"Move faster.... Get into the Prince's Castle, finish that witch, then head straight into the west aisle…"
Standing up, Killian began giving instructions to his girlfriend, who was glued to the PC screen from her cosy gaming chair. She was so deep in the zone that she had squeezed the life out of a tetrapack of juice with the straw and was still sipping from it.
It was not really her fault though.
'The Heroes of the Primordial War' was just that addictive. So much so that people actually hired others to unlock new storylines and grab all the hidden rewards.
Killian and his girlfriend Natasha were both skilled gamers. And in a world where rich kids loved nothing more than showing off, the pair had stumbled on a sweet way to earn decent money without ever leaving the apartment.
On top of that, if they uploaded livestreams and clips of tips and tricks on U-Tube, the earnings turned out pretty decent.
So they took it in turns to play, levelling up the account while saving anything worth uploading for later.
In a way, one could say they had pretty much landed their dream job.
"I'll go make some noodles. You clear this level by then," Killian smiled, pulling the straw away from her mouth.
Natasha did not reply.
However, just as he was about to leave, Natasha shouted, "The arrow keys aren't working! Change it. Quick!"
"Damn it! I only swapped it the day before yesterday," He cursed, yet still reached back to the shelf and pulled out a new keyboard from one of the boxes.
Meanwhile, Natasha carried on playing without missing a beat.
So as not to disturb her further, Killian did not switch on the light and instead made do with his phone's flashlight.
The CPU was down by her feet, but all the front ports were already plugged in.
With no other choice, Killian had to reach round the back.
The phone light could not reach deep enough, so he started feeling around with the plug.
The first attempt failed.
So did the next few tries.
Frustrated, he decided to locate the empty port first with his bare hand.
But the second he touched it — a massive electric shock surged through him.
"Nnnn…"
Killian tried to call out to Natasha, but his voice could not carry past that broken sound.
Startled by the sudden commotion, Natasha immediately pulled back.
"Killian … Killian … Oh, God!"
At that moment, Killian found himself in a different space, where everything around him was swallowed by darkness.
"Fuck! Where am I? Is this… some kind of coma state?"
He had read that after such shocks, a person could lose consciousness for a while. It was due to either sudden heart fluctuations or nervous system overload.
"No! That's not right. I can still think. And also see…"
As he corrected himself, a bright light suddenly slammed straight into his face, growing stronger with every passing second.
"Ahh! What the—"
Unable to bear the intense light, Killian shut his eyes tight.
But within just a few seconds, he felt he could risk opening them again, and he did.
"Madam! The young master has awakened."
An excited voice reached Killian 's ears, and he flinched.
It wasn't the voice itself that startled him, but the language. It was something he had never heard before, yet strangely enough, he could understand it perfectly.
However, there was no time to dwell on that, because the scene before him pulled his attention in.
Above him, a pristine white ceiling stretched out, etched with delicate carvings, and from it hung a crystal chandelier that caught the light and scattered it all around.
"Magic?"
That was the very first thought that came to Killian .
He tried to sit up, but a sudden sharp pain flared through his waist. Even so, it wasn't severe enough to completely stop him.
"No, my son, lie down." A beautiful woman rushed to Killian 's side and gently supported him. "Lysa, go and call the Grand Healer."
The maid standing nearby nodded and left the room.
From beginning to end, Killian didn't even glance at the maid. He was completely stunned, staring at the woman who was calling herself his mother.
Because her face felt oddly familiar.
But the thing that drew his attention the most was the simple wooden diadem resting on her head.
"The Witch's Blessing."
He could never forget what that thing truly was.
At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a finely carved piece of wood, but in reality, it was made from the dried bones of a witch. When soaked in water, it turned the liquid into a green elixir that significantly boosted a player's HP. Only a handful of characters in the entire game could obtain it, and among women, there was only one.
That was Lady Crane.
The mother of the short-lived prince.
And that short-lived prince… had now become Killian himself.
"No way I could be inside the game?"
Killian doubted his own thought.
It had to be the result of being too immersed in the game.
He closed his eyes, hoping to break out of the illusion.
But he was wrong.
Nothing changed.
Everything remained exactly as it was. Though, noticing his strange behavior, Lady Crane's expression grew tense.
"Are you feeling any discomfort?" she asked, her voice trembling.
But before Killian could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed through the room.
Mother and son turned their gaze to the side.
Two women were approaching them.
One was elderly, her hair completely white, yet time had been relatively gentle on her, with only a few wrinkles visible. She wore a white cloak, and around her neck hung a red gemstone pendant, also there was a wooden staff in her hand that helped her move swiftly.
The other was her complete opposite. She was dressed in a guard's attire, her armor and uniform giving her the aura of a seasoned warrior.
Her figure was the kind people only ever saw in their dreams.
Killian could vouch for that, having clearly noticed the curves of her front and rear.
Rummaging through his hazy memories, as he tried to recall which character among all the ones in the game she could be, the elderly woman suddenly gripped his wrist firmly.
Killian immediately tensed up.
"Don't resist," Lady Crane assured him, gently stroking his hair. "She won't harm you."
Then, a faint green vapor rose from the elderly woman's body and flowed directly into Killian through his wrist.
Killian didn't move. He only felt a slight wave of warmth spreading through his body.
"Aunt Nuwa… Fyn, is he alright?"
Seeing the Grand Healer remain silent for so long, Lady Crane could no longer hold back her worry.
"This… how is this possible? How?"