Chapter 1: Cracked Link Chapter 1: Cracked Link [Breaking News: After a decade of development by the Lunar Eclipse Clan, the groundbreaking VR game Darklands has officially launched. Pre-orders are now open across all gaming platforms and the official website. The base game is priced at 128,888 credits…] … [Hardcore Gamers Chat Group (Online: 10 users)] Brokebutgaming (Admin): Bros, Darklands sold 1 million copies in ten minutes. What do you think? Paystoplay?: What’s there to think? I’ll just read about it in the news. I’d love to try it, but my wallet says otherwise. Zeroyuangamer: I’ve waited eight years for this game. When I saw the price, my heart officially died. That’s basically saying no to regular players. Unless my “get rich quick by marrying a rich woman” plan finally works out. Familyshareking: What’s worse is the game blocks live streaming and recording. We can’t even watch gameplay videos with our meals now. Total lockdown for us broke folks. Brokebutgaming (Admin): Grrr, I’m dying to play. Watching the early CG trailers got me hyped, but then they slapped me with 128,888 credits. If it were 28,888, I’d buy it even if I had to eat instant noodles for a year. … As the group groaned over Darklands’ absurd price tag, a sudden message caught their attention. Welfareofficer: If you really wanna play, I’ve got a cracked version. Works for online multiplayer. Brokebutgaming replies Welfareofficer: Dude, stop kidding. Cracked? Even buying legit requires queuing up. Lunar Eclipse only gave Human Federation a limited quota. No way a crack’s out today. Zeroyuangamer replies Welfareofficer: Don’t tell me this is Spongebob and Teletubbies in disguise. Also, who even are you? Never seen you in the group before. Welfareofficer: Link’s in the group. Just download and log in. Link: . Everyone saw the link, but no one clicked. Everyone instinctively assumed it was a scam—clicking might mean disaster. As the group hurled abuse at Welfareofficer and prepared to kick him out, one member stepped in. Gamebricklayer: Hold up, bros. Let me test it first. My bank balance is just 20 credits. Even if I’m scammed, the loss is minimal. They say poverty is the ultimate protection. The poorer you are, the less damage fraud can do. Wait for my update. Familyshareking replies Gamebricklayer: My boy, go forth and return swiftly. We’ll wait with bated breath. … Human Federation, Skywind City South District, Slums Narrow alleyways with moss-covered walls reeked of an indescribable stench—grease, mold, and unidentifiable trash. The buildings here were low and decrepit, mostly patched together with wood and rusted metal. On rainy days, the roofs would clatter like drums protesting the miserable living conditions. As night fell, a dim light flickered in a corner’s rundown shack. Peeking through the cracks revealed a cramped room no more than 30 square meters. Ssshhht! Li Zheng slurped the last of his instant noodles, chewed, and swallowed. He sighed in satisfaction, tossed the empty container into a trash bin beside his chair, and grabbed a tissue to wipe the oil from his lips. Glancing at the clock in his computer’s corner—still an hour till his scheduled stream. He stood, heading to the bathroom to freshen up. His reflection showed a lean 182cm frame, fair skin, and a clean black T-shirt. A short, tidy buzzcut gave him a sharp, almost handsome look. Yet as he stared, he couldn’t help but groan. His job? A “game bricklayer”—grinding in-game resources to sell to paying players. Occasionally, he’d go live for extra cash. But Darklands’ recent hype had drained his usual games of wealthy players, slashing his income. Worse than being broke? Watching your bank account die while you’re still alive. His phone buzzed—a payment confirmation. [Your ending-3584 savings account spent 329 credits on D-Rank Nutrient Solution. Balance: 21. Enable account protection? This feature safeguards your funds.] Protecting 21 credits with a 6-digit bank code? Pointless. Back at his desk, the download bar hit 95%. Three more minutes, and he’d test the game. The chat group still buzzed about Darklands. He gave the scam a 99.99% chance. Lunar Eclipse Clan’s Darklands used cutting-edge VR tech and ironclad anti-piracy systems. A same-day crack? Impossible. Even their 5-year-old Land of Sin remained uncracked. Still, he clicked anyway. If it was a scam, at least he’d waste only an hour on Grandpa Rescue, Let’s Go! Five minutes later, the download finished. Li Zheng extracted the files and transferred them to his Gaming Pod connected to the computer. He pressed “Game Compatibility.” Before diving in, he owed his audience an apology. He’d promised a stream at 8 PM, but this “fake game” would eat the time. With a sigh of apology, he opened the fan group and typed: “Sorry, urgent matter. Tonight’s 8 PM stream is canceled.” Before he could put his phone down, a reply popped up: “Who watches anyway? One hour’s not enough. Take a week off. Or a year.” A chorus of similar replies followed. Li Zheng: … His fans’ words stung. Just then, the Gaming Pod beside his desk lit up with a green “Compatibility Complete” light. “Sigh. Time to play Grandpa Rescue, Let’s Go! and calm myself.” Changing into his gaming suit, he approached the Pod, pressing the open button. The semi-transparent lid hissed open. He slid in, lying on his side. The lid closed. Nutrient fluid flowed from the pores, enveloping his body. Neural connection tubes automatically linked to his body. The world spun as the virtual interface materialized. Twelve games appeared on the screen. At the bottom: Darklands—its icon a beast engulfed in crimson flames. “Definitely fishy.” He’d seen Darklands’ official icon in the news—a jet-black sword. Nothing like this monster. “Damn scammer!” Muttering curses, he still tapped the icon. “Time to rescue Grandpa!” [New User Logon: Please be gentle.] [Registration Complete] (End of Chapter)