Edge of Pure Land

 Chapter 1 On that day, the whole people reveled

 Lu Fuji got sick again.

His headache felt like it was about to split. It seemed as if thousands of steel needles were piercing into his nerves at the same time. His body seemed to be cracking and collapsing inch by inch. He took a deep breath to endure the pain and managed not to cry out, even though he was sweating profusely. , nails embedded in flesh.

 He subconsciously wanted to reach for the medicine, but then he remembered that he had been off the medicine for a week.

With a crash, the empty pill bottles piled on the table were knocked down with his wave of his hand and scattered everywhere.

The dormitory was silent. The closed windows trembled in the cold wind. Outside the window were the mottled building walls, the worn-out air conditioner still dripping water, and a bird's nest on the top of the dry old tree.

 It took him a long time to recover. He lay on the bed panting heavily, his eyes blank.

Hung on the wall is a yellowed calendar with eye-catching red circles drawn on it.

Today is January 17, 2046 in the solar calendar, Lu Fuji’s 3001st day of fighting cancer. After stopping the medicine, he has to endure the severe cancer pain every day. He doesn’t know how long he can hold on. , in theory, when his anti-cancer drugs are stopped, he will be close to death.

 “Brother Lu, let’s go.”

There was a knock on the door outside the dormitory. He Sai popped his head in to take a look and asked worriedly: "Is it really okay for you to stay alone at school? If it's not possible, why don't you stay at my house? My parents are divorced anyway. We can still do it." Let’s wait for the open beta of “Pure Land” together, haven’t you been waiting for a long time?”

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Lu Buer.

“There’s nothing wrong with the dormitory, just go back.”

For Lu Fuji, this is the only friend in the world who still cares about him, so he can't trouble others: "I will go to the Internet cafe to find you tomorrow. If you don't leave the dormitory, it will be closed."

José scratched his head and finally sighed:

 “Okay, see you tomorrow.”

 He waved his hand and turned to join the brothers at the end of the corridor.

 The playground outside the window was empty, and darkness was spreading in the night.

Now Lu Fuji is the only one left in the school. After the final exam is over, it is winter vacation. Everyone will leave school and go back to reunite with their families. No one wants to stay in this iron cage and go to jail.

In particular, the meteorological observatory warned that tonight there may be a severe storm that is rare in the past century. The distant skyline was shrouded in thick dark clouds. There was a faint flash of hot lightning, which seemed to tear a hole in the darkness, and there was a sound of thunder. Faintly rolling.

It's about to rain, and you can smell the strong earthy smell through the windows on the first floor. The strong wind stirs up the sand, dust and fallen leaves on the playground, threatening to swallow up the whole world.

Lu Fuji went back and closed the dormitory door, only to find some bags at the door, which contained a bunch of fast food and daily necessities. They were piled high.

 “This boy…”

 In fact, he doesn’t have much time left, and he doesn’t want his best friend to waste time or money on himself, a dying person, because it makes no sense.

 Fortunately, this should be the last time.

I went back to the bathroom and washed my hands. I saw myself in the mirror as pale as a paper man, with red and swollen pinholes all over the back of my right hand. It was shocking just to look at it.

The palms of his palms were scarred by nails, and there was a stinging sensation from being washed with cold water, but it was nothing to him who was used to cancer pain. He had long been numb to the pain.

  New-age treatment technology, coupled with a healthy diet and daily hard exercise, allowed his body to maintain good health, but it could not eliminate the pain caused by cancer.

 Fortunately, I am almost done.

 He will spend the last period of his life in the school dormitory.

 Because Lu Fuji no longer has a home, his parents passed away ten years ago, and he moved from the large flat floor to a rental house and a leaky attic, and finally to this small dormitory.

I still remember that when he was five years old, he was diagnosed with a shadow in his brain. He had obviously undergone surgery to remove the tumor, but he did not expect that the thing would grow back the next year, which stumped the chief doctor of the hospital. After comprehensive consideration, the risk of further surgery is too great, and only conservative treatment can be adopted.

 The price is to burn a lot of money.

Lu Fuji’s parents worked as chief researchers in a network technology company and could still afford the treatment. Unexpectedly, they both died in a car accident during a business trip.

 It all collapsed at once.

 In the end, Lu Buer was left alone, struggling alone to this day with inheritance and compensation, and was at the end of his rope.

 Some people say that there is only one disease in the world that is the most difficult to cure, and that is poverty.

　　That's quite right.

Lu Buer can no longer afford expensive anti-cancer drugs, and the cancer cells have spread long ago. Last month, a quack doctor recommended that he try the ancestral Fuhuishui, which almost made him laugh out loud.

It’s true that cancer cells can’t survive after drinking that thing, but the corpse also attracts flies.

 It can only be said that some diseases are life.

 So he accepted his fate and began to count down the days to his life.

 He is not afraid of death, he just doesn’t want to live like a zombie.

 Before the end of his life, he had one more thing that he had to do.

 “Brother Lu, don’t forget the open beta of “Pure Land”.”

Jose sent a message to remind him.

The time was 6:45 in the evening, and there were still 15 minutes left before the open beta of "Pure Land". The discussion among the classmates about that cross-generational online game was in full swing. They had already pre-ordered virtual helmets connected to neural networks and were already at home. Debugging started.

 Everyone seems to be living a good life, but they are far away from the life of Lu Buer.

 Lu Fuji lay on the bed, looking out the window in a daze.

In just half an hour, the bustling long street has become empty, the small shops on the street have closed down, and not even a single person can be seen in the usually noisy night market.

 The residential buildings in the alley turned on their lights one after another, and the tall buildings lit up in the darkness.

 It was like the dark world was lit up in an instant.

 The public beta press conference of "Pure Land" has begun.

  ·

  ·

 In the dark haze, Lu Fuji’s calm face was illuminated by the screen of his mobile phone.

"This is the punishment for transgression. They disturbed the tomb of the god, and the blood of the **** spread to the earth, and disasters came. Natural disasters, terrestrial disasters, strange ghosts... They buried the bones of the gods in the soil, and poured the sacred trees that reached the sky. This opens the door to heaven and opens the way to evolution.”

The person in charge of Aurora Technology appeared on the screen, his voice was like a torch lighting a mine, and a mysterious aura filled the air: "This is the origin of everything and the beginning of a new era. Every civilization will not undergo changes unless it undergoes changes." Unable to usher in rebirth.”

This live broadcast is being broadcast on screens all over the world, and the face of the person in charge of Aurora Technology appears on every TV set or on everyone’s mobile phone.

Lu Fuji watched the live broadcast silently. In the lonely dormitory building, he could hear the roaring and tsunami-like cheers coming from the community outside. The official live broadcast was even swallowed up by the overwhelming barrage.

　　It makes people's hormones burst.

 Because this is an expansion pack released during the public beta of "Pure Land", 2 billion people on the Internet watched it, and 195 countries paid great attention to it. It can be said that the whole people carnival.

 “Everything is because of that mysterious ancient tree.”

"According to legend, on July 17, 2046 in the solar calendar, an Arctic research ship from Aurora Technology broke through the ice and broke into a forbidden land that no one had set foot on for hundreds of millions of years. At the end of the world, they discovered a mysterious tree The ancient giant tree accidentally touched the truth of the universe! "

“About gods, about devils, about the origin of life and the existence of consciousness.”

"The ancient myths are not fabricated, but humans have always misunderstood their contents. They are not mythical stories, but the history recorded by the gods. Gods have always been there, but they are just hidden in the vast river of history. Today, we find Discover the legacy of God, unearth the remains of God, recreate the power of God, and open up a long path to God!”

“This is the beginning of a new era. Humanity has ushered in an unprecedented technological explosion. We use God’s legacy to establish a new order and use God’s gift to change the entire world!”

"No one knows whether this road leads to heaven or hell. When humans receive gifts from the sacred tree, they unintentionally violate terrible taboos. The natural environment undergoes drastic changes, extinct ancient creatures resurrect, and there is an extremely terrifying monster. Invaded our world..."

This is the cross-generational online game "Pure Land". It is the ultimate masterpiece released by Aurora Technology in ten years. It achieves perfect neurosensory simulation, creates a virtual world that can replace reality based on the concept of the metaverse, and makes full use of sleep time to provide players with An experience like sleepwalking into another world.

 Even abandoning the real world, reshaping life and changing destiny in the virtual space. Whether it is the redistribution of wealth or the re-realization of self-worth.

 It is no longer a luxury.

Not only that, this technology can also effectively treat human mental illness and is very helpful for brain development. In a sense, it is the key to evolution.

 This will trigger a nationwide carnival.

“Why does it sound like the background of this game is a bit like spiritual recovery? And... if the real world is not what you want, can you change your destiny in the virtual world?”

Lu Buer doesn’t think so. The reason why he pays attention to this conference is simply because Aurora Technology is the company where his parents worked during their lifetime.

Before his parents were involved in a car accident, he was the chief researcher of this cross-era technology, focusing on the transmission of nerve senses and the synchronization of the thinking field, and even explored part of the origin of consciousness.

 Although Aurora Technology was still a small company at that time.

 I never expected that one day I would be able to do this.

If there is anything Lu Fuji must do in his last moments, it is to witness the advent of this cross-era technology with his own eyes.

In fact, he had already played the test version of this game in his early years. Although the technology at that time was not very mature, the game experience was still acceptable. It basically gave a time-travel-like feeling, but the body-sensory synchronization was not done well.

The game is a second creation based on a real-life background. It tells the story of how one day humans unearthed an ancient prehistoric civilization, and huge changes swept the world. People suddenly mastered extraordinary powers, but they also had to fight against monsters born from the shadows. .

˜Probably similar to the concept of early "Earth OL".

 At that time, it took him seven days to complete the level.

 But he just walked out of Xinshou Village.

 The follow-up content was not done at all, and then it kept getting delayed.

 Until this year.

If my parents were still alive, they would probably be very happy to see this game come out.

It is a pity that Lu Buer does not have money to buy a virtual helmet and cannot participate in the public beta today. He can only wait until tomorrow to go to an Internet cafe and experience it on a temporary rental basis.

 It’s not that he is addicted to the Internet, he just wants to take a look inside and see what his parents have worked **** for half their lives.

It's a pity that even in Internet cafes, you may not be able to get the virtual helmet equipment. It is said that the process of Aurora Technology's external sales of virtual helmets this time is quite complicated. You need to complete a series of questionnaires and brain tests before you can buy it. Many people have money. Can't even buy it.

The live broadcast on the mobile phone was interrupted by a phone call. After the call was connected, a familiar voice with a broken gong sounded: "Little deer, right? Are you still in school? Oh my god, there is a courier for you here. Come and get it right away. It’s raining heavily, I have to go home quickly!”

That was the voice of Lao Li at the school gate. Lu Buer was stunned.

  He hasn’t shopped online for a long time, so he shouldn’t have his express delivery.

Lu Buer had no choice but to put on his clothes and go out in the strong wind. The cold wind in January made him shiver. The security booth at the school gate was about to be overturned. Lao Li, who was wearing a military coat, sealed it tightly. I gave him the express box, turned around, got on the electric donkey and left.

 The box is heavy and well sealed.

Lu Fuji was stunned. The shipper actually wrote the address of Aurora Technology.

 As for the recipient's address, it is really him.

strangeness.

He hurriedly ran back to the dormitory, gasped and opened the express box, and was obviously shocked.

 Because what was in the express box turned out to be the latest virtual helmet from Aurora Technology.

This thing is not cheap. Even for those who are qualified to buy it, it will cost about 10,000 yuan to buy a standard version. There used to be a large-scale free lottery, and you could get whoring for free as long as you took a questionnaire and a brain test. Unfortunately, he was not very lucky and didn't win.

This latest style has a starting price of more than 100,000 yuan, and it is priceless, so you have to grab it.

But if scalpers are mixed in, the price will double.

At first, He Sai wanted to use the lucky money he saved to buy one as a gift to him, but he scolded him.

 “Can’t it be bought by this guy He Sai?”

Lu Fuji felt suspicious in his heart, but when he thought about it, he felt something was wrong.

Even if that guy wants to buy it for him, he won’t buy the latest model.

 Unless he is willing to give up his waist.

"Sent to the wrong address? It shouldn't be. The address is clearly mine... Or does Aurora Technology actually remember the family members of its old employees?" Lu Buer opened the address book on his phone and found that his parents had a good relationship with a colleague back then. His surname is Su, and he used to take good care of him.

 It’s just that I don’t know where he has been these past few years, and there is no news from him again.

He dialed the phone with an attitude of trying, but unfortunately all he heard was a busy signal.

"really weird."

I don’t know who sent him the virtual helmet, but it’s not a bad thing.

 Lu Fuji was playing with the virtual helmet and did not feel any danger. After all, no one in this world would be willing to spend such a high cost to murder a dying person.

 The countdown to the open beta server is five minutes and 42 seconds away.

Lu Fuji put on the virtual helmet, plugged the wire into the socket on the bedside, adjusted it slightly so that the nerve hub fit his temples, and lay flat on the iron bed in the dormitory.

The buttons of the virtual helmet have their own network connection. The green light displayed above the head means that it has been connected to the Internet. Massive data is being downloaded. The whole process is very smooth.

“Please put on your helmet and activate the consciousness data connection.”

The city echoed with the excited shouts of the person in charge of Aurora Technology. Players all over the world held their breath, looking forward to that unknown world and that mysterious adventure.

 “Let’s count down to 321 to welcome that brave new world!”

In an instant, the lights in the entire city went out, and the world fell into darkness.

 The hands of the clock on the wall stopped abruptly.

 The time is fixed at 6:43:54 in the evening.

At this moment, the world seemed to fall into silence.

Politicians and celebrities from various countries, executives and employees of well-known companies, professors and students from century-old universities, researchers and researchers, soldiers serving in the army, ordinary office workers, children in orphanages, and otakus staying at home, Approximately 800 million people have put on virtual helmets and are silently waiting for the new world that is about to open.

 The world is shattered in Lu Fuji's eyes, and his consciousness is blurred.

What he didn't see was that the city had been shrouded in huge clouds, endless storms covered the sky and the earth, lightning and thunder penetrated the world, and the earth shook.

The shadow that penetrated the sky and the earth penetrated the sky and the earth, burning like a torch.

That is a...huge golden ancient tree.

“The tree of life system has been successfully launched, the soul matrix is ​​running, vital signs are freezing, body functions have begun to evolve, and are about to be sealed in a cocoon…”

 Hello everyone, I’m back! An independent story, I hope you like it.

 (End of this chapter)