Player? Transmigrator?

Heard that if you don't leave your brain at the door at the start, reading this will give you a headache! "Storage point"

Watching the Golden Gate Bridge fly across the television screen, the black-haired young man sitting in front of it was utterly baffled.

"My name's Xiahou. I'm 25 years old, and I have ordinary looks. Not handsome, not ugly, just your typical average face. I'm a gamer."

"Or maybe I'm a transmigrator?"

"I've been transmigrated-or trapped-in this world for two and a half years now."

"As for what I do now, I'm a bounty hunter, but I also do mercenary work. That's right, I take commissions or bounties from other people and get paid when I complete them!"

"And why did I get into this line of work? It's not like I wanted to, okay! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻"

"Also, wasn't this supposed to be the Marvel Universe? What the hell is Magneto doing here? Weren't the rights sold off?"

"Ah! Wait, the X-Men are Marvel too, they just don't have the rights. Never mind, then. ┬─┬ ( ゜-゜)"

"Like hell it's fine! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻ The Purple Sweet Potato Spirit is going to cry, okay!"

"Forget it. Once they're done making a fuss this time, they should settle down anyway. It doesn't have much to do with me! o(*￣▽￣*)o"

"Since there are Mutants, should I go find Deadpool and have some fun with him? (๑乛◡乛๑)"

"As for why I ended up here, that goes back to what happened two and a half years ago."

He had been happily scrolling through videos and snacking on melon when a video suddenly came up.

"Want to experience virtual reality games? Want to travel to different worlds? Our company has combined brand-new technology with the most intelligent AI currently available to develop an epoch-making product: the virtual reality game pod!"

"Unlike outdated VR products, our game pod uses brainwave link technology. Combined with the AI's highly intelligent interaction and scene construction, it lets you fully immerse yourself and experience a real world!"

"We are now recruiting volunteers from the general public to try our product and provide us with their most honest feedback! Click the link below the video to submit an application!"

After watching the video, Xiahou forgot all about the melon in his hand.

"No way. Has technology gotten this advanced already? They've even made game pods?"

Though he was amazed, his hand acted on its own, clicking the link in the video.

His phone instantly redirected him to a website called Soonami, where he filled in a series of personal details and various terms and liability waivers.

A notification popped up saying his application had been approved. It also said the game pod would arrive the next day and asked him to prepare two square meters of space for its installation.

"They're this casual about it? They just approve applications like that? Don't they check or verify anything? Could it be a scam? But it's actually free! Whatever. If it's real, I've hit the jackpot! (~￣▽￣)~"

After griping about it, Xiahou went back to scrolling through short videos.

"Hehe (^///^) So pale, so big! So many female bodhisattvas! Slurp..." And just like that, a day passed.

Early the next morning, a knock came at the door.

"Who is it? It's so early."

Xiahou got out of bed, cursing under his breath, and went to open the door. At the entrance stood two workmen in overalls, with a large box beside them.

"Hello, can I help you?" Xiahou asked, scratching his head as he looked at the large box.

"Hello, are you Mr. Xia?" one of the workmen asked. The other added, "We're from Soonami."

"Yes, that's me. Soonami?" Xiahou answered, silently wondering, Soonami? Never heard of them.

"Hello, Mr. Xia. We're here to deliver your game pod and help you install it. But we need to verify your identity first. Sorry for the trouble, but could we see your ID card?" the first workman continued.

"Oh, sure. Wait a moment, I'll get it." Xiahou turned around as he answered and went back to find his ID card.

After he handed them his ID card and they checked it, the workman asked, "Where would you like us to put it?"

"In the bedroom. Follow me." With that, Xiahou turned and led the way.

"Put it there." He pointed to an empty corner of the bedroom.

"All right, please wait a moment," one workman said. He called the other over, and together they began unpacking and installing the game pod's various components.

As Xiahou watched from the side, all kinds of emotions were already surging through him.

*I can't believe it's real. It really is a game pod! This is awesome! ヾ(≧▽≦*)o*

After an hour of waiting, the two workmen finally finished installing the game pod.

"Mr. Xia, it's ready. To use it, just lie down inside and press this start button here."

"Oh! Thank you! Thank you! Thanks for your hard work. Have a drink and take a break!" As Xiahou thanked them, he handed over the drinks he had just prepared.

The two men took the drinks and had a little before saying to Xiahou, "Mr. Xia, we need you to sign a delivery receipt and a liability waiver for voluntarily participating in the test."

"Sure." Xiahou took the documents and started signing them. When he was done, he asked, "Is there anything else?"

After taking the contract and checking it, the two men said there was nothing else and left. Neither noticed that one of them had left his unfinished drink uncapped on the cabinet beside the game pod.

After seeing the two men out, Xiahou couldn't wait to rush over to the game pod. He lay down inside and immediately pressed the start button.

A screen extended from above his head, positioned so he could clearly see what was on it. At the same time, an electronically synthesized voice sounded in his ears.

"Welcome to the virtual reality game pod developed by Soonami. Please select the game world you wish to experience. Currently available are the Marvel Universe, the Gundam Universe, a cultivation world, and a horror world. Please make your selection!"

"Other than the horror world, I want to go to all three. This is so hard to decide. Whatever, I'll try them one at a time. Adults never choose. I'll take them all. Select the Marvel Universe!"

At the same time, he planned to visit the other worlds one by one after he was done gracing Marvel with his presence. In the Gundam Universe especially, he had to shout as soon as he got in: "Xiahou D. Diaomao, launching!"

Then he would go to the cultivation world, put railings on a flying sword, and soar up to stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun. After that, he would find a fox spirit and see whether the fox spirit or the female bodhisattvas in the videos were prettier. (￣﹃￣)

As he silently pondered all these things and wondered in frustration why he still hadn't entered after so long, everything before his eyes began to blur, and a series of prompts sounded in his ears.

"World construction complete. Beginning link. Linking in progress, please do not leave. Link successful. Game start."

Everything went black before Xiahou's eyes, and he seemed to fall asleep.

At that moment, a tabby cat poked its head through the bedroom doorway and began observing everything inside.

It slowly walked into the room, circled the game pod once, then jumped onto the cabinet and stared at Xiahou lying inside the pod.

But gradually, its gaze was drawn to the drink bottle beside it.