Chapter 2: Getting Started
Created by: Yang ChomNurng
Written by: Yang ChomNurng
The next morning, after a well-rested sleep, Li Liu woke up. He walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face thoroughly. Having eaten well the previous night and cleaned himself, he slept deeply, leaving his face looking much more refreshed. The dark circles under his eyes—which looked like a panda's the night before—had faded significantly, restoring his handsome appearance.
He walked downstairs and saw his parents and younger sister waiting to eat breakfast together. Seeing this scene warmed Li Liu's heart, making him feel that his long-lost happiness had finally returned.
"I need to execute my plan quickly so I can ensure my family lives like this forever," he thought to himself.
Breakfast was full of joy. Little Luo'er kept teasing her big brother as usual, a sight that brought great happiness to their parents, who loved seeing how close the two siblings were.
(Author's Note: Li Liu's parents are named Li Qun Yu and Hong Xue. From here on, I will simply refer to them as "father" and "mother" to make it easier to remember, as many new characters will be introduced later. I want to keep character names straightforward so you don't forget them as the story progresses.)
After breakfast, Li Liu said to his mother, "Mom, I need to go out for a moment. I'll be back in about half an hour."
His mother replied, "That's fine. Go quickly, but come back soon as well." After speaking, she headed to the back room to clean the house.
Having received his mother's permission, Li Liu changed his clothes, grabbed his motorcycle, and rode toward the parcel collection center. Today was the day his pre-ordered VR Headset arrived. He arrived at the pickup location, verified his phone number, picked up the package, and returned home. By then, it was already around 10:00 AM.
The game would not go live in the morning; its servers were scheduled to open tonight at 10:00 PM. Today was December 30th, the eve of the New Year—and also the exact night Secret World was set to launch.
At Li Liu's house, the family prepared a small celebration. Li Liu and Li Luo'er enjoyed another delicious meal with their mother on this New Year's Eve. Across the city, beautiful resorts and shopping malls were decorated with vibrant lights. Fireworks were set up to launch into the sky, and crowds prepared for the seconds-long countdown into the new year.
Every district was filled with colorful light displays. People of all ages walked around, buying gifts and souvenirs. As 11:59 PM approached, the countdown was about to begin. Li Liu, Li Luo'er, Li Qun Yu, and Hong Xue were out walking together at a festive fair. The family enjoyed the beautiful sight, while little Luo'er kept asking for snacks and cute stuffed toys.
With only 10 seconds left before 2082 arrived:
10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Fireworks exploded across the sky in brilliant colors. The family of four stood together, gazing up at the spectacular display. It marked the start of a new year, a new life, and a new beginning.
The next morning arrived. Li Liu woke up early to pack his belongings, as today was the day he would move to Zone Aand enroll in the high school there.
Seeing her big brother packing to leave, little Luo'er started crying and pleaded, "Big Brother, don't go! If you leave, who will play with little Luo?"
Li Liu looked at his sister's tearful face and gently patted her head. He knew she didn't have many friends because she spent most of her time reading manga rather than playing outside.
Rubbing her head softly, he reassured her, "Big Brother will come visit you often, or I'll bring you to live with me very soon. Don't worry, I promise I'll bring our entire family to live together in Zone A."
He gently wiped away Li Luo'er's tears and carried his luggage downstairs, making sure his VR Headset was packed safely inside his suitcase. His parents were waiting below.
"Mom, Dad, I'm heading to Zone A now. Please take good care of yourselves while I'm away," Li Liu said.
Seeing their son care so much for them, his father smiled and said, "Don't worry about us. There are three of us here, we'll be just fine. Just focus on your studies." Li Qun Yu and Hong Xue shared a warm, smiling look.
Meanwhile, Li Luo'er clung to Li Liu's leg, pouting angrily at her parents. "Mom! Dad! Why aren't you stopping him? If he leaves, who's going to play with me? Mom, are you really driving Big Brother away?!"
His parents looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. Hong Xue walked over, picked Li Luo'er up from Li Liu's leg, and chuckled. "He's going to school to study, dear, not going away to play."
After their goodbyes, his parents walked him to the bus stop. Before boarding, Li Liu gave his parents and sister one last tight embrace. As he stepped onto the bus, he resolved in his heart:
"I will do whatever it takes to bring my family back together. I won't let us be separated like in my past life. Heaven has given me a second chance, and I will use it to protect my entire family."
Two hours later, he arrived in Zone A—the region built for elites and the wealthy. Getting off the bus, he hailed a motorized rickshaw (tuk-tuk) to head toward a rental housing area. From his past life, he remembered a neighborhood with reasonably cheap rent, where his current savings could easily last him two to three years.
Thirty minutes later, he reached the apartment complex. He walked inside and spoke to the receptionist, "I'd like to rent a room with a decent living environment."
The receptionist checked the system and replied, "Yes, sir. We actually have only one room left."
Hearing this, Li Liu smiled inwardly. He recognized the room number—it was the exact same room he had lived in during his previous life, the place he called home for many years.
"I'll take it," Li Liu said without hesitation.
This area was reasonably priced for his budget. After discussing the details with the staff, he signed the lease. The rent was only $50 per month—the cheapest rate available in the area.
Stepping into the room, a sense of comfort and nostalgia washed over him. The unit contained a small bed, a cooking corner, and a bathroom. While not overly spacious, it was perfectly sized for a single person, equipped with decent furniture suitable for average living. It was clear the room hadn't been occupied in a while, so Li Liu spent about half an hour thoroughly cleaning and tidying up until it was spotless.
Afterward, he went downstairs to have lunch. The meal was hearty, featuring a generous portion of meat and vegetables.
Upon finishing his meal, he returned to his room to rest. By the time he settled down, it was already around 8:00 PM—just 2 hours left before Secret World officially opened its servers. This was the perfect moment for him to prepare his entry into this incredible new world.
He organized his belongings, turned off the lights, locked the door, and checked that everything in the room was in order. After drinking a glass of water, he walked over to the bed. The setup was simple: a firm mattress, a soft pillow, a bolster, and a blanket.
He sat on the soft bed and pulled out his VR Headset.
"I've waited so long for this moment... Secret World, I'll be seeing you very soon."
10:00 PM arrived.
This marked the official beginning of a grand adventure for a master marksman.
Li Liu placed the VR Headset onto his head and lay back onto his mattress. Taking a few deep breaths, he launched the Secret World system program.
[System Initializing... Please wait.]
[Connecting to user's neural system...]
[1%... 2%... 3%... 100%]
[Welcome to Secret World!]
[Please create your character. You may customize your appearance or use your real-world physical features.]
Seeing the prompt, Li Liu chose to use his real physical appearance. He knew from his past life that players using their real features possessed a higher potential to awaken hidden talents and trigger secret hidden quests embedded within the game.
[System: Please enter your character name.]
Li Liu entered without hesitation: "Liu of Star"
[System: Requirements met. The game will launch shortly. Please stand by.]
(Author's Note: This is a story born from my imagination. If you enjoy it, please consider supporting and leaving a comment! I will do my best to learn and improve on any mistakes I make along the way. Thank you so much for reading and following this novel—as an author, I am deeply grateful to every reader!)
See you tomorrow! Thanks for reading!
Thanks to all the readers, I'm really happy to do it because I got nothing back, hope you all like it. Have a nice day!