Chapter 3: Ling Tong

The living room was eerily quiet, but also unbearably hot—there was no air conditioning.

I was drenched in sweat, frustrated, but unable to express it. The girl named Ling Xue, who had passed out in my room, was clearly not waking up anytime soon. And with no sofa in the living room, I really had no idea what to do.

Finally, my gaze landed on the game helmet. Suddenly, an idea struck me—perfect!

I had installed a gaming port in the living room not long ago, and now it was finally going to be put to use. The question was: Was this really the Ling Tong game helmet? There was only one way to find out!

I quickly grabbed the data cable from the bag, followed the instructions to set it up, and then sat down in the corner of the room to put the helmet on.

Instantly, my mind cleared, and a synthesized voice echoed in my head.

"Iris scan in progress. Player identity confirmed. Locking in... Are you ready to enter the game?"

I quickly mentally confirmed—Yes!

"Hello, your ID number is 000000002. Iris lock confirmed!"

I froze. What the hell? I put on the helmet and got locked into this system? Does this mean I've essentially hijacked someone else's helmet?

Then I remembered—she's the one who barged into my room! Well, I guess I'll just have to figure out a way to compensate her later!

The system chime sounded again. "Sorry, the game has not been launched yet. Please wait 23 hours and 42 minutes before entering. Please create your character."

I selected the option to create a character, and suddenly, the screen flickered, and I found myself standing in a vast open field. In front of me were several characters: humans, elves, and half-orcs.

I'd heard rumors about hidden characters, but the chances of unlocking one were practically nonexistent. Guess I didn't get lucky this time.

So, I selected "Human."

"Face scan in progress. Please wait!"

Moments later, a character identical to me appeared before me. Dressed in simple leather armor, he looked like a total rookie!

And then, there was nothing. The system notification appeared:

"The game has not started yet. Please wait!"

Suddenly, the scenery around me shifted, and the view transformed into a battlefield bathed in blood.

The huge canyon was filled with the sounds of shouting and galloping horses. A joint army of humans, elves, and half-orcs was battling dark forces. Wizards in robes hurled fireballs, and stunning archers in elegant leather armor shot arrows, each one a gleaming streak of death as it plunged into the enemy ranks. In the front line, berserk warriors wielding long spears and battle axes charged into a horde of dark skeleton soldiers, smashing them into pieces with every swing.

On the other side, dark robed sorcerers in black cloaks unleashed terrifying growls, their staffs sending scorching meteors crashing down from the sky. In the chaos, the berserk warriors were submerged in a sea of blood, their heavy armor searing under the intense heat.

Flashes of white light appeared as healers from the light faction cast restorative spells, and shadowy figures crept into the dark camp. A few dark sorcerers were decapitated, their black bones scattering in the air.

Then, a soft snowflake began to fall from the sky, turning the battlefield into a snow-covered wasteland.

As the snowstorm swirled, giant ice blocks fell from the sky, and many of the warriors in the light faction were crushed under the weight. Looking up, I saw a terrifying four-winged demon flying above, chanting a dark spell with arms outstretched.

The canyon was frozen over, and countless beings were struggling at the brink of death.

Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light swept across the canyon, and the massive demon screamed in agony as both of its wings were sliced off!

The forbidden spell stopped abruptly, and the demon fell into the abyss below, torn apart by the berserk warriors!

The view shifted again, this time to a cliff high above the canyon, where a handsome young man stood, holding a glowing sword. The blade shimmered with a chilling light, and his hair had turned white as frost. His eyes, clear yet filled with sorrow, gazed upon the vast expanse below.

A thunderclap echoed across the sky, as though a storm was on the horizon.

In the distance, two blue words slowly materialized in the air—"Ling Tong."

The game's hyper-realism left me stunned, unable to speak for a while. But one thing was clear—this helmet was indeed the Ling Tong game helmet! And the identity of the girl in my room just became even more mysterious. How did she get her hands on the second helmet ever issued, with the ID number 000000002?

There was still almost a whole day before the game opened, so I logged off, removed the helmet, and wiped the sweat from my brow. The first experience had been mind-blowing—this game, created by a team of elite global developers over ten years, was not overrated. The attention to detail and realism made me feel like I was actually there, blood racing with excitement!

The promotional video showed the young swordmaster defeating the four-winged demon with one strike. Did this mean that players could reach such an impressive level of power in the game?

Smiling to myself, I thought, If I could reach that kind of level in the game, then I could conquer the world and have all the beauty I wanted.

Suddenly, I smelled something burning and realized I had left my vegetable porridge cooking on the stove!

I rushed to the kitchen and turned off the heat. The porridge was ruined—blackened and unappetizing, I had no desire to eat it.

Back in the living room, the girl Ling Xue was still passed out drunk, and there was no way she'd be able to open the door for me. So, I grabbed a yellow cloth from the dining table and wrapped it around my stomach, deciding to spend the night in the living room. Damn it, while everyone else had good luck with romance, here I was, stuck with a stunning beauty who clearly had me under her spell. What a mess.

I don't even know how much time passed before I was awoken by a sudden light shining in my face. I opened my eyes to see a fat man holding a flashlight above me!

I was about to lose it when I realized it was my damn landlord!

He looked down at me with disdain and said, "Ding Shusheng, your rent is due next month. If you keep dragging this out, I'll have to kick you out! What are you doing sleeping out here so late?"

I looked up at the clock in the living room—it was already past 2 AM. "You're still here at this hour?" I asked.

"I was checking the fuse box," the landlord replied, "Some tenants said the power was out. But you, when are you going to pay your rent?"

I froze. The money I had set aside for rent was stolen by that thief. How was I supposed to pay?

Just then, the door creaked open, and I saw Ling Xue standing in the doorway.

She looked disheveled, her clothes loose but still accentuating her graceful figure, her sleepy eyes making her look both charming and lazy.

"I'm thirsty," she mumbled, half asleep.

The landlord stood there, dumbfounded, staring at her. After a long pause, he finally said, "You actually have such a beautiful girlfriend? Fine, I'll leave for now. But hurry up and find a job! Or I really won't be so nice next time."

With that, the landlord left, closing the door behind him.

Ling Xue had apparently been sleeping for several hours and was now sober. She blinked her eyes and looked at me, suddenly saying, "I'm thirsty…"

I rolled my eyes and, for some inexplicable reason, got up to pour her a cup of warm water. I guess this is what beautiful girls do—they make you act without thinking!

She took the cup, drank it all in one go, then glanced at me with a small smile, "Your name is Ding Shusheng?"

I awkwardly replied, "It's Ding Shusheng, as in 'comfortable and prosperous,' not 'scholar'!"

Ling Xue chuckled, ran her fingers through her hair, and said, "It doesn't matter what you're called. The real issue is that I'm hungry… Can you find me something to eat?"

I was stunned, "It's so late, where am I supposed to find food? The convenience store is closed!"

She frowned, "I drank so much, if I don't eat something, my stomach will be hurt."

Honestly, whether she ate or not, her stomach was already in trouble.

I sighed, "A girl like you, why are you drinking so much?"

She snapped, "It's none of your business!" but then mumbled, "How would you know I was drinking for no reason…"

I silently went to the kitchen, scooped up the sad excuse for porridge I had made earlier, and slammed it onto the table, "This is all I have. If you want it, eat it. If not, feel free to go out and find somewhere to eat. Your car is still downstairs!"

Ling Xue looked at the porridge with a raised eyebrow. "This is what you're eating?" she asked cautiously.