global delivery? What kind of godlike company is this? Can’t find any registration info!”

“Biowave direct connection? Sounds a bit mystical, but if it’s real… this is absolutely a next-gen revolution!”

“Reserved! Who cares, it’s free anyway. What if it’s legit?”

…

Tech forums:

“The technical description looks like a patchwork of cutting-edge concepts, but the details don’t hold up to scrutiny. Definitely false advertising!”

“The IP can’t be traced, the posting accounts seem to be auto-generated, and the official site can’t be cracked either… This company is either unfathomably deep-rooted, or it’s an enormous scam!”

“But those videos… with current CG technology, producing that level of physics and interactive detail would cost an astronomical amount. Would a scam really invest that much in promotion?”

…

On social media, hashtags like #ApocalypseDescendsHolographicGame# #FreeGameHelmet# #RevolutionaryHolographicTech# rapidly surged up the trending charts.

“Everyone look at this! It feels like alien technology!”

“Reserve and get a free game helmet — this helmet looks so high-end! Forget it, I signed up. Can’t beat free!”

“Holy crap! I just went to the bathroom, and a game helmet appeared on my coffee table!”

…

Government monitoring networks across various nations:

“Large-scale coordinated information campaign detected. Content involves unregistered commercial activity and suspicious technology promotion.”

“Technical descriptions contain exaggerations and ambiguities, but no malicious code or financial fraud links detected.”

“Attempted to contact publishers and official site registration information — all invalid. Recommend classifying as an observation item. Stay vigilant for new forms of cyber fraud or information warfare testing.”

“Closely monitor technological authenticity, assess potential societal application value. May permit civilian experimentation to a moderate degree.”

…

Meanwhile, the “official website” at the center of the storm saw its traffic increase exponentially within minutes.

Yet no matter how many requests flooded in, the site’s response remained as smooth as ever, with a 100% success rate for claiming the free game helmets.

All attempts to attack, analyze, or copy the website’s code were like punching air — yielding no effective feedback whatsoever.

Even the Technology Ghosts failed to hack into the game’s official site. They couldn’t even locate the site’s backend.

Through their analysis and calculations, they determined that while this virtual game was strange, it was safe and posed no threat to the military and other domains they prioritized.

…

Jiang City. A somewhat worn-down rental apartment.

Xiao Xiao jolted upright from the narrow single bed, cold sweat soaking through her thin pajamas, her chest heaving violently.

The dim room, the familiar smell of cheap furniture, the faint sounds of the city’s nighttime bustle drifting in through the window… everything was so familiar.

She raised a trembling hand and reached for the cheap plastic digital clock on the nightstand. June 20, 2025, 7:25 PM.

“…I’ve… been reborn?” A hoarse voice squeezed from her throat, carrying incredulous ecstasy.

The global electronic blackout, the collapse of social order, the brutal struggle for survival, and… the card system that brought hope amidst despair.

June 23, 2026, 7:20 PM — that timestamp was seared into her soul like a branding iron.

That very night, the game went into open beta, and countless people received the mysterious game helmets.

But she, because of her busy work schedule, hadn’t entered the game until a full year later — falling far behind everyone else!

But now, she was back! Before any of it had happened!

“Helmet… game… cards…”

Xiao Xiao tumbled off the bed and lunged toward her old, battered laptop. Power on, connect to the internet, search.

When that familiar official site appeared on the screen — minimalist in design yet brimming with mystery — Xiao Xiao’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest. The countdown pulsed in vivid red: 71 hours, 59 minutes, 32 seconds.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she clicked into the reservation portal and filled in the address and contact information for her current rental apartment as fast as she could.

Submission successful! The confirmation email arrived almost instantly!

She clenched her fists tight, fingernails digging into her palms, using the pain to confirm the reality of her euphoria.

Two hours later, an unmarked silver metal case appeared at her apartment door like a ghost.

No delivery person. No shipping information.

Yet Xiao Xiao received it as though welcoming a sacred relic, carefully cradling it back inside.

She opened the case. A sleek, matte-black helmet lay quietly within, accompanied only by a card printed with simple illustrated instructions.

The next day, Xiao Xiao packed her things, left the city, and returned to the small mountain village of her hometown.

In a few years, the true apocalypse would descend. All technological products would collapse in an instant — skyscrapers would crumble, vehicles would stall, planes would fall from the sky. The now-bustling cities would become the places most depleted of resources and fiercest in competition.

In contrast, the sparsely populated countryside would be far less affected by the apocalypse and much safer!

June 23, 2026, evening.

At 7:15 PM, Xiao Xiao had already finished washing up. She changed into dry, comfortable athletic wear, turned off her phone, locked the door, and drew the curtains.

She sat cross-legged on the mattress and carefully put on the helmet. The straps automatically conformed to her head, and a faint coolness spread across her forehead.

At 7:19 PM, she began taking deep breaths, clearing her mind of all distractions until only one fierce intention remained: “Connect! Enter 《Apocalypse Descends》!”

7:20 PM sharp.

Inside the helmet, the cool sensation at the contact point on her forehead suddenly intensified. A faint dizziness washed over her, as though her very soul was being gently tugged.

The lengthy game terms and conditions flowed through her consciousness like fleeting reflections of light. She didn’t bother reading a single word, silently affirming in her mind: “Confirm!”

In an instant, the world spun!

When she opened her eyes again, the acrid smell of dust, the damp stench of mildew, and a deathly stillness unique to a world in decay struck her all at once.

Before her lay the remains of a toppled concrete wall, covered in cracks and moss.

The setting sun slanted in through a gap in the ruined wall, illuminating the fine particles of dust floating in the air.

Everything was exactly the same as what she had seen the first time she entered the game in her previous life.

She reached out a finger and gently touched the mottled wall.

“Puff—”

With the faintest of sounds, the small piece of concrete she had touched crumbled like a sandcastle weathered for a thousand years, instantly dissolving into a puff of fine, grayish-white powder that drifted softly downward.