PGVCW 4

 

Playing God in Various Catastrophic Worlds Chapter 4

By

siofra

Chapter 4: The Path of Immortality

Back in her past life, Xia Wang’an had mastered the supreme art of reading web novels right in the middle of class.

With the chilling threat of mental pollution looming constantly overhead, the people of Great Xia placed immense value on both personal and collective spiritual well-being. While academics were undeniably crucial, recreation was considered equally indispensable.

As the eternal top-ranked student of her grade, Xia Wang’an was the kind of industrious overachiever who constantly made her teachers worry: [She studies all the time without finding any other hobbies; I’m so worried about her mental state!]

Compared to her peers, who racked their brains trying every possible trick to have fun and went about grinning foolishly, Xia Wang’an remained largely indifferent to everything, as if she were congenitally missing the entertainment wire in her brain. Put her in a television drama, and she would undoubtedly look like the ultimate dark boss whose mental pollution value would max out in adulthood.

Faced with the numerous invitations from teachers throughout her school years—such as “Come play shuttlecock with us,” “Let’s go watch a movie together,” or “Come play this video game, I’ve been playing it for a year and it’s so much fun”—the dedicated student remained entirely unimpressed.

“Not interested in playing.”

“Not interested in watching.”

“Teacher, why can’t you beat anyone even after playing for a whole year?”

The teachers: “……”

That was until her sophomore year. During morning self-study, her head teacher, clutching a copy of Dragon-Ruler’s Left Foot Steps on Right Foot Right Foot Steps on Left Foot Spiral Propeller Ascent to Heaven, happened to stroll past Xia Wang’an, who was deep in immersive study.

With practiced agility, the teacher swiped the textbook right out of Xia Wang’an’s hands and smoothly replaced it with the web novel.

“Here, read this for a bit.”

Xia Wang’an looked doubtfully at the vibrantly gaudy cover of the book: “I need to study…”

“It’s fine to study a little less,” the head teacher said with a beaming smile. “Reading novels is a form of studying, too. Go ahead and read with peace of mind; I’ve already spoken with the other teachers. From now on, you have permission to read novels during any major subject class.”

Her seatmate—a notorious underachieving student currently putting on a desperate act of “I am studying very hard”—was left speechless: “……”

Green with envy, the underachiever eagerly raised his hand: “Teacher, teacher! I also want to study through reading novels! I don’t need your book, I brought my own!”

The head teacher, who had just been so warm and amiable toward Xia Wang’an, turned to him with a chilly smile.

“Oh~ So the reason your grades have dropped so drastically lately is because you’ve been sneaking novels during class.”

The underachieving classmate: “……”

And just like that, the poor student was dragged to the back of the classroom to stand as punishment for an entire period.

While he was enduring his punishment, Xia Wang’an sat quietly at her desk, engrossed in the novel. By the time he returned, she was still reading. Seeing that she genuinely enjoyed novels, the underachiever muttered under his breath, “Turns out top students like novels too,” while feeling a sudden, comforting surge of comradeship: [We share the same hobbies!]

Giving a dry cough, he offered some worldly-wise advice: “Read up, read up. High school is about the only time you’ll ever get to read freely.”

Xia Wang’an looked at him in confusion: “Why?”

“Because your grades are good, so the teachers protect you and let you read in class.”

“Once you get a job later on, there’s no way any boss is going to let you read novels during work hours.”

Speaking with the utmost conviction based on sheer imagination, the underachiever even patted Xia Wang’an on the shoulder: “So yeah, read all you can while you still can.”

Returning to the present—

Xia Wang’an, who was currently executing the [Salvation] plan and could thus be considered gainfully employed, watched as several recorders carried stack after stack of physical books into her room, neatly arranging them on a newly materialized bookshelf.

“We weren’t sure whether you preferred physical books or digital web novels, so we prepared both,” the recorder she had met earlier said with a warm smile. “We’ve topped up your reading account with 100,000 points, so please read at your leisure. If it’s not enough, just let me know and we’ll refill it.”

To put Great Xia’s economic scale into perspective: An entire novel could typically be purchased in full for just 10 points. 100,000 points meant Xia Wang’an could buy 10,000 books in one go.

Checking her novel account balance, Xia Wang’an felt as though it was literally radiating golden light.

“So this is what having a job is like.”

Gazing at the six-figure balance in her account, the black-haired girl decided that the advice her underachieving seatmate had shared back then was wildly inaccurate. However, considering that the boy had never held a real job in his life and naturally had no clue what proper employment looked like, she decided his logic checked out anyway.

[I promised you earlier—once we came home, you could read as many novels as you want,] Xia Wang’an proudly told 007. [Look! We can read all of these!]

Her tone carried the triumphant swagger of an emperor surveying their newly conquered realm.

007 chimed in with enthusiastic applause: [Oh my god! So many! The host’s home is truly as amazing as the host described!]

Delighted, Xia Wang’an’s invisible tail would have been wagging straight up into the air had she possessed one.

[Come on, let’s read together.]

With a generous flick of her wrist, she split off a secondary projection screen.

Human and system blissfully nestled together to read novels.

The recorder offered a thoughtful reminder: “If you come across novels you really like, feel free to leave tips [donations]. Whenever you run out of points, we’ll top it right back up.”

“Tips…”

As an orphan, sixteen-year-old Xia Wang’an hadn’t been destitute, but she certainly wasn’t wealthy either. Tipping authors was an alien concept she had never encountered.

Faced with this entirely uncharted territory, Xia Wang’an approached the matter with the utmost solemnity. She first navigated to the website’s operation guide, carefully read through every single term and condition, and then returned to the bookshelf with a gravity-laden expression. With wide, crystal-clear eyes, she deliberated for a full three minutes.

Ultimately, with profound caution, she tipped a single novel a grand total of 1 point.

Instantly, within the Xianxia web novel titled Unflustered Immortal Ascension, a gorgeous AI avatar dressed in lavish robes and wearing a jade crown popped out on the screen.

Riding atop a glowing flying sword amidst dazzling visual effects, the sprite made a theatrical thud and slid smoothly across the virtual screen in a full prostration pose.

“Many thanks to the almighty Big Boss for the generous tip! This humble one kowtows to the Boss!”

The recorder watching from the side: “……”

Talk about staying unflustered.

Xia Wang’an’s eyes widened fractionally, growing rounder by the second.

Hesitating for a moment, the black-haired girl tapped the tip button again, this time sending 10 points.

The digital sprite materialized once more, sliding forward with lightning speed to hammer out ten frantic, thunderous kowtows.

“Many thanks to the almighty Big Boss for the generous tip! This humble one kowtows to the Boss!”

Blinking, Xia Wang’an tapped the adjacent option for 50 points.

“Many thanks to the almighty Big Boss…”

Her eyes sparkling, she tapped 80 points.

“Many thanks to the almighty Big Boss…”

Straightening her back with an air of absolute majesty, Xia Wang’an pressed the maximum tipping option: 100 points.

“……This humble one kowtows to the Boss!”

Noticing she was having a blast, the recorder quickly signaled the team outside to inject another massive point refill into Xia Wang’an’s account to ensure she wouldn’t run out mid-spree.

As soon as Xia Wang’an paused her barrage, he stepped forward to strike up a conversation: “Ah, so you enjoy tipping authors.”

Still thoroughly enchanted, Xia Wang’an replied, “So this is what tipping feels like.”

No wonder her underachieving deskmate always sneaked his pocket money into live-streaming apps to send gifts—it really was quite joyful.

“If other worlds had tipping functions too, that would be so convenient.”

Just as the recorder opened his mouth to say, “If you like it, we can implement a tipping system in the other worlds too,” he heard the black-haired girl cheerfully muse:

“That way, I wouldn’t have to go through the exhausting trouble of breaking their legs just to make them kneel.”

The recorder: “……”

He genuinely had no idea how to respond to that statement.

Just what kind of terrifying, tyrannical overlord were you acting like in those alternate worlds?!

Fortunately, Xia Wang’an didn’t require an answer. Though slightly nostalgic, those days were firmly in the past. Xia Wang’an’s gaze was always set forward.

Case in point: she had already lost interest in the little sprite she had just showered with a thousand points and had moved on to tipping other literary works. For a solid afternoon, the room echoed continuously with synthetic cries of “Many thanks to the almighty Big Boss” and “This humble one kowtows to the Boss”.

That single afternoon gave the state ample time to monitor her reading preferences while keeping her account perpetually flush with funds.

“Xianxia.”

Xia Wang’an’s tipping logs from the afternoon were projected onto the main conference screen. Among all genres, Xianxia web novels completely surpassed every other category by a landslide margin in terms of tip frequency.

“Although classmate Xia Wang’an claims she enjoys all these novels equally, our data analytics show that among her bookmarks, retention and completion rates for Xianxia works are overwhelmingly the highest.”

To the vast majority of Great Xia citizens, the concept of Xianxia was hardly unfamiliar. Countless immortal-hero dramas had aired during peacetime, and after the cataclysm struck and the state heavily subsidized entertainment industries, Xianxia novels rapidly conquered half of the literary landscape.

After all, cultivators possessed the Daoist practice of Bigu—complete abstinence from mortal food, allowing them to subsist entirely on spiritual energy. For a population constantly plagued by starvation, this characteristic carried an irresistible allure. No hunger, no need for scarce water supplies to bathe yet remaining immaculately clean, possessing overwhelming martial might, boundless room for spiritual ascension, and a self-contained, logical cosmic framework.

Most importantly, unlike the magical realms she had previously visited—where dormant legends of magic already existed in public lore, providing a spark for her to ignite—Great Xia citizens had all harbored secret, chuunibyou dreams of cultivating immortality since youth.

While the high-level officials were still engaged in heated debates, the Chief’s optical device chimed. Opening the encrypted message, she exhaled a heavy breath of profound relief.

“Everyone.”

“Just moments ago, a massive mutant horde breached the Western China border. They were successfully intercepted outside the perimeter by [Taibai], and reinforcements have already arrived. Combat is projected to conclude by three o’clock tonight.”

The leaders, who had unconsciously held their breath at the mention of a mutant invasion, collectively relaxed.

“The prophecy came true.”

“It’s currently 7:00 PM. Thank goodness for this warning; otherwise, had the mutants struck without notice at this time of night when everyone was asleep at home……”

The [Salvation] plan was already underway, and Xia Wang’an’s prophecy had been verified. That being the case, hesitation was no longer an option.

Having finished her evening washing up and propped up against her headboard with a volume of past exam questions for light pre-sleep reading, Xia Wang’an received an official inquiry from the state.

“Set up a Xianxia world?”

Xia Wang’an blinked in surprise, her eyes lighting up with intense interest.

“Yes. Your physical constitution is still that of an ordinary mortal, and initially, you will have to shuttle into alternate worlds entirely on your own. Don’t you think trying to pose as an exalted immortal might be a bit too difficult?”

Observing the black-haired girl across from him—who looked remarkably excited instead of terrified—the recorder couldn’t suppress a trace of deep anxiety in his gaze.

Growing increasingly worried, he offered reassurance: “If you’re not comfortable with this setting, it’s completely fine. The state will always defer to your final decision.”

“I want this setting,” Xia Wang’an said, her eyes shining brightly. “Cultivating immortality! How easy is that to roleplay.”

“Wait, really? I thought it would be exceptionally difficult… Ah??”

“Classmate Wang’an, you need to think carefully. Didn’t you mention before that when you first enter a catastrophic world, apart from the clothes on your back, all other items are blocked by the world barrier?”

She couldn’t bring followers, couldn’t even smuggle in a basic weapon, yet she intended to masquerade as an immortal cultivator.

How on earth could anyone pull that off?

“That’s precisely why it’s so simple.”

Reminiscing about her past thousand-plus persona performances, Xia Wang’an shared her hard-earned expertise with the recorder: “When you’re roleplaying a persona, do you know what matters most?”

Furrowing his brow in deep thought, the recorder guessed, “Is it unfathomable wisdom?”

Xia Wang’an shook her head.

The recorder pondered further: “Then is it invincible martial might?”

Xia Wang’an shook her head again.

The recorder’s brain operated at maximum velocity: “I know! It must be sheer, peerless luck!”

Xia Wang’an sighed at his lack of insight: “How could you not guess this?”

“It’s the outfit.”

The recorder: “……”

“The outfit???”

“Of course,” Xia Wang’an declared with the confidence of a seasoned veteran. “In my experience, as long as my immortal robes flow with enough ethereal grace, they’ll convince themselves without me having to say a word.”

“So all you guys need to do is craft me a sufficiently immortal, drop-dead gorgeous set of robes.”

With that, her expression blossomed into eager anticipation once more.

“I get to play a celestial fairy again. Yay!”