To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

Novelists, one of the many philosophers and scholars, traditionally recorded public opinion and reported it to their superiors, somewhat akin to a combination of a public opinion inspector and a journalist.

The meaning of novelist has changed nowadays, but Tang Mo still wanted to give this profession a try and see which path it would lead him down.

In “The Supreme One,” the game encompassed both its original and current meanings, even considering storytellers as a similar profession, which piqued Tang Mo’s curiosity even more.

Discovering that the top-ranked storyteller was nearby, he decided not to look for other schools of thought and turned towards a nearby restaurant, where he saw the system-recognized, number one storyteller.

The sight was truly stunning.

Although he was acclaimed as the number one storyteller, he was not pretentious at all. Those who came to listen could support the performance with money if they could afford it, or just with their presence if they couldn’t.

Despite wearing only a simple robe, his demeanor was extraordinary and approachable, making people feel fondness and affinity towards him.

Just by purchasing a pot of tea, one could sit in the restaurant for an hour. It was up to the listeners whether they wanted to tip or not; the storyteller did not rely on it for a living.

But when he spoke, Tang Mo was astounded.

His voice was moderate and calm, yet when it came to crucial moments, it fluctuated with emotion and emphasis. A simple matter was rendered passionately while unprecedented events were described with apparent ease, leaving listeners contemplative for a long time afterwards.

His voice, his expressions, the audience’s reactions… Every detail was expertly managed. Just listening for a while could lift one’s spirits immensely.

What was more astonishing was that this storyteller seemed to be an extraordinary being, and the audience around him appeared to find his presence quite normal.

With each segment, one could see the air around him stir, as the coloured sand by his side danced with the wind, conjuring images of clashing armors and romantic figures.

Then, as the coloured sand swirled, the beauty of the previous moment turned into bones in a grave. The words and the coloured sand echoed each other, multiplying the story’s emotional impact a hundredfold.

Tang Mo had thought that the NPCs here couldn’t be all that impressive, but with just one look, he realized how naïve he had been.

The man was truly First Under Heaven.

Even with limited experience, refined skills, passion for the craft, incomparable talent, and extraordinary power could still lead one to the pinnacle of their profession, making them the best in their field.

After listening to one segment, Tang Mo was deep in thought.

He used all his money to tip generously, respectfully gave a bow, and then exited.

Behind him, the number one storyteller looked curiously at Tang Mo’s retreating figure, then smiled softly and began the next chapter.

Players who entered the game thinking “This is going to be easy” were all taught a lesson on the first day.

The extraordinary world was indeed not that simple.

Some casual gamers soon decided to back off, finding contentment in living a carefree life, learning some extraordinary skills, and doing what they wanted.

Some players, however, were filled with a competitive spirit, yearning to become like the esteemed number one in various fields they admired and began to work hard to achieve it.

That very night, Tang Mo, who had forgotten to take a break, stepped out of the VR capsule, reflecting on how truly interesting the game was.

The game had so many engaging aspects, including the numerous landscapes he saw later, but his greatest realization was freedom.

With no main storyline, players could ignore everything, find a spot to retreat and farm if they desired.

They could actively explore various clues, attain extraordinary powers, and uncover the secrets of the world.

You can work hard, but no one dictates that you must because there’s no set way to play the game; moving forward according to one’s own thoughts suffices.

Following guides might make it easier, but not following them is alright too, just go with the flow and enjoy the freedom.

Without goals, there’s no failure; even if one road leads nowhere, everything learned along the way becomes skills and attributes, making success in other areas that much easier.

As the echoes of the emotions and freedom he gained in the game resonated, Tang Mo began to reflect on how long it had been since he last felt such liberty.

Life is much like this game; there may be various goals, but there is really no need to force oneself to pursue them.

Do I really need to compete for the title of ‘The Supreme One’ among novelists?

Do I truly need to dwell on so many things?

Recalling that ‘Supreme’ storyteller, how dashing he looked when telling stories, the gleam in his eyes showing his genuine love for storytelling, for creating his stories with Coloured Sand, and displaying them before an audience.

Passion, that is his greatest weapon.

Closing his eyes, Tang Mo felt an inner peace, all the entanglements and frustrations about writing seemed to vanish at that moment, leaving only his original love for words.

The experiences in the game had also provided some solace to his real life, seemingly easing the internal struggles he faced.

Standing by the window, Tang Mo took a deep breath and then returned to his computer to catch up on the content he hadn’t updated that day.

When Tang Mo left, Qiu Yu logged on.

The small game project team wasn’t busy, but he still habitually organized everything before preparing to enter the game.

He didn’t have a girlfriend and wasn’t that old, so sleeping at the company every day was no big deal, and there was no need to go home on weekends, which also saved on electricity bills and travel costs.

Moreover, playing games in the quiet company with a VR headset gave an enjoyable sense of immorality from not separating work from leisure.

Upon fully entering the game, he started considering everything around him from a planner’s perspective and soon found that everything perfectly lined up with his vision.

“This is exactly the flavor I was looking for!”

The day and night changes in the game mirrored reality, and it was now deep into the night, with the city’s curfew already in effect.

I had assumed the curfew was just for show since I’d never heard of a game that required players to stay put at home at night.

But no sooner had I started moving around than I was arrested.

The charge, of course, was for violating the curfew.

Even as he was locked up in the prison, Qiu Yu couldn’t believe that he had been arrested right after logging in, only to then see more and more players being thrown into jail around him.

A group of us stared at each other until someone went online to look up information and came back to say, “You can’t leave your house during curfew, but you can move around in places like inns. In the countryside, you can try playing mahjong, and in the wilderness, you can rob bandits or be robbed by them.”

“So what do we do now?” someone asked.

“Just squat in jail or start a rebellion, it’s one or the other.”

“Can we choose something else? No, we want the latter!”

Seeing that this group of players was up to no good, the prison guard immediately turned around and left to report, leaving behind a group of players whose spirits were rising.

They excitedly broke through the wooden jail door, prepared to rush out and take the county magistrate hostage for a revolt, only to find a thin man guarding the door, blocking the way out with his foot, while holding half a roasted chicken and a bowl of leftover wine in his hands.

The man looked like a sickly figure, with a bit of a rosy complexion from the alcohol, but still giving off the vibe of someone who was just recovering from a serious illness.

Nonetheless, upon the man’s sudden appearance, some felt that things weren’t looking good, so they tried to investigate his background, and then said, “That’s ‘First Under Heaven’ prison guard. The title comes with his description.”

“With a body looking as sickly as cured meat, how could he possibly be ‘First Under Heaven’ prison guard? Even if he is, if we all charge at once, he might not be able to fend us off… arg!”

The players here had just logged on and were utterly unaware of the significance of NPCs with titles like “First Under Heaven.”

One player had barely approached when the prison guard kicked him to the ground with one foot.

The guard then slowly put the wine aside, staggered forward, and in a blink of an eye, dislocated the troublemaker’s joints and neatly folded him up like a blanket.

Pleased with himself, the tipsy guard belched and said, “Don’t worry… burp… you won’t die. I won’t make it hard for you all, I’ll let you out during the daytime. So, could you do me a favor and go back to your cells?”

“Of course, big brother. You’ve worked hard, big brother; please rest early.”

With utmost respect, a line of us nodded, smiles on our faces as we returned and obediently squatted in our cells.

And just like that, Qiu Yu’s first day passed in a jail cell.