Throne of the Astral Realm

Throne of the Astral Realm is a completed virtual MMORPG novel by Caged Dream, serialized on Qidian. The story revolves around Astral Online (AO), a next-generation immersive game played through the latest gaming helmet. With a highly realistic physics engine and a "custom skill" system, it tops the charts of the new gaming era. Players design their own skill effects, damage ranges, and modes of action, while the system balances the numbers, giving rise to endless playstyles: melee mages, ranged knights, magic-focused martial artists, assassins who can tank a boss head-on—anything is possible if the stat allocation and gear are matched well. The novel opens with the protagonist returning to the game world, starting from a starter village and growing through quests, boss fights, and experimentation with the skill tree. He then enters dungeons such as the Ancient Kingdom Ruins and the King's Corridor, and is drawn into guild politics, PVP clashes, and the rivalries among the Four Great Families and the club system. Through chapters such as "Custom Skill Tree," "Exploration of the Ancient Kingdom Ruins," and "Demon Invasion," the work weaves together strategic contest in the virtual world and bonds in the real one. Its core plot involves teamwork, intrigue, and personal redemption, and it closes with "The Esports Dream Continues," highlighting the fusion of competitive spirit and virtual ecology.