The faint light of dawn streamed through the glass doors of Origin Internet Cafe, spilling across the polished floor. The warmth of last night's revelry still lingered in the air.
Though it was already morning, the "internet-addicted youths" and "internet-addicted old geezers" in the cafe showed no sign of sleepiness. After the humiliation of being stripped of their powers and chased through the streets by zombies in Left 4 Dead 2 last night, everyone was in a gloomy mood.
"So frustrating..." Tai Tan sprawled in a sofa chair, clutching an empty cola can with a deeply aggrieved look on his face. "I'm the mighty Titan Giant Ape, yet I got scratched to death by a few ordinary zombies? The game is fun, but it just feels like... I can't put any strength into it."
"That's because you're too stupid." Niu Tian rubbed his temples. "But then again, that feeling of helplessness as a mortal really is unpleasant! Boss Lu, don't you have some kind of game... something that can let us have a little more fun and show off our real strength?"
"Yeah." Wang Qiuer idly played with the Golden Dragon Spear in her hand, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "I want to fight something big, head-on. Not get mobbed by a bunch of little monsters."
Behind the counter, Lu Yuan set down his coffee cup, the corners of his mouth rising slightly.
"Feeling stifled? Feeling like mortal bodies are too weak?"
He slowly rose to his feet, rolled his wrists, and walked toward the most powerful computer in the center of the hall.
"Perfect. I'm in the mood this morning, so I'll give you all an early lesson."
Lu Yuan turned on the computer and projected its display onto the enormous suspended screen in the center of the cafe.