When the game shut down, I took my skills with me.

The Gaia plane has completely transformed into a world where everyone is a hardcore "grind master".

Since the administrator issued the first world quest, "contribution points" have become a hard currency, with their value even exceeding that of food and weapons.

The wilderness on the outskirts of the city, once a place that terrified survivors, is now more bustling than the vegetable market in the city center.

"Second team, attention! That armored rhinoceros still has 10% health left. Mage group, prepare to focus fire and prevent it from charging!"

"Logistics team, get back to work! Pick up all the materials that just dropped, especially that rhinoceros horn; it can be exchanged for 5 contribution points!"

"Heal! Give me some milk! I can hold on for another ten minutes!"

Countless spontaneously formed hunting teams engaged in fierce battles with native creatures in the wilderness.

With the blessing of the World Tree, the players' strength increased by leaps and bounds, and the death rate was reduced to an extremely low level. In just one day, the safe zone was expanded outward by a full five kilometers.

This speed of upgrades was unimaginable in the past.

Lu Yuan, the one who started all of this, was completely unaware of it.

……

Beach villa area.

Lu Yuan finally cleared the most difficult hidden dungeon in the game, stretched contentedly, and took off his headphones.

The fire on the barbecue grill had gone out, leaving only a mess.

"Fatty, pack up. I'm a little sleepy. I'm going back to my room for a nap." Lu Yuan yawned and prepared to go back inside.

"Alright, Brother Yuan!" Fatty Wang replied and began to quickly clean up the mess.

He hummed a little tune as he swept the skewers and used tissues into a large trash bag. Just as he was about to collect the Coke can that Lu Yuan had thrown into the trash can, his phone suddenly started vibrating like crazy.

It was a private message from the "Ark" forum, and it sent over 99 messages in an instant.

Fatty Wang clicked on it with a puzzled look, and his eyes widened instantly.

[Bro! Are you with the building manager? Want to sell that Coke can in the trash can next to you? I'll offer 100,000!]

[You think you can buy a miracle for 100,000? Get lost! Dude, I'll offer a million! Please, sell me that Coke can! I've been stuck at this bottleneck for three years!]

I'll trade all the rare materials in my guild's warehouse for that jar! Just let me touch it!

Looking at the frantic private messages, Fatty Wang glanced down at the unremarkable Coke can in the trash can, which even had some barbecue oil stains on it, and felt like his brain wasn't quite working properly.

This thing... isn't it just a piece of junk?

He tentatively replied to the highest bidder with a message: "Are you sure you want to buy this?"

The other party replied almost instantly: "Yes! Yes! Yes! Brother! I'll transfer the money to you directly! Please don't throw it away! This is a sacred object imbued with divine aura!"

Fatty Wang was completely dumbfounded. Holding his phone, he ran up to Lu Yuan, who was about to enter the room.

"Brother Yuan, Brother Yuan! Um... can we sell this junk?"

Lu Yuan was still feeling tired after playing the game, and without even lifting his eyelids, he waved his hand vaguely.

"You can dispose of the trash however you want, just leave me alone."

After saying that, he went into the villa and closed the door.

Having received the "instructions," Fatty Wang stood there, looking at the can of Coke in his hand, then at the astronomical price on his phone, and swallowed hard.

He seems to have... discovered an incredible path to wealth.

……

Meanwhile, on Earth.

The abandoned players have fallen into utter despair and madness.

The atmosphere at the Oracle Guild's temporary camp was so oppressive that it felt like it could explode at any moment.

Xiao Xue's eyes were bloodshot as she stared intently at the "Holy Forest" that emitted a soft light.

Just an hour ago, the last elite squad she sent out, while attempting to break the barrier with a corrosive magic circle, was repelled by a gentle force. All participants were instantly vaporized, leaving not even data fragments behind.

Mild, yet deadly.

This is more despairing than any violent attack.

"President... what should we do?" a trusted aide asked in a low voice, his voice filled with confusion.

Xiao Xue did not answer; she simply looked at her hands.

Having been a powerful figure in the business world and rapidly rising to prominence after the gaming industry's invasion, she has never felt so powerless.

The man didn't even show his face; he simply drew a line with his hand and cast them into hell.

"The script... my script..."

In a corner not far away, Ye Tian was still muttering to himself. He had lost a lot of weight, his eyes were unfocused, and he was completely ruined.

Jealousy is like a venomous snake, gnawing at the hearts of everyone left behind.

On what grounds?

Why are they allowed to breathe and level up, while we're stuck here waiting to die?

Just as everyone in the camp was infected by this feeling of despair, a deep and magnetic voice suddenly rang out behind Xiao Xue.

"The feeling of being abandoned by God must be terrible, right?"

Xiao Xue turned around abruptly, her pupils contracting instantly.

A man dressed in an elegant black tuxedo, with a handsome face that was almost sinister, appeared behind her at some point. He was clearly standing there, but the guards around him seemed completely oblivious to him, continuing their patrols in a daze.

"Who are you?" Xiao Xueqiang suppressed her shock and asked coldly.

"Me?" The man smiled elegantly and bowed in an ancient aristocratic gesture. "I am just a passionate businessman who specializes in providing another path to the top for those with potential who have been overlooked by the 'One God'."

He stretched out his hand, palm up, a deep purple flame dancing in his palm, exuding an alluring aura.

"What he can give you is a gift, a passive acceptance. What I can give you is a transaction, an active acquisition."

The man's voice seemed to possess a magical power, striking precisely at the most vulnerable spot in Xiao Xue's heart.

"Do you want power? Do you want that high and mighty administrator to even glance at you? Do you want... to reclaim everything you believe is rightfully yours?"

Xiao Xue stared intently at the wisp of purple flame, her breathing becoming rapid.

Reason told her that the man of unknown origin in front of her was extremely dangerous.

But the overwhelming resentment of being abandoned and ignored was like a hand, pushing her hard.

The man's smile deepened as he slowly said, "By signing this contract, you will gain the power to directly ascend to the throne of gods. And what I want is very simple..."

"When that caretaker discovered that flowers that didn't belong to him were blooming in his 'back garden,' I just wanted to see the expression on his face."