"...Delicious... Joy... Sweet..."
In the midst of the night, at a humble fisherman's dwelling in Reverse Wind Port,
Liang Xiaohau, having just completed some chores, shared a meal with the fisherman and his daughter, endeavoring to utilize the local vocabulary he had learned that day.
Old fisherman Bernie was not a man of many words, yet with the rare presence of a guest in his home, he made an effort to express his hospitality in his own way...
For instance, by continuously piling fish onto Liang Xiaohau's plate.
Meanwhile, the fisherman's daughter, Veyla, smiled brightly as she daintily ate her meal, listening to Liang Xiaohau's clumsy speech and occasionally offering gentle corrections to his mispronunciations.
Having lost her mother in childbirth, she had been raised by her taciturn father, living a life filled with the routine tasks of unloading cargo, drying fish, cooking, and washing dishes, with little else to occupy her time.
The arrival of this peculiar young man brought an unprecedented glimmer of light into Veyla's existence!
Although Liang Xiaohau struggled to articulate his thoughts fluently, he remained kind and lively, seemingly bursting with unexpected ideas that never failed to elicit laughter from Veyla.
Furthermore, Liang Xiaohau willingly embraced the more arduous tasks, suggesting that he had nowhere else to go and wished to take refuge in their home.
Old fisherman Bernie was initially quite wary of the unfamiliar youth, suspecting him of harboring ulterior motives regarding his daughter!
Nevertheless, Liang Xiaohau, being a modern man from the outside world, possessed ample social experience; it was no challenge for him to navigate the intricacies of "medieval NPC" interactions!
With little effort, he assuaged the old fisherman's concerns with his remarkable acting skills, successfully securing his place to stay.
Creak... Creak...
The poorly cooked fish meat lacked any particular delight in flavor,
yet Liang Xiaohau feigned great enjoyment, praising the meal to maintain his façade.
Internally, however, he felt a sense of bewilderment.
After all, the textures of the food were alarmingly realistic!
Earlier, Liang Xiaohau had even made two trips to the restroom, the sensations indistinguishable from those in reality.
Despite the numerous adhesive patches on the VR equipment designed to simulate tactile sensations, the experience was simply astonishing!
"With dining and restroom experiences so lifelike, if I were to engage in other activities..."
He furtively glanced at Veyla, his gaze flickering.
Coincidentally, she looked his way, and upon meeting his gaze, Liang Xiaohau quickly suppressed his wandering thoughts and offered a smile.
Having known her for only a day, he understood that impatience could lead to mistakes.
After all, this fisherman's daughter was charmingly naive and would never escape his grasp!
After dinner, Liang Xiaohau assisted in washing the dishes, exchanged goodnights with Veyla, and retreated to his temporary quarters.
Measuring less than five square meters, it was even smaller than the bathtub in his actual home.
Yet, Veyla had tidied it meticulously; the sheets and blankets were fresh and fluffy, indicating her thoughtfulness.
However, Liang Xiaohau had no intention of sleeping there; he intended to exit the "game" and return to reality to rest.
"I've captured numerous new screenshots, and with the game's linguistic system, posting them should generate quite a buzz!"
With thoughts of his Gatling TV in mind, Liang Xiaohau opened his eyes once more.
Before him still lay the interior of the fisherman's dwelling.
"What is happening?"
Confused, he continued trying to log out of the game, yet the scenery remained unchanged.
He could not exit!
Panic set in; did VR gaming truly require such a level of realism?
Smack! Smack!
Determined, he raised his hands and slapped his face with considerable force.
The pain was undeniable, yet it proved utterly ineffective!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Liang Xiaohau jumped vigorously in place, even attempting to bang his head against the wall, hoping to jolt himself awake.
Alas, his efforts yielded no results; instead, the commotion roused Veyla from her slumber, prompting her to knock on the door with concern.
"Is everything alright? I... I'm... exercising..."
Liang Xiaohau struggled to respond in his limited vocabulary, and once Veyla returned to her room, he sat in despair upon the bed.
Was he truly trapped in this game world?
...
In the external world, the account "Namo Gatling Bodhisattva" on Gatling TV was flooded with thousands of comments urging updates.
[Hey! You haven't posted in hours; even the production team's donkey wouldn't dare rest this long!/Angry]
[I bet he's definitely gotten close with the fisherman's daughter and is lost in bliss.../Sly grin]
[How infuriating! Why didn't I draw the VR device in my blind box? I want to be with the fisherman's daughter too!/Sour grapes]
Many were captivated by the unprecedented realism of this "VR game," resulting in sleepless nights as they fervently posted comments while reaching out to friends and family, hoping to secure more blind boxes.
Who knows? Perhaps the next chosen one would be among them!
Meanwhile, Wang Hui slumbered peacefully, unaware that by simply sealing the microcosmic glass dome, he had inadvertently altered Liang Xiaohau's trajectory in life...
As people clamored to purchase blind boxes, the distinct flow of time in the microcosm had already ushered in the following morning.
In the depths of the northwestern sea, a disheveled Gurumi emerged from her tent, boarding a patrol vessel for her shift.
Her thoughts were consumed by Wang Hui's promise of a "large, delicious" food reward, compelling her to push through the lingering pain of her injuries.
"What Nicholas Geiki! I'll turn you into chicken today!"
Gurumi pouted, leaning over the ship's railing, her arms gradually morphing into slime-like tendrils that extended into the water, seeking out the remnants of the Storm Navy.
According to Nalan Xia's earlier remarks, those ruffians had launched five surprise attacks overnight, resulting in nearly a hundred casualties among the three clans' patrol vessels!
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before their losses rivaled those encountered in direct combat...
"Found anything yet?!"
A sudden roar startled the drowsy Gurumi, nearly causing her to tumble into the water!
She turned to gaze at the still-visible island, then irritably shot a look at the source of the shout, Huyan Longzhu:
"What are you shouting about? The ship just set sail; how could we find anything so quickly..."
Bang!
The eight-foot spear struck the deck with force, Huyan Longzhu's expression darkening.
He was aware that he was a bit too anxious; after all, Nicholas Geiki had fled right before his eyes yesterday, and now he had inflicted significant harm upon the three clan armies...
Though Nalan Xia did not blame Huyan Longzhu for this, he felt a knot of frustration in his chest, silently vowing to rectify this mistake personally!
However, Huyan Longzhu understood that he was not skilled in tracking; the exploration task primarily relied on Gurumi, the blob of slime.
After a moment of silence, the warship had sailed into a broad expanse of sea.
Huyan Longzhu steeled himself to apologize for his previous attitude but saw Gurumi suddenly change her expression: "There are people below!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh—
Before she could finish, dozens of water whips surged from the sea's surface, ensnaring the sides of the warship and yanking it down violently, seemingly intent on capsizing them!