The Internet-Obsessed Girl is Clueless When it Comes to Love. - Chapter 2

Back in her small apartment, Bai Xia closed and put away her umbrella.

Although she had previously described it poorly, her living place was only somewhat underdeveloped and not very accessible. Besides that, everything else was actually quite good.

The apartment wasn’t large, but it was fully furnished, and since she lived alone, it was definitely spacious enough.

More importantly, the original tenant had paid six months’ rent in advance, and there were still three full months left, so she didn’t need to worry about becoming homeless anytime soon.

In fact, if she had to worry about rent, she really would have to go drink the northwest wind on the streets later. At least that way she could save on food expenses, and maybe even be taken in by a kind-hearted older gentleman passing by.

In short, if she didn’t want to drink only milk every day, she had to find a way to earn money quickly.

Back home, she took off her slightly damp coat. The noticeably warmer indoor environment made Bai Xia’s tense little face relax a bit.

She placed the package she had just brought back on the carpet beside her, then plopped down on the sofa, letting out a few heavy breaths.

Judging by the timing, the contents of this package were purchased by the original tenant half a month ago. She had no idea what it was, as it had only just been delivered.

The package looked about the size of a human head and wasn’t light. It wouldn’t have been a problem for an adult to carry, but it felt a bit strenuous for her current body.

She was legally recognized as being very young and appeared quite frail, making her especially susceptible to harm.

After all, it was just a short trip downstairs to pick up a package, but carrying it back and forth had covered Bai Xia’s forehead in a fine sweat. Having just been outside in the wind, she felt a bit dizzy and lightheaded, with the feeling that she might faint if her vision blacked out.

Simply put, her constitution was such that even a short jog would likely leave her breathless.

Speaking of which, a three no attributes, sickly, legal loli, plus glasses weren’t these a few too many attributes? Bai Xia rubbed her forehead. Fortunately, it was only a weak constitution and there were no signs of actual illness. Otherwise, she really would have wondered if the heavens were trying to kill her.

After spacing out for a bit and then recomposing herself, Bai Xia’s gaze finally fell upon the package she had worked so hard to retrieve.

Looking at the package, she hesitated for a moment before deciding to eat something to fill her stomach first.

Despite the symptoms of frailty, this body had a surprisingly large appetite. She didn’t know how such a small body managed it, but it ate a lot and yet got hungry very easily.

Leisurely, she ordered takeout and, while waiting, Bai Xia also took the opportunity to take a hot shower to dispel the chill from her body.

Speaking of which, she had initially resisted taking a bath. However, although she was a homebody, she had a mild case of OCD. After enduring it for three days, she couldn’t bear it any longer and took a shower. Then she discovered… she truly felt nothing towards this thin armed, thin legged child’s body. After showering daily since then, she now found almost no resistance to it.

Timing it perfectly, she finished her shower, changed into her pajamas, and came out just as the takeout arrived.

With everything prepared, Bai Xia first shovelled a few bites of chicken and rice into her mouth, then used the small knife she had just found to tear open the sealed package in front of her.

Tearing open the outer express packaging revealed a slightly smaller box inside, with a considerable amount of shock-absorbing foam packed between the two.

Taking the box out, Bai Xia became even more perplexed.

“What is this?”

After opening the tightly sealed black box made of an unknown material, she took out all the contents and placed them on the coffee table in front of her, her face full of question marks.

Because what lay before her was a pile of metallic objects that looked incredibly futuristic. Although she didn’t know their function, at first glance, they gave off an undeniably impressive aura.

Blinking her eyes, the bewildered Bai Xia found the thick instruction manual at the very bottom.

“Hmm… Produced by Dreamland, Cross Era Ultra Holographic Online Game ‘Another World’ Deluxe Limited Edition Login Device, with multiple accessories? What the heck, an ultra holographic online game?”

This world did have holographic online games, but they weren’t as magical or convenient as those in novels. It wasn’t a matter of simply putting on a helmet and wristband, clicking a button, and then ‘transporting’ to a new world, and it certainly couldn’t achieve that exaggerated level of immersion.

To put it bluntly, the holographic online games in this world were merely upgraded versions of the VR glasses she remembered.

By installing various devices and utilizing holographic projections and haptic simulators, they gave people the feeling of traversing into the game. However, the actual experience for the player wasn’t all that pleasant.

What was virtual remained virtual. Some complex in-game actions were difficult to execute, and players were also required to perform corresponding physical movements, which became tiring after extended periods.

Therefore, although holographic online games seemed high-tech and impressive, they were lukewarm in popularity in this world.

Wasn’t it better to sit comfortably in front of the computer and be a homebody? Who wanted to play a game and end up feeling like a dog afterward, and also have to choose a suitable environment for it!

It was too inconvenient, which was the main reason for its flop.

Therefore, Bai Xia couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed when she saw that the package contained this kind of thing.

She had originally thought it was something good, which was why she had specifically bathed and changed clothes, anticipating something wonderful.

As a result, it seemed like it was all a lie. No, it wasn’t entirely a lie; this login device should still be worth a considerable amount of money, right?

Thinking of this, Bai Xia’s eyes lit up. She stopped eating and quickly logged onto the network through her Skycom.

The Skycom was similar to the cell phones she remembered, but with more powerful functions and free from the constraints of a phone’s physical form. They were commonly available in earbud and glasses styles, with various functions implemented through special holographic projections.

Bai Xia herself wasn’t nearsighted, her glasses were her Skycom.

Turning on the Skycom, a light, invisible to the naked eye, covered the lenses, and a special projection screen, visible only to her, unfolded in front of her.

Having more or less figured out the Skycom over the past half-month, Bai Xia didn’t take much time to find the price of this holographic game login device, and then…

“Nani? The standard version actually costs over four thousand! The upgraded version is double that, and the deluxe limited edition is a limited release, each unit costing… sixteen thousand?!”

Looking at the series of prices displayed on the Skycom, Bai Xia fell into deep silence. She had to remember that all the money she had left now, added together, was less than two thousand!

Sixteen thousand? Wait, the original owner couldn’t have been saving up money to buy this thing, could she?!

Although she felt like she had grasped the truth, why did it feel increasingly painful?

In that instant, all the guilt Bai Xia had felt about occupying the original owner’s body transformed into pure, unadulterated murderous intent.

If it weren’t for the fact that this body now belonged to her, and she no longer had the physical traits she once did (Note: 鸡儿 is slang for male genitalia. This sentence suggests the original owner was male, and Bai Xia is now in a female body), she absolutely would have pressed the original owner down on the bed and given them a good thrashing!

Having spent sixteen thousand on a game, Bai Xia was speechless. Surely, this kind of thing should be easy to return, right?

Of course, before plotting the return, she didn’t rush. Instead, she first went online to search for information about this holographic game. After all, Bai Xia was very curious about why the original owner was so extravagant.

Then, she wouldn’t have known if she hadn’t looked, and she was startled by what she found.

Because almost all of the online game forums were now discussing this game!

Then, through various posts and web pages, Bai Xia finally understood that the holographic online game login device the original owner had bought was completely different from the current holographic online games.

Ordinary holographic online games, to put it bluntly, used human vision and touch to create a sense of realism. However, this method had its limitations and couldn’t create a completely realistic feeling. Moreover, it wasn’t convenient to use and couldn’t achieve widespread adoption.

“Another World,” created by Dreamland, was completely different. Although also called a holographic online game, “Another World” utilized a much more complex brain wave technology!

This world had been developing this technology, with slow progress initially, until recent years when significant breakthroughs were made. It was then combined, rather imaginatively, with online games.

Through the combination of brain-wave technology and modern technology, it would bring a brand-new gaming experience, a truly immersive feeling!

“…Is it really that high-tech? And brain-wave technology… why does it sound a little dangerous?”

Speaking of true online games, Bai Xia couldn’t help but think of a certain legend where every man should climb one hundred floors. Would this game also trap players inside, refusing to let them out unless they cross dressed?

Well, since all the information came from the internet, what kind of black technology this “Another World” online game actually was remained to be seen.

However, this thing seemed rather high-tech. Should she still return it? Looking at the pile of gaming equipment in front of her, Bai Xia couldn’t help but hesitate.

If she returned it, she would instantly have a large sum of money, enough to live comfortably for a long time, at least. But… the way the game was described, it sounded so tempting.

After all, this was a true holographic online game, and it was impossible for Bai Xia, a gamer at heart, not to be moved.

Something she had only seen in novels before was now realistically placed in front of her, within reach, undeniably making her itch to try it.

So, was it food or games? That was the question.

“How about playing for a few days to see? At least try it out. Play for a few days, get a taste, then return it… Yes, I’m a freaking genius!”

In the end, Bai Xia couldn’t resist the temptation of the game. She had been a hardcore gamer, after all.

So, after quickly finishing the almost cold takeout, she tidied up a bit and took everything back to her bedroom. Then, she carefully followed the instructions step by step to install everything.

Fortunately, although there were many components, the foolproof installation process wasn’t complicated, so it didn’t take much time to set everything up.

Only then, after trying it out and finding no response, she searched online again and discovered that the open beta for this darn game wasn’t for another two days, and all login devices couldn’t be activated until then!

Bai Xia felt a surge of frustration, but she didn’t dismantle her handiwork. She set it aside and went online to search for more information about the game.