Leo, your average young guy with too much free time. Reads way too many online novels and watches way too much anime.

So what happens when he has the usual cliche death and resurection, but with a twist?

It is around 10:00 pm and the weather is warm.

Within the small isolated Sharingla's Motel, Manhattan, stood Room 667.

The lights lit up in a dim brightness, one of them already burned out. Despite this, Blue can still see the black box in front of him.

The box is rather big, large as the size of a head, and has golden texts in digital styled fonts on its top cover.

Virtual Game Helmet: Golden Edition.

He thought he read it wrong so he have to adjust his glasses to see the words right. Then he wastes his time pinching himself, or bang his head on the wall just to get himself awake. But the box is still there, perfectly laid on the matress and untouched.

VMMORPGs are the biggest hits in the gaming franchise, and they cost a lot of money. Even a single Virtual Reality set ( or VR set for short) like this one costs at least $10, 000, surpassing the price of popular gaming consoles like Nitendo and PlayStation. But this game helmet is a Golden Edition. What's more, it is a better version of normal VR sets with a price of more than $100, 000!

It's a disgusting $1 billion dollars!

Even a professional player like him won't be able to afford such a price.

He looked down to the letter he is holding. He received the box this evening from a mail man along with this envelope. To his suprise, the sender is his former club member Chang Bai.

On the letter, he reads, "Master, I bought this VR set just for you, in case you're bored. I bet 100 bucks that you'll definitely gonna love Gloria Online! You can thank me later the next time we meet.

"PS: This Golden Edition is also usable for disabled people so enjoy to your heart's content!"

And that was just it. There is no explanation on how he got it. He just simply "bought" it, making Blue somewhat doubtful.

That fat bastard, is he trying to frame him for stealing?

He never knew much about Chang Bai. They just met by chance in Honor Online while they were noobs. But Blue is more than just a noob. He is a genius prodigy with a gifted talent in Chang Bai's eyes. When he saw him perform while battling a dungeon boss together, those movements and that skill casting speed were godlike! This is a man worthy to be followed, he thought. Chang Bai not only became his "big fan", he became his loyal follower afterwards.

Blue didn't think much about it at first. He just found Chang Bai really annoying, both in game and real life. The fat guy always followed him around wherever he goes, he even pops out of nowhere in either the Chat System, or whenever Blue fought a boss he would come out on the wrong time. He even snuck into his bathroom window while he was taking a shower. How he knew where he lived? Blue doesn't have the answer. It just drived him crazy.

But he did took note of his persistence. Chang Bai is an optimistic person, who works harder as him. He is also a fast learner and has quickly adapted the gaming environment after Blue irritatingly taught him with a few pointers. It was then that Blue finally acknowledged him as a worthy player, and a trusting ally.

Come to think of it, with that attitude, Chang Bai should at least have a job with a decent salary. Moreover, he may have spent most of it along with his life earnings to buy this game helmet. And it was a Golden Edition for disabled people.

To spend an amount of $1 billion to buy this for him...

Blue can't describe how he felt right now. No one has ever treated him this way before. Even if someone admired him before, they weren't too stupid to spend all of their money to buy a luxurious thing for him. This is simply too alien, yet his heart is deeply touched.

Is this what people call gratefulness? Gratitude?

Either way, Blue knows that he owes something to Chang Bai. He isn't stingy with money, and the fact that this follower of his has gone through stakes to buy this set for him, he won't hesitate to repay him even if it's just a $1, 000, 000, 000. If Lady luck is on his side, then perhaps he'll try to win a lottery some time.

Chang Bai also made a point, but only a partial of it.

Ever since that freak accident, he couldn't feel his hands anymore after he woke up. Even if he can still lift a finger, the damage he received  is too severed, enough to prevent him from touching his keyboard and mouse.

Since Chang Bai gave him this opportunity, his desire to play again has grown deeper.

He puts away the letter, and started opening the box. The contents inside are only a black game console, a CD of Gloria Online and a headgear that looks like a motorcycle helmet. There is also a booklet in there.

He took out the set, and immediately reads the booklet. This is just a normal routine whenever he tries out a new game console to play a game. Although he have been a famous figure in the E-Sports world, he used to play other game consoles besides PC. He would try to understand the lore of the new game first, then see how the console works. He would also skip the tutorial guides because he dislikes doing it step by step. That's just old school!

But since this console can be played by disabled players, he wants to learn how he can use these useless hands in this game.

After reading for at least 15 minutes, he puts down the booklet. A look of surprise plastered on his face.

He couldn't find any tutorial guides, speculating that he will have to take them if he plays the game.

According to the booklet, the game's theme takes place in Middle Earth but the survivors of the Shadow War entered into a new era which is called Gloria. Like the game Honor, things such as Health points and Mana bars still exists in this virtual realm. He couldn't get the details about choosing classes and races though, nor did he find anything relevant to whether there is a main story quest. And there is this thing that keeps bothering him...

the contents said that the game is developed with 100% realism. So whatever he will feel inside the game, they will be 100% real.

Does this mean he can feel pain in the game?

That is likely possible, but the question is how real exactly?

Twenty years ago, the company Netmarble made their first Virtual Reality games with 3D graphics. Although they were just minigames, people have been throwing their money into the stockpile to buy the company's VR sets, and the pile continued to grow until it overflooded their house yard. Netmarble grew unimaginably bigger and wider as the White House.

The fact that this game is said to be 100% real is a taboo. But Netmarble have became one of the largest companies in the gaming industry, with an even richer amount of money in their bank. Gloria Online is also created by this very company.

How much money did they spend to make this work? How far did their efforts reach?

This line of thinking makes Blue piqued his curiosity.

"Then it's a worth to try!"
---
After an hour, it is already 11:00 pm
Blue have prepared his gear. Turning the console on, he wears the black helmet before lying himself down on the bed.

"Log in Gloria Online." He activated the command.

A monotonic voice rang through his ears.

[Progressing... Logging into Gloria Online...]

[You have now logged into Gloria Online. Please give your character a name.]

"Perseus."

[Confirming... Confirming name completed.]

Within five seconds, he feels a slight shock through his head. It is a little painful but it felt like a needle had numb his brain.

[System Announcement: Based on system check, your heartbeat is 100% stabled as a normal person's standard!]

[System Announcement: Based on system check, your body temperature is 70% lower than a normal person's standard!]

[System Announcement: Based on system check, your blood concentration level is normally stabled!]

[System Announcement: Based on system check, your brain activity is 120% above a normal person's standard!]

[System Announcement: Based on system check, your sexual activity is stabled as a normal person's standard!]
---
Hearing these notifications, Blue frowned. Is this a counterfeit?

Then a system interface popped into his view. On it shows a picture of a person's body, his body. It looks more detailed, and he can see those big and small bones with veins all over them, even his inner organs are there. Here, his body glows in light green, except for certain parts.
His hands are glowing in dim red.

[System Announcement: An illness is found.]

[Automatically analyzing illness... Analysis confirmed. Your nerves are severely damaged. Would you like to commence Phantom?]

Phantom?

Can this command really support a disabled person? Even someone who is severely injured? Blue thought back to Chang Bei's letter and remembered that this equipment can be used by disabled people as well.

Then, "Yes."

[Commenced Phantom...]

Before he knew it, he feels shocked again. But this time, it is even more painful.

"Ah!"
The intense pain slowly pierces through his head as if something drilled its way to his brain. Then it travels to all of the nerves in his body, then into his bones and his organs, his heart is affected as well. He feels like being drugged with toxic.

"Fu***!"

In about three minutes, the shock travels to his hands. Then the pain gradually subsides in seconds, leaving Blue gasping.


*Ding!*


[Commencing completed. You are now linked to Phantom.]

"That fu***ing hurts!"

He never read anything from the booklet about Phantom, nor how painful it is. Those Netmarble people should've at least put up a warning, unless one of their ill customers die from a heart attack before they even play the game!

That sensational pain has truly convinced him that this game may really be under 100% realism.

Before he can even take a break, the screen in front of him flashes in pure white instantly.

"Fu***!"

The next second, he feels his conscience leaving his body as if he is drifted into a new world.

Then his vision is becoming to clear.

What he first glimpsed are numerous meteors, raining down behind a castle wall.

"Fu***!"

In the year 2051, a player entitled as "The Supreme King." An epic powerhouse existence in an MMORPG called <<<Honor Online>>>. A true genius prodigy with inhuman hand speed, but one day, due to an accident, his prized hands became severely injured, preventing him to touch the keyboard ever again.

But with the advent of the first ever VRMMORPG <<<Gloria Online>>>, his desire to play grew and resolved himself to gain the achievements he deserves.

In this second reality, the figure of a forgotten king shall rise once again to reclaim his rightful throne, with the new class. Spirit Contractor!

Sam is a lonely boy. He stays in his bedroom all week, having his food brought up to him by his neglected mother who works in several jobs in retail, construction and other shady businesses because the father of the family suddenly disappeared on all records and contacts on the day of Sam's birth, and he watches anime religiously on illegal piracy websites and reads novels on reincarnation and transmigration on Webnovel. He has no friends in school, which he misses frequently, and he doesn't socialise whatsoever in real life.
His day consists of a strict schedule which revolves around himself and his image: He wakes up at 4PM, eats, binges anime (recently binges Inter-Species Reviewers) and then reads a few chapters of his favourite webnovels before falling asleep dreaming and fantasising about the experiences he would see if he was in the protagonists' shoes, only to repeat the schedule when he wakes up. 
Unsurprisingly, this obsession and his lack of spcial interaction eventually made him delusional and egotistical. Whenever he played video games or went online, he would put on a grandiose facade and genuinely believe he was more important than anyone else. Of course, his mother picked up on this rather quickly and yet there was nothing she could do due to the fact that she couldn't afford to hire a therapist. Thus, she had to either plead with him or idly wait around and do nothing. Out of these two options, she chose to plead. However, this made things worse.
As time goes by, Sam became unknowingly aggressive and sensitive. Due to this, he only saw his mother as a nuisance and often lashed out at her, only to hear her plead louder.
Then, something snapped. Sam stood from his bed, the crimson rays shining through his curtains onto the monochrome walls and walked to his door. He opened the door and skipped to the nearest road and waited...
And then he waited some more...
And some more...
Until, in the corner of his eye, he noticed the blinding glimmer of the white paint strewn lazily over the truck. His time had come and he was overjoyed. He eyed the truck and waited for the perfect opportunity. The truck came closer and closer and then Sam leapt forward.
Immediate regret surged up on Sam's face as his face grew red like a ripe tomato and his stomach became compressed like a hydrolic press on WeTube. His life flashed before his eyes, and tears formed and welled in his eyes, forming into a river of tears filled with shame, misery, regret and self-loathe. He truly felt like he had wasted his life and could only hope that those webnovels were accurate.
And yet everything remained black.

Wow! Turns out that reincarnation does exist!

Follow the brave adventures of a little otaku who challenges even God in order to get what he wants with the help of his shady system!

(Please help me write a better synopsis, I'm bad. This is a plea for help :( )

(before I start let me just say that I'm a novice writer and my grammar is a bit of whak. So forgive me for that if you find any mistakes pls let me know. as I'm pretty sure there's a lot of it 😁, and I'm writing just for fun by the way but please let me know what you have in mind any pointers and suggestions help well enjoy.)



Arc sat on his bed thinking of what he needs to do next, he picks up a pen and paper he writes a to-do list.

# 1 an excuse for the money he would produce right now and in the future. In other words, a source of income. 

# 2 a permanent place to place his factory. The basement is not ideal for the long run.

# 3 and excuse to quit my jobs.

Hmmm, he keeps thinking about how to create an excuse for the money he gets in the currency factory machine... 

"the best I can think of is stocks. Online stocks I can always say the stocks I invested in just paying out. So I need to create an online account,"

He opens his phone and was about to check the stock exchange when he suddenly thinks of something. 

"Right I just completed a mission." said Arc in his mind.

Earlier when he built the factory he received a notification but ignores it because he was so happy and excited, now that he calms down. He opens the System and look at the mission page and saw a mission complete he clicks it on his mind. Another window appears that says rewards 50en and 1 lottery box.

He checks his energy reserved and 95en. He checked the storage page and saw the box icon that says random common lottery box... 

he read the description. 
LOTTERY BOX
receive 1 to 5 five random items from rank 5 to 2 stars... 

"So nice so generous I didn't expect to receive more than 1 item from the random lottery box. Hopefully, I'm lucky, wait!"

"nine if I open it now will I only received an item that's currently available in my store?" Arc asked.

"Random common lottery box can give you 1-5 random item from rank 5 to 2 stars in the store whether it's unlocked or not it doesn't matter..." Nine replied.

-I see, and a factory is not included?- ask Arc

Correct... 

"Well doesn't matter I still like it " Arc said in his mind.

"wait, it says common? is that mean they're more than 1 type of random lottery box?"

"that's correct, common lottery box can give you rank 5 to 2-star item, Rare lottery box can give you 1 star to 10-star items" 

"Wow! so where can I get the rare lottery box?"

"rare lottery box can be obtained from rewards on system missions."

"I see, well I guess there no use thinking about it"

he looks back at the common lottery box, and he clicks the lottery box while chanting "give me luck over and over again" 

Ding! you received
1 rank 5 health potion
1 2-Star attribute enhancement serum
1 1-star energy shield device
1 2-star guard bot
1 2-Star storage ring

"shit, I'm so lucky"

he checked the description of the guard bot

2-star Guard bot
a military VIP guard bot to protect the top and important military personnel can detect stealth energy within a 1-mile radius 
armed with lethal weapons.
List of weapon:

# 2-star mini Ck Lazer Gatling gun able to kill target I mile radius can penetrate all types of 1-star shield technology.

# 2-star multi-function stun gun.

# instant teleportation 10miles (16.09 km) radius.

Note: Can be used as a last resort as it drains all energy charges.

# ...
# ...

He smiles "this is like a mini transformer it can transform to any small item such as a bracelet or necklace and many more."

He reads all its description and the more he reads the bigger his smile.

"This is amazing I'll be using it for now, after that I'll pass it to my sisters." said Arc.

2-Star attribute serum he read the description...

"Wow, nice so it can randomly enhance my all my attribute. It doesn't say how much it can increase but since it's a 2-star serum it's bound to be good."

Storage ring shit 2-star rank storage ring. He clicks on it and a jet black plain ring appears in front of him. He checks the description,

2-Star storage ring.
# 10 million square miles in storage space
Note: time is stopped inside the storage space perfect for storing perishable goods. can auto arrange items at the owner's will.

Special features:

Automatically absorb energy and converts it to energy unit, 5en unit is produced every 10days as long as the energy shield has a 100% charge.

He keeps reading the description of the storage ring, and he was so impressed by it. 

-I hit a jackpot on this one.-

He read the 1-star rank energy shield and stop before reading the first few lines in its description... 

"With this ring, the energy shield becomes useless well maybe not that useless I can still use it as a backup."

"With this ring, my energy unit accumulation will increase. Nine, will the energy factory can still function inside the storage ring?"

"No! Energy factories need to absorb huge amounts of energy in their surroundings in order to produce energy units..." said Nine. 

"I guess as much. What about the type 1 currency factory?" Said Arc.

"Type 1 currency factory can still function inside the storage ring as it has its own energy supply..." 

"nice hahaha so how can I use this ring?"

"Just put it on."

"eh, that easy? I don't need to drop my blood or something?"

"user, you watch too much tv or read to many novels..." a synthetic voice rings in his head. 

For some reason, it sounded like the system is mocking him... 

"Just my imagination, just my imagination he repeats in his mind..."

He put the ring in his right-hand middle finger. And instantly a notification rings in his head.

A new user found. Proceeding to activation. activate? 

"Activate!" arc said in his mind. And a series of prompt appears in his mind...

Scanning new owner... 
scan complete...
Biometric registered
DNA registered...

1 minute later a burst of information appears in his mind. it surprises him He almost jumps. 

"ohh nice nice nice." he keeps saying.

He touches his pen suddenly the pen disappeared, and inside the storage ring, his pen suddenly appears with the command of his mind the pen appears again in his hand... 

"cool"

More than 500 years have passed since World war 3, A war that changes everything. 

humanity has long recovered from the effect of war, they lost some but also gains more.

But the Scars of war remains Monster, and Beast roams the Earth, and many places remain deadly because of radiations, but humanity is strong and able to persist and even surpasses their ancestors in terms of technology. 

A boy receives the greatest gift in the form of the Factory System, now everything he needs is within his grasp, he only needs to build it. Join Arc in his adventure to uncover the secret of the system and the universe.

PS. I'm doing this by myself, and I'm no expert in English so don't expect much, I'm just doing this for fun.. if you have any suggestions let me know every bit of it helps. Oh, and the cover is not mine to the owner feel free to message me if you want me to take it down thanks...

"Ah! Sister Pei Ge, you're famous now! Oh, my gosh! You're so awesome for appearing on the news today!"
Still half asleep, the loud, excited voice in her ear made her frown.
"What's the racket this early in the morning?"
She tossed her phone to the side.
"Hello, hello! Are you still there?"
The girl was still talking. Even though the phone was far from her ear now, she could still hear Qin Qitong's loud voice.
Having been disturbed from her sleep, she grabbed her phone grumpily.
"I'm still sleeping. What matters do you have…" she muttered, yawning.
"What else could be it?! Search your name and my cousin online! You two are now online celebrities! Ha ha! You've been hailed as a real-life Cinderella!" the girl excitedly chattered.
Alas, no matter how excited she was, the one she was talking to was still half asleep.
"En… en…" The other nodded dismissively, yawning with her eyes shut.
"Hello! Are you listening to me?"
At this point, the girl going gaga over the online news finally realized that the person over the phone was not paying attention to her.
"En? Ha!" Jolted awake by the girl's loud voice, Pei Ge opened her eyes and yawned.
Sigh… Having chatted late into the night with her mom yesterday, she only wanted to sleep now!
"Stop yawning already. How can you still sleep at this time?"
If one could only appear before the other right now, she would definitely grab her shoulders to shake her awake.
"Sigh… If you have something, just say it. When you're done, I'll go back to sleep."
Pei Ge closed her eyes again after saying that, as if intending to make good with her words.
"…" The girl was left speechless by that. How many times had she said it earlier, yet this woman on the other end had the nerve to ask her what had happened?
With that, she went straight to the point.
"The whole world knows that you're dating my cousin now! You've become an internet sensation, and it happened overnight! Not only are you famous, you're also the talk of the town! At this moment, everyone is talking about you in real life and online."
Pei Ge's lips twitched when she heard that, her eyes full of disbelief.
"Stop joking around this early in the morning—" She started to say, but before she could finish, the other cut her off.
"Why would I joke around with you? If you don't believe it, look at your seldom used Weibo account! After that, you'll know whether I'm lying or not!"
Her head cleared up instantly at the girl's suggestion.
Even though she still had doubts regarding the girl's words, she still decisively hung up the call and logged out of her private account and logged on to her main account, which had been inactive for almost six months.
She was stunned the moment she logged in.
Looking at the number of followers, reads, mentions, and replies, she finally understood that the girl's words were not lies!
She stared at the messages on her phone in shock. Swallowing her saliva, she was unable to wrap her mind around it.
What has happened… to the world?
Was she… actually famous? It could not be, could it?
Confused, she went to the main page of her Weibo account. Looking at the first post, which had been read hundreds of thousand of times, she opened the comments section.
[Wow! This woman is amazing! She actually snagged that cold-hearted CEO; she has my respect!]
[Tsk! Isn't it all because of her looks? If not for her pretty face, how would she catch young master Ji's eyes!]
[That doesn't sound right; I don't think he's that shallow!]
[Sister, you're so pretty—perfect for Mr. Ji! You must stay together forever!]
…
She went Sparta when she read the comments.
W-What exactly happened? Why were all these people leaving comments on her inactive Weibo account?
Pursing her lips as she took in the positive and negative comments, she frowned deeply. She had never encountered something like this before; hence, she did not know if this was a good or a bad thing.
"What's going on…" she wondered. She then thought of the news that Qin Qitong had told her about.
She quickly scrolled to the section of the hottest posts on Weibo and saw that the most-searched post was her and Ji Ziming's relationship.
[PDA! The daily life of the Ji Group's CEO and his Cinderella girlfriend!]
She blinked furiously. After staring at the words for a while, she finally took in the title 'Cinderella girlfriend'.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the post.
When she saw that her photos with the man were on public display, she took another deep breath and proceeded to read the post's content.


After a series of life-changing events, Pei Ge decides to start anew and rediscover her place in this world. She gets a new job, new friends and… a new boss whom she mistakes as a male host!

He helps her to get revenge on a back-stabbing friend, supports her when it seems that the world has given up on her, encourages her to be more confident about herself and even… messes up her blind dates!

With her strong working abilities and fiery attitude, she manages to climb up the ranks in the company (under the devious scheme of a certain CEO) and even gains a fan girl who can’t wait to be her sister-in-law.

As Pei Ge navigates through the ups and downs of office politics, family drama, finding her right partner and societal expectations, she realizes that things are not as simple as it seemed and everything she had believed in is tested…

The Big Misunderstanding:

“You asshole! Why didn’t you use protection?! I’m pregnant!”
“…It’s not mine.”
“Asshole! You actually dare to not admit it?! I gave all my firsts to you! You jerk!”
…
At the gynecologist, she read her pregnancy lab report and was stunned: Irregular period.
The man raised an eyebrow and smirked, “Didn’t you make a ruckus about being pregnant with my child? Where is the child?!”
“…” Who is scared of who? Let’s make a bet!

I hate morning rush hour. It doesn't matter how late I stay up. The heavy traffic this early in the morning never failed to wake me up. It's like an alarm clock I couldn't control.
The apartment I live in is near a busy intersection near a highway. The noise just gets worse from the music school from the other side of the highway. It's pretty far but I can easily hear someone play their trumpets this early in the morning. I don't mind it because I'm already saving money. The apartment comes cheap so I just try to block off the noise. I'm in college so maximizing my allowance was my priority.
Since I woke up, I stayed lying down on the floor without moving . In the morning, I usually read something and then put on my headphones to listen to loud music. For the afternoon, I just browse the internet to distract myself till evening. Then at the end of the day I go straight to sleep waiting for the loud beasts to wake me up again. But I don't have the leisure to do what I want now I have some other entity to deal with.
This devil is the noisiest thing in this apartment that an orchestra of trumpets or cars can never block out. Lucy, was lying down on the floor, laughing out loud as she reads my own books. This damn devil...
"Hey will you shut up!" I shouted at her. "You're too loud."
"I'm not that loud."
Annoyed from my complaint, she put down her book and looked down at me.
"You're way more annoying than some stupid cars. So shut you devil."
I gave an irritated look at her. Lucy stuck her tongue at me.
Lucy has only been here for a few days. My life so far is like as if nothing changed. My daily routine this time involves this devil. Even though I'm stuck with her, I try to make the best out of it. At first I thought it would not hurt to have someone to talk to at least. Then I realized how much worse of a roommate she can be compared to me.
I let her be. She can laugh and make all the noise she wants. I block the noise by raising the volume of my music. These headphones help me get through the mornings.
Lucy was tolerable at first but then she started to handle the leftovers of her food.
"If you're going to live here, at least clean up after yourself." I point to the pile of bags of junk food and takeout Chinese food boxes from what I ordered last night.
Since I'm too lazy to even leave the house, I've been relying on takeout food. Although it won't last me for long...
"That's what I have you for."
…
I left the pile of garbage to herself. If she's going to act like a shut-in then she's going to learn how to be one properly. But being a shut-in with someone else is a different story. It's not easy trying to be independent when you can have someone else do everything for you.
I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon playing games on my computer, reading whatever was not violated by Lucy and just lying on the floor by the window just to survive the summer heat. We spent our summer days in a routinely manner. We wake up, order food and irresponsibly spend our leisure time to pass time. Time is all we have. After all it is summer.
As the days pass by, we approach the hottest time of the summer.
Most of my time is spent on the computer. When I died, I missed a whole day's worth of work on this MMORPG I've started playing recently. Ironically playing a game called HellsCraft Online got me to meet the devil.
Since I need to save up money for food, I can't spend any on this game. Time is money. So money spent means time saved. Money not spent means I have to work for my stuff.
I've done a bunch of precautions to combat the heat. I stocked up on ice in my freezer and prepared my fan to work overtime. It's going to be running all day and night with no break. I only have one electric fan and it is small enough to satisfy one person. You would think the devil would survive the heat on her own. I thought wrong.
"Ahh."
Lucy sat in front of the fan. She exaggerated as she expressed her refreshment. I know she's overreacting.
She's purposely getting on my nerves.
By the way, don't make lewd assumptions. Just because she has the appearance of some girl doesn't take away the fact that she's the devil. I don't feel awkward that there's some sweaty looking girl sleeping in the same room as me. I'm more afraid for my life than feeling awkward. And I already experienced death before.
So there is no temptation for me at all. Even if she were to pull off some devil tricks on me.
The way I see Lucy is no different than any other person. I don't care for anyone else so I see no reason to not feel indifferent about her too.
"..."

"Hey."
Lucy was lying down on my bed. With her book in hand, she had her head upside down at the edge of the bed.
"Hey David."
"What do you want?"
I answer her without taking my hands off the keyboard.
"Get off the computer first."
"No way."
I was in the middle of having a conversation with my guildmate. I know it sounds a bit pathetic. Talking to someone online over a girl in person. But this isn't any normal person. It's the devil.
"It's a serious question."
I turned around and directly looked at Lucy.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Um… Uh… Nevermind." She was and then turned away with her face buried in her book.
"Okay." I turned back to my game.
If it's not important then I shouldn't mind it.
But deep down I know Lucy is staring behind me. No one reads a book that close to their face.
Leaving her alone will make this even more awkward. So I spoke out to her.
"What is it?"
"Oh. Uh. It's nothing. Haha. I'm perfectly fine. Don't worry about me. Mind your own business mortal!"
Lucy phased through different emotions all at once. She's really bad at hiding her emotion. Unless she's tricking me somehow.
I stared at her without saying a word.
Lucy tried to keep a straight face.
"What?!"
"Out with it."
"..."
Lucy sat up at the edge of the bed and put her book down. Her head was down but she sat up straight.
"I was wondering. Do you really mind me staying here?"
She avoided any eye contact with me.
"Of course I mind. Now get out." I say sarcastically.
"Wha- You- You can't do that!."
Lucy was flustered. She pointed her finger at me.
"Why is that?"
"I saved your life!"
"So?"
"You should be thankful you lowlife mortal!" Lucy jumped off the bed. "You should be thankful that I ask no more than to just stay at this place for a while."
"Eh." I was only joking at first...
"Hmph." Lucy crossed her arms. I was only sitting down so it seemed like she was literally looking down at me from where she was standing.
"So hypothetically." I asked. "If you never saved my life. Would I mind you staying here?" I pretended to think to myself. "I wouldn't."
"Wha-" Lucy was flustered again. "What's that supposed to mean!"
I go back to playing my game while ignoring her. I turn up the music that I was listening to and tried to type even harder to annoy her. She ended up complaining to me for the rest of the day.
Lucy could take advantage of me or use all my stuff. She would stay occupied doing whatever there is to do in this apartment. Talking with her just gives me headaches and she takes too much of my space and food.
Lucy is on par with the morning traffic or even the morning music practice across the highway.
She could even be the loudest thing in the morning. Not literally the loudest but just because she's around. Her presence is very clear in this room.
But if there was something to get out of this.
Even if it was not that much.
Maybe it is not so bad to have some company.

David is a shut-in who carelessly spends his summer without properly looking after himself.

Laziness can go too far and bring a pathetic death.

But then the devil, who calls herself Lucy, saves his life and decided to take refuge at David’s apartment.

Now David attempts to enjoy the rest of his days with a devil in his life.

"In that case I Wren Challenge you to a duel to prove my strength!" The exclamation attracts attention from the NPCs nearby.
"She's crazy challenging Hale" "she has no idea what he's up against" "the young lioness vs the lion".
A passing player notices the commotion and heads towards that direction "this looks like a scoop someone is crazy enough to challenge a high-level NPC and she's so pretty" he murmurs and starts the record function in his capsule.
"Are you sure you want to do this kid I won't go easy on you" The young man says
"Please give it your all" Wren does half a step back then a slight bow drawing a sword receiving a notification in front of him
 
[You have Challenged Hale The Snow Wolf to a duel]
Opponent level: 20
Your level: 1
Duel Difficulty: S
Reward for Winning: +1000 Fame +10 Levels
Penalty for Losing: Permanent -2 to all stats
Hidden Condition: ????
*In a duel once the target's health drops below 10% it is considered over
 
Even knowing he could potentially lose 2 to all stats he doesn't hesitate as he trusts the training that lonely old woman taught him.
Hale draws his weapons; 2 short swords with scratches and nicks all over the blades beckoning Wren to come at him.
 
Wren's feet move forward in a circular motion like a dance but heavily sped up to resemble a cyclone. With no idea what to expect from Hale he uses his fastest speed to get the drop on him but before he's in range of Wren's wooden sword Hale crouches low daggers in an upside-down grip rushing forward changing his posture.
 
He rushes closer with his daggers parallel to each other like a beast its fangs slashing them sideways at an insidious angle like a wild beast ripping into carcass.
 "Wolf Bite!" Hale uses a skill created by the supercomputer Void based on animals a simple skill for anyone with knowledge of Martial Arts to understand.
Whilst Wren surprised at such a game-like skill, he can see some derivation from skill so counteracts it in the way he would normally. Wren pulls his blade between the 2 daggers strongly hitting them up then down like a wave, knocking them off their trajectory.
[Heavy Wooden Sword has lost 10 Durability]
Losing durability on his weapon regaining his distance coming back in for another attack Wren draws his blade back before launching it forward with high speed hitting directly on Hale's chest rapid fashion with intent to burst through Hale's chest. 
[Critical Hit] 
[Target has received 3 Damage] 
"Argh!" Hale hoarsely exclaims because the intent behind the attack frightened him, with that gap Wren to complete his move doing 4 quick attacks around the area of the first one.
[Target has received 2 Damage]
[Target has received 2 Damage]
[Target has...]
Regaining his composure Hale uses the skill again "Wolf Bite: Clenching Jaws!" he separates his dagger before aligning them with the left and right of Wren's neck before snapping them together like a bite. When they're a few centimetres away from Wren's neck but Wren sporadically kicks the ground with his right foot in striking pose going backwards, the daggers miss.
Wren coming back in with a kick from his left foot Multiple sword stabs launch forth in different areas like rampaging winds hitting on Hale's upper arm, elbow and lower arm making his hand flinch almost dropping the dagger in that hand.
[Target has received 1 Damage]
[Target has received 2 Damage]
[Target has received 1 Damage]
 
Adopting a loose stance swinging his daggers like claws Hale uses a skill
"Ice Claws!"
Hitting Wren on the chest
[You have suffered 40 Damage]
[You have suffered 40 Damage]
[You have received Frostbite Status Slowed by 50% (30% + 20x level difference]
[You have resisted due to Cursed Body]
Hale took this opportunity to use a skill
"Wolf Scratch"
Hale attacks him from the right side with both daggers in a reverse grip like they're one claw noticing an imminent attack coming Wren counterattacks he launches one singular momentum gaining slash putting heavy strain on his body.
[Critical Hit]
[Target has received 5 Damage]
[You have suffered 10 Damage from backlash]
Hale's Skill lands the same time as he attacks
[You have suffered 10 Damage]
[You have Lost the duel but…]
Noticing the notification Wren immediately drops to the ground in exhaustion and pain after experiencing the pain from the fight and the mental pain of losing. His depressed mood not allowing him notice the last bit of the notification.
"You sure have trained hard girl…" he looks down to see the seemingly weak body which carries a lot of Agility and Strength looking a bit like a male's body and nods to himself. Subconsciously admitting the possibility of Wren being a male so Hale changes his address of Wren to gender neutral "You did well young master".
 
Hale clears his throat "this still means you aren't allowed to go out this gate but are more than qualified go out the gate in the opposite direction if you can find a meat shield to protect you". Hale hesitates to say what he wants to say what he wants to say but Wren's depressive expression Hale feels like he's bullying him so he drops his pride. "I'm impressed I might have lost if we were closer in levels as my technique wasn't up to par so I'll count this as a draw".
 
[Your fighting ability has left a good impression so you achieved the hidden condition]
[Hidden condition: Take 5% of Hale's HP at level 1]
[Hidden reward (hint): if you repeat and use a set of actions enough it can be converted into a skill]
 
Hearing the fact that he could not go out any other gate does not affect his mood. After all he saw no points in exploiting the loophole of going out that gate and into that area. He understood Hale's words and was aware that he was simply too weak to do this not doubting Hale's an honest man with his admittance of inferiority in technique.
 
Then he happens to notice the Hidden reward and his eyes widen at the hint this felt absolutely perfect for him with his Master's techniques imagining the possibilities. Wren reads the notification in Hale's direction showing his excited expression Hale thinking that Wren is admiring him for his magnanimity Hale laughs heartily at the feeling.
 
"This kid is a genius but they need more experience and training to match up to me" he murmurs. "Young Master agree to have a rematch 3 months later and I'll give you a recommendation letter to Stolheim Hunter Academy".
 
[Received Quest 'Rematch with Hale']
[Rematch with Hale]
Difficulty: S
Hale the Snow Wolf wants you to train at his Brother's Academy Stolheim Hunter Academy to see how much progress you can make, accepting this quest rewards you with a special recommendation letter to said academy
Quest Clear Condition: Beat Hale The Snow Wolf in a duel
Alternative Clear Condition: Get Hale The Snow Wolf to 50% HP
Quest Rewards:  ?
Quest Failure: Reset to Level 1 losing all Stats, Fame and Titles
*Reward is determined by your performance
*Hale will improve in stats and skills over time
 
"Stolheim Hunter Academy? Why would I want to go there?" Wren asks thinking this is a training school. "Don't let the name fool you it is a famous institution in these lands for training young geniuses such as yourself in combat and various crafts".
 
"Training? Nothing could ever top that Old Woman's spartan training but I am curious about the young geniuses and crafts; I want to make and wear the clothing style I'm familiar with" Wren murmurs.
 
"I accept!" Wren coolly says disregarding the challenging nature of the quest, especially after he read that hint earlier his excitement boiling over. Hale quickly writing a letter with a magical pen using the Middle-aged guard's back as a surface, handing Wren the letter.
 
The middle-aged guard who became a writing desk gasps in shock knowing the weight of this letter and puts on a look of envy wishing he could gift one to his Son. Wren reads over the quest again and the notification that he received
 
[Received Hale the Snow Wolf's recommendation letter]
 
Seeing the envious look on the Middle-aged Guard he assumes the letter has some value though he's unsure how much; he tries to put on his best warm smile and bows "Thank you" rushing away.
"Sir why did you give her that recommendation letter?" the Middle-Aged Guard asks not bothering to hide his envy and disbelief "Because I feel they have potential and I wanted to give the perfect chance to prove that to me and …herself" Hale responds curtly leaving the Middle-Aged Guard no room to interject.
The player whom recorded the exchange is surprised at the ending ready to post an edited version online creating a new online Idol who disappeared for a long time.

Wren lives off of his Mother in cold, harsh world were strength and power are paramount  

With problems present in his body he only survives under her protection when she goes missing for 2 years

His first contact with her in this time is her forcing upon him the new world of the VR game ‘New World’ 

Will ‘New World help solve his body problems? Will his Fighting and Tailoring techniques flourish?

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread and pumpkin pie." 
                                   - Jim Davis

=========================

Delilah was munching on some potato chips when Aubree dropped by at her cubicle. For once, it was a slow day where there wasn't much work to tackle on. Even if there was, it was not that urgent so Delilah can spend more time slack-- researching on the work.

"Hey D."

Turning around in her seat with her mouth full of potato chips, she blurted out, "What?"

Aubree frowned with her hands on her hips. "Didn't your parents teach you about manners? It's rude to talk with your mouth full."

Delilah swallowed her food and wiped her mouth with her napkin. "Sorry, my bad. I didn't realize how rude my manners were since it's just you. I got used to it."

Aubree rolled her eyes. "Anyway, want to go down to the lobby with me? Ashlynn is here."

"Ohhhh…" Delilah said slowly, her face showing a bit of surprise. It has been awhile since she last saw Ashlynn. Nearly a year if she counted. 

Ashlynn was an ex-employee who used to work in Kang Company before she was hired to work in a government office. (See chapter 8).

"What is she doing here?" Delilah asked, confused as to why Ashlynn was here. It was not that Delilah did not welcome her here but wasn't she supposed to be working at this hour? It was still 3 PM in the afternoon. It was not the time to go home just yet.

Aubree headed towards the stairs that lead to the ground floor and said, while walking, "Nothing. She's here to send me the cakes that I have ordered from her sister."

From what Delilah could remember, Ashlynn's sister, indeed, has an online business where she sells her homemade cakes. Delilah had tasted one of her sliced cakes before and it was delicious. Aubree used to buy them a lot back then and then she stopped. It looked like she was back to ordering them again.

Coming to the lobby, the two women saw a lone woman sitting at one of the sofas. On her lap was a white box, tied with a pink ribbon. When the woman saw them approaching, she placed the box beside her on the sofa and stood up with a huge smile. 

"Aubree! Delilah!" she greeted, opening her arms for a hug.

Aubree immediately walked over to give her a hug. "Ashlynn! It's been so long! How are you?" she asked politely.

Ashlynn laughed softly. "I'm doing good. How about you?"

"I'm good too."

Ashlynn then turned to Delilah and gave her a hug too. And then she suddenly froze. She then started to touch Delilah; on her hips, her arms, her back, much to Delilah's surprise.

Delilah immediately pushed Ashlynn away and covered her body with both of her arms. She stared at her with wide eyes, as if she was scared that Ashlynn was going to 'harass' or 'molest' her again. "What the heck are you doing?" she exclaimed in shock.

Ashlynn's eyes narrowed as she studied Delilah, looking at her from top to bottom. "D...." she said slowly, her hand underneath her chin, looking as if she was thinking.

Delilah took a step back, trying to hide from Ashlynn's wandering gaze and hands. "Yes…" she said slowly.

Ashlynn suddenly stood up straight, both of her fists on her hips. "Did you just gain weight?"

Aubree just raised her eyebrows and looked over at Delilah. Delilah, on the other hand, just stared at her. "What do you mean?" she shrieked, looking down at her body.

"You seem like you've been gaining weight since the last time I saw you." Ashlynn then turned to Aubree. "Don't you think so?" she asked.

Aubree shrugged. "I see her nearly everyday. I wouldn't have noticed whether she's gotten fat or not," she replied casually.

Ashlynn nodded. "True true!" she agreed.

"Nooooooooooo!" Delilah denied vehemently. She covered her face, as if she was in agony and pain. "I do eat a lot of snacks recently," she reluctantly admitted.

She then tugged on her blouse and continued, "No wonder my clothes are getting tighter. I thought it shrunk or something."

Both Ashlynn and Aubree just rolled their eyes.

Delilah clenched both of her fists and said, "I'm going to control my snackings now! Just you all wait and see!"

----

The next week.

Delilah was typing on her computer while munching on a green apple when Aubree walked past her cubicle. Watching her eat, Aubree cocked an eyebrow and knocked on her cubicle.

Delilah turned around, still munching on the apple.

"Eating healthy, are we?" Aubree teased.

Delilah swallowed before giving Aubree a pout. "Stop teasing me. At least, support me, you bish," she scolded.

Aubree just laughed and waved her goodbye as she went to her cubicle.

Few minutes before working hours ended, Delilah had rushed over to the restroom with a sports bag. And soon after that, she walked out, no longer wearing her casual office clothes, but in sports attire.

Aubree was about to leave the office when she saw Delilah looking motivated and pumped up in her sports attire. "Where are you headed to?" she asked.

"I'm going to the stadium. I'm going to go jogging there."

Aubree nodded. "Alright then. Be careful back there."

"I will. Thanks!"

----

Aubree had entered her room at her home when her mobile phone beeped. Looking down at her phone in her hand, she saw a text message from Delilah. Swiping right to open the message, she let out a laugh when she saw the image sent by Delilah. It looked like she had sent several images to Aubree.

For the first picture, Delilah had sent a selfie of herself, standing in front of the stadium. The message reads, 'I'm hereeee!'. The second picture was of a red track, which leads to the stadium. It looked like a long track as the stadium looked smaller, indicating the distance between Delilah and the stadium. The message reads, 'Ugh. I'm so tired!'. And the last picture was of several food trucks lined nearby the stadium. The message reads, 'OMG! No, D! You can resist this!'.

Aubree laughed again when she read the last message. She quickly shot a reply to Delilah. 'You can do it, D! I'll see you tomorrow!'

Shaking her head in bemusement, Aubree placed her phone on her vanity table before heading to her bathroom to take a shower.

----

It was a few minutes before the sun was about to set when Delilah finally arrived at home, feeling tired and sticky. She immediately went straight to her room, wanting to take a shower. However, before she could enter her room, Miya yelled from the kitchen. "D! Come on down for dinner later! It will be ready in a few minutes."

"So early?" Delilah yelled back, as she stood at the top of the staircase, her hand on the banister.

"Yeah! Dad is going out for a company dinner so it's just us! I'm cooking early because I got some markings to finish off." 

Miya worked as a primary school teacher in one of the government schools. She was known as a strict teacher, which was the opposite of herself, compared to her at home. She has been working as a teacher, even before she got married. So she has years of experience when it comes to teaching. 

"Alright!"

Shortly after, Delilah walked into the kitchen, looking freshly showered with her hair covered with a towel. 

Miya was already sitting at the kitchen table, with Kael in his baby chair and his father sitting beside him. Delilah sat across them and grabbed an empty plate. She scooped some rice onto her plate and saw that Miya had cooked some 'Kangkung tumis' [1]. 

Delilah grinned. "Oh, one of my favourites!" she exclaimed as she scooped a generous amount of 'kangkung tumis' onto her plate.

"That's all you'll be eating?" Miya asked as she glanced at Delilah's plate.

"Yes, I'm controlling my intake now."

Miya rolled her eyes. "Right," she said sarcastically, not believing her.

"Say what you will but I am," Delilah protested. 

She then grabbed a magazine for her read while eating. Reading the articles inside, she munched on the 'kangkung tumis'. Biting the crispy stalks of the water spinach, it tasted soft yet crunchy. The water spinach was actually slightly sweet on its own. But together with the flavours from the 'belacan' [2], dried shrimps, shallots, garlic and chili, it was made more tasty, letting out a strong umami flavour. Despite the strong fishy smell, Delilah still could overcome the aroma. When she ate it together with a spoonful of rice, she loved how the rice mixed together with the juices from the stir-fried water spinach, bursting with flavours in her mouth. The crunchy stalks of the water spinach was addicting, especially when she ate it all, together with the leaves. 

Reading an article in the magazine on healthy eating, one phrase caught her eyes. It reads, 'Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread and pumpkin pie'. 

Crunching on the stalks of the water spinach (Kangkung), she scoffed as she read. "He forgot to add 'Kangkung tumis' to the list."

-----

[1] Stir-fry water spinach

[2] Shrimp paste or shrimp sauce is a fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp or krill mixed with salt, and then fermented for several weeks (Taken from Wikipedia).

Life as an HR officer isn't easy. 

Delilah faces everyday struggles like any other office worker, but are they enough to hinder her chance to enjoy life? Thankfully, good food is always there to save the day.

=======

Every Saturday, 8PM GMT+8. Once a week.

Please do not kill the author if you are feeling hungry from reading this. It is advised that readers should eat and drink before reading this novel. Thank you.

=======

All the characters and places in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

=======

Cover-page made by @blackmaya

=======

If you would like to see pictures of the foods that were described in the novel, come and join my foodie server! Meet other foodies as well! Here is the link to the server! Hope to see you there! 

https://discord.gg/uwE9yeF

Avery

Class is almost over but I feel like it'll never end. I'm so tired of living the same day over and over again. I pull out my phone and check my notifications. Blah, blah, blah. Nothing interesting. My phone buzzes with a new notification. I expect it to be school trash as it often is. The alert reads bright and bold 'Amino! Someone has replied to your comment! Click to find out who!' My eyes light up. I press the banner and my screen fills with the title page of the app. 

"Thanks! ;)" 

I laugh out loud. That kind of nervous, happy laugh. I've known about him for a 8 hours and started to watch his drawings and other things he posted online but I never expected him to answer me in the comments. I wonder what he's doing right now. I click on his profile and tap on the banner that says 'Invite to Private Chat'. I can't wait to-

'Miss Avery? Is that a phone I see?' I glance up. Well crap.

                                                                                         ---

'Avery this is a serious offence! In the middle of a test you whipped out your phone and decided to use it! Not only are you meant to hand in your phones in the start of the day you lied and told us that you hadn't taken your phone out and decided to play dumb when we accused you!' my headmistress yells. She sits down in her seat. Her thighs spilling out of the chair, 'what am i supposed to do Avery?' she stares at me.

 I stare back blankly, 'is this a rhetorical question or...' She glares at me. I could not tell you what it meant for the life of me so I just get up and grab my bag. Before I leave and turn around and say, 'do what you will Miss Apple but remember this. I will come back,' I press my hands down on her desk,' and I will continue this rein, of ever lasting pain and glory and I will make you regret whatever it is that you have planned.' She looks like shes trying to blow off me head. I turn back around to the door. 

'Using your phone is a serious offence in this school. But threatening someone is an offence in COURT.' My hand hovers over the handle. 'Miss Avery, I'm afraid I'm going to have to call in your parents to discuss something.'

'Discuss what?' I mutter bored. They won't come. Not unless I can't come to school.

She smiles, eyes bright, she's practically glowing,'Your expulsion.'

Well crap.

Connected by the internet? Who can you trust? When you hit it off with someone online how do you handle it? Lukas meets a girl online and they start dating but how does he break it to his parents that he’s already in a relationship? Meanwhile on the other side of the planet a girl is very good at disguising her personality...

It's pretty late now, —for everyone else, not for her—she hasn't gone to sleep yet. She has too much artistic and creative sense that she stays awake most of the nights.

She often thinks in that way of rubbish thinking, just to feel better. Actually she knows that's not true. She can't sleep because she's got an insomnia. 

When she was in high school, she used to be one of those people who tends to fall asleep in the middle of a conversation. As a grown-up, she is someone who has a hard time trying to fall asleep at night. 

It's a waste of time to try to fall sleep so she does something —something to relax or something useful — during those hours. She reads. She paints. She writes. She listens to music, often classical and slow rock .

And, tonight, she feels like reading every bad critique review online. She was pretty sure that isn't making her relax. Instead, that's making her tense and making her more and more obsessed with that, with every passing minute.

She is even reading the tabloids. Normally, only literature sites and international news sites write about her works. And now the tabloids are writing about them—a lot are criticizing ruthlessly.

They've got on her nerves, and she's started muttering her feedbacks. 

"Woah...they think it's so easy to write a bestselling book!" Why don't they write themselves then?

"What?!The love scenes are as if written by a robot?!" What is so bad about robots? Robots are the best.

"What?! Hannah Lee seems to need an actual experience to write romance?!" No. She doesn't.

They are evening telling her what she should and shouldn't do in her personal life. What do they know? it is pretty absurd to date someone in real life to include a few romance parts in her books.

"I am a genius! I can make up theories about everything...including so-called love." Everything is about technique and structure. Love is a psychological trick.

Let's take a break for a minute, her mouth is getting dry for shouting her egoistic opinions consistently. She gets up to drink a glass of water.
 
Getting back, she continues to scroll through the tabloids. Out of the blue, a news suggestion pops up. She's already read the title unconsciously before trying to close the news.
The title is bolded and the font is huge. It says;

"A Certain Male Celebrity Running Along A Beach, Totally Naked!!!"

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