The morning sky hadn't yet brightened.
But dozens—then hundreds—of users had already woken up with only one thought:
"I need 100 SNC."
The National Martial Arts (Beginner) listing sat quietly in their SoulNet interface, its glowing lock a promise, a temptation, a seed of obsession.
What was once a mysterious curiosity had now revealed its hook.Skills weren't just rewards—they could be bought.Power had a price.
And now… value had taken root.
In a damp, dim apartment on the east side of Riverport City, Chen Mu flipped his bedsheet off and stumbled to his terminal.
He hadn't even brushed his teeth.
His eyes—still bleary from sleep—locked onto the interface.
[SoulNet Balance: 15 SNC]
Just one more than yesterday. The MagicNet Sign-In reward had given him +1.
He gritted his teeth.
"At this rate, I'll need… 85 more days."
Too long.
Way too long.
There had to be another way.
He tapped open the help section, then the forums—recently added as a basic function in the latest SoulNet update.
[SoulForum: Ideas and Discoveries][⚡] "How I Got +5 in One Day!" – New[🛠] "Theory: Are There Hidden Tasks?" – Trending[👣] "Found something weird near the mall ruins…" – Downvoted
A buzzing hive of speculation. Hundreds of posts had appeared overnight.Most were nonsense. But a few made Chen Mu's eyes gleam.
Meanwhile, Wen Jiayi stood by the window of her run-down rental apartment, the curtains half-drawn.
Her hands held the warm ceramic mug of barley tea… but her eyes were locked on the notification again.
"A martial skill…" she murmured.
Her body still ached from years of standing long shifts at clinics and emergency wards.But with the Primary Shockwave Technique, her hands had stopped trembling. Her breathing had improved.
And now, a second technique promised more.
She knew she wouldn't make it to 100 SNC fast.
So she turned to the forums.
"Can we… share?"
That question had already been asked.The answer?
No. All SoulNet skills are bound to individual soul signatures. Sharing is impossible.
Her breath fogged the window as she whispered, "Then I'll earn it."
In a school cafeteria-turned-shelter, a girl with greasy hair and sharp eyes scanned her SoulNet panel with a cold smirk.
Luo Ruan. Age: 18. Survivalist.
Unlike the others, she hadn't practiced the gifted technique yet.
She was waiting.
Watching.
And now that she'd seen the shop…
"Ah. It's a game.""They gave us a free taste. Now they want us to hustle."
She tapped the button to open her Sign-In Panel, then slammed her palm flat on the ground in front of her.
She meditated for ten minutes. Not to earn power—but to earn clarity.
"There's always a system to break."
Then she opened the forums.
"Let's see how far people are willing to go for strength."
Back inside the abandoned simulation lab, Su Yuan leaned forward slowly.
On his system screen, a beautiful new statistic began to form:
[SoulNet Analytics Panel]
Users who checked the skill listing today: 91.3%
Users practicing daily: 58.4%
Currency Frenzy Risk Index: 73% (High)
Average Daily SNC Output: 3.1
Projected Revenue (next 30 days): 4800 SNC
Active Forum Threads: 320+
It was a frenzy without chaos… yet.
He sipped cold tea and watched, letting SoulNet bloom like a secret virus through the city's spiritual layer.
"I haven't even enabled tech uploads yet," he murmured."Let's see how far they go… without knowing what comes next."
In the forums, a heated post began gathering traction:
[ "Theory: Martial Skill Unlocks Chi Perception? Hidden Tier Unlock?"→ 134 comments→ 19 reposts→ 42 upvotes]
"If this is just F+, what comes next? Do skills evolve? Is there a cultivation system coming?"
Another user posted:
[ "Why is SoulNet here?! Who created it?! Are we in a simulation?!"]
Downvoted to oblivion.
No one cared where SoulNet came from anymore.
They only cared about what it could give.
And all the while, in the depths of the system core…
Su Yuan's borrowed power ticked upward.
[Soul Power Pool: 34.1 Units Available][Feedback from Martial Skill Practice: +1.22 Units][Currency Loop Active: Stable]
He wasn't just linking mankind.
He was feeding on their desire… and growing stronger in silence.
And the next step?
Unlocking a way for users to upload knowledge, skills, and technology in exchange for currency.The floodgates of creativity and ambition… were about to open.