The State Asked Me to Play Video Games (Revised Version)

Two hours later, beneath what looked like an ordinary agricultural research facility on the outskirts of Dasheng City,

a heavy metal door slowly swung open, revealing a futuristic underground command center before Su Li's eyes.

Screens flickered everywhere. Uniformed staff hurried about, while all kinds of precision instruments emitted a low hum.

"This is Bureau 749's underground branch in Dasheng City." He Zhiwei led the way as she explained.

"It's built to withstand a nuclear strike and has its own intranet and ecosystem."

Su Li kept a straight face, but inwardly gave an approving thumbs-up.

This kind of foundation was something ordinary guilds and plutocrats couldn't compete with. Its security was off the charts!

"Besides, even though I'm a lot stronger now, I'm still not at the point where I can shrug off bullets."

"And we don't know when the monsters in the game will descend. What if something huge shows up before I'm strong enough in the real world..."

"If society falls into chaos then, and I still can't protect Yueyue..."

"So, it's good to have a big tree to shelter under. With things this uncertain, going it alone is undoubtedly the stupidest choice."

"Besides, the official support is genuinely great... I can focus on clearing the game without worrying about anything else. That's the only way I can keep getting stronger."

After thinking it through, Su Li was all but ready to agree to join.

After touring the Ammunition Depot and the Family Safe House prepared for Su Lin Yue, the last of Su Li's doubts vanished completely.

Back in Director Zhang's temporary office, Su Li readily signed her name to the Confidentiality Agreement and Letter of Intent.

The atmosphere became remarkably warm after that.

As a gesture of compromise and good faith, Director Zhang made a sweeping decision and appointed Su Li the Highest Authority for Abnormal Phenomena in Dasheng City. The position came with a generous bonus and a high salary.

He Zhiwei, meanwhile, stayed on as her Single-line Liaison and Life Assistant.

The title sounded intimidating—and, in practice, it really was. Su Li didn't have to work regular hours or take part in any administrative management. She was essentially Dasheng City's "strategic nuclear weapon." She could do whatever she wanted in her day-to-day life; only when the regular forces couldn't handle a tough opponent would she need to step in.

"Still, I have a question." Su Li looked at the Red Special Certificate in her hand. "I'm a newly discovered player, and you're dropping me straight into the top position in an entire city. Won't the others in your bureau have a problem with that?"

"Actually, it's mainly because the local Metahumans are relatively weak right now." He Zhiwei sighed, her expression rather complicated.

"Weak? How weak?" Su Li raised an eyebrow.

"Let's put it this way. The day before yesterday, we just recruited an exceptionally rare telekinetic Metahuman." He Zhiwei demonstrated with her hands.

"He strained until his face turned red, and all he could do was keep a single sheet of A4 Paper floating in the air for half a second. Among Metahumans right now, that already counts as top-tier combat strength."

"..." Su Li was speechless.

Half a second? Floating a piece of paper? They called that a superpower? Street magicians were better than that!

"By comparison, every player we've found—even those who started as human babies—is as strong as a monster." He Zhiwei looked at Su Li with undisguised amazement.

"Especially when it comes to physical strength. It's a whole different level. So you're absolutely the right person for this position. The young guys at the bureau will only be glad to have someone powerful to rely on," Director Zhang added.

With her position and her sister's safety both taken care of, Su Li had nothing left to worry about.

She rubbed her hands together excitedly, ready to get down to business. "Then let's talk benefits. What about those top-tier cultivation resources Officer He promised me earlier? How about ten or twenty pounds to start?"

The moment she said that, the room fell awkwardly silent.

"Ahem... Comrade Su Li," Director Zhang said, clearing his throat with deliberate tact.

"To be honest, we don't know much about Eternal Realm yet. We've tried having top Special Forces soldiers put on players' Game Helmets and force their way into the game world, but every attempt has failed."

"Those helmets seem to be bound to the soul. They appear out of nowhere in ways we can't explain."

"As for resources to strengthen Metahumans... their current level of strength has no effect on players. Your sister should be able to use them, though..." He Zhiwei added awkwardly.

"Huh?" Su Li froze, staring at the two of them in disbelief.

"So you were just making empty promises? You tricked me!"

"Sorry, sorry. We're still getting started, and conditions are tough..." The two of them guiltily looked away.

"But!" Afraid Su Li might change her mind, He Zhiwei hurriedly tried to make up for it. "Even though we don't have cultivation resources, we do have a piece of black technology that'll be an enormous help to you!"

"What kind of black technology?" Su Li was skeptical.

"While studying the Game Helmets, the experts at the Academy of Sciences couldn't crack the core code. But one of the big shots, for some reason, had a sudden flash of inspiration. By following the helmet's external interface, he successfully developed a dedicated Holographic Game Pod!"

At the mention of it, He Zhiwei's expression grew extremely strange. "The other scientists were stunned. They exclaimed that it went against the laws of physics and asked how he'd figured it out."

Su Li's curiosity was piqued. "What did he say?"

He Zhiwei's mouth twitched. "The big shot was just as bewildered. He scratched his head and said, 'I don't know either. I just thought if I hooked it up like this, it should work...'"

"Pfft!" Su Li nearly spat blood.

He just thought it would work? Had a Greenskin Orc from Warhammer possessed him or something? He'd even come up with I Think Power!

In the end, after a rigorous examination, the expert team concluded that some higher-dimensional being must have given the scientist a cheat.

As for who it was, there was no consensus yet. The Academy of Sciences' already balding scholars had lost even more hair over the mystery.

Its origins might have been absurd, but it was a good piece of equipment.

That very night, after Su Li got home, a military truck stopped outside her apartment building.

Several Special Service Personnel disguised as movers efficiently carried a silver-white Game Pod with an intensely futuristic design into Su Li's bedroom, then quickly finished installing and testing it.

Su Li curiously examined the huge device, which looked like a Hibernation Pod, and opened the manual.

[Eternal Realm Dedicated Game Pod]

The pod releases a mild, specially formulated medicinal solution and Nutrient Solution, which the player absorbs through their pores. Players can truly go for extended periods without eating or drinking while immersing themselves in the game at high intensity, and the pod can also repair hidden injuries.

One-touch wake-up function: When an emergency occurs outside, the system alerts the player, who can choose whether to leave the game immediately.

Super-strong defense: The pod is made of aerospace-grade special alloy. Even a regular C4 Bomb can't blow it up, and it can withstand an eight-magnitude earthquake.

Looking over those hardcore specs, Su Li rubbed her chin.

"Holy crap, that's amazing. The state's basically telling me to play games without a care in the world!"

Playing games under official orders—what kind of treatment was that?

That night, with their biggest real-world crisis resolved, the siblings finally enjoyed a peaceful night's sleep.

Early the next morning,

a discreet black sedan was already waiting downstairs to take Su Lin Yue to school.

After seeing her sister off, Su Li returned to her bedroom and changed into the special Game Suit Bureau 749 had sent her.

The outfit showed off her curves to perfection, but Su Li wasn't thinking about that at all. Her eyes burned with fighting spirit.

She lay down in the Game Pod. The hatch slowly closed, and warm Nutrient Solution began to flow inside.

"Aetherland, Big Bad Wolf is back!"

"Starting connection!"

"Vrrrm—"

After a dizzying spin, Su Li's consciousness returned to her game body, which then burst out of the ground.

The moment she logged in, Su Li didn't even bother looking at her surroundings. She immediately called up her status panel in her mind. She'd been eagerly anticipating her second evolution at Lv10!

The panel unfolded before her, glowing gold.

[Race: Revered Corrupted Lich Knight]

[Level: Lv10 (Experience 0/24800)]

[Attributes: Strength: 60+15, Constitution: 50, Spirit: 56, Faith: 33+12, Agility: 24+13]

[Equipment: Revered Corrupted Dragon Sword (Excellent Lv90), Valkyrie Ring (Epic Lv99), Valkyrie's Armor (Excellent Lv50)

[Classes: Flowing Water Swordsman (Lv2), Dragonborn (Special), Valkyrie (Special), Blacksmith (Special)]

"Hiss—"

Looking at the magnificent panel, Su Li drew in a sharp, excited breath.

But that single hiss made her body suddenly go rigid.

Wait! Something was wrong! Very wrong!

Skeletons didn't have lungs. Before, she'd used the power of her soul to produce her dragon's roar.

But that hiss had felt exactly like breathing.

Even more astonishingly, she clearly felt a current of cool air enter her body, then slowly escape through the gaps in Valkyrie's Armor!

"Wh-what have I turned into?!"