Lan Yucheng pulled off his headphones, his head thudding back into the custom memory foam of his gaming chair.
“Let’s stay together forever, okay…”
The sweet, lingering warmth of the game’s ending confession still resonated in his ears.
Fretting, he closed yet another game window. His gaze swept across the forum, his fingertips restlessly sliding over the touchpad.
“Every time, it’s the same boring plot…”
He scrolled down aimlessly.
Suddenly, a crimson `[New!]` icon, seemingly dripping blood, abruptly tore through a corner of the screen.
—《Ascension》
There was no description, no screenshots, no developer’s name.
Only a solitary line of numbers: ¥5000.00.
“Huh?”
Lan Yucheng almost laughed aloud, a surge of absurdity instantly eclipsing the void left by completing the game.
Which madman had conceived such a price? Driven by a curiosity that felt almost self-destructive, he bought it.
“I hope… you won’t disappoint me…” His mouse clicked down hard on “Start Game.”
Boom—!
A deafening roar erupted in his headphones. His vision was instantly consumed by an absolute, all-devouring blackness. His consciousness, like paper fed into a shredder, tore apart with a whoosh.
****
His consciousness, like a sunken ship, struggled to rise from the cold, viscous depths of a dark sea.
The first sensation was the softness beneath him—an unfamiliar, textured fabric, certainly not the artificial leather of his gaming chair.
Then came the hazy, warm light filtering through his thin eyelids, and the air, permeated by a faint, sweet, unfamiliar fragrance.
Lan Yucheng’s eyes snapped open.
Beneath him was his own bed.
Before him was his incredibly familiar room. But… was his room ever this clean?
She pushed herself up, intending to get off the bed. The moment her toes touched the floor, she froze.
Her legs… were they ever this slender? This pale? Her skin was impossibly smooth.
Before she could examine them further, a ball of light suddenly shot out from the black screen of the nearby computer.
It floated before Lan Yucheng, swaying from side to side, and transformed into… a female sprite?
Its first words upon seeing Lan Yucheng were:
[No, why did someone buy it so quickly?]
“…”
“What’s… happening here?” Lan Yucheng barely spoke before her own soft, delicate voice startled her, making her cover her mouth.
[It’s a galgame, of course.]
The sprite’s tone was utterly self-evident.
Without another word, Lan Yucheng stumbled towards the bathroom. Half a minute later, she emerged looking dazed, her face somewhat pale.
She turned to the sprite.
“Where’s my big brother physique?”
[Hmm… there was a small glitch in the game. You’ve just temporarily turned into a girl~] The sprite’s tone was light.
“Temporarily? When can I change back?!” Lan Yucheng asked urgently.
[When you achieve the ‘Complete All Conquests’ goal!] The sprite quickly floated the conquest goal information panel before her, as if afraid she wouldn’t understand.
“Hmm… the first one is the childhood friend?” Lan Yucheng scanned the panel, then sat back on the bed.
She pinched her cheek, feeling the slickness beneath her fingertips. The absurdity in her heart was surprisingly replaced by a hint of novelty—with this level of immersion, five thousand didn’t seem… like a loss after all? As for conquest? Hah, her experience from completing hundreds of galgames wasn’t just for show.
[I have a beginner’s gift package here, you…] The sprite attempted to upsell.
“Stop right there!” Lan Yucheng reached out directly, seizing the sprite in her palm.
“A gift package? What kind of conquest is that, relying on system handouts to boost affection? What I want is their sincere, pure affection! That’s true skill.”
Her tone carried an undeniable confidence, even a hint of fanatical obsession.
[Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right!] The sprite trembled in her palm, its light dimming slightly.
“This game,” Lan Yucheng released her grip, her eyes sharpening, “how do I quit? I can’t be stuck in here forever, can I?”
[Hmm… you can’t quit, dear,] The sprite immediately flew further away, its voice carrying a trace of imperceptible helplessness, [The game is already bound to your real body.]
“Bound? Real body?!” Lan Yucheng’s pupils contracted. “Any game must have an exit button! What about a forced exit? Alt+F4? The power button?!”
Her voice held a hint of panic she hadn’t even noticed herself.
[Then… there’s only one path left.] The sprite’s light flickered slightly, imbued with a cold sense of rule, [Achieve ‘Ascension.’ ]
[‘Ascension’ means abandoning everything here after achieving ‘Perfect Conquest’ and returning to reality.]
Lan Yucheng forced herself to calm down, stroking her chin in thought. “Perfect Conquest? What exactly does that mean?”
[Offer your true heart.] The sprite answered concisely.
“Offer my true heart?” Lan Yucheng’s brow furrowed, then smoothed out, a playful smile even gracing her lips. “Alright! Isn’t this just like dating in reality? Offer my true heart? I’m absolutely sincere with every character I conquer!”
But what the sprite didn’t say was: it was never *your* true heart that needed to be offered.
“Then it’s settled, Perfect Conquest.” Lan Yucheng made the decision directly.
[I’ll ask one more time, do you really not want the beginner’s…] The sprite still wasn’t giving up.
“If you could pull up my game time records,” Lan Yucheng lifted her chin, her gaze disdainful, “you wouldn’t ask such a foolish question.”
[Alright…] The sprite seemed to sigh. [In three minutes, the first conquest target, Qing Xinxue, will appear at the door on time.] With that, it vanished with a ‘whoosh,’ as if rushing to verify something.
“The layout is exactly the same…” Lan Yucheng quickly scanned the ‘house’ for a minute and a half. Aside from being excessively tidy, it was identical to reality. She had just settled onto the sofa, trying to make sense of this absurd situation—
*Thump-thump-thump.*
The knocking at the door sounded, as promised.
“Sister Cheng!” The moment the door opened a crack, a figure rushed into Lan Yucheng’s embrace, bringing with her a fragrant breeze, hugging her tightly.
“Why so excited?” Lan Yucheng steadied herself, looking down at the girl in her arms.
Qing Xinxue. Her hair was tied into two lively buns, and a pair of large, almond-shaped eyes blinked in her clean little face. Her nose was slightly upturned, and her lips were small.
Indeed, she perfectly matched the ‘lively childhood friend’ description on the panel.
It was just a bit of a shame that she wasn’t Lan Yucheng’s type.
“Sister Cheng, I have the whole day!” Qing Xinxue looked up, her eyes full of expectation.
“Oh?” Lan Yucheng raised an eyebrow, her tone carrying a subtle hint of ‘conqueror’s’ interest. “So, Xiaoxue wants to take me out to play?”
“Hehe, of course! We already agreed!” Qing Xinxue pulled back slightly from her embrace, her big eyes darting around. She thought seriously for a moment, then announced excitedly:
“We’re going racing!”