Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Sending Out Invitations

Humans are social animals.

Even more so in this unfamiliar and dangerous Trial Ground, where the exchange of information is especially precious.

If there were a platform that allowed people to communicate with each other, surely no one would mind paying a small price.

Yan Cang was quite confident about this.

As for how to build it... that wasn't a difficult problem for him now.

The judgment of Fate Interweaving was very simple.

For example, if two people had read the same novel or opened the same software, he could connect them through the former to the latter.

The only thing needed in between was the novel's author or the software's developer.

Based on this, it wasn't hard to see that there was indeed no difficulty.

"The era of global internet communication has long tightly bound human consciousness together."

Yan Cang murmured this to himself.

Then, he continued speaking to himself.

"By using the power of fate to connect everyone's consciousness, long-distance conversation is just the most basic function."

"I can completely build it into a forum for information exchange, and of course, a private messaging function is naturally essential."

"As for the energy consumed in this process, the users will have to bear it themselves."

"I hope the consumption isn't too high..."

Yan Cang tried to simulate the operation, and then discovered that the physical energy consumed was far lower than expected.

This gradually excited him.

"With such a great contribution from me, it wouldn't be too much to charge double the energy, right?"

"The extra energy source can just support me in using my Talent at a deeper level."

"By then, no matter what kind of strong opponent, a weakling like me could casually write a script and take them down with one punch."

"Heh..."

This surge of excitement came and went quickly.

Yan Cang soon calmed down.

After returning to rationality, he continued thinking and murmuring to himself.

"If I decide it this way, then half of that energy will be my profit. Making it a real-time consumption would be too tedious."

"So I need to set up a conversion system, meaning I need a universal currency."

"A unit of circulation anchored to physical strength, mental energy, and supernatural power."

"This... why not just call it Fate Points?"

"Tsk, that's actually interesting."

Yan Cang thought it was good, so he settled on it.

Next, he pondered the presentation of the interface.

Although, with the power of the Great Fate Art, as long as the other party was willing, extracting energy was as simple as a thought.

No additional ritual was needed.

But Yan Cang felt that being too casual would lack a certain flair.

It would be boring.

He also couldn't resist the urge to show off.

On a whim,

Yan Cang extended his right hand, making a gesture as if asking for something.

He planned to have people visualize this hand when they recharged Fate Points.

Of course, he couldn't just use it as is; he needed to add some special effects.

Yan Cang thought for a moment, "No need for much, just add a layer of radiance. When magnified, it will be very imposing."

"Not bad, this will do."

Yan Cang didn't dawdle.

"As for the platform's functional design, I'll just directly borrow from internet forums—posting, replying, and search engines, these things..."

...

With constant revisions and refinements, the envisioned communication platform gradually took shape.

Of course, there were bound to be many gaps.

But time in the early stages was precious, so he wouldn't waste it. If needed later, he could slowly update the version.

Yan Cang was ready to launch it directly.

Now, all that was left was a name.

"These are all called 'Nets,' and mine involves Fate."

After a brief thought, Yan Cang decided: "Then let's call it the 'Fate Net.'"

With the decision made, he immediately activated his Talent.

Along the connections he had with those he had interacted with, more and more Fate Trajectories gradually materialized.

Then, he extended outward from there.

Everything manifested within his consciousness.

Before his eyes was no longer the cramped wooden hut, but a vast, boundless sea of stars.

Each faint glimmer represented a Huaxia trial participant.

Some were close at hand, others far across a thousand kilometers.

He didn't rely on fate; he only locked onto the Faction identifier.

Anyone from Huaxia could be connected.

However, due to his limited physical strength, he could only materialize the Fate Trajectories of a few million people for now.

Compared to the entire Faction's population, this was naturally not much.

But this number was already nearly Yan Cang's limit.

His physical strength drained rapidly, and his mental energy was constantly overextended.

Headaches, dizziness, weakness...

All kinds of negative sensations surged wildly.

"I can only send out invitations first..."

Yan Cang took a deep breath and began formally linking his consciousness.

He sent a clear notification tone across the entire Consciousness Star Sea:

[You have received an access invitation from the "Fate Net." Do you agree?]

In an instant, he completed the invitations.

However, Yan Cang had somewhat underestimated the effort required for this action.

His remaining physical strength was draining at an alarming rate.

On top of that, he had to maintain this star sea, which displayed the Fate Trajectories of millions of people, from collapsing.

The consumption far exceeded expectations.

"That was rash..."

Just as his face turned pale and cold sweat broke out, as if he could barely hold on any longer—

The first batch of Fate Net users appeared.

This also meant that the first batch of Fate Points had been recharged.

Energy flowed back. Overjoyed, Yan Cang quickly converted it to replenish himself.

His depleted physical strength instantly recovered.

His mental strain was greatly alleviated.

Then, he used the remaining energy to sustain the consumption.

Relaxing, a smile spread across his face:

"It worked!"

The time he had gritted his teeth through was actually much shorter than he had imagined.

Just a few seconds after the invitations were sent, people began to arrive one after another, entering the [Fate Net].

But thinking about it, it made sense!

In the current unfamiliar situation, a communication platform was a lifeline, so naturally, they would seize it immediately.

Even if recharging required physical strength, most people chose to do it directly.

After the other party voluntarily paid, this portion of energy belonged to Yan Cang himself, and he could use it effortlessly.

The key point was precisely this effortlessness.

Understanding the crux, Yan Cang continued to light up more Fate Trajectories and sent out new batches of invitations.

This cycle repeated, over and over.

The faint lights in the Consciousness Star Sea grew more and more numerous.

Of course, he had not forgotten that this was a competition of civilizations, so the people he invited were limited to the Huaxia Faction.

At least, for now.