Endless Abyss: Online Game

The sunlight was feeble, unable to penetrate the easternmost corner of the Frostleaf Plains. That space lay in deep shadow, with gusts of chilling wind sweeping through from unseen places. The intermittent clatter of skeletons’ footsteps, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, stirred a primal fear within the heart.

Shen Ce gripped his wooden staff tightly. He cast a cold glance at the advancing horde of skeletons, a cryptic smile curving his lips. Raising his right hand, staff held aloft, he murmured, “Mercy of Light!”

With a crack, several milky beams shot forth, flung into the midst of the skeletal army. The foremost dozen towering skeletons were instantly reduced to a billowing cloud of black smoke. The rest, though not destroyed, slowed noticeably, their movements becoming sluggish.

Shen Ce did not relax despite the advantageous turn. A spell like “Mercy of Light” drained mana rapidly for someone at only level twenty-three. Though he could afford mana potions, he had no desire to squander his coin. Unlike most players who entered “Heaven’s Dominion” for amusement or those who would lavish fortunes on a game, Shen Ce played to earn a living.

For people like him, there was a name: professional gamer. Such professionals were not rare; since the invention of virtual reality technology twenty years ago, the number of players in full-immersion online games had grown exponentially, and those earning money through these games had increased alongside. Shen Ce was but a small wave in the tide of professional gamers, spending most of his days online—where a