Hijacking the Timeline

After finalizing his character name, the screen went black again, indicating a loading period.

The indicator lights on the virtual game pod flashed continuously, and the machine hummed with the sound of high-speed operation.

Having already established a neural connection with the pod, Feng Qi remained oblivious to the external activity.

Approximately two minutes later, a virtual options panel popped up before him:

Multiplayer Combat Mode (Ranked Matchmaking)

Multiplayer Combat Mode (Custom Rooms)

Domain Instance Mode - Solo Mode - Team Mode (Temporarily Unavailable)

Custom Instance Mode - Paid Download of Instance Map Library: 0 (Temporarily Unavailable)

Custom Instance Map Editor (23,215 Existing Map Assets, Temporarily Unavailable)

Simulation Training Room (Skill Release Training, Skill Combination Training)

Personal Space (Add Friends, Battle Records, Hall of Fame, Match Replays, Friend Communication, Clothing and Accessory Customization...)

Internal Testing Scenario 1 (Temporarily Unavailable)

Internal Testing Scenario 2 (Temporarily Unavailable)

Dawn was still in its testing phase, offering extremely limited content.

Meanwhile, Feng Qi also discovered that due to configuration issues with the virtual game pod, the game’s loading times were noticeably sluggish. Each transition required a prolonged wait, leaving the screen blank for an extended period.

These were clearly issues that needed to be addressed in future updates.

Without hesitation, he immediately clicked the ”Personal Space” option.

After a ten-second black screen delay, he found himself in a room, clad in a gray linen robe.

The room spanned approximately two hundred square meters and contained nothing but a ”Hall of Fame” display.

Approaching the wall labeled ”Add Friend,” he tapped the ”+” icon and selected ”Search Nearby Players.”

Soon, the original avatars and usernames of Lin Ran and the others appeared on the radar:

Lin Ran (Game Name: Deity-Tier Cultivation Technique)

Mu Qing (Game Name: Slurp)

Liu Yue (Game Name: Sword)

Xia Long (Game Name: Aowu Dragon)

Xia Hu (Game Name: Aowu Tiger)

Xia Bao (Game Name: Meowu Leopard)

Yan Yue (Game Name: Mountain-Lifting Might)

Jia Yi (Game Name: Half a Move Ahead of Heaven)

Yang Xiaoxin (Game Name: Cautious War God)

Cai Guo (Game Name: Life-Saving Veteran Physician)

Xu Hongyun (Game Name: Poverty Makes Me Stronger)

Huixu (Game Name: Kill Me and Your Mother Dies)

Each player’s personal information was linked to the Scarlet Database, requiring real-name authentication before logging in.

As a result, everyone’s real name appeared on the radar.

However, players could hide their real names in the settings, choosing to make them visible only to friends or completely hidden.

They could also block searches, preventing nearby players from finding them.

After adding Lin Ran and the others one by one and approving their friend requests, Feng Qi reopened his friend list and invited them all to his personal space.

Moments later, Liu Yue and the others materialized in his room.

Grinning at their shocked expressions, Feng Qi asked, ”What do you think?”

”Brother Qi, what’s going on with this game?” Lin Ran asked, his face full of astonishment.

”I brought Fang Zhiyou to Star City Academy some time ago specifically to develop this game. With the help of the Scarlet Research Institute, we’ve completed a preliminary version.”

”That was way too fast! I thought your virtual game project was just a hobby. Who would’ve thought you’d actually create it? This is insane!” Lin Ran exclaimed.

”It’s all thanks to the Scarlet Research Institute’s support. Without their help, I could never have created a game like this,” Feng Qi immediately attributed the game’s success to the institute.

”Brother Qi, how do you actually play this game? Tell us quickly!” Xu Hongyun exclaimed excitedly.

”The gameplay is quite simple. Players combine skills to engage in combat. Let’s start with a test in the simulation training space.”

”Wait here for a moment,” Feng Qi said before exiting his personal space and returning to the options menu.

He selected the simulation training space, and two options immediately popped up:

Combat Skill Training Room

Skill (Technique) Training Room

He clicked on the Skill Training Room option and waited for about ten seconds.

Moments later, he found himself in an environment resembling a Roman arena. Ahead of him stood wooden dummies for testing skill power, to his left was a minefield for assessing skill area of effect, and to his right was a ten-ring target for evaluating skill throwing accuracy.

He then opened his friend list and clicked ”Invite” for each name.

After a brief wait, Lin Ran and the others materialized in the training arena.

”Where are we now?” the monk asked curiously.

”Look at the upper right corner of your screen. There’s an avatar icon for each of you. Focus your attention slightly, and you can summon it. Try it out.”

Upon hearing these instructions, everyone immediately began experimenting.

A menu appeared before them, displaying a grid of square icons. A search bar occupied the top, while six empty slots marked with plus signs lined the bottom.

”Now, gently tap the icons with your fingers,” Feng Qi instructed.

Following his guidance, everyone reached out and pressed the icons.

Feng Qi tapped the icon for a three-fireball skill in his Skill Library.

Immediately, a skill information panel appeared before him:

Chain Fireball Technique: Concentrate mental energy to rapidly trace and combine three fireball technique spell trajectories. Upon formation, the fireballs strike the target in rapid succession, inflicting burn damage.

Skill Strength: ★★

Casting Speed: ★★★★

Range: ★

Casting Cost: 15 (Spiritual Energy)

Casting Difficulty: ★★

After closing the skill description panel, Feng Qi turned to Lin Ran and the others, who were staring in astonishment.

”All these skills are derived from real-world spell trajectories,” he explained. ”Use the search bar at the top to find techniques you’re familiar with. The six slots at the bottom are your Skill Equipment Slots. Simply drag and drop icons to equip skills.”

When Feng Qi revealed that all the skills were derived from real art magic, the group was stunned.

They had initially assumed this was merely a highly realistic game.

But after hearing his explanation, they quickly realized the deeper significance behind it.

”Simulating real art magic, plus a competitive mode... Brother Qi, are you trying to use this virtual combat game to address the shortcomings of real-world combat training?” Lin Ran asked.

Feng Qi nodded immediately. ”As expected of you, you grasped the core purpose of this game right away.”

”Damn, Brother Qi, how did you manage this? You’ve collected data on all these spell trajectories? I don’t know anything about programming, but even I know this must have been an immense undertaking.”

”I told you the Scarlet Research Institute is backing this game. They helped me handle it.”

After answering Lin Ran’s question, Feng Qi turned to the group and continued, ”Now, try familiarizing yourselves with skill combinations. The game doesn’t actually restrict you to using only six skills per ranked match. The six Skill Equipment Slots are mainly for beginners.”

”To elaborate, when you activate a skill from your Skill Equipment Slot, the game will provide Assisted Tracing for the spell trajectory. This serves as a training method to refine your control over the skill. However, you’ll still need to manually execute any throwing skills.”

”In a normal game, players can equip only six skills with Assisted Tracing per match. As for other skills you’ve fully mastered, you can freely use them in ranked matches. This is why the game has a ranked system, ensuring players of similar skill levels compete against each other.”

As they listened to the explanation, the group quickly grasped the core gameplay mechanics.

They then began exploring the skills, dragging spell skills they hadn’t mastered in reality into their Skill Equipment Slots to start training.

Feng Qi also dragged a skill with an iceberg icon into his equipment slot.

To activate a skill, one simply needed to mentally recite its name.

”Ice Technique,” he murmured.

As he chanted the incantation, he could clearly sense his mental energy draining. The spell trajectory automatically traced itself within his body, drawing upon the spiritual energy from the surrounding environment.

The sensation was akin to an invisible hand guiding his own as he wrote each stroke of a character, a truly wondrous experience.

During this process, he merely needed to focus and observe the unfolding spell.

The spell trajectory quickly completed its formation. The drawn spiritual energy coalesced into a pale blue mist, which then surged toward the scarecrow locked in his gaze.

Upon contact with the mist, the scarecrow instantly became coated in a layer of frost.

After approximately ten seconds, the frost dissipated.

A virtual projection box materialized above the scarecrow’s head, displaying the test results:

Scarecrow Feedback Results

Test Skill: Ice Technique

Skill Power: 49 points (Rating: Low)

Skill Self-Completion Rate: 3% (Rating: Extremely Low)

Skill Control Effect: Weak

Skill Flight Speed: Slow

Seeing the test results, Feng Qi’s anticipation for the game Dawn surged once again.

In the simulation training space, players could practice skills, and their proficiency in the game directly translated to real-world skill mastery.

This was because the spell trajectories in the game perfectly mirrored reality.

If a player mastered a skill in the game, they could flawlessly replicate the spell trajectory in the real world.

Moreover, the game’s Assisted Tracing feature functioned like the protagonist’s cheat in a novel.

Each cast was a learning opportunity, allowing players to develop reflexive, instinctive reactions to certain skills through prolonged practice.

Calling it a game was an understatement; it was more accurately described as an art magic learning simulator.

Dawn also featured a ranked match system that incentivized players to study art magic. Climbing the ranks required genuine effort and diligent practice; pay-to-win tactics were utterly futile.

Boosting services were impossible in this game.

All players were required to register with real-name verification, and their data was recorded in the Scarlet Database. This prevented account sharing and boosting by other players.

As for potential loopholes like carrying teammates, ranked match collusion, or other exploitative strategies...

He had discussed this with the Scarlet Research Institute’s top executives that very day.

Moving forward, Dawn would establish a dedicated department to review player reports and feedback, punishing any behavior that violated the game’s intended mechanics.

This would be the core strategy for maintaining a clean gaming environment.

Each player would have only one real-name verified account. Violations would result in suspensions, with severe offenses leading to permanent account bans.

Players would clearly understand the consequences, as their single account would be irreplaceable.

The envisioned Dawn game was designed to serve the advancement of Human Civilization and the enhancement of humanity’s collective strength.

Historically, after its explosive popularity, the game attracted even more people to become cultivators.

After testing a few art magics and experiencing the benefits of the Assisted Tracing feature, he turned to observe the others, who were still experimenting with different spells.

At that moment, Lin Ran approached him, his face filled with astonishment.

”Brother Qi, I just tried casting a spell using the Handseal Flow method, and it actually worked! How... how is that even possible?”

In response to Lin Ran’s question, Feng Qi smiled and explained, ”The game environment is a complete simulation of the real world. Any art magic you can use in reality can also be used in Dawn Game.”

”So, does that mean that even if an art magic isn’t in the Skill Library, as long as I know it, I can still cast it by tracing the spell trajectory?”

”Exactly. That’s how it works.”

Hearing this, Lin Ran’s eyes widened with shock. He could already imagine the massive sensation this game would cause upon its official release. The value behind it was simply immeasurable.

”Brother Qi, I bet your Human Outstanding Contribution Gold Medal will be awarded soon. You’ll be the brightest star of this era, and perhaps even a historical figure revered by Future People.”

”Maybe,” Feng Qi replied with a grin.

[Historical figure or historical villain—it all depends on your choices in each timeline. After all, you’ve been both. Perhaps in the next timeline, where you join Mu Qing to form the Dawn Army, you’ll become a nameless lackey under the Great Demon King of History...]

Feng Qi: ...

Ignoring the narrator’s snarky remarks, he turned to Lin Ran and asked, ”You tested several art magic spells just now. Did you notice any issues that need improvement?”

Lin Ran nodded immediately. ”The simulated environment is still just a simulation, so there are slight differences compared to casting spells in reality. But overall, there aren’t any major flaws. Training spellcasting here can definitely help cultivators improve their real-world spellcasting and proficiency.”

”Any specific suggestions for improvement?”

”None. This game is already perfect in my eyes. The only issue is the noticeable lag when loading new environments, which needs to be optimized as it significantly impacts the gaming experience. I’m really looking forward to the upcoming domain instance mode and custom instance mode.”

”Oh, right, Brother Qi, you know the internal details, right? Tell me more about how the future dungeons are going to work.”

Without hesitation, Feng Qi briefly explained the planned direction for future dungeon development.

Hearing Feng Qi’s vision, Lin Ran’s jaw dropped.

”This is insane... If your concept succeeds, domain combat teams will only need to simulate their strategies in the game to assess their chances of conquering a real-world Domain Field. They’ll know whether their battle group is up to the task.”

Hearing this, Feng Qi shook his head decisively.

”Don’t get your hopes up too high. Reality and the game are still different. The Simulated Domain Field dungeon can only give domain combat teams a rough idea of their chances of success and potential casualties when attacking a Domain Field. The simulation results aren’t a perfect representation of reality.”

”If they rely solely on the simulation results to attack a real Domain Field, they’ll pay the price. We’ll emphasize this point when we release the Simulated Domain Field feature.”

”Still, it’s a huge improvement. At least it will significantly reduce unnecessary casualties.”

After chatting with Lin Ran about the future development of Dawn, Feng Qi turned his gaze to the students, who were still enthusiastically switching between art magic techniques in the Combat Skill Training Room.

Next, he planned to organize a practical combat competition for the students.

With only five days left until the Rookie Tournament, it was time for the final sprint of training.

(End of the Chapter)

---------------------------------------------------------

Continue Reading () on CinderTL• ⓒⓞⓜ

Read Ahead to Ch495 • • No Login

---------------------------------------------------------