Chapter 22: Welcome To Equino
There is a saying that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger but right now Jin Lin wished it would just kill him and get it over and done with. Having a peaceful sleep was starting to look like a luxury but that was the least of his worries.
He felt something was wrong with his body not only because of the pain he felt in the evening but the physical manifestation the next morning. The change was so exaggerated that Fen Hao couldn't help but yelp when he saw him.
At first he thought someone had snuck in at night and replaced Jin Lin when he saw a fluffy head of blue hair sticking out from the edge of the quilt. His imagination shot up at light speed imagining nearly impossible scenarios.
Scenario one being that a cute loli with blue pigtails wandered into this room in the middle of the night or two, his mind was hallucinating after eating so much of the food from the cafeteria. Who knows what kind of poison they use to season that nasty looking food with?
Fen Hao crossed his fingers and hoped it would be scenario one as he curiously drew back the quilt. What he saw led him to yelp with his fist covering his mouth. Well, it wasn't a cute girl that so happened to mysteriously appear out of thin air.
It was still his good brother but his hair was blue with his entire bed drenched with sweat. Not only that but from the exposed part of his neck there seemed to be something that closely resembled a tattoo.
As the saying goes curiosity killed the cat. Fen Hao stretched out his paws to expose the rest of the thing on Jin Lin's neck. But just as he touched what he clearly wasn't supposed to his wrist was caught midair. Not the gentle type of grasp but the kind that made one feel like their bones were being broken.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! Dage, it's me wuwuwuwu.... please let go. I won't touch anymore," pled Fen Hao with his body twisting to the side in an attempt to ease the pain. Fen Hao's screams woke Ming Wei who had been sleeping soundly only to find the bonds of brotherhood had finally collapsed and they were now killing each other. He was about to close his eyes and ignore them when he saw that Jin Lin wasn't right.
Jin Lin seemed out of it staring coldly at Fen Hao with a faint azure glimmer fleeting across his eyes. He was about to take a closer look when his indifferent aloof stare suddenly vanished as he regained consciousness.
Maybe it was Fen Hao's shrew screams or the itch on his neck that brought Jin Lin back to earth. "Ah... Sorry," he said retracting his hand with a look of vexation. He looked down at his hands in distress. Something was definitely wrong with his body.
Fen Hao shook his numb hand that was pulsing like his heart had migrated from his chest to his wrist. He blew at it glimpsing over at Jin Lin with an aggrieved look. "I was just curious..... your hair and there," he said pointing at his own neck to direct Jin Lin to the discrepancy on his neck, "damn....you evolved from pikachu to raichu in one fuckin night. How is that even possible?"
Jin Lin was too busy looking at his hair and neck that he didn't immediately respond. Instead, it was Ming Wei who broke the silence. "I think at this point you should stop asking stupid questions like that. Game or not we are definitely not on earth."
Fen Hao wanted to retort but an announcement permeated the air making him scramble to his feet. "Attention, all recruits report for breakfast and gather at hanger B in an hour... Please note latecomers will be penalized according to code 63 of the Equino by-laws..... Attention, all recruits report for breakfast and gather at hanger B in 59 minutes and 53 seconds... Please note latecomers will be penalized according to code 63 of the Equino by-laws," spoke the voice echoing in the room in repetition.
Jin Lin didn't have enough time to look at his appearance putting on his shoes. He had an unshakable feeling that if he doesn't eat now he might starve later. It was unfortunate that he didn't have a bento to save some food in for backup. Under Jin Lin's leadership, Fen Hao followed behind but couldn't stop staring at Jin Lin's hair. He wasn't the only one, other people where also staring including the people guarding them.
An hour later Jin Lin was standing in hanger B with the others as per the announcement. As soon as the deadline approached the doors they had just come from suddenly shut stirring up a raucous in the crowd.
People were already nervous from the start but suppressed it due to the ruthless methods the guards had used on them. But now it was like the bow had been stretched taut and it would soon snap with one more pull.
While the crowd murmured and mumbled voicing their complaints like a swarm of bees something interesting happened. The system that had been docile all this time suddenly appeared not only on the giant screen but the visuals also appeared in front of them like the projection was directly coming from their brains.
"Welcome to Equino a world beyond earth. This world has six major cities namely Rykan, Sola, Eno, Nye, Alaric and Kain. Each city has different specs as shown on the screen and you are free to pick a new home depending on your preferences and skills. Each city is run by six major guilds which you are free to apply for but for those of you who don't qualify there are still smaller guilds in each city so you won't feel left out."
"Equino is a progressive self-sufficient world that doesn't promote freeloading or parasites. For your own survival, you would be required to work. There are plenty of tasks you can take up under the guild of your choosing. A survival guide titled 'How to not become a blood-sucking leech' has been attached to your storage space."
"As beginners, you are provided with storage space with the capacity to hold ten items, a starter pack with 10 Quin which is Equino's official currency and a basic medical kit for emergencies. Your survival in this place is of uttermost importance so please don't take it lightly."
"With that said, welcome to Equino. A world designed only for the strong."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone