The year 3121, outskirts of Titan City, Qingning Road, Linwood Community
"Is this really the game that's been in development for a thousand years, combining every top-notch technology out there?"
Inside the game Star Domain, Ethan Cole stared at the hyper-realistic surroundings.
In the distance, the forest stretched in lush waves of green, and the sky shone a deep, endless blue.
Even the fur on the wild creatures shimmered with unnerving realism.
The breeze brushed against his body, making everything feel terrifyingly alive.
Ethan scowled and muttered, "Ugh, what a garbage game. I've played hundreds of games, and I've never seen one this broken. A thousand years of development? Almost a year in public beta, and bugs like this still exist. With this tech, no wonder it took forever to make."
He clenched his fists and tried to control his character, launching a desperate attack at a nearby wild creature.
A glaring red number floated above its head. Zero. Bright enough to hurt his eyes.
Ding. You attacked the target. Damage dealt: 0 points. Unfortunately, you could not break through its defense.
Ding. System friendly reminder. Have you looked in the mirror today? Who gave you the confidence to stroll around being this weak? Did you equip your gear? Did you take your weapon? Did you allocate attribute points? Did you learn skills? No? Then hurry up and get lost.
Ethan's face turned red with fury.
He opened his personal attributes for the hundredth time, hoping maybe the game had fixed them automatically.
User: 0000000001
Name: Parasite
Level: 0
Race: Decoration (slightly ugly)
Aptitude: Z
Health Points: 0.001
Mana Points: 0.001
Physical Attack: 0.001
Magic Attack: 0.001
Defense: 0.001
Strength: 0.001
Intelligence: 0.001
Agility: 0.001
Constitution: 0.001
Experience Points: 0/5
Attack Speed: 10 seconds per attack, with an extra attack every 10,000 strikes
Racial Talent: Z
Talent One: Dependency Level 1. Must attach to a host to survive. When the host dies, automatically seeks the next nearby host.
Talent Two: Loyalty Level 1. A bug with good quality, 100 percent loyal to the host, never abandons or despises.
Evolution Points: 0/10
Talent Points: 0
Ethan threw his hands up. "Who the hell designed this character? Every stat is 0.001. I can't even move without feeling pathetic."
He glanced at the inventory. Empty. No beginner gear, no weapons, nothing.
Even stranger, the Parasite character was huge for its type. Almost twenty millimeters long, crawling atop a wild wolf. Ethan nearly gagged.
He had thought he was controlling the wolf at first. Only when he moved the Parasite did he realize the wolf was completely independent.
"So I'm literally riding a wolf as a parasite?" Ethan muttered. "This is insane."
The creature's fur bristled under his gaze. He stared, furious and incredulous. "And this thing has no hands, no feet, no equipment slots. Even if the game gave me gear, I couldn't use it. Brilliant design, truly."
Ethan had half a mind to report it to the developers for the billion-dollar bug reward. Only problem? No feedback channel existed. Not even a forum. The "Star Domain" website boasted fair equipment trading and real-world currency exchange, but there was absolutely nothing.
Ethan sighed and sank into the scenery, regretting the six months he spent repairing his VR helmet. Maybe the helmet was faulty, he thought, but he didn't want to risk testing it.
Suddenly, his perspective shook violently, almost tossing him from his chair.
"Hey! Could you at least warn me before charging forward?" Ethan shouted at the wolf.
Of course, the wolf ignored him completely.
At that moment, another wild wolf lunged from the trees, claws extended. The battle was sudden and brutal. Teeth sank into flesh, and the Parasite character barely escaped being crushed.
"What are you even fighting over?" Ethan shouted. "You are literally wild animals. Chill out!"
Within seconds, the second wolf was killed.
Ding.System. Your host has defeated the opponent. All attributes as a Parasite have increased to 0.002.
Ethan blinked. "Wait, did I just read that right?"
He checked his stats again. All 0.002. Not much, but it was technically an increase.
The system seemed to be rewarding the Parasite only when its host did the fighting. Innovative, maybe, but painfully slow.
Ethan targeted the wild wolf to check its attributes.
Name: Wild Wolf ★★★
Aptitude: D
Level: 2
Health Points: 7/25
Physical Attack: 5
Physical Defense: 1
Skill One: Bite Level 2. Each attack deals 150 percent of current damage. 3 percent chance to cause bleeding for 3 seconds, losing 2 percent of health per second. Cooldown 30 seconds.
Talent One: Self-Healing Level 1. After combat, recovers 1 health every 10 seconds until fully healed.
Description: A typical wild creature with D-level aptitude. Could become a leader in its pack if circumstances allow.
Ethan's jaw dropped. "This is insane. A wild wolf with stats a thousand times better than mine. And I have to ride this thing to get anywhere?"
The Parasite increased by 0.001 for every opponent the wolf defeated. Ethan calculated quickly. "A thousand kills to reach one full stat? Are you kidding me?"
He shook his head, staring at the wolf. "And I can't even control you. How is this supposed to be fun? How is this supposed to be a game?"
The wolf sniffed the air and darted off toward another pack of wild creatures. Ethan clung to the Parasite desperately. "Hey! Wait! Don't just run off! We need a strategy!"
A second wolf charged from behind. "Oh great, now what?" Ethan groaned. "I can't even fight back myself. You better not die, or this is going to be a long, miserable ride."
As the Parasite clung to the wolf, Ethan stared at the wilderness stretching endlessly before him. Every step the wolf took, he gained a fraction of strength. Every fight, a fraction of progress. The path ahead looked brutal, and he knew the road to survival in Star Domain had only just begun.