Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The public was naturally in an uproar regarding the actions of Blacklight Biotechnology, but the continents of the Earth Federation were in a dazed stupor.

This was because they knew about the existence of the Consciousness Stealer. Although they did not know what happened that year, they were a little confused about Blacklight Biotechnology’s approach.

Why should the Consciousness Stealer be included in the game and what was Blackwatch’s intention?

Did they run out of inspiration? They could have picked anything as a story, but they chose this of all things?

This game was rated PG18, right? The promo looked a bit too bloody. If the game was to be approved, it would have to go through some censors…

This was what the governments of various countries were thinking.

The next day, before everyone’s eyes, Blacklight Biotechnology finally opened the registration entry for the closed beta game. Hundreds of millions of people came to sign up at once, almost shutting down the website’s server.

The information needed to be filled in for registration was very simple, mainly personal information and contact information. Still, it was strange that in addition to asking the player’s average daily login time, the applicant was also asked if they had military experience, whether they had trained in mixed martial arts and received military training, and so on.

Soon, in just three days, Blacklight Biotechnology officially announced the list of 100,000 closed beta personnel. It was just surprising that well-known professional gamers did not occupy a lot of these 100,000 slots. After all, during a game’s closed beta, priority was typically given to those world-renowned professional players because these players were the cornerstone of the game’s closed beta.

The quotas issued by Blacklight Biotechnology were more for veterans with military experience or instructors who had retired from special forces. On the contrary, there were not many quotas for professional gamers.

In addition, Blacklight Biotechnology also ordered the DNA samples of these people, so that the closed beta testers on the list would send their DNA samples to the local Blacklight Biotechnology branch. To justify this, it was announced that the DNA would be used to bind the player’s identity.

Although the need for DNA sampling had caused dissatisfaction among a small number of people, most people still had no objection. Before many envious, resentful eyes, the products were shipped out after the DNA samples were obtained. Since Backlight Biotechnology had informed the world of this in advance, the efficiency of the clearance process was extremely high and within seven days, all the game chambers had been sent to the closed beta players around the world.

Moreover, the issue of scalpers had long been considered by Blacklight Biotechnology. When the closed beta test name list was verified, everyone was reminded that the game chamber had a special DNA authentication system that only allowed the beta test player to use it. Even if it was resold or sold in other ways, others could not use it.

This would enable the game chamber to be accurately distributed to the hands of each designated target without being resold or used for other purposes.

…

Shi Yangyu was a fifty-year-old young man.

Hmm, well, based on his physical fitness, he could still be considered a young man.

Born in 1994, he served the country and worked as a volunteer soldier in China. After retiring from the army, he settled down in his hometown and became an armed police instructor with a monthly salary of 5,000 RMB.

However, when he was young, with the increasing housing prices and frequent occurrences of strange incidents in the capital and entertainment circles such as “Daily salary of 2.04 million!” and “Selling OEM products isn’t worth it”… Internet users generally began to awaken. After realizing that they were just sitting ducks waiting to lose their money, the new trend of “no marriage, no kids” gradually began to sweep across China.

Shi Yangyu was one of the people who followed this trend, so even though he was now fifty years old, he was still single and glad about it.

With the powerful rise of Blacklight Biotechnology in recent years, the technology for extending life and delaying aging continued to be innovated and made cheaper. Nowadays, except for the citizens of some remote and poor small countries that could not afford these costs, the entire Earth Federation had popularized Blacklight Biotechnology’s products. There were no real elderly people in the world. At most, they were middle-aged people whose physical ability was akin to a 50-year-old.

Shi Yangyu received the age-reversal treatment five years ago. Although he was now fifty years old, his appearance and physical functions were still maintained at about thirty years old and this state could be maintained for about fifteen years. This meant that when he was sixty-five years old, he could get this treatment again and continue to extend his life.

Therefore, he still worked in the armed police detachment. Although he had no wives or children, he enjoyed it because, in the 2D world, he had plenty of waifus.

Shi Yangyu’s usual hobby was to read comics, binge on dramas, and occasionally watch some hentai. At the same time, he was also a noble stand-alone game player, having played games such as GTA 8, The Elder Scrolls 8, Red Dead Redemption 4, and Cyberpunk 2099.

Although he was not a professional player, his skills were not inferior to those professionals because he was proficient in fighting and firearms. In today’s mainstream games that relied on brainwave control, his profession gave him a great advantage.

Therefore, when he learned about the closed beta of the new game, Ancient Civilization, of Blacklight Biotechnology a week ago, he signed up for the closed beta with the idea of trying it since he had nothing to lose.

What he did not expect was that he won the bid!

When he heard the news, he was overjoyed. Every day he would count on his fingers to estimate the arrival date of the game chamber. Today, he finally received a call from the courier when he was at work.

He asked his android to receive the courier, then he simply asked his leader for a half-day off and returned home delightedly.

When he got home, the courier boy who was a part-time installer had already installed the game chamber in his bedroom. This was a streamlined game chamber. The shape looked like a carrot with a round head and a pointed tail. Its upper part was covered with a black translucent plexiglass cover through which he could faintly see the inside.

Next to the game chamber was something much more extravagant. It was as tall as him and looked like a server case. It was completely sealed as well, with fine print on its surface spelling out what to take note of.

“Master.”

A charming-looking android with a big chest and a perky butt came over. She smiled and said, “Earlier, the courier said that disassembly of either the game chamber or the supporting console isn’t allowed. Once disassembled, any warranty will be invalidated immediately. Blacklight Biotechnology will not repair it and will cut off your right to log in to the game through the game chamber.”

“Oh.”

Shi Yangyu just kept observing the game chamber in front of him and nodded absently at the words of the android. He circled the game chamber several times, then seemed to think of something and quickly commanded, “Hurry up, Tsunade, make me some noodles now. After I’ve eaten, I’ll enter the game!”

“Yes, Master.”

The android bowed slightly, turned, and walked out of the room.

Shi Yangyu could not help but rub his hands in excitement. He walked to the cover of the game compartment and pressed a red button on it. Suddenly, the cover opened directly on both sides, revealing the black padding made of waterproof material inside the game compartment.

“It’s not bad inside, it looks pretty luxurious.”

Shi Yangyu nodded in satisfaction. He simply took off his slippers and lay down directly. Then he pressed the button to close the door inside and suddenly the lid of the game compartment closed again, shutting him inside.

“Beep…”

“User entry detected, identity verification in progress…”

“Identity verified, matching user’s brain waves…”

“The temperature is a little high. Do you want to turn on the thermostat?”

A sweet female voice slowly resounded within the game compartment.

“Not for now.”

Shi Yangyu did not enter the game right away because he was still waiting to have a meal first and then use the bathroom so that he could enter the game in a prepared state. After all, he had waited for so many days, so it did not matter if he waited a little longer.

Thinking of this, he asked again, “Game chamber, what’s your name? In addition to being able to enter the game Ancient Civilization, what other functions do you have?”

“Mr. User, I’m a smart game chamber, Model X1118, produced by Blacklight Biotechnology. My property number is xxxxxxxx. I don’t have a name at present. You can name me.

“At the same time, my function is limited to entering the game Ancient Civilization. Apart from this function, I have no other functions for the time being.”

The voice said suddenly.

“What?”

Shi Yangyu was a little taken aback. “You mean you’re an exclusive game console? This is too extravagant. Don’t you even have the function of playing other games?”

“I’m sorry, it’s true.”

The voice continued to explain, “The reason for this is that Blacklight Biotechnology uses the most advanced consciousness immersion technology at present, abandoning the traditional VR technology of retinal imaging, but directly transmits vision, hearing, smell, touch, and such into the player’s brain. Besides Ancient Civilization, no other games support this technology.”

“So, that’s it…”

Shi Yangyu was a little disappointed at once. He had wanted to use this game chamber to visit the high-heeled shoe store in GTA 8…

“In that case, I’ll just call you… Lili.”

“Yes, Lili is pleased to meet you, Master…”

After a conversation between Shi Yangyu and the game chamber’s intelligence, he gradually learned more about the characteristics of the game. In particular, besides vision and sound, this game chamber could make people feel the sense of touch and smell, which shocked him to no end.

After all, for so many years, the so-called in-game tactile sensation was just a gimmick. Most game companies wrapped the user’s entire body with the electrode technology of the “tactile suit” and used electricity to stimulate people’s nerves to produce corresponding feelings. This feeling was stereotyped and repetitive. It could not be compared with the original senses of human beings.

Now, this technology could finally be realized through brain waves…

Blacklight Biotechnology had been holding back an ace…

Shi Yangyu could not help sighing.

Soon, the android Tsunade made a bowl of egg noodles. Shi Yangyu quickly left the game room and devoured the noodles, then went to the bathroom to wash up again, before he returned to the game room and lay down comfortably inside.

“Lili, start the game, my broadsword is already thirsty!”

“Got it. Entering the game — loading… Connecting consciousness… Three, two, one!”

“Rah!”

Following Lili’s words, Shi Yangyu only felt that his vision suddenly turned black. His consciousness seemed to have passed through a narrow and dark tunnel. When he regained consciousness again, he found that he was standing in an illusory space surrounded by white light.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

Shi Yangyu spoke and then he realized that he could not feel his own body as if he had become a ghost, only wandering in an empty world.

“Master, don’t worry, you’re now at the game entry interface.”

What reassured him was that Lili’s voice came at the same time and then an illusory figure appeared in front of him. It was the appearance of a person without facial features.

“What’s this?”

“This is the character you created. Now it’s the customization stage. After you enter the game, you’ll use this character to move around in the game.”

Lili reminded. After she spoke, Shi Yangyu only saw a customization panel appear in front of him out of thin air, on which there were facial features, body shape, hairstyle, skin color, and other options.

Seeing this familiar stage, Shi Yangyu’s initial flustered mood due to his not being able to sense his body was now completely relaxed. He smirked and a bold idea gradually emerged in his mind…

Three hours later…

A beautiful blonde girl with silky smooth hair and a high nose appeared in front of Shi Yangyu. The girl was about 1.7 meters tall and looked like a Persian cat. Although her face was expressionless, her body exuded amazing charm, especially those eyes, which were even more alluring.

“Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! The heroine of Fate

/Stay Night is so beautiful!”

Shi Yangyu exclaimed in praise. He looked at the naked blonde girl in front of him, his gaze was intoxicated. “Of course, I have to use a female character to play the game. The name of this character should be called Saber.”

“Sorry, this name is already in use.”

Lili immediately notified, “Please change to another one, Master.”

“???”

Shi Yangyu widened his eyes and he said with a bit of sorrow, “It’s over, I forgot about that… If that’s the case, I’ll name her Artoria Pendragon…”

“Sorry, this name is already in use.”

“Then, name her King Arthur!”

“Sorry, this name…”

“Saber King Arthur!”

“Sorry…”

“…”

After some trials, Shi Yangyu finally gave up. He gave himself a conventional name of “Juyang Jushi”1, and then he created the character successfully.

Then, a character attribute card appeared in front of Shi Yangyu.

“Name: Juyang Jushi.”

“Gender: Female.”

“Age: 18.”

“Race: Human.”

“Attributes: Strength 8, Constitution 10, Size 9, Agility 11, Charisma 14, Intelligence ?, Perception ?”

“Occupation: None.”

“Professional skills: None”

“Special skills: None.”

Looking at these stats, Shi Yangyu suddenly wondered aloud, “How are these attributes determined, did you roll a dice?”

“No, this is automatically judged based on the character you created.”

Lili replied, “After the attributes of each character created are digitized, it would be about 10 points. This is an average value. The character you created is a female character with a thin body, so her strength is slightly weaker than the average. But this comes with an advantage too. Your agility is slightly higher than the average. Plus, according to the system’s judgment, your appearance is extremely attractive, so it’s judged to be 14 points after digitizing.

“As for the intelligence and perception attributes, because it depends on the player, it’s temporarily impossible to determine.”

“In other words, if I design my character as a three-meter tall man, can my strength be further enhanced?”

Shi Yangyu suddenly seemed to understand something.

“Of course, but the maximum height of the character created by the system is limited to 230 cm, so your strength can reach up to 15 points, but your agility will also be reduced accordingly.”

“Then, how do I improve my attributes? Through upgrades?”

“All the physical rules of this game are based on reality, so there’s no upgrade system.”

Lili replied, “But all attributes can be enhanced through training, that’s for sure.”

Hearing Lili’s words, Shi Yangyu could not help being a little disappointed. Although this game was fun, according to the explanation of the intelligent AI, it was a little too hard-core…

Thinking of this, Shi Yangyu no longer deliberated over this. He immediately chose to enter the game.

Immediately, the progress bar that lasted for half an hour began to load…