Your Cheat Has Come Online

"Enable hardware installation mode, authorization code: Gti77439."

Holding the chip, Lee Stein walked up to the official version of the gaming pod connected to the power supply and quickly recited the string of numbers.

Compared to the crude beta-test gaming helmet, the official gaming pod was not so easily dismantled—or rather, it couldn't be dismantled at all. The entire shell was molded as a single piece, and its hardness was impossible to breach with current Earth technology; even if one managed to pry it open, it would trigger a self-destruct sequence.

Fortunately, the gaming pod featured a hardware installation mode. Although it required an authorization code, he had already looked it up in his past life when the full-dive virtual mode was first released.

[Beep! Command confirmed, querying local authorization code... Verification passed, hardware installation mode enabled.]

A stiff, mechanical prompt sounded from inside the pod.

As the verification passed, the pod's cold, silver-white shell suddenly rippled, transforming into a liquid substance resembling mercury.

Lee Stein gently placed the blue chip onto the mercury. It was quickly swallowed and vanished without a trace. After a ten-second wait, the mercury reverted back into a hard metal shell.

[Hardware installation complete, system self-check initiated...]

[Hardware adaptation successful... Querying drivers...]

[Drivers running normally, no missing functional modules, hardware installation successful.]

"It worked!"

Hearing the success prompt, the tension in Lee Stein's chest finally dissipated.

This step was absolutely critical, as it was tied to his upcoming plans.

Without delay, Lee Stein quickly opened the gaming pod, injected the nutrient solution, and lay inside. As the sleep-inducing components in the solution took effect, he soon drifted into a deep slumber.

A moment later, his consciousness gradually cleared, and the dark field of vision began to brighten. Soon, Lee Stein found himself standing on a metal platform suspended in a void.

[Respected player, greetings. The game will officially launch in fourteen hours and five minutes. You may pre-create your character. Would you like to proceed?]

"Create."

[Please name your character. The name must follow real-world naming conventions. You may also choose to use your real name to log in.]

"Name: Lee Stein."

[Please select your initial character template. The template will influence your gaming experience and even your playstyle, so please choose carefully!]

[Currently available free initial templates: Office Worker, Student, Unemployed..., please browse the paid template section for more options.]

"Template..."

When it came to choosing a template, the usually smooth and decisive Lee Stein hesitated.

Templates were an important setting in the game, acting as a combination of identity, profession, and other elements. While one could hold multiple templates in-game, you could only choose one initial template during character creation.

This initial template served as your starting identity upon entering the game, and different templates provided different attribute and special effect bonuses.

He didn't care much about the attributes and effects—those basic templates could be acquired later in the game—but the starting identity was vital.

He had three choices in mind: the paid template "Soldier," and the free templates "Student" and "Office Worker."

The Soldier template went without saying; it was what he had chosen before his rebirth. Since he had spent money on it, the Soldier template offered plenty of missions and decent attributes, and he could have coasted through the game based on his previous experience.

However, he had ruled this out first. While the military was good for development, its ceiling was low, its growth potential was limited, and most importantly, the freedom was too restricted.

The current dilemma was between the Student and Office Worker templates.

Opening the full-dive virtual mode early was an advantage, but only by taking the scientific route could he maximize that edge.

To pursue the scientific route, he would need at least the Scientist template. The Scientist template was not an available basic template; it couldn't be bought even with money and had to be acquired in-game under very difficult conditions.

Choosing the Office Worker template would allow him to set up a company, making it much easier to obtain the Scientist template, and he would start with significantly more capital.

But the Student template was also excellent; it allowed for the early unlocking of the "Knowledge" tab, provided a substantial amount of directed experience, and allowed him to meet key plot characters, making it easier to grasp the direction of the story.

The only downside was that if he chose the Student template, obtaining the Scientist template would be much more difficult.

"Select template: Student."

After a long hesitation, Lee Stein ultimately chose the Student template.

Compared to the difficulty of obtaining the Scientist template, having a grasp on the plot was more important. After all, his greatest advantage was his familiarity with the story.

Furthermore, by unlocking the Knowledge tab early, he could compensate for his lack of foundations and form a certain level of combat capability even without the Scientist template.

Once he had the ability to protect himself, taking a few risks to plot his way toward the Scientist template shouldn't be a major issue.

[Template selected: Student. Please set your birthplace and background. Note: The background cannot provide additional advantages; the default setting is locked to "Orphan."]

Hearing the system prompt, Lee Stein, who had already made up his mind when choosing the Student template, spoke without hesitation:

"Setting: Orphan from a random orphanage in New York, new transfer student in the graduating class of Midtown School of Science and Technology. All other background details are to be generated by default."

[Identity set successfully. Memory video generated. Please review the memory video yourself. The system is not responsible for any subsequent consequences caused by actions inconsistent with your background.]

[Character creation complete!]

"Open attribute panel!"

Lee Stein didn't rush to open the memory video; in reality, that thing served little purpose other than to handle inquiries and background checks.

----Character Panel----

Name: Lee Stein

Strength: 6 (Muscular explosive power)

Constitution: 7 (Resistance to impact/Recovery ability)

Intelligence: 3 (Logical ability/Mental agility/Learning ability)

Spirit: 1 (Willpower/Mental power/Sensory ability)

Note: The standard attribute for a normal adult male is 1. These base attributes are the result of a scan of the player's actual body.

[Talent Skills]: None

[General Skills]: None

[Knowledge]: None

[Owned Templates]: Commoner (Basic), Student (Initial).

[Template]: Commoner (Basic) lv:0/18

Attribute Bonus: All attributes +1/per level

Special Effect Bonus: None

Template Skills: None

Experience required for next level: 0/1000

Evaluation: You are just an ordinary citizen, though you might try to make yourself a slightly stronger citizen.

[Template]: Student (Ordinary)

Attribute Bonus: Intelligence +1

Special Effect Bonus: Learning speed +5%

Template Skills: None

Evaluation: Having received basic education, you possess a certain amount of knowledge, as well as good logical thinking skills and study habits.