Life as a Game

After hearing Lulu’s explanation, Ye Yousheng felt neither anger nor sadness.

He didn’t think being ordinary was a bad thing.

On the contrary, he believed true happiness lay within an ordinary life.

But… for him, that was nothing more than a distant luxury.

Because his normal life had already been destroyed long ago.

In his original world, he had no place to belong.

And even after arriving in this new world, he still had nowhere to call home.

Yet now—he had gained a sliver of hope.

A faint light that could change his fate and return him to a peaceful life had appeared before him, sudden and without warning.

The traveler who wins the Heaven-Mending War can have one wish granted…

In his original world, Ye Yousheng would have dismissed such nonsense.

But this was another world.

A world with magic—and even gods.

So perhaps granting wishes wasn’t so absurd here.

If he could truly gather all the sacred artifacts and defeat the other travelers…

Could he wish for his family to come back to life?

Could he reclaim everything he had lost?

Ye Yousheng lowered his head, lost in thought.

“I’m sorry… Grandma may sound harsh, but she’s really thinking about what’s best for you…”

Seeing him fall silent, Anqi couldn’t help but step forward and explain.

Ye Yousheng looked at the timid little girl and smiled.

“It’s okay, I understand.”

“But… is magic really that important?”

Anqi fidgeted with her clothes, hesitating for a moment before avoiding his gaze and answering—

“Mm… yes.”

“If you want to become an adventurer, magic is necessary.”

“Whether you want to be a warrior or a mage, you need magic to protect yourself…”

“If your body isn’t reinforced by magic, a human body is too fragile to withstand anything…”

“Grandma said that humans without magic are like… like not wearing clothes…”

After saying that, Anqi glanced at Ye Yousheng—and her face instantly turned red.

Magic was something nearly everyone on the Piaomiao Continent possessed.

It was also a requirement for becoming an adventurer.

Those with more magic could use stronger spells, gain better protection, and improve their combat and survival abilities.

Magic capacity was practically a measure of a person’s future.

Powerful adventurers always had astonishing amounts of magic.

This was common knowledge across the continent.

“Usually, travelers from another world like you have strong magic and great potential.”

“Plus the skills granted by the goddess… you’d be in high demand anywhere.”

“I heard there’s even a traveler serving as a royal court mage in the Kelu’en Kingdom.”

Ye Yousheng spread his palm and said calmly—

“I see… so I don’t have any magic…”

It sounded more like acceptance than a question.

He was already certain.

Because his body felt no different from before.

If he truly possessed a new power like magic, he would have noticed it immediately.

Anqi looked at him again, then said reluctantly—

“Yes… I can’t sense even the slightest bit of magic from you…”

“Um… it might sound a bit harsh, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen someone with absolutely no magic…”

“Even Uncle Wade the blacksmith next door has thirteen points of magic.”

“Grandma said he has the lowest magic she’s ever seen… but you…”

“I see.”

“So my magic is zero.”

“Wherever I go, I’ll just be someone people look down on.”

Zero magic.

Not low talent.

Not poor aptitude.

Just… nothing.

There was no way to even begin training.

A complete zero.

Starting over in another world?

His journey had already been ended before it even began.

Yet there was no trace of disappointment, frustration, or despair on Ye Yousheng’s face.

He casually played with the red potion bottle in his hand and asked in a relaxed tone—

“Anqi, do you know how magic is formed?”

His thinking was simple.

If he didn’t have it—then he’d find a way to obtain it.

To do that, he needed to understand its source.

“Magic?”

“It’s something you’re born with…”

“Wait…”

Anqi tilted her head, then frowned slightly before correcting herself—

“Right, the essence of magic is a kind of mental power.”

“It’s generated when stimulated by elemental forces…”

“That’s what Grandma taught me.”

“What are elements?”

At this moment, Ye Yousheng was like a newborn, curious about everything.

And so, a strange scene unfolded—a grown man in his twenties asking endless questions to a ten-year-old girl.

“Elements are just… elements!”

“The four elements—wind, water, fire, and earth!”

“Magic is using your magic power to control those elements!”

“If you coat your eyes with magic, you can even see them!”

Wind, water, fire, earth.

The four elements.

He had heard of similar theories in his original world.

But here—they were real.

He wanted to see them with his own eyes.

Unfortunately, he lacked the means.

“I suggest you stop dreaming.”

“You will never obtain magic.”

“Grandma!”

With a loud bang, the door burst open again.

Lulu stormed in, her face filled with anger.

Ye Yousheng knew she had been eavesdropping outside the door the entire time.

He just didn’t know why she chose this moment to enter.

“You otherworlders without magic usually gain it after arriving here.”

“The elements automatically enter your body and stimulate your mind.”

“But you’re different!”

“Your elemental affinity is negative!”

“The elements refuse to enter your body!”

“So in this lifetime, you will never obtain magic—never!”

Lulu pulled Anqi behind her and pointed her book at Ye Yousheng, scolding him—

“Honestly, you travelers are all the same!”

“You don’t value your lives at all!”

“Do you even know how close you were to dying before?”

“Now that you’ve survived, stop thinking about dangerous things!”

“Why not just live an ordinary life here?”

“Why insist on fighting and risking your life? It’s utterly foolish!”

“…Sorry.”

Seeing him apologize immediately, Lulu’s anger subsided slightly.

Still, she said stubbornly—

“…Fine.”

“Since you’ve recovered, get up and work.”

“If you want to stay here, prove your worth.”

“I’m not raising someone who just eats for free.”

“Grandma, isn’t that a bit harsh? He just recovered…”

Anqi tugged at Lulu’s sleeve softly.

“Hmph.”

“His HP is already full. What’s there to worry about?”

“We just happen to need labor anyway.”

“Let’s put him to good use.”

“He probably doesn’t even have a single coin on him.”

“And even if he tries to become an adventurer, who knows if the guild will even accept someone with zero magic!”

Such blunt, cutting words would have angered anyone.

Some might even lash out.

But Ye Yousheng simply nodded, thanked her, got out of bed—

Then crouched in front of Lulu with a smile.

“So, what do you need me to do?”

Caught off guard, Lulu stumbled back two steps, nearly falling.

Looking at his face so close to hers, her cheeks flushed red.

To cover it up, she shouted—

“Y-you! Go chop firewood behind the house!”

“Got it, Master.”

After standing up and casually patting both Lulu and Anqi on the head, he walked out of the room as if nothing had happened.

Three seconds later—

A furious shout erupted from inside the room.

“Don’t treat me like a child! I’m over three hundred years old!”

Sitting on a log, Ye Yousheng split firewood while thinking about everything.

He could tell Lulu intended to let him stay.

But he didn’t plan to remain here forever.

The Heaven-Mending War…

No matter what, he would participate.

Even if it meant dying along the way, he wouldn’t give up.

If he won and had his wish granted—that would be ideal.

But even if he failed…

Dying along the way wouldn’t be so bad.

At least he would have tried.

And besides…

He had long wanted to die.

Looking up at the enormous moon in the sky—smooth, glowing faintly red—

The same question resurfaced in his mind.

“…Is this really a game world?”

During his conversations, terms like HP, skills, magic, and elemental affinity kept appearing.

All of them felt like game mechanics.

So was this a game?

Or a world that functioned like one?

“Skills… right.”

“Lulu said the goddess gives travelers two skills…”

Because of his memory loss, Ye Yousheng didn’t know what abilities he had received.

If he knew, maybe there was a way to change his situation.

“If only there were something like a skill menu…”

And then—

As if responding to his thought—

A window appeared before him.

At the top, it read:

[Skill Menu]

He stared blankly at the two icons inside.

After a long pause, a faint, amused smile appeared on his lips.

“…I see.”

“So the problem isn’t the world.”

“It’s me.”

He came to that conclusion after reading the description of the first skill.

The icon depicted a human figure made of 1s and 0s.

Its name—

[Game Life (Passive) Lv MAX]

[Effect:
① Perceive reality as if it were a game
② Possess a game-like body in reality
③ Immune to mental status abnormalities
④ Maintain absolute rationality]

This was the talent granted to him by the goddess.

To turn reality into a game.

And thus—

Ye Yousheng’s “game life” in another world had officially begun.