Chapter 97

Chapter 97: The Game Dream

Opening her eyes, the first thing Yiwen saw was bright sunlight. Strangely, it didn’t hurt to look at—she could even make out faint pixelation on the sun’s surface.  

Climbing out of a haystack that looked like a 3D model, Yiwen immediately recognized where she was.  

Quibi Village—one of the starting towns in “The Best Game Ever.” 

In this game, death meant losing all equipment and levels, respawning randomly in a beginner village.  

Yiwen had paid ten bucks to lock her spawn point near Mi Xiaoliu’s for co-op convenience.  

But Mi Xiaoliu, ever the cautious player, hadn’t spent a dime. In League, she’d hug her tower after taking a single hit, rushing Guardian Angel first like her life depended on it.  

Muttering, Yiwen pulled up her status screen—though no complex UI appeared at the edges of her vision, she instinctively knew how.  

Yiwen Skrek / Silence Lamoret  

Level: 1  

Gender: Female  

HP: 75/75  

ATK: 10  

…  

Basic stats.  

But beneath them, more information sprawled:  

Songs Composed by Silence: 

– Music Bar [Recommend Some Modern Pop Songs]  

  – Comment #26: Can I self-promo?  

  – User: Rookie Singer | Posted: March 28, 2126 

– Bilibili Video: [Newbie’s Original Song]  

  – User: Silence Isn’t Silent | Posted: March 28, 2126

– Bilibili Video: [Clarifying the Rescue Incident]  

  – User: Silence Isn’t Silent | Posted: January 12, 2128  

And so on.  

Every digital footprint Yiwen had ever left—comments she didn’t even remember posting—was laid bare. 

Worse, the game’s design meant this info was public. Anyone could uncover her secret identity as Silence.  

Her gaming fervor evaporated instantly.  

Wait—why am I here? This had to be the game world. 

The art style screamed low-budget 3D anime.  

She’d been playing with Mi Xiaoliu, then Mom confiscated their phones… After dinner, she’d showered (Door locked, no free shows for the boys) and gone to bed.  

Oh. This is a dream.  

Her foggy mind cleared slightly.  

But realizing it was a dream didn’t wake her. The clarity faded just as fast, replaced by memories of the game.  

All that remained was the urge to play. Because games existed to be played.  

Leaving the haystack, she followed a path to a ravaged village. Even she could navigate this distance.  

The first hut on the right held the sole survivor—this spawn point’s tutorial NPC.  

Yiwen kicked the door open.  

Unlike the game’s usual mechanics (Where doors auto-opened), here you had to sprint-kick them. Part of the tutorial.  

The shabby interior didn’t matter. This wasn’t a permanent location.  

From under the bed crawled the village chief—a perfectly healthy man labeled disabled. His art style clashed violently with Yiwen’s.  

Clutching a sword, he bawled:  

“O Hero! You’ve come! As you see, the Demon King’s army attacked! They took my daughter—please save her!”  

“How?” Yiwen asked aloud.  

The game usually gave dialogue options. Now, it didn’t.  

“Ah, empty-handed, you cannot defeat them!” The chief gritted his teeth. “This is my family heirloom. I’d never part with it… but now, it’s yours! Treat it well!”  

Obtained: [The Village’s Finest Sword – Rapeseed Destroyer].  

Her unconventional reply skipped chunks of scripted dialogue.  

“Fear not. A blade is a hero’s truest companion,” Yiwen recited the game’s preset line.  

(Lie. Her first move post-tutorial would’ve been dismantling this junk for materials.)  

Next, leftover mooks attacked—the combat tutorial.  

Instead of the intended heavy attack lesson, Yiwen threw the sword, killing one instantly. An improvised tactic the game hadn’t programmed.  

Now free to explore, she wasn’t ready for the open-world multiplayer zone yet.  

First, she recalled a hidden shield in the village outskirts’ bushes. But reaching for it triggered a backstab from a juvenile troll.  

(Not the little freeloader at her house—a real troll.)  

Wild Child Appeared!  

Normally, spamming the dodge button avoided his two-meter-wide pebble projectile.  

But no buttons existed here. She had to physically dodge.  

She failed.  

PAIN.  

Yiwen Has Fallen. Level: 2.  

Respawning, she repeated the chief’s quest, reclaimed the sword, then ambushed the troll by a cliff.  

Kick.  

+1 Level.  

Shield secured, her journey truly began.  

But before the multiplayer zone, a scripted event awaited: a magic beast ambush, followed by rescue from a Cactus Beastman who’d join her party.  

Gale Wolf Appeared!  

Forewarned, Yiwen dodged flawlessly—unlike the game’s forced knockdown cutscene.  

“Fear not! I’ll aid you!”  

Cactus Beastman Arrived!  

The wolf’s DEF 99 instantly plummeted to 9 for plot convenience.  

Yiwen soloed the wolf!  

The Cactus Beastman, who’d done nothing but yell, patted her shoulder with his spiked hand: “See? My strength is peerless.”  

PAIN.  

HP -200.  

Yiwen Has Fallen. Level: 3.  

Third try, same routine. Troll kicked, wolf slain.  

Then she stabbed the Yiwen mid-monologue.  

“Ghk—!?” The Cactus Beastman spat green juice, betrayed. “Why… I trusted you…”  

Cactus Beastman Defeated!  

Level Up: 7!  

Title Obtained: [You Absolute Scum]  

– Effect: NPC affinity -90%  

– Note: Cannot remove. Override with other titles.  

……  

“Morning, Xiaoliu.”  

Jolted awake by her alarm, Yiwen hastily dressed and tamed her bedhead with a wet comb.  

Unsurprisingly, Mi Xiaoliu was already at the table, schoolbag ready, eating breakfast.  

Aside from Raven, she was the earliest riser. Yiwen only bothered to greet her.  

So tired… Slept early, so why?  

She vaguely recalled a disgusting dream, but the details escaped her.  

At the table, Yiwen noted Mi Xiaoliu’s head bobbing—equally sleep-deprived.  

Circle (Quanquan), perched on her head, mimicked the motion, baffled but committed.  

“Up all night gaming, huh? That’s addiction for you. Keep this up, and your mom will cry.” Raven scolded while pouring Mi Xiaoliu wake-up tea—aiming the reprimand at Yiwen.  

Mi Xiaoliu didn’t hear a word. She slumped against Raven, fast asleep.  

Guess she’s really exhausted.