Chapter 3: Where the dream begins

Looking at his friend, whom he hadn't seen in ten years, sitting right in front of him, chatting and reminiscing together.

There were no past misunderstandings between them anymore—they were still good friends.

At this moment, Lin Jichen felt an unprecedented sense of joy.

To slightly make up for the past misunderstandings, Lin Jichen ordered several more dishes.

The two of them ate to their heart's content in the restaurant, stopping only when they were so full they could burst.

When it was time to pay, Lin Jichen took out his phone, ready to settle the bill.

But as soon as he unlocked his phone, he was dumbfounded.

He realized that both his WeChat and Alipay accounts were empty.

Even his Huabei credit line was maxed out.

He really wished he could casually pull out some precious spirit stones or gold bars from a storage ring to pay the bill.

But right now, he had no spirit stones, no storage ring—just an equally empty wallet.

With no other choice, Lin Jichen, a mighty Dao Comprehension Realm expert, could only blush and turn to Ren Lan for help.

Under Ren Lan's murderous glare, the two of them finally settled the bill and walked out of the restaurant.

"(╬◣д◢) Lin Jichen, you deceitful scoundrel! You said you were treating me, but in the end, I was the one who paid! That move of yours was really something!"

Lin Jichen's face turned red. He walked ahead, too ashamed to look at her.

"Ehh… There was an unexpected situation. I checked my transaction history—my wallet was overdrawn yesterday."

Ren Lan curled her lips in disdain and mocked, "Serves you right for trying to show off. Yesterday, you spent a fortune on an expensive gift for Guo Jie's birthday, and you even ordered so much alcohol. Now, you can't even afford a meal, huh?"

Lin Jichen scratched his head, feeling extremely awkward.

Why couldn't he have been reborn just one day earlier? If he had, he wouldn't have done such foolish things.

He could have stopped himself at the edge of the cliff and saved a huge amount of money.

Now that Ren Lan mentioned it, he really felt a headache coming on—he was completely broke.

He had planned to rent an apartment, but now, with this mess, it seemed like he had no choice but to stay in the dormitory.

Wait a minute… that means he couldn't afford his gaming ring either!

Damn it!

It was only now that Lin Jichen remembered why he had only joined "Eight Desolations" one year after its official launch.

Because all his money had already been squandered on Guo Jie, that gold digger! How could he have had any left to buy a gaming ring?

Guo Jie kept demanding more and more expensive gifts, and his debts piled up higher and higher. That entire year, he was just busy making money to pay them off.

On top of that, Lin Jichen's parents had passed away early, leaving him with nothing but an old house.

With the help of his relatives, he barely managed to finish high school.

His scores were high enough for a prestigious university, but since he had no money, Jiangling Normal University offered him a tuition waiver and a scholarship.

So, he chose Jiangling Normal University, a top-tier institution.

After starting university, he worked as a game booster and companion player in internet cafes to earn some living expenses.

Yesterday, celebrating Guo Jie's birthday had completely drained his savings.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt. Why couldn't he have been reborn just one day earlier?! 〒▽〒~~

"Give me your phone," Ren Lan suddenly said.

Lin Jichen instinctively handed it over.

Ren Lan took out her own phone, rapidly tapping away. A moment later, he heard the familiar sound of a money transfer notification.

He immediately understood.

"This was supposed to be my gym membership fee for the next few years. Make sure to pay me back on time. If I can't get into the gym because of you, I'll use you as my punching bag."

Ren Lan waved her fist, warning him fiercely.

Lin Jichen took his phone back and said softly, "Don't worry, I'll pay you back on time."

"Forget it, I'm actually not in a hurry. Working out at home isn't a bad option either. I was already getting tired of giving money to the gym. Besides, every time I go, there are always a bunch of muscleheads hogging the equipment. I'd rather train at home."

Ren Lan pretended not to care.

But how could Lin Jichen not tell that she was just comforting him?

So he deliberately smirked and teased, "Forget using me as a punching bag—how about treating me like gym equipment instead?"

The moment he said that, his ear was grabbed. "What did you just say?"

Ren Lan's sharp gaze warned that she was ready to throw him out at any moment.

Lin Jichen quickly surrendered.

Damn it, this woman dares to be so rude to a Dao Comprehension Realm expert! Such audacity… Oww, it hurts~

After seeing Ren Lan off, Lin Jichen immediately left the campus to look for an apartment.

To make things convenient for Ren Lan to visit, he searched for a place near the university.

After carefully selecting, he chose a well-maintained apartment in a nice residential complex.

A two-bedroom, one-living-room unit, fully furnished with all appliances.

The rent was also reasonable—only 3,000 yuan per month.

For an apartment near the university, close to transportation hubs, and with a good environment, this price was quite affordable.

He had seen worse places that cost several times more.

The apartment was currently managed by an agency since the landlord was away on vacation. They had full authority to handle the lease.

Before renting it out, the agency repeatedly reminded Lin Jichen to keep the place clean, not to keep pets, and not to have more than two residents.

These were the landlord's conditions.

Additionally, the landlord would conduct periodic inspections. If she was dissatisfied, she could unilaterally terminate the lease and kick him out.

Because of these strict conditions, no one else had rented it yet.

But Lin Jichen didn't mind. He was already a bit of a neat freak, so keeping the place clean wouldn't be a problem.

And since it would just be him, plus Ren Lan at most, he met all the conditions.

As for the landlord's frequent inspections—so what? He was a grown man. What was there to be afraid of?

Lin Jichen was decisive. By noon that day, he had signed the contract, received the keys, and checked the water, electricity, and gas with the agency.

That afternoon, he moved out of the dormitory.

The dorm had four people, but the other three always ganged up against him.

As for why, even after ten years, he still wasn't sure.

He vaguely remembered that one of his roommates had a crush on a girl who was actually pursuing him.

So they had held a grudge against him ever since, constantly targeting him with petty tricks.

Lin Jichen never got along with them and had long forgotten their names.

Now that he had moved out, it was a relief for both sides.

After settling in, the first thing Lin Jichen did was order a "Eight Desolations" gaming ring online—it cost only 5,999 yuan.

Besides the gaming ring, "Eight Desolations" also offered a gaming pod.

But the gaming pod was ridiculously expensive, with even the lowest-tier model starting at 50,000 yuan—something Lin Jichen couldn't afford at the moment.

Just two hours after placing the order, the package arrived.

The efficiency of the "Eight Desolations" gaming company was truly impressive.

Holding the familiar gaming ring, Lin Jichen played around with it for a while before putting it away.

The game hadn't officially launched yet, so he couldn't play even if he wanted to.

With some time left, he cooked himself a bowl of tomato and egg noodles, ate, and took a shower.

Then he checked the time—it was almost there.

August 8, 2040, 00:00:01. The global launch of "Eight Desolations" begins!

At that moment, countless players put on their rings and dove into the world of "Eight Desolations".

Lin Jichen was no exception. Lying on his bed, he put on the ring, underwent iris scan binding—

And then, he entered the virtual world, surrounded by a vast cosmic sea, enveloped in immortal mist.

He stood inside a grand, ancient palace.

After ten years, he was back.

The place where the dream began.

…