Divine Realm’s Dawn and a Lost Maiden

The moment Divine Realm launched, nearly a hundred million players around the globe simultaneously logged in.

At Muxin Company’s headquarters, Lin Feimu stared intently at the massive instrument before him, asking, “How are things progressing?”

A staff member beside him wiped a bead of sweat from their brow. “President, everything is normal.”

Lin Feimu nodded, a quiet sigh of relief escaping him. It was fortunate they had partnered with the nation this time, utilizing the country’s cutting-edge AI servers. Otherwise, the game’s launch might very well have been jeopardized by server crashes.

Gazing at the screen before him, Lin Feimu spoke softly, “‘Nuwa,’ are you there?”

A female avatar appeared on the screen. “How may I assist you, President?”

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Feimu finally made his decision. “I am transferring all my authority to you. From this moment forth, I will no longer interfere with the game’s operations.”

Nuwa’s mechanical voice responded, “Authority transfer in progress. Do you confirm the transfer of supreme control?”

Lin Feimu calmly affirmed, “Confirm.” As he spoke, he placed his hand into the fingerprint recognition area.

“Fingerprint recognition confirmed. Iris scan in progress… Identity confirmed, authority transfer complete.”

Just then, a military officer entered. After saluting, they spoke gravely, “Feimu, the Chairman wishes to see you.”

Lin Feimu let out a cold laugh. “Is it just the Chairman, or are there others? I suspect it’s those capitalists, isn’t it? I knew those self-serving opportunists wouldn’t resist meddling once they saw such a massive slice of the pie.”

The officer sighed. “Feimu, I understand your resentment towards them. After all, they were responsible for Yue’er’s paralysis. However, the Chairman said that this time, it’s a joint pressure from Y-Country, F-Country, M-Country, E-Country, D-Country, and A-Country. The Chairman hopes you can appreciate the nation’s difficult position.”

Lin Feimu nodded. “Don’t worry, Brother He, I understand. Let’s go. I’m curious to see what they’re plotting.”

****

Lin Shenyue gazed around in confusion, a knot of exasperation tightening in her chest. ‘How did I end up out here again? Ugh, I wanted to go to the village center! When did I wander off course? Could it be… does this body have a hidden sense of direction deficiency?’ Lin Shenyue meticulously reviewed her actions over the past half-hour, then subconsciously tugged at her waist-length hair. ‘No way, am I really that bad with directions?’ A profound sense of malice from the world seemed to descend upon her. How was she supposed to play this game when she couldn’t even follow a map…?

Just then, a young man emerged from the village. He paused, slightly taken aback upon seeing Lin Shenyue standing rooted, clearly in a quandary, before he hesitated and then approached her.

The young man carefully observed the girl’s features. Despite having encountered countless beauties in his life, none could compare to the maiden before him. She possessed a natural allure; her exquisite features were so perfectly balanced that even the slightest alteration would diminish her inherent charm. Her white dress made her appear as an ethereal fairy descended to the mortal realm.

The young man offered a gentle smile. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Upon hearing his voice, Lin Shenyue’s focus finally sharpened. The young man before her wasn’t strikingly handsome, but his refined features exuded a clean, wholesome aura. His voice was gentle, devoid of excessive humility or undue arrogance.

Lin Shenyue’s sweet, melodious voice chimed, “Are you a player?”

The young man faltered for a moment. He knew well that NPCs referred to players as ‘Outsiders’; for the girl before him to call him a ‘player’ unequivocally meant she was one too.

He asked, surprised, “You’re not an NPC?”

Lin Shenyue looked puzzled. “An NPC? Of course not! Why would you think I’m an NPC?”

The young man, looking a little embarrassed, replied, “Well… you look so young. Isn’t this game only for adults?”

Lin Shenyue’s small face flushed crimson as she indignantly declared, “I’m already eighteen! I’m not small!”

The young man stared at her in astonishment, muttering, “She looks barely fifteen. A legal loli…” Instantly, he felt a palpable drop in the atmospheric pressure around him. He snapped his mouth shut, offering an awkward smile to the visibly darkening Lin Shenyue, and hastily changed the subject. “Um, is there anything I can help you with?”

Lin Shenyue took a deep breath, suppressing her rising anger. “I want to go to the village center.”

This time, the young man looked utterly bewildered. “The village center? Are you looking for the village chief? Don’t you have a map?”

Lin Shenyue’s small face was completely red, and she gritted her teeth. “Mind your own business! Can’t I just be lost?” Though her tone was furious, her voice remained sweet and soft, making it impossible to discern her anger.

The young man’s eyes widened. “Lost? How is that possible? This map is so small…” The oppressive aura around him intensified, and his voice dwindled. Seeing Lin Shenyue’s flushed face, the young man finally made the wise decision to change the subject. “Come with me, I’ll take you there.”

Lin Shenyue watched the young man scurry away, barely suppressing the urge to throttle him, and followed.

The young man turned his head and called back, “Oh, right! You should hide your fashion attire. I don’t know where you got it from, but it’s best not to let others see it.”

Lin Shenyue glanced at the young man’s coarse cloth attire, then at her own long dress, made of some unknown material, and asked, “How do I unequip it?”

The young man stopped. “Open your interface; there’s a ‘hide’ option next to ‘fashion attire.'”

Lin Shenyue hesitated, then asked, “If I just hide it, I won’t be naked, will I?”

The young man’s mind conjured an image of Lin Shenyue without clothes, and he instantly felt a rush of warmth in his nose. He quickly turned his head, calling out, “No, you won’t! The system automatically issues two beginner outfits and equips them the moment you enter the game.”

Though Lin Shenyue found the young man’s reaction peculiar, she nonetheless followed his instructions and hid her fashion attire. The elegant white gown vanished, leaving her in a coarse cloth top and a matching short skirt. Lin Shenyue couldn’t help but frown. While wearing the long dress, she hadn’t felt much inconvenience; though walking was a little awkward, she could largely ignore it. However, in the short skirt, she felt a constant chill below, and the risk of her undergarments being seen seemed ever-present.

The young man gazed at the girl before him. Though her attire was no longer as grand as before, the pair of long, fair legs revealed by the short skirt offered a distinct allure and a pristine beauty. He momentarily lost himself, then shook his head, dispelling the inappropriate images from his mind. “Let’s get going quickly. We should finish the beginner quests while other players are still getting used to the controls, or else we’ll have to wait a long time.”

Lin Shenyue cast aside her stray thoughts and hurried to catch up.