After AFK for five years, I returned to be number one in the entire server.

Early September, Ningchuan City.

More than two months after the college entrance examination, Su Nian was admitted to Ningchuan University with excellent results, as expected by everyone.

Lin also entered the same university as a player through a special admission program.

Ningchuan University is one of the best universities in the country, with a huge area. It takes fifteen minutes to walk from the main gate to the nearest teaching building.

On the high-speed train, the two sat next to each other. Su Nian was by the window, flipping through an original English book.

Lin also leaned against the aisle, eyes closed, occasionally taking out her phone to swipe the screen.

Across from me sat a mother and daughter; the mother was giving her daughter advice on things to be careful about after starting university.

Three hours later, the train arrived at the station.

The exit of Ningchuan Station was crowded with students and parents dragging suitcases, and welcoming volunteers holding signs with the names of various schools were interspersed among them.

Su Nian was pulling a 24-inch suitcase with one hand and carrying a bulging canvas bag in the other.

"Do you need any help?" Lin asked.

"Need not."

After walking about fifty meters, the canvas bag slipped off Su Nian's shoulder several times.

Lin also reached out and took the canvas bag, slung it over his shoulder, and said, "My mom told me to help you out more."

Long queues formed at the welcome point at the school gate, with booths from various departments lined up in order, displaying banners, balloons, and roll-up banners, creating a lively atmosphere like a market.

Lin applied for Public Administration, while Su Nian applied for Law. The booths of the two colleges were not far apart, separated only by the College of Foreign Languages.

After they finished all the formalities, Lin asked, "Where is your dorm?"

"Boys shouldn't be allowed in the dorms." Su Nian is used to being independent and doesn't want to rely too much on others.

"I'll just walk you to the door and then I'll leave." Lin Ye is usually a bit lazy, but he generally keeps his promises.

The two walked one after the other, with Su Nian leading the way. Along the way, they would encounter many other freshmen.

"Are you alone, junior? I'm a third-year computer science student, let me help you."

"Junior, it's a long walk to the girls' dormitory from here. You can't walk alone. Let your senior come."

"Damn, you guys were quick! Leave one for me!"

Aside from a few genuinely helpful seniors, there are quite a few who fawn over the naive and clueless juniors, hoping to take advantage of them later.

However, given Su Nian's personality, even if she came here to study at university alone, she wouldn't be as easy to approach as other girls.

If I weren't her relative, I probably wouldn't have been able to steal her canvas bag.

"Public administration, you chose that yourself?"

"My mom chose it."

"Don't you have any ideas of your own?"

"have."

"What?"

"Anything is fine."

Su Nian glanced at him but didn't ask any more questions.

The girls' dormitory, Guiyuan Building No. 7, the two quickly arrived downstairs, where girls and their parents were coming and going.

"Thank you." Su Nian took the canvas bag.

"You're welcome."

Lin also turned around and dragged his suitcase toward Songyuan.

He arrived at the boys' dormitory, found his room and settled in, and then received a message from the Queen Mother of the West.

People from the Ningchuan branch of Tian Shu were looking for him at the restaurant outside the school gate.

Lin also found the restaurant, where a few tables were scattered with people. One of the women on the inner side raised her hand to him.

The other person was around 25 years old, dressed in business attire, with a cup of coffee in front of him.

"Lin Ye?"

"Yes."

"Please sit down."

Lin also took a seat, and the other party handed him a business card: Qin Wei, External Liaison Specialist, Ningchuan Branch of Tian Shu.

Qin Wei glanced at him. She had seen the information in his file: he was from Linhai City, eighteen years old, and his rating from the Hengjian Institute was monthly.

The Linhai branch should have extended an invitation to him two months ago, but considering his preferred city and the need for stability observation, it has been delayed until now.

"You should be able to guess why I'm looking for you."

"Hiring?"

"Yes, but before we talk about that, there are a few things I'd like to tell you first. How much do you know about the player system?"

"I know a little bit, what you can find online."

Qin Wei nodded: "The Queen Mother of the West divides players into six levels, from lowest to highest: Dust, Firefly, Moon, Radiance, Star, and Abyss."

"The difference between Dust-level and Firefly-level individuals is not significant compared to ordinary people's lives; the main difference lies in their biomagnetic fields. Dust-level individuals only have a single layer of magnetic field close to their body, which an ordinary person could easily pierce with a knife if they applied enough force. Firefly-level individuals are stronger, possessing clearly defined supernatural abilities, but their individual potential is not high."

"The 'Moon Level' is a watershed moment. From here, the magnetic field coverage ranges from five to twenty meters, and the equivalent control limit is over ten tons. Rifle bullets will stop instantly upon entering the magnetic field range. If a Moon Level player gets serious, they can demolish a building."

"This kind of power is dangerous in society, so whenever we discover a player whose real identity has been exposed, we will send out an invitation. Of course, joining Tian Shu is voluntary, there are official positions, salaries, and benefits, and west Wangmu will match you with tasks based on your abilities."

"Since you've just come to Ningchuan for university, Tian Shu won't interfere with your studies. We also have many university students among our players, so the arrangements are very flexible."

Lin also asked, "Aren't there any restrictions?"

Qin Wei replied, "There are scheduling constraints, and emergencies require response. Every organization has constraints. You don't need to answer me now. Contact me through the Queen Mother of the West when you've figured it out."

After saying that, the other person left the restaurant.

Meanwhile, dozens of kilometers away, at the Tian Shu Ningchuan branch office building.

Inside the meeting room, the deputy director was on the phone.

"The Heavenly Rank, Canglu Branch, a seed member codenamed 'Bone Erosion,' is very young, at the Moon level, and entered Xia Shang three days ago. He is currently confirmed to be active in Ningchuan."

Tianjie is currently the world's largest unofficial player organization. It is not governed by any national government, has branches across five continents, and its members are extremely diverse, including retired soldiers, wanted criminals, former government players, and people whose backgrounds are completely unknown.

The Canglu branch is Tianjie's core stronghold in the East, covering the entire Pacific Rim region.

"What are the seed members of the Heavenly Rank doing in Ningchuan? Have you found out their purpose?" The deputy director frowned.

"Not yet. The Queen Mother of the West is tracking his entry records using forged identities, showing a strong counter-surveillance awareness. The Canglu side maintains a high level of secrecy regarding this person, and our intelligence is limited. We only know that he has been a key figure in the Heavenly Realm's resource investment and cultivation over the past year. The Heavenly Realm assesses the upper limit of abilities and growth curves, and those who are considered seeds by the Heavenly Realm have potential far exceeding their current level."

"Hopefully it's just him, and there's no one behind him. Speaking of young players, we have one in Ningchuan too..."

"Is the deputy director Pei Xiao? I think he's studying at Ningchuan University. He's 20 years old, which is quite young. His ability is 'Collapse Phenomenon,' and his overall score can reach the monthly level ceiling."

"You guys continue the search, and at the same time, let Pei Xiao know. Young people should be exposed to some challenges; they won't grow up if they stay in a greenhouse all the time."