To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

In the Dimensional eSports Youth Training Camp, Chen Liang was still savoring the last match.

At sixteen, Chen Liang was of average height with a slender face. He would often, without realizing, scratch from his left ear down his chin to his right ear, resembling a little monkey, which earned him the nickname Monkey.

And just like a monkey, he was mischievous; he would sometimes lose in the training camp’s matches not because he lacked skill, but because he would try new strategies on the fly without practicing them first.

I m here, I rise, and I get instantly killed, what’s up with that!”

Winning or losing didn’t matter, as long as there was joy!

Because of his unpredictable performance, he kept switching between different eSports titles.

However, because he truly had talent, the coaches turned a blind eye, only requiring him to decide on his future direction by the end of the year. After all, eSports is a young man’s game; if you don’t achieve anything before 20, you can pretty much forget about the future.

The average retirement age for an eSports player is 24, and their shelf-life is even shorter than that of young idols, yet they often put in more effort. While Chen Liang was lost in thought, a companion came over to look at his screen and said enviously, “You’ve won again, huh? You’re pretty good at ‘Quiet Cultivation’.”

“I didn’t manage to take out that fellow Sword Immortal, that’s a failure.” “…You’re playing in team cooperation mode!”

“Yeah, so? Is there a conflict between team cooperation and taking out a teammate?”

Looking at the puzzled Chen Liang, his companion thought there might be something wrong with the boy.

God really is fair, grantingyou outstanding talent but also a brain that’s a bit wayward and troublesome.

One reason Chen Liang chose to take out his teammates was to have more opportunities to fight against experts, and another reason was so he could watch the team’s replay videos to analyze the strengths and weaknesses from both his and the opponents’ perspectives.

His classmates began to head for lunch, while Chen Liang opened the video replaying his own moment of defeat over and over, becoming more engrossed with each viewing, even forgetting to eat.

After some time had passed, a coach who also happened to be the general manager of the base came by, and stood behind Chen Liang to watch the video. They had only started paying attention to ‘Quiet Cultivation’ five days ago, and after seeing the game graphics and trying their hands at the game, those who played it all thought it was bound to be a hit.

The game had rich special effects and a distinctive style, with finely crafted character models that varied from one another, allowing different players to find their place within the game, laying a foundation for its spread among the gaming community.

Moreover, the game had a high skill ceiling, with expert matches being particularly exciting and visually pleasing. Some of the special moves also had enough flair to be a talking point, assuring a big hit in the future, provided the developers didn’t mess it up.

Watching the video recorded by Chen Liang, the coach behind him began nodding frequently.

Chen Liang’s skills were constantly improving, but that wasn’t what struck the coach.

What he found remarkable was that Chen Liang, this Monkey, had finally settled down.

“Taming the heart’s monkey and restraining the mind’s horse,” his ideas had always been erratic, and combined with his high talent, he had quite the unruly temperament, which would sooner or later lead to trouble.

However, today’s defeat taught him that there’s always someone better; the operation that Sword Immortal performed at the last moment was like Bodhi Ancestor effortlessly capturing the monkey.

Having watched the video, the coach had to admit that the Sword Immortal on the other side was impressive.

Sword Immortal had many techniques, but they were all with little margin for error. One couldn’t dare to use the same move in real combat without practicing it thousands of times, as one slight mistake could mean death. The coach was familiar with the Sword Immortal’s move, which involved rapidly circling the mouse to concentrate the sword light into one point, not only drastically increasing the speed of the sword light but also endowing it with a strong ability to break formations.

But this move was difficult to execute. After moving the mouse, one had to quickly reset it. Chen Liang had only ever succeeded once or twice out of ten attempts, whereas Sword Immortal would ensure an 80% success rate before making a move.

The ease with which the opponent executed the move showed that their skill was far above Chen Liang’s.

Watching the video, Chen Liang grew more and more anxious. After hastily eating the roujiamo his classmate had brought him, he logged into the game and then controlled Sword Immortal to tirelessly search for Meditation Sword Immortal, but to no avail.

He played until midnight, and the coach behind him stayed with him until then.

When midnight struck, the test for “Quiet Cultivation” ended. The game could no longer be restarted, and no matter how many times he clicked, there was only one message: “The game’s test period has ended, please look forward to the official version.”

The more unobtainable it was, the more he wanted it.

Powerlessly staring at the message in front of him, Chen Liang’s desire to face off against Meditation Sword Immortal again grew stronger, and the frequency of his scratching his chin increased.

After that, all he wanted to do was play “Quiet Cultivation,” to control Sword Immortal, to constantly hone his skills, and to have another exhilarating duel with Meditation Sword Immortal.

Looking at the prompt on the screen, he scratched his head and ears for a long time before finally turning around and saying to the coach behind him, “Coach I want to fight Sword Immortal.”

“They’ve stopped the test, what can you play?”

“Then I’ll go out and work until the official version comes out and then return My heart has been stolen by ‘Quiet Cultivation,’ I may have no more joys and sorrows in this life.”

You watch ‘ChainsawMan’ too much, you’re getting obsessed.”

“So, coach, how can I keep playing this game? I’m willing to do anything!”

“…you’re serious, aren’t you?”

Realizing Chen Liang was truly immersed, the coach got playful.

He began to look up the game’s development team, then, using the name of the team, sought out their address, and pointing at the information on his phone said, “You’re in luck, they’re hiring for an executive planner, no age requirement, interns are welcome, and it just so happens to be in Rong City. If you really want to go play, why not go big and enter their studio directly?” Chen Liang’s eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, “Really? Is that legal?” “Just don’t spread any data privately, don’t tell us anything related to the game. After the fact, it’ll just be a pro player who wanted to become a planner, then got tired of it and quit to go back to professional gaming, nobody says that’s not allowed. After you go in, don’t mention your real purpose, just say you want to make games in the future and are here for an internship. It just so happens that you can get an early understanding of ‘Quiet Cultivation’s design philosophy, which will help with future competitions.”

Noticing that Monkey was indeed pondering, the coach patted Chen Liang’s shoulder and said, “Alright, I’m just kidding with you. The chances of success are too slim, just think about it. During this time, just play with meal replacements. I reckon the official version of this game will be out by the end of the year, so just keep your skills sharp with other games.”

Noticing that Monkey remained silent, the coach said earnestly, “You have talent, and it’s the highest I’ve ever seen. What you need to do is not to let yourself go but to solidify your fundamentals. Don’t think too much, go back to rest, watch some videos tomorrow, and continue training.”

“…The coach is right.”

Realizing that Monkey still hadn’t snapped out of it, the coach inwardly cursed.

He knew Monkey’s character.

Small stature, stubborn as a mule, not crying until he sees the coffin, not turning back even after hitting the south wall.

He really wanted to slap himself now: What was he thinking, saying all that nonsense and getting Monkey riled up again?

Escorting Monkey back to the dormitory himself, he specifically asked the roommate to keep an eye on Monkey, to prevent any mischief.

He even sat on a stool at the doorstep of the dormitory, yawning and battling mosquitoes all night, but in the morning, he still saw Monkey’s roommate rush out in a panic, nervously saying, “Not good, Monkey ran away!” “How did he run away!”

“He made a rope out of bedsheets and then escaped through the window.”

Rushing inside, the coach saw the bedsheets tied to the window indeed; Monkey had slid from the fourth floor down to the second and then jumped from the small balcony on the second floor down to the ground and ran away. Besides, Monkey had left him a note: “Coach, I’ve gone to apply for the job. I will be back before the end of the year.”

Looking at the note, what could the coach say.

He could only shake his head with a wry smile and say helplessly, “Monkey oh Monkey…”