The Void Realm Network’s First Login

Huang Xiu flipped open the freshman handbook and slowly read it under the dim sunlight streaming through the window.

The handbook wasn’t thick, and the first few pages were filled with boring clichés.

Things like the status of Tian University in the real world, the definition of Special Ability Users, and the laws Special Ability Users must follow in the mortal realm.

Among them, the rule against using abilities on ordinary people was highlighted. Afraid freshmen might miss it, they used the largest font, covering half a page, and even marked it in red.

It might seem redundant, but Huang Xiu knew that every repeatedly emphasized rule was born from past painful lessons.

She continued flipping through the handbook and quickly found her target: the registration guide for the Void Net account.

[First, enter the URL XXXXX, then…]

‘Wait…’ After reading the guide, Huang Xiu was about to start when she spotted a problem.

The guide was only for PC, with no mobile version. And she… didn’t have a computer.

Actually, she used to have one, but it broke, and she started high school. Her parents hadn’t bought her a new one, saying they’d get her one once she got into college.

‘It can’t really be PC-only, can it?’ Huang Xiu quickly flipped more pages.

She soon found the answer in the detailed Q&A section. The Void Net could only be accessed via PC for the first login; after that, you could use the app downloaded from the site.

‘What a classic poorly optimized official website.’ Huang Xiu covered her face. ‘Looks like I have to go to an internet cafe.’

She didn’t have a computer at home, and even ordering one from JD would take until the next day. But now, she couldn’t wait to see what the Void Net was actually like.

She quickly changed clothes and rolled up the freshman handbook, stuffing it into her pocket.

Huang Xiu grabbed her ID and phone and headed out.

“Where are you going?” Mom heard the noise and poked her head out of the bathroom.

“To the internet cafe.”

Even going to an internet cafe was better than staying cooped up at home. Mom said with relief, “Go on, go on. Remember to come back for lunch.”

“Got it!” Huang Xiu replied, put on the biscuit-sole canvas shoes her senior had sold her, and left.

In May, Ying City was already touching the tail of summer, with temperatures climbing higher each day.

These past few days, it had been hovering around thirty degrees.

Huang Xiu wore a plain white cotton T-shirt and black capri pants, going for a cool look.

There were plenty of internet cafes near Pearl Residences, but most had poor environments, filled with harsh cigarette smoke.

Huang Xiu had never liked them much, because after coming back, her nose and hair would stink of smoke.

And since her transformation, her senses had become much sharper. Not only did she hate the smell even more, but she had also become more particular about cleanliness.

“I’ll go to the best one.” Huang Xiu decided to splurge and head to a newly opened internet cafe with a non-smoking area.

It wasn’t too far, and since she rarely went out, she decided to walk.

It was the weekend, so there were many people on the street, but none as attractive as Miss Xiuxiu.

Maybe it was because the sunlight was a bit harsh.

Her outfit was plain, but her looks were undeniable, so Huang Xiu drew quite a few glances as she walked.

A short walk later, she arrived at the internet cafe.

Another important reason she came here was that she still had credit left on her old card.

But she forgot one crucial thing. Huang Xiu’s card had money, but Miss Xiuxiu’s card didn’t!

So Miss Xiuxiu, with tears in her eyes, opened a new membership card and stuffed fifty yuan into it.

“I’ll use up the money and never come back!” Huang Xiu snorted.

She wiped down the keyboard with a wet wipe. Then she booted up the computer and, following the guide, entered the fifteen-character-long, non-standard URL.

A blank white interface appeared.

“Enter the key in the blank interface…” Huang Xiu typed in the alphanumeric key on the keyboard.

As her fingers left the keyboard, a huge eye icon appeared on the screen, blinked twice, and vanished.

Huang Xiu knew this was the Void Net’s logo. The handbook said that when the eye appeared, it meant the Brain-Computer System had connected to the computer.

“Now I just have to wait for the system to run a security check on the computer.” Huang Xiu looked forward to it eagerly.

Then she watched as the computer started lagging, hearing the whir of the fan. That was the CPU’s cry of agony!

“Boss, the computer’s frozen!” A roar came from outside the booth, followed by a loud bang on a desk. It was so loud it was a bit frightening.

“Shit, mine’s frozen too! I’m in the middle of a team fight!” It wasn’t just one person.

Curses erupted one after another. The entire internet cafe was lagging.

“…” Inside the booth, the mastermind Miss Xiuxiu shrank her neck and silently locked the door.

It wasn’t her fault… The brain-computer scan was quick, stopping in less than half a minute. The whirring fan slowed down.

The white interface slowly refreshed, and a new page appeared.

The page was very simple, with no ads on the sides, and a green background that was easy on the eyes.

In the top left corner were the words “Void Net” in neat Fang Song font, and above the center was a quick navigation bar.

The navigation bar had three sections: [Forum], [Quests], and [Institutions].

Below the navigation bar were rotating news images, but both the pictures and the text underneath were blurred with mosaics.

Huang Xiu wasn’t worried, because according to the handbook, these would only be accessible after registration.

Registration was even simpler than she imagined, no different from a regular website sign-up.

ID number, real name, phone number. The only extra mandatory field was a referral code.

Huang Xiu didn’t know what others’ referral codes were, but hers was this one.

“Pick a nickname?” Huang Xiu scratched her head, looking troubled. Coming up with names had always been her weak point.

Otherwise, her usernames and in-game names wouldn’t all be homophones of her real name.

But doing that now obviously wouldn’t work. Her old names were too distinctive; they’d make it easy for Tiantu University alumni to dox her.

“Forget it, I’ll just call myself ‘Sen Luo’.” Too lazy to think further, Huang Xiu typed in the name and hit enter.

Great, no duplicates. Account logged in, interface refreshed.

The news on the homepage finally lost its mosaic, revealing its true content to Huang Xiu.

There were many news items, but the one in the center, the most prominent, was undoubtedly the most important. So Huang Xiu looked at the center headline.

[Global Void Realm Management Association states that the number of Void Realm incursions this year may become the highest in the past decade.]

The accompanying image was a line chart, with the point for 2016 already reaching the same height as last year.

It seemed that the incidences of Void Realm incursions this year weren’t that many, but it was only May.

“Global Void Realm Management Association?” Huang Xiu looked puzzled. What was that?

She moved the mouse and double-clicked to open the details page, reading carefully. Soon, it all clicked.