April 7, 2020, 11:50
["Epochal Shift" will officially launch at 12:00 a.m. on April 7.]
Looking at the message on his phone, then at the gaming helmet and gaming pod beside him, Lin Yu began making his final preparations.
Lin Yu was an ordinary transmigrator, twenty years old this year. In his previous life, he had been an ordinary working man. While crossing the road, he had been struck by a semi-truck that suddenly appeared out of the void, sending him flying dozens of meters.
As his consciousness faded, Lin Yu seemed to hear a conversation. "Done. This job was really easy, unlike the last one." "Hurry up, stop dawdling. We're going to be late for the next job."
What the hell is going on?
When Lin Yu regained consciousness, he discovered that he had transmigrated. In this life, his name was still Lin Yu, and his parents were ordinary people too.
As Lin Yu grew up, he gradually learned about this world. The planet was called Blue Star, and Lin Yu had been born in Hai City, in the Hua Nation.
This world's development had followed a path remarkably similar to that of Lin Yu's previous life. It had seen the same succession of dynasties and the same first and second world wars. Aside from changes to the names of some people and countries, its history was basically identical, and its level of technological development was the same.
Lin Yu grew up just as ordinarily. He did not become some child prodigy by relying on his knowledge as a transmigrator. Lin Yu knew himself well: he had been no genius in his previous life, and he was still an ordinary person after transmigrating. He had no photographic memory or special abilities.
And so, Lin Yu chose to go through elementary school, middle school, and high school just like everyone else.
During that time, Lin Yu had also considered relying on his past-life experience to make a fortune. Reality was cruel, however: Lin Yu knew nothing about Bitcoin, stock trading, or investing. As for becoming a plagiarist, Lin Yu thought it over and gave up. He only remembered the novels he had read in his previous life in broad strokes, so he couldn't become a plagiarist even if he wanted to.
Lin Yu often fantasized that, since he had transmigrated, he ought to have a system or something, or that this world might have hidden ability users. But reality told Lin Yu otherwise. A system? No such thing. Ability users? None. This was an ordinary world.
Not long after Lin Yu graduated from high school, both his parents died in a car accident while they were out.
Lin Yu spent that period in a daze. He had his parents' remains prepared and buried them, completed all the paperwork, received their inheritance of several hundred thousand yuan and a house, and obtained compensation. After that, Lin Yu did nothing but eat and sleep. He spent half a month in a daze before recovering.
After his parents' passing, Lin Yu became even more withdrawn. Because of his previous life, Lin Yu had never been able to fit in with people his age while growing up. Now that his parents in this life had died in an accident, Lin Yu felt even less inclined to interact with others and only wanted to live his life quietly.
After his parents died, Lin Yu decided to give up on college and find a job instead. After finding one, Lin Yu began working while also becoming a short-video blogger. He wanted to see whether he could make money from short videos.
The result was clear. Lin Yu soon discovered that he really had no experience making short videos, and after a year, he had earned only a few thousand yuan.
After realizing that he truly had no talent for it, Lin Yu gave up on making short videos.
In the time that followed, Lin Yu settled into a routine of going to and from work every day and playing on his phone at home in his spare time. Time slipped quietly by without him noticing.
At the end of 2019, COVID arrived, just as Lin Yu had expected.
Just when Lin Yu thought everything would happen as it had in his previous life, a game called "Epochal Shift" burst onto the internet three months ago, claiming to offer one hundred percent realism. At the time, Lin Yu thought it was just empty boasting by a game company called Starsea Era.
When Lin Yu saw that the most basic gaming helmet available for presale cost only 108 yuan, he became even more certain that the game company Starsea Era was talking bullshit.
Although he thought it was probably fake, Lin Yu still intended to spend 108 yuan on the most basic gaming helmet and see for himself.
Right up until the moment before Lin Yu completed his order, he believed it was all just boasting by the company called Starsea Era.
Lin Yu opened the official "Epochal Shift" website and found the most basic gaming helmet.
Lin Yu tapped to buy it, and a payment notification popped up.
Right up until the moment before he completed the order, Lin Yu still thought the company Starsea Era was talking bullshit.
"Ding-dong."
"Your delivery has arrived. Please sign for it."
Hearing the voice at the door and seeing the message on his phone saying that the gaming helmet had been delivered, Lin Yu felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
What the hell? Did I run into a ghost?
How could it have arrived right after I ordered it? Whatever's outside definitely isn't human, is it?!
What on earth is outside? Is this so-called game really a game?
Should I open the door and get it?
Clearly, no one could answer the questions in Lin Yu's head at that moment.
After an intense internal struggle, Lin Yu finally made a decision.
I'll get it. Some things can't be avoided just by hiding. I might as well take the initiative and see what's outside.
"Gulp."
Lin Yu swallowed. His legs felt as though they had been filled with lead. He shuffled into the kitchen first, picked up a cleaver, and only then slowly shuffled over to the door.
After another internal struggle, Lin Yu gritted his teeth and placed his hand on the doorknob.
As the door opened, Lin Yu tightened his grip on the cleaver. Holding it gave him a sense of security, although the cleaver might be completely useless against whatever was outside. No, judging by how it had delivered the package the instant he placed the order, his cleaver would definitely be useless against it.
At that moment, Lin Yu took a deep breath, his whole body tense, ready to swing the cleaver at whatever was outside.
When Lin Yu pulled the door all the way open, unexpectedly, there was nothing outside. No, it wasn't quite right to say there was nothing: a black package lay quietly at the door.
Seeing what was outside, Lin Yu felt his body go limp. He dropped onto his butt and gasped for breath.
He didn't know how long had passed—five minutes, or ten. Lin Yu hadn't bothered to count. At that moment, a feeling of having survived a disaster welled up in his heart.
"Damn, that scared me to death!" At that moment, Lin Yu no longer cared whether talking to himself was strange. All he wanted was to let out everything he was feeling.
After taking a little more time to recover, Lin Yu pushed himself up with his hands.
After making sure there was no danger outside, Lin Yu prepared to bring the package in.
Huh? Why is it so light?
Feeling its weight, Lin Yu hefted the package in his hand. The moment he picked it up, he had only one thought: Why is it so light?
Lin Yu had thought a package containing a gaming helmet would weigh a few jin, but it felt practically weightless in his hands.
Could there be nothing inside?
After thinking it over, Lin Yu decided to open it and take a look.
Pulling the door shut behind him, Lin Yu first put the package in the living room, then returned the cleaver to the kitchen.
After doing all that, Lin Yu returned to the living room. Looking at the black package on the table, he took out a small knife and quickly cut it open. Before long, he saw what was inside.