A hissing sound was heard as several hooks and sensor suits inside the capsule device were released. Leon took off the helmet he was wearing, and as his eyes adjusted, something was suddenly thrown at him.
"Bah!" Lily exclaimed, startling him.
"Wait!" Leon yelled, taken aback by Lily's face appearing right in front of him.
Lily let out a light giggle at his startled reaction.
"The room is pretty dark, and I'm still adjusting my eyes. You popping up suddenly really caught me off guard," he said.
"It seems you're quite serious about playing the game," she said, smiling.
"Did I interrupt your game time? Do you want to keep playing?".
Leon glanced at Lily, still trying to catch his breath after being tickled by her.
"Do you enjoy torturing me like that, Lily? I can't stand being tickled, especially on my stomach. Can't you tickle somewhere else instead?"
Lily blushed and fell silent after hearing his comment. "Leon, you're such a pervert!" she exclaimed. "I promise I won't tickle you anymore."
"No, I mean, not on my stomach. It's too much for me to handle."
Leon stepped out of his room, with Lily following closely behind him. She asked with a light chuckle, "What were you doing in the game earlier? I couldn't help but notice the smile on your face. Were you flirting with a woman? Did you manage to find yourself a virtual girlfriend?"
"No, I'm not smiling because of a woman," he said, but then he paused. "But yes, I admit, I smiled because of a woman, but not a girlfriend."
"Woah..." Lily exclaimed. "Tell me more about her. Is she pretty? Is she attractive?" She jogged to keep up with Leon, who had started walking towards the dining table.
Leon sat down, his eyes widening in appreciation at the dish Lily had prepared. The mouth-watering aroma of the meat soup made his stomach growl. He glanced back at Lily, snapped out of his trance by her question.
"Uhm… She is the princess of a kingdom. She's an NPC, a virtual character," he replied, but then he remembered how real the experience had felt inside Immortal Legacy.
"Even though it's hard to tell the difference between the real world and the virtual game, one gets completely immersed when entering that virtual world," he said. "You should try it next time, Lily."
"Tell me more, Leon," Lily said with a curious expression. "About the princess? Is she wearing a fancy dress? Did you meet her because she was in an enchanted sleep and needed someone to wake her up? Or was she thrown out of the palace by her stepmother? Do you have a special relationship with the princess?"
"No!" Leon replied. "She wears battle armor and carries a sword. She fights and beheads people. Her hair is red, and her expression is fierce. Then, suddenly, she appeared in front of me, and her knights almost captured and threw me into prison."
"Why would a princess suddenly want to throw you in prison? Were you acting inappropriately or intending to abuse her? You're not that perverted in the game, are you?" she asked.
"It was just a misunderstanding, and luckily I didn't get into serious trouble."
Lily chuckled at his enthusiastic response, and they soon began to eat their dinner.
"You like beef stew, don't you?"
Leon wasted no time, eagerly taking a spoonful of the steaming meat soup. His eyes closed as he savored the flavor.
"This is so good, Lily. I love it."
They continued to eat their dinner, engaging in small talk every now and then.
"I heard you can taste the food in that game. Is that true, Leon?"
"Yes," Leon nodded, his mouth still full of food.
"That's what they say. Unfortunately, I've only had the chance to try the less-than-satisfactory cheap and leftover pastries. They say paradise is offered in Immortal Legacy, but you can't get it for free. You have to work hard and pay for it. Despite that, it still feels like a magical experience. We can really taste the food in the game, but it doesn't fill us up. So, we still have to eat instant noodles outside of the game," he said, finishing with a chuckle.
"Eat without being full and not getting fat? Isn't that everyone's dream? I'm starting to get interested in Immortal Legacy; it really does seem like paradise," she said with a chuckle.
"You need a capsule device to log into the game, Lily," Leon said, pausing for a moment as he imagined all the things he could do in-game, including making vast amounts of money with the blessing he had received from the Goddess Akidia.
"But don't worry, I'll buy a new device for you to use if you're really interested in playing the game."
"Hearing this story from you is enough for me. You don't have to go that far; after all, I know that the price of a capsule device is very expensive. Don't worry. I can wait until I can earn my own money."
Leon had received his capsule device from an anonymous source, leaving him uncertain about their identity and purpose. Nevertheless, he was acutely aware of how expensive the device was.
He had to work tirelessly at his part-time job to finance his tuition fees, which was already a significant burden for him. For Lily, purchasing a similar capsule device seemed like an impossible luxury at this point in time.
The television in the corner of the room remained on, broadcasting a news show that neither of them paid much attention to; however, at that moment, there was a short segment on Immortal Legacy.
"Viewers," the presenter announced, "it's time for us to show what's happening in Immortal Legacy!"
"Recently, there have been some peculiar happenings among Immortal Legacy players," the presenter remarked. "There's something that players have been doing that is sure to bring a chuckle."
"This footage was recorded near the Shrine of Regeneration, a popular gathering place for players to rest and replenish their resources."
Lily, who had been discussing the same topic with Leon just moments before, glanced at the television with curiosity.
"Look, Leon, the player is being chased by others, and he's not wearing any clothes!" Lily exclaimed, trying to stifle her laughter as she pointed at the screen.
Leon, startled by her words, stopped eating and turned to look at the television. To his surprise, he saw a video of himself!
"That's... me!" he muttered, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.
Lily couldn't stop laughing as she watched the video on the screen.
"Broken... what a cute name," she said. "He was running around in his underwear, fighting other players."
"Broken?" She repeated, furrowing her brow in thought. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"
She turned to Leon. "Hey, what's your gamer name again? I forgot."
"Bro..." Leon paused for a moment before answering, "Bromance. That's my gamer name."
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"Bromance?"
Lily paused, considering Leon's response. Then it hit her—Broken was Leon's gaming alias. She had heard him mention it before, but she hadn't quite understood why he'd been running around in the game wearing only his underwear.
She remembered it vividly, even recalling how "Broken" was written on the capsule he had used.
Had Leon almost been killed by a princess because of some misunderstanding?
Lily figured that Leon was probably staying in the game to sort out this issue with the princess. She realized she needed to understand more about what was going on; maybe the game wasn't as idyllic and carefree as she had once imagined.
The two of them continued to chat casually at the dining table, discussing all the events happening in Immortal Legacy while the television played in the background.
"Many of my classmates also play Immortal Legacy," she said. "They say they have a Rare-Grade spirit. Is that a good thing, Leon? Because they seem really proud of it."
"Rare?" Leon replied with a smile. "In the ranking system, it goes Common, Rare, Elite, Epic, Unique, and then Legendary. So, Rare is just the second grade after Common—not really something to brag about. Now, if they had an Epic grade, that would be worth boasting about. And even more so with Unique grades, which are still incredibly rare in the game."
"Hm..." Lily replied, nodding.
On the television broadcast, a young boy, appearing to be around fifteen years old, stood next to a reporter. His face was filled with apprehension, and he kept glancing nervously at the reporter, who was dressed as a mage with her robe slightly open at the chest.
"Viewers, today we'll be discussing a topic that's been causing quite a stir in the Dissidia Kingdom," the reporter began. "Recently, there's been a drastic increase in player killer activity in this area, and there are even reports that several NPCs have become victims."
She then gestured to the boy beside her, passing him the microphone. "With us here is someone who claims to have witnessed one of these player killers. Could you please tell us more about what you saw?"
The boy hesitated, still looking a bit dazed, before finally gathering himself and turning to face the camera.
"Ah, yes," he stammered, "I just made a contract with a spirit. I'm pretty proud of it because it's a Rare grade with a light element."
"Can you tell us about the player killer?"
"Oh, right, sorry," the boy said, his face stiffening. "I was on my way to the Shrine of Regeneration when I saw a player killer in the distance. He was... running around naked, chasing anyone who got close to him. I saw it, and I just froze up. Now I'm really traumatized; I think I'm going to stop playing this game after this. Please catch that mentally ill man. He really acts like a psycho, killing his victims for fun."
"Alright," the reporter said. "So you're saying this player killer is attacking without any armor? He's completely unprotected?"
"Yes," the boy confirmed. "That man's face is still burned into my mind, and I'm really scared of the world now. It looks like I'll have to take my mother's advice and quit playing this game."
"And what did you see after that?"
"After that, I ran as fast as I could. I didn't look back, but I could hear the screams of other players. I don't know what happened to them. It was terrifying."
"Did you see what happened after that?" the reporter asked.
"Well, I was scared out of my mind, but I felt like I had to make sure the other players were okay. So, I gathered my courage and went back," he explained. "The player killer had only managed to take down one player. Then, Princess Alora showed up with her knights, and I was... awestruck by her beauty."
"Oh, so Princess Alora came and captured the player killer?"
"I still remember how beautiful and amazing she looked," the boy said. "I've decided to keep playing this game because, when I saw her, I was instantly smitten. I'm determined to become a strong player and... marry her one day. I just know she's destined to be my wife."
"Alright," The reporter said, forcing a smile. "We've gathered information about player killers from various sources, and what we've learned from our friend here has only deepened our curiosity.
"Why would someone be running around bare-chested, attacking other players? We hope you continue to enjoy Immortal Legacy, but remember—if you ever encounter a player without body armor, be cautious and alert others. They may be dangerous. That's all for today. See you soon!"
Lily chuckled as she watched the news report on the television. "Don't tell me, the guy they were talking about, is that you? Because I'm sure Broken is your gamer name, right?"
Leon grinned widely, unable to keep his secret any longer. "I lost my armor by mistake, Lily. They ambushed me, attacking from all sides, while I fought them alone.
"So I had to fight back. I was the one being attacked, not them. Suddenly, the princess showed up."
"Are you sure you're not in a serious situation, Leon?"
"Haha," Leon chuckled. "No need to worry, Lily. I've just been granted tremendous power by a deity, a Goddess, and with it, I'll likely be playing the game more often from now on. I think I'm going to make a lot of progress with the new ability I was given."
"It seems I just heard some amazing news. So, you not only met a beautiful princess but also a Goddess? A real Deity? Did you meet her face-to-face in the game? Is she also pretty? Oh my goodness, I can only imagine what kind of Immortal Legacy would create the figure of a goddess. I'm really curious, Leon..."
Leon laughed. "Yes, I met a Goddess face-to-face in the game. She was incredibly beautiful, even more so than the princess. It was a surreal experience. She bestowed upon me special abilities that will help me a lot in the game."
"Tell me more, Leon! What did she look like? What was the ability she gave you? Who is more beautiful, the princess or the goddess?"
"I believe they are both incredibly beautiful, Lily. You might find a visual of Princess Alora on the internet since she often appears in front of players. But if you're looking for a visual of Goddess Akidia, I'm probably the only one who has seen her so far."
Lily's face lit up with curiosity. "Woah... It seems I've heard some very valuable news."
Leon let out a small laugh. "I have no classes tomorrow, so I plan on spending the night playing the game. Thanks for the dinner, Lily. Next time, I'll take you out to a restaurant of your choice."
After helping Lily with the dishes, Leon went online to investigate the buzz about him running around in Immortal Legacy without a shirt. As expected, it was a hot topic, and many people were discussing it.
Additionally, the topic of player killers who attacked without clothing was also widely discussed. As Leon read further, he noticed a comment that seemed to be from someone he knew.
[Booba: "You fool, why are you mocking my friend with no remorse? Don't you have any empathy? It's tragic that he's only been able to reach level 25 in one year. He needs emotional support, not to be cruelly bullied like you are doing."]
[MilfEnjoyer: "Hey you, doesn't that mean your friend is a player killer? Tell him to stay away from Immortal Legacy because if I see him in the game, I will definitely kill him. Don't forget my gamer name—I'm a level 97 talented warrior, MilfEnjoyer!"]
Leon sighed as he read through the comments, shaking his head in frustration. "I don't think you're helping me one bit here, Booba," he muttered.
With a sigh, he closed the internet and immediately logged back into the game.
Leon’s out there fighting against the odds, and so are we!
If you’re rooting for him, let’s power him up with a Golden Ticket!
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