Chapter Three: Preparations Complete

The six of them each plugged their laptops into the network cables attached to their desks. Thanks to the fiber optic lines at Qingcheng University, downloading “Divine Ruin” took only a few minutes. After unanimous agreement, they appointed Ye Yu as their captain. With his precise theoretical planning, Ye Yu stood out even among the academic elites of Qingcheng University, all of whom excelled at calculations. Yet they understood the meaning behind the saying, “There’s always someone better, and always a higher sky.” Ye Yu’s theories about the game weren’t mere armchair speculation—they were backed by data and facts, manifesting in the game itself. Thus, everyone placed their trust in him as captain.

“Divine Ruin” featured two races: Humans and Demons, each with distinct career paths and growth systems. Even the main quests varied between them, but these differences posed no challenge to their fledgling team, as Ye Yu had already analyzed and organized all essential information for newcomers. Choosing a race was no obstacle for them.

Human professions included Medicine, Sorcery, Swordsmanship, Firearms, Puppetry, and Strings. Demon professions comprised Berserker, Witchcraft, Archery, Stealth, Command, and Combat. Dual-race professions were Literature and Flora. As the new era of “Divine Ruin” dawned, rumors circulated of an upcoming dual-race profession: Strategist—akin to the school of Zhuge Liang from the Three Kingdoms. Ye Yu was eagerly anticipating this addition.

Choosing a race determined their birthplace—Humans started in the human lands, Demons in the demon territories. While the choice of profession affected future attributes, those deficiencies could be compensated with level, equipment, skill, and teamwork. If their development progressed smoothly, Ye Yu and his team could surely stand atop the server, for this was a gathering place for novices. With thorough preparation, their actions would be swifter than anyone else’s, though it also meant they’d be noticed and targeted by rivals.

To ensure a strong start, Ye Yu planned a modest investment—three hundred yuan for a Divine Ruin membership. This was essential for gaining an edge in the new server. The other five had no objections and agreed to invest three hundred each; after all, it was “Divine Ruin,” worthy of their commitment.

“By the way, I’ve posted beginner guides for ‘Divine Ruin’ on several well-known gaming forums. Three of them promoted me to moderator for the newbie guide boards. They’ve granted me special privileges related to the game, as well as some Divine Ruin point vouchers. I’ve secured six activation codes—one for each of us.”

“Not bad, Third Brother. You really thought of everything,” someone said.

“Indeed, Third Brother is quite impressive.”

“I tell you all, back in high school Third Brother was known as the Machine. Now he’s really letting his nature shine.”

Ye Yu listened, a faint smile on his face, a trace of embarrassment showing. The nickname “Second Brother” was their way of addressing him, based on age—Ye Yu was third among them.

In order: Huang Hong, Luo Wei, Ye Yu, Tan Cong, Luo Feng, Qu Zheng.

With their preparations in the game nearly complete, they began organizing their real-world arrangements, for there were still ten days before the official start of classes—a welcome respite for them. Ye Yu even planned out their food and drink, astonishing the others. Whether in games or reality, Ye Yu managed everything meticulously. All five raised their right hands and gave him a thumbs up.

For drinks, they alternated between water and brewed tea for detoxification. Although Luo Feng and Qu Zheng usually smoked, they decided to abstain temporarily to maintain their footing in the crowded new server. As for food, Qingcheng University’s cafeteria offered delivery, and Ye Yu had compiled a list of all deliverable shops—he loved fitness and wouldn’t settle for instant noodles every day.

In addition, Ye Yu had long since prepared all daily necessities. Tomorrow at noon, the new server would open. To gain an early lead, they set alarms and ensured optimal sleep. Most freshmen at Qingcheng University had downloaded “Divine Ruin,” clearly for the new server. In this university of gaming prodigies, Ye Yu and his team had to stay sharp, which meant prioritizing sleep.

“Divine Ruin” allowed players to preview their characters in advance. After registering their accounts and basic information, the six logged into the game. A familiar phrase appeared in the game window, accompanied by the fourteen professions and flashes of blades and swords.

“Ten years of martial conquest, awaiting you in the misty pavilion. The new era of Divine Ruin arrives!”

Ye Yu perused the major gaming forums, focusing mainly on the official forum, browsing post after post and collecting tips for beginners. Character previewing wasn’t a concern for them, but to create pleasing avatars, the others searched online for face-sculpting templates. Ye Yu, on the other hand, made a quick selection. In about half an hour, he produced a model of a young man about six foot one, with fair skin, exquisite features, short black hair, and enigmatic golden eyes.

Anything unrelated to gameplay didn’t interest Ye Yu much; his only concern was the character’s physique. The advent of the new era brought a powerful team with a new physique customization feature. Veteran players could set their physique through a dedicated channel on the official website.

In “Divine Ruin,” physique ranged from 5 to 50, with the standard size between 20 and 30. This design greatly increased the game’s popularity, changing the dynamics significantly. Choosing a small physique gave superior stealth and was difficult to target, offering advantages in chaotic battles, making small builds quite popular. However, “Divine Ruin’s” strengthened development team had balanced this feature in the new era, so the advantage was no longer as pronounced.

Each increment of 2–5 in physique directly boosted attributes. The bonuses were 13 points fluctuating between strength and constitution, while dodge and agility dropped by 1–15, not including equipped bonuses—only the base stats. Thus, a max physique of 50 brought an increase of 810 in strength and constitution, but a fixed reduction of 5 in dodge and agility—a significant drawback, as the hitbox increased.

Conversely, a physique lowered by 5 granted a fixed increase of 15 to dodge and agility, and the system reduced the hitbox accordingly. Human base stats rose by a floating value of 36, since demon professions gained a slight advantage later, so “Divine Ruin” specifically boosted human base attributes.

Ye Yu chose the human race; as for profession, he was torn between Strings and Sword. The others soon finished their character previews and physique settings.

“Hey, as a human, of course I’m picking the human race! With my handsome looks, I’d be the most attractive in the demon lands,” Luo Feng said, stretching and smiling as he tapped the keyboard.

“Right, right, in your eyes, no one’s more handsome than you,” Huang Hong said, clapping three times.

“All preparations are complete. Let’s set our schedules and wait for tomorrow at noon, when the new server for Divine Ruin opens,” Ye Yu said, spinning his chair to face the five.

“Agreed, Third Brother. With your beginner’s guide, I compared it with the official new player page—it’s much clearer. I prefer your version; it tells us exactly what to do when we enter the game,” Tan Cong said, giving Ye Yu another thumbs up.

“Indeed, tomorrow we’ll rely on you, Third Brother.”

“Yeah, tomorrow’s captain is yours.”

Ye Yu made a hand gesture in response and said, “Keep your thirty thousand Divine Ruin points—just in case a special pack is released. It’ll make purchases easier. With a one-time recharge of three hundred, we get thirty thousand points and become members. Let’s hold onto the points for now.”

“Alright.”

With that, everyone completed their registrations and waited for the server to open at noon the next day.

Huang Hong: Human, profession Guns, in-game name: Xin Ai.
Luo Wei: Human, profession Puppetry, in-game name: Yixiu Dada.
Ye Yu: Human, profession Strings, in-game name: Cool Night.
Tan Cong: Demon, profession Witchcraft, in-game name: Clever Clever Clever Clever Brother.
Luo Feng: Human, profession Medicine, in-game name: Dark Night.
Qu Zheng: Demon, profession Stealth, in-game name: Qu Xiao Zheng Dang-a-Dang.