Chapter 7 - Personal Space

[System Notification.]

A mechanical voice suddenly echoed throughout the game space, and at the same time, a message popped up on the phones of all the official players.

[System Notification: Due to player Luo Yiran setting fire to the Fairy Tale Forest, the starter area instance “The Escape of the Poacher” has been officially closed. All related instances in the Fairy Tale Forest have also been temporarily closed.]

[Additionally, player Luo Yiran has maxed out the hatred value of 99% of the creatures in the Fairy Tale Forest, earning the title “Lifetime Enemy of the Forest.”]

[Notification: Since “The Escape of the Poacher” was closed midway, the remaining 15 players will participate in the instance “The Vanished Mermaid” tomorrow night at 9:30 PM.]

“Holy shit!” The curly-haired boy with gray hair cursed loudly. He didn’t even have time to wonder why the little doll had burned what appeared to be an advanced item-his puppet-before exclaiming in shock, “Who the hell is Luo Yiran? That’s insane!”

Xia Lang glanced at Luo Yiran, who was visibly upset, but didn’t dare to say anything.

Luo Yiran was already in a bad mood, and hearing the system notification made him even more annoyed-he had originally planned not to reveal that he was the one who started the fire, but the game had outright announced his name.

Feeling a tug on his body, Xia Lang quickly tried to calm Luo Yiran down: “We’re about to exit the game.”

Just before the curly-haired boy with gray hair disappeared, he suddenly realized something and widened his eyes, looking at the little doll: “Wait! You’re called-”

His voice cut off abruptly as all three of them logged out of the game.

Within seconds of the players exiting, the burning forest began to fade, transforming into colorful building blocks.

Amidst the flames, a tall man wrapped in bandages emerged. The fire swirled around him but couldn’t harm him, not even singeing his clothes.

Mr. Gardener, who had just arrived, sneered at the sight: “Your young master is truly impressive.”

The way Mr. Gardener referred to Luo Yiran as “your young master” amused the magician, who nodded with pleasure: “Indeed. But why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to be reflecting on your mistakes?”

“I came to make up for it!” Mr. Gardener’s hair, adorned with blooming flowers, indicated his heightened emotions.

“I saw it from afar,” a clear child’s voice interrupted their conversation. “Magician, you’ve actually become a puppet?”

The magician turned to see a little girl in a red hood approaching, clutching a bloody rabbit head. Her sparkling eyes were filled with disgust: “And you became the puppet of such a detestable person.”

“Nonsense,” the magician chuckled softly. “He’s actually quite adorable.”

Mr. Gardener felt like vomiting, but since the magician clearly had a fondness for the little doll, he held back. Still, he couldn’t resist adding, “Adorable, sure. He turned what was supposed to be an exploration-based instance into a survival game and then completely broke it. How adorable.”

The magician didn’t argue.

Mr. Gardener was waiting for the fire to burn through the building blocks, then he would help Little Red rebuild them. Just thinking about the project made him feel like his head was about to catch fire again.

Little Red stroked the rabbit head in her arms, her youthful cheeks revealing a small dimple. She gloated, “I heard they’re going to the instance of The Vanished Mermaid. Let’s hope they come out in one piece.”

“That way, the magician can add it to his collection.”

The magician pondered seriously, “It’s better if they’re alive. But if they accidentally die, that’s not bad either. At least they won’t be running around everywhere.”

Little Red smiled, revealing her pearly white teeth, “If he can still come to the Fairy Tale Forest, I’ll definitely turn him into a specimen and give it to you.”

The magician didn’t respond, just chuckled lightly.

“Welcome, what can I get for you?” The staff member approached from behind the counter, and the unique sweet aroma of the dessert shop wafted into Luo Yiran’s nose.

Luo Yiran paused and then said, “Two Strawberry Cups, please.”

He was back.

The cool air from the air conditioner brushed against his warm skin, causing a slight shiver.

Taking the Strawberry Cups from the staff, Luo Yiran pushed the door open and stepped out. The scorching heat hit him, but Luo Yiran walked under the sun without much reaction.

After just two steps, his phone rang.

Pulling out his phone with one hand, Luo Yiran glanced at the caller ID and answered-

“Ran-Ge! Ranran!” Xia Lang shouted, “How are you?!”

Luo Yiran replied, “I bought two Strawberry Cups.”

Xia Lang: “…”

“Ranran, you’re in good spirits,” Xia Lang’s voice softened, “What about… the grilled cold noodles…”

“I’ll bring them for you. I’ll be back soon,” Luo Yiran slightly raised his eyes. He had a pair of smiling eyes and soft features, making him appear very gentle and approachable. “Are your injuries all healed?”

Xia Lang: “Yeah!”

“That’s good. We’ll talk about the rest when I get back. I’ll hang up now; it’s hot, and the Strawberry Cups might melt.”

Xia Lang: “Okay! Got it!”

After hanging up, Luo Yiran quickly finished the Strawberry Cups, then pulled out his phone again and walked back while checking a new app that had appeared on his phone.

Below the app, it read “World Human,” and the icon was pitch black, with a small red “1” at the top.

Luo Yiran tapped on it.

The game announcement he had heard earlier appeared in text form before his eyes.

Luo Yiran stared at his name on the announcement: “…”

After a while, he exited the app, preferring not to dwell on it.

Huancheng No.1 High School is the best high school in Huancheng City. Not only does it boast excellent teaching staff, but its environment is also top-notch, conveniently located in the city center.

From Luo Yiran’s location, it was just a short walk to the subway, and only three stops later, he was back at the school.

He arrived at the dormitory at around four in the afternoon. Xia Lang was still in class, so Luo Yiran placed the grilled cold noodles on the table and climbed into bed to sleep.

It wasn’t until seven in the evening that the aroma of hot-spicy pot woke him up.

“Time to eat! I brought hot-spicy pot!” Xia Lang, fully rejuvenated after exiting the game, locked the dormitory door and set up a small pot to heat the food.

Luo Yiran sat up, “Aren’t you going to evening study?”

“I told the teacher I had a stomachache!” Xia Lang chuckled sheepishly.

Once the food was heated, the two pulled up chairs and gathered around the small table. Xia Lang loved discussing things over meals, feeling it made it easier to bring up certain topics.

“Tonight, between nine and twelve, we have to enter the game,” Xia Lang brought up the subject, his face clouded with worry. “I’ve never understood why we have to enter the game even if we’re not participating in an instance.”

Luo Yiran pondered, “What’s the personal space like?”

Xia Lang scratched his head, “It’s just a house. Everyone’s is different. Players can visit each other but can’t leave freely… But a kind guy I know has been outside. He said it feels pretty real out there.”

Real? Luo Yiran chuckled inexplicably.

“My personal space is just a regular apartment,” Xia Lang thought for a moment. Although he felt his Ran-Ge wouldn’t be nervous, he still comforted him, “The personal space is the safest and most comfortable place in the game, Ran-Ge. No need to worry!”

Luo Yiran casually opened the World Human app, “Alright.”

Xia Lang glanced at Luo Yiran’s phone screen, “Right now, there’s nothing on it except notifications, connections, and login. And you can’t click on connections or login before nine.”

Indeed. Upon opening the app, there was only a red notification about the Fairy Tale Forest and the instance they were scheduled to participate in tomorrow, The Vanished Mermaid.

Below that were squares for connections and login.

“The mermaids shouldn’t be scary, right?” Xia Lang hugged the grilled cold noodles sorrowfully, “Oh well! Tomorrow’s troubles are for tomorrow!”

While his anxiety and fear were genuine, his carefree nature was equally real. What Luo Yiran admired most about Xia Lang was his ability to not waste time on things he couldn’t understand and to accept what couldn’t be changed with ease.

“By the way,” Luo Yiran remembered something, “Did you enter the game after I fell asleep before?” Their dormitory was currently only occupied by the two of them. If Xia Lang had to enter the game every day, the only reason he hadn’t noticed was that he must have been dead asleep.

But that possibility was almost nonexistent.

“No,” Xia Lang’s expression changed, “The time flow in the personal space is the same as in the real world. But the game can interfere with reality. I could enter the game right in front of you and come back three hours later without you noticing, you’d just think I had been resting the whole time.”

“However, if you enter an instance to officially participate in the game, the time flow in the instance is different from reality. If you stay in the instance for several days, only a second, a minute, or an hour might have passed in the real world. There’s no set pattern to it.”

“But similarly, the time I disappear will be rationalized in the memories of non-players.”

But Luo Yiran had a good memory, and he instantly recalled a certain day, “There was a time when I remember you went to buy chips, but you didn’t bring any back, and you even asked me several times if you really went to buy chips.”

Xia Lang gave an awkward smile, “Yes, that day I stayed in the game for three days.”

The game could interfere with reality. This realization didn’t surprise Luo Yiran much, after all, when he entered the game, he should have been seen by the dessert shop staff, but when he came out, the staff’s reaction was normal, as if he had just stepped into the shop.

Xia Lang told Luo Yiran a string of numbers, “After you enter the game tonight, add me as a friend. This is my ID number.”

Luo Yiran nodded.

Seeing Luo Yiran’s calm demeanor, Xia Lang couldn’t help but ask, “Ran-Ge, aren’t you scared at all?”

Luo Yiran looked up, the setting sun outside the dormitory window casting an orange-red glow on his eyelashes, which then fell into his smiling eyes, truly embodying the gentle image of a young man. He said, “When it comes to games, feeling interested is enough.”

Nine o’clock.

While Xia Lang was still hesitating, Luo Yiran directly opened the World Human app and clicked on “login.” According to Xia Lang, between nine and twelve o’clock, one must enter the game. Even if not participating in an instance, they still need to stay in the game for a full three hours.

So, it’s better to enter early, spend the required time, and then leave.

As Luo Yiran thought this, his vision went dark. After about three seconds, the darkness faded, and a window appeared before him.

The window frame was carved with intricate patterns, and the glass was spotless, offering a clear view of the scenery outside.

It was a long street lined with retro, tall street lamps. The warm, yellowish light cast an antique atmosphere. The houses along the street were brightly colored with pointed roofs, resembling a classical foreign town.

But only resembling.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that this was more like a classical town conjured from someone’s imagination.

Luo Yiran glanced down at himself and realized he had transformed into the doll wearing the blood-stained school uniform.

Suddenly, there was a faint sound behind him. The doll turned its head to look-the room was pitch black, as if the light from the street lamps couldn’t penetrate it. But as Luo Yiran turned, the entire room lit up in an instant.

At first glance, Luo Yiran noticed nothing except the gray-haired magician who had somehow appeared behind him.

The magician’s clothes were pristine, and his bandage-wrapped hand gave a slight flick, causing a vibrant red rose to appear in his palm. The magician bent forward, one hand resting on his abdomen while the other extended the rose toward the doll, his voice cheerful: “My young master, welcome home.”

Luo Yiran: “…”

Is this the safest and most comfortable personal space in the game?