The first piece of equipment left Tianyou stunned. He tapped the ring icon in his inventory, and the ring materialized in his palm.
A plain, dark band that swallowed light without a glint.
"An ancient divine artifact… as expected. This effect is utterly broken," Soulshadow Tianyou sighed, his expression resigned.
Even without its second effect, the ring’s first ability alone was invincible—a literal game-breaking bug that nullified all debuffs. How was anyone supposed to play against this?
In specialized maps like Poison Rosewood Forest or Flame Mountain, where poison and burn debuffs dominated, this ring would rewrite the rules entirely.
Its second effect was equally monstrous: +10 Intelligence and +10 Willpower per level. In simple terms—a mage’s ultimate weapon. Wield this, and any spellcaster would become a force of nature.
But that side effect… the gender swap?
It made no sense. *Mystic Box* required real-name registration. Players could tweak usernames, but never their legal gender. Even facial adjustments were minor—strictly regulated after biometric verification at official stores. Privacy laws shielded personal data, but the process was as tedious as opening a bank account: photo ID, address, phone number, in-store login tests, and staff audits before taking the helmet home.
Appearance tweaks were limited. Ugly players could *slightly* enhance their looks—just enough to avoid being unrecognizable to their own mothers. Cross-gender accounts? Extinct.
Modern haptic immersion made gender traits unnervingly real. No one wanted a creepy guy controlling a cute girl avatar, free to act on twisted impulses.
After decades of rampant cheating and in-game crimes, *Frostbird* Corp had finally enforced strict identity protocols—delayed for a generation over privacy fears. But now, with virtual life holding near-sacred status and gaming laws stricter than reality, using cheats meant social exile… or worse. Get caught hacking? You might be shot on sight before the authorities even arrived.
So why include this gender-swap flaw? Pure developer trolling?
The ring was soulbound—only Soulshadow Tianyou could use it. But the unopened pet egg and hidden-class voucher beside it? Those he’d sell. Useless to him. Unlike this cursed ring.
*What’s the worst that could happen?* He equipped the Gender-Swap Band. It *blinked* onto his left ring finger.
"This…"
His body shifted. Shrinking. Losing weight here, gaining softness there.
The moment the ring settled, *he* became *she*—though she couldn’t see it yet.
She lifted her hands: delicate, porcelain-pale fingers. Her cheeks felt smooth, supple under her touch. No mirror. No clear reflection.
"*Ah!* Unbelievable! This is… impossible!" A soft, melodic voice echoed in her ears—*her* voice.
Soulshadow Tianyou shot upright, muscles locking rigid. Then trembling seized her. Shock and questions warred within.
Not over becoming a girl.
But the dizziness—the lifelong vertigo that had haunted her—was *gone*. Vanished. Not a trace remained. For the first time, her mind felt crystal clear.
"The waterfall!" She skipped lightly to the新手 map’s edge, where a cascade plunged into a lake. Kneeling, she leaned over the water…
A celestial maiden stared back.
Fifteen or sixteen, with snow-pale skin and clever, bright eyes. Lips like ripe cherries curved in a smile. Shoulder-length raven hair framed a face both innocent and striking—a beauty untouched by the world.
Soulshadow Tianyou froze. This face… hauntingly familiar. Like her elder sister, Zhuo Yinghong. Not just the features—the *essence*.
Long ago, before *Mystic Box* consumed her life, Zhuo Yinghong had been this same ethereal girl.
Then she’d entered the game.
And became the cold-hearted Sword God. The iron-fisted leader of the Royal Sect. A legend who shook the nation with her blade.
