The Gamer’s Rebirth: A New Reality

Having finally reached the end of the latest chapter, Lin Chenyue slammed his hand down in frustration. “What is this female lead even agonizing over?” he grumbled. “Is her identity really that important? She just agonized through the entire chapter, and then it was over!” In his pique, he inadvertently knocked over the drink he had just bought.

“Damn it, that was the cola I just spent three yuan on!” Lin Chenyue swore under his breath, hastily scrambling for a towel to wipe the table.

His parents were always so busy; he didn’t even know when they would be back. Lin Chenyue sighed, then rolled over and lay on his bed.

Lin Chenyue was born into an affluent family; both his parents were high-ranking executives in major corporations, making their household quite well-off. After graduating from university, unable to secure a suitable job, he had simply holed up at home, embracing the life of a shut-in. Though his parents worried, they found themselves with few viable solutions.

“If I were the female lead, I would have agreed long ago,” Lin Chenyue muttered to himself. “Such a good man, and with conditions similar to mine? She should just marry him quickly! And I waited all day just for this chapter? It’s so watered down! The previous chapters were decent, so why is today’s so bland?” The more Lin Chenyue thought about it, the angrier he became. He furiously swung his fist, but unexpectedly struck the lamp next to his bed. The lightbulb shattered, and a jolt of electricity surged through his arm, directly to his heart.

“To think I’d die such an ignominious death.” Lin Chenyue’s last vestiges of consciousness slowly faded away.

****

“Where am I… Why is it so dark?” Lin Chenyue’s thoughts slowly began to return. ‘I’m not dead? But why can’t I control my body?’ He desperately tried to awaken from the darkness, yet found no way to do so.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when footsteps echoed in his ears. He heard a gentle female voice say, “How is the research coming along?” Listening to the voice, Lin Chenyue couldn’t help but feel strange. ‘Who is this?’ he thought. ‘I’ve never heard a voice like this before. It’s so gentle, I just want to immerse myself in it…’

Then another voice, authoritative yet gentle, chimed in: “The research was a success! It can be put into use immediately. Soon, we’ll be able to speak with Yue’er in the virtual world.”

“We can finally hear Yue’er speak!” The gentle voice held a hint of excitement. “She’s been in a coma for five years, ever since she accidentally hit her head five years ago. It’s all my fault for not watching Yue’er more carefully.” The gentle voice was tinged with a slight sob.

“Wife, it’s not your fault. It’s also because I’ve been too busy and haven’t had time to be with you all.” The man soothed the woman’s emotions. “Even though Yue’er can’t get up, she’s still responsive to the outside world. Don’t let Yue’er hear you crying; it would only make her feel worse. Besides, Yue’er isn’t beyond hope of recovery. It’s just that, for now, we don’t know when she’ll wake up.”

“You’re right,” the woman conceded, stopping her tears. “Then let’s quickly go and finish the remaining experiments.”

Lin Chenyue felt someone gently kiss him, and then the footsteps gradually receded. He was profoundly shocked by everything that had just transpired. ‘Hit her head five years ago and became paralyzed?’ he thought. ‘I don’t remember ever being paralyzed. So, I’ve been reborn? Does that mean those two are my parents? But what the hell? I’ve been reborn into a paralyzed person! Am I doomed to spend this new life lying in bed?’ Lin Chenyue felt the profound malice fate held for him. ‘Wait, they just said they could meet in a virtual game, which means I can still ‘get up’! And virtual game technology… in my previous life, that technology wasn’t even close to being realized.’

Thinking of his parents from his previous life, a bitter pang struck his heart. ‘I wonder if they’re doing alright?’ he mused. ‘I’m sorry, Mom and Dad. I didn’t fulfill my responsibilities as a child.’

Although his father in this life had said the project was nearing completion, it was clearly a massive undertaking. Half a month passed, and the project remained unfinished. Yet, during this time, Lin Chenyue managed to piece together a basic understanding of his current world through his new parents’ and the nurses’ conversations.

Broadly speaking, the world’s structure was largely consistent with his previous one. However, in terms of gaming development, thanks to his parents, it had surpassed his previous world by several decades. The first generation of virtual simulation technology had already emerged, but because its immersion level was insufficient, it tended to affect people’s minds. His parents, it turned out, were researching the second generation of virtual technology. Furthermore, he often heard his parents talking about their daughter. ‘It seems I have an older or younger sister?’ he mused. ‘That’s quite nice. But why hasn’t this sister of mine come to see me yet? And so far, I still don’t know my parents’ names, only that my father’s surname is Lin and my mother’s is Qin.’

‘Virtual game technology… To think such a thing truly exists!’ Lin Chenyue mused silently. ‘Heh heh, it seems this is truly the world meant for me. I just don’t know when I’ll be able to wake up.’

Just then, he suddenly felt his body being lifted. “Be careful,” his father in this life said in a stern tone. “Yue’er’s body hasn’t moved in years; it’s very fragile.”

“Yes…” Several female voices responded from around them.

‘Quite the good fortune with women,’ Lin Chenyue secretly rejoiced. ‘Heh heh, I didn’t expect my father in this life to be so open-minded.’

He felt himself being moved into a small, enclosed pod, and could hear the lid slowly closing.

His mother’s gentle voice sounded again: “We can finally see Yue’er. These past few years have been so hard on her.”

His father was also overjoyed: “I can’t believe the experiment was completed so quickly! It seems Yue’er truly is our lucky star.” He paused, then addressed the others, “Well? Is the network connected?”

A female voice replied, “It’s already connected, Boss.”

“Excellent,” the man said, his voice tinged with excitement yet remaining steady. “How much time until players can enter?”

Another woman replied, “The announcement has been made. There’s one day left.”

His father’s voice came through: “Then we can spend this day properly accompanying our Yue’er. I’m going into the game. Don’t call me unless it’s something truly urgent.”

“Yes, Boss,” the women replied in unison.

“You may all leave,” his father instructed, dismissing all the attending staff. “We’ll handle the rest ourselves.”

Once everyone had departed, the father said to the mother, “Wife, we’ll be able to see Yue’er very soon.”

His mother’s voice responded, “This day has finally come. Mu Ge, you’ve worked so hard these past few years.”

“What hardship?” his father said, a smile in his voice. “It’s all for Yue’er. Alright, let’s go in too.” As he spoke, he seemed to press a button, and Lin Chenyue heard a voice:

“Transmitting signal…”

“Acquiring DNA… Binding DNA.”

“Acquiring iris data…”

“Information binding successful. Entering game…”