TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 3

This was the first time Xia Tong had his own mobile number and bank account. Under Debon’s guidance, he even set up quick payment.

After being in the Zheng household for over ten years, he had rarely left the neighborhood except for medical visits. Walking along the bustling streets, Xia Tong was curious about everything new. In fact, not only was he curious about the world, but passersby were equally curious about him.

At first, Xia Tong didn’t realize he was the focus of so many stares, until he stopped to buy ice cream. The vendor scooped him two extra scoops, her eyes practically spilling over with affection.

Licking the sweet ice cream, Xia Tong felt a little bad about it. “Debon, the lady didn’t even charge me extra!”

“She almost wanted to pinch your cheeks off!” Debon replied.

Xia Tong, oblivious to the attention, was quite happy. As he walked past an electronics store window, he saw large LCD screens synchronously playing an energy drink commercial. A young man in camouflage gear was running through a dense forest, then pausing to shoot a gun. With a loud “bang,” he struck a distant monster rising from the horizon. The monster fell, the dawn broke, and the whole scene was as grand as a blockbuster movie. The man opened the energy drink, took a sip, and flashed a wicked smile at the camera.

“Dynamic Energy Drink, passionately endorsed by Dylan — making every shot stronger and more accurate.”

The way this Dylan posed with bravado was on par with Zheng Linchuan’s smugness. Xia Tong swallowed and heard a shrill voice from beside him.

“D-God is so handsome!”

“I’m going to faint! I want to have D-God’s babies!!”

The voices belonged to two schoolgirls in short skirts. Xia Tong leaned close to Debon and whispered, “Can you get pregnant from this?”

Debon explained, “It’s a metaphor. They’re saying he’s sexy.”

Xia Tong, doubtful, asked, “Is he really sexy?”

As soon as he spoke, two death glares shot his way.

“Don’t you dare say anything bad about D-God!”

“D-God is the most handsome, the manliest in the world!”

Xia Tong, now splattered with spit, couldn’t open his eyes. He dared not say or ask anything more. After the two passionate girls left, he finally wiped his face.

“That was scary…” he muttered pitifully. “I didn’t even say anything…”

“That’s just how Dylan’s fans are. You’ll get used to it,” said a nearby voice.

Xia Tong turned to see a woman in her twenties with flawless makeup and a stylish business outfit. She adjusted her shoulder bag with a sigh. “It’s been two years. Probably no one remembers Zero anymore.”

“Zero?” Xia Tong asked.

“Yeah, Gun God Zero,” she replied with a smile. “Back when Polaris was raiding the Snow Palace Dungeon, at the last boss’s berserk stage, Saber-tooth Tiger brought a group of ten to steal the boss. The tank couldn’t hold aggro, Polaris’s four players got wiped out, and only Zero, who was dealing damage from a distance, was still in decent shape.”

Although Xia Tong didn’t fully understand, he could feel the tension in her words.

“What happened next?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“Well, Saber-tooth Tiger got wiped out, believe it or not,” the woman chuckled.

“By Zero alone?” Xia Tong’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes, a close-range sniper. He took them down one by one. He was ruthless. Unfortunately, just as he finished them off, the server went down for maintenance, so the boss remained undefeated,” she said with a sigh. “Now, Zero’s gone off the radar, and all his old fans have moved on with life. Times have changed.”

“Zero was that strong?” Xia Tong asked.

The woman laughed outright. “New fans might not know, but in the industry, everyone knows about Zero, Lin Mingfei. They just avoid mentioning him because of how intimidating he is.”

Xia Tong pondered this, deep in thought.

“I want to play Tomb King, too. Do you know where I can try it out?” he asked her.

“Any internet cafe should have it,” she pointed across the street. “That one, Starry Sky Internet Cafe, hosts weekly PVP tournaments. But aren’t you an Omega?”

“Yes,” Xia Tong nodded.

“If you’re an Omega… you might want to go to that one over there, Three Bucks Internet Cafe.” The woman glanced at her watch. “I have to get to work now. Take care!”

—

Tired from walking, Xia Tong chose to enter the Starry Sky Internet Cafe nearby. It was a large, luxurious place with full amenities. Stepping inside, Xia Tong immediately saw various gaming areas, the largest being the Tomb King section. Rows of black and red cocoon-shaped VR pods were lined up, most of them occupied. Nearby, there was even a spectator area that resembled a theater, filled with people who were either watching intently or cheering passionately. Even through thick soundproof glass, Xia Tong could sense the lively and intense atmosphere.

The receptionist was watching a live stream and pointed without looking up. “To get a pod, use the self-service machine over there. For help or orders, come to me.”

Following the signs, Xia Tong made his way to the self-service machine.

“How do you use this?” He looked around, baffled by the buttons.

Just then, a guy with a laid-back demeanor leaned against the machine next to him.

“First time at an internet cafe, little guy? You need to swipe your ID.”

“Oh, I see!” Xia Tong suddenly understood. He pulled out his ID card and, unwilling to ask more, asked, “How do I swipe it?”

“Here, let me help.” The man took Xia Tong’s ID, noticing the “Omega” label, his eyes glinting as he quietly placed a hand on Xia Tong’s back. “Actually, I just remembered, this machine’s broken and won’t give out cards. But don’t worry, I have an extra card. Follow me, and I’ll get you one…”

Before he could finish, a hand snatched the ID and tapped it on the reader. A beep sounded as Xia Tong’s info was registered.

“The machine isn’t broken!” Xia Tong pointed at the screen, surprised.

“It was never broken,” said a young man in a white shirt with shoulder-length hair and a black earring in his left ear. Leaning against the other side of the machine, he handed the card to Xia Tong with a look of mock sorrow. “Tricking such a cute Omega — where’s your conscience, dude?”

“I’m lying? You old pervert have the nerve to say that about me!” The Alpha glared with wide eyes.

“I’m a butterfly, and you’re trash. We’re different,” the handsome guy in the shirt said as he placed Xia Tong’s luggage into a locker and lazily turned around. “Let’s go, Xia Tong. I’ll take you to board the plane.”

Xia Tong followed with a simple “Oh,” only to hear the Alpha shouting from behind.

“It’s dangerous to follow him! His Timer is the worst A in all of King’s Tomb! He just got a bounty on him for double-crossing!”

“Nonsense,” Timer said. “I was just chatting with two people at once. How’s that double-crossing? It’s clickbait!”

He led Xia Tong to an empty cocoon, inserted his card into the slot, and the entire cocoon glowed brightly as the hatch slowly opened.

“Sit inside, stretch your limbs, and pull down that thing above your head that looks like a headset. You don’t have heart problems, right?”

Xia Tong shook his head.

“Good,” Timer said.

Someone walked by, patted Timer on the shoulder, and looked at Xia Tong with a teasing glance. “Ge, you’re so free today!”

“What can I do? I got stood up by a trashy A. How tragic,” Timer shrugged dramatically.

Xia Tong couldn’t help but be curious.

“Who’s this trashy A?”

“He’s some ghost who disappeared for two years, making everyone worry and miss him. Let’s not talk about it,” Timer said. “I’m Shi Ya, you can call me ‘Ge.’”

“Big Brother Shi!”

“Skip the ‘big.’ Just call me old,” Shi Ya rolled his eyes. “By the way, what class do you want to play?”

“What do you think?” Xia Tong swayed his legs in the cocoon.

“Play an elf like me, it’s easy to handle, and they have lots of appearance options. Most Omegas play elves,” Shi Ya said.

Xia Tong thought for a moment. “Are elves strong in PvP?”

Shi Ya was slightly surprised. “What, do you want to play PvP?”

“Can’t I?”

“Well, it’s not that…” Shi Ya poked his cheek with his tongue. “Look around this place. Are there any other Omegas besides you?”

Xia Tong looked around. Everyone was tall, and there were mostly men. There didn’t seem to be any other Omegas.

“This place often holds PvP competitions, so most of the people here are participants,” Shi Ya explained.

“Omegas don’t play PvP?” Xia Tong asked.

“Very few, most are casual players,” Shi Ya said. “As for 1v1, other classes are stronger than elves, but elves are in high demand for team battles. After all, 3v3 and 5v5 need healers.”

“I understand,” Xia Tong nodded. “Thanks, Ge.”

The hatch slowly closed, and striped light surrounded the cocoon. Xia Tong closed his eyes, and instantly entered another world.

“Click”

His feet landed on a hard rock, and a gentle breeze brushed his face. Xia Tong opened his eyes. Above was an endless blue sky with clouds, and below was the vast King’s Tomb continent. Eagles soared through the clouds, everything was incredibly realistic and breathtaking.

Xia Tong was stunned. He looked at his hands and feet—he was still wearing his own clothes. A silver-white frame popped up in front of him.

[Welcome to King’s Tomb Continent!]

[Please choose your class]

Different options appeared below: Elf, Wizard, Hunter, Knight, and Axe Warrior.

Xia Tong clicked through each one, and each selection changed his appearance. The elf had a platinum-colored robe, the wizard wore a pointed hat and robe, the hunter wore tight clothing with leather straps, the knight wore iron armor, and the axe warrior wore a cool fighting shirt.

Each class had a description and a difficulty rating. Elves ranged from 1 to 3 stars, Knights and Sword Warriors ranged from 2 to 4 stars, and Wizards and Hunters ranged from 3 to 5 stars.

Xia Tong clicked through the classes, then heavily selected “Wizard.”

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