Game On: A World Reborn

 

"Nice! I've finally finished this shitty quest enough times to get the coins needed for a ride to the city! But man, the inflation on these coins sucks! Back in my day, a few thousand years ago, you'd only need 7 or 8 bronze for a ride to the city. Now you need a whole 15! That's equivalent to 1.5 silver coins!" Liang Wu was happy one moment and mad the next. To the passersby on the street, he really did look like a rambling lunatic.

 

Liang Wu rambled on about the inflation rates and other nonsense as he walked to the nearest carriage station.

 

He soon arrived at the carriage station, where a man was already seated in a carriage, getting ready to take off. "Hold up! I'm getting on!" Liang Wu shouted as he ran up to the carriage while tossing a bag of coins to the man.

 

The man reflexively caught the bag. "This is a private carriage, young man." The coachman was going to refuse the young man from boarding the carriage, but a beautiful silvery voice, like the tinkling of chimes in the spring breeze, came from inside the carriage. "Hehe! Let him on, Che Fu."

 

"But Young Miss! You can't have a man ride inside the carriage with you!"

 

"When did I say to let him inside? Just let him ride up front with you."

 

"Why should we let this random young man on your carriage?"

 

"Hehe! Just look at his nickname! Hehehe! It's so funny! How could we not let someone with a nickname like that on the carriage? Hehe!"

 

Liang Wu had been listening to their conversation this whole time; however, when he heard the lady in the carriage make fun of his nickname, he became livid. "How dare you make fun of my glorious nickname!? I am the one and only Supreme God Emperor! I was the first and only being in this world to break through to a realm above the God Realm! I was the very one to craft this world into the perfect game! I— oof!"

 

As Liang Wu went off on an unending rant, a green ornate jade hairpin flew out of the carriage window and hit him in the chest, causing him to wheeze in pain.

 

"I found you funny at first, but you are starting to annoy me. Do you want to ride my carriage or not?" The beautiful voice of the lady in the carriage was starting to sound a bit irritated.

 

"Ugh, I'll ride," Liang Wu said with difficulty as he clutched his aching chest. "I'm taking this as compensation for attacking me, though," he said as he held the jade hairpin in his hands.

 

"Give it back! Or I won't let you on my carriage!" The lady's voice was sounding more than just a little irritated now.

 

"I don't think I will. If I sell this at a pawn shop, I should be able to get a few silver for it, don't you think? With that money, I'll be able to afford a ride to a large city. Then I could join a small sect, at the very least," he said as he turned around to begin walking away.

 

"Wait! I'll let you on the carriage, just please give me my hairpin back."

 

"Let me ride inside, or I'll go sell it right now."

 

"Alright, I've heard enough. I'll no longer allow you to insult the Young Miss!" the coachman shouted as he leapt off the carriage and approached Liang Wu menacingly.

 

Liang Wu held the hairpin out at his side. "If you don't stop, I'll place this hairpin in my inventory, and your Young Miss will never see it again!" Liang Wu bluffed the coachman.

 

"There's no way you've unlocked the inventory feature yet. Only level ten have that feature!" the coachman shouted in disbelief.

 

"Well, I guess you'll just have to find out the truth the hard way. Inventory!" Liang Wu continued his bluffing in an attempt to get a free ride.

 

"Wait! Che Fu, let him inside!" The young lady in the carriage was unwilling to take the risk of losing her hairpin.

 

"I cannot allow that, Young Miss!"

 

"My father gave me that hairpin before he died! I will not allow it to be lost!!" The young lady screamed from inside the carriage. "Come inside!" She continued to Liang Wu.

 

Liang Wu gave the coachman a cheeky smirk as he walked past him. As he stepped up to the carriage, the door flew open, and a small, delicate-looking palm struck at his face. He quickly held the hairpin in front of the palm, which veered to the side to avoid damaging the hairpin.

 

"Shameless!" the owner of the palm spat vehemently.

 

Liang Wu pushed the young lady's arm out of his way and stepped into the carriage. As his hand touched her arm, he couldn't help remarking, "Smooth."

 

The young lady jerked her arm back and shouted in embarrassment, "Scoundrel!"

 

Once inside the carriage, Liang Wu came face to face with a dainty little beauty. She had long black hair, an oval face—slightly red from anger—a cute set of dimpled cheeks, almond-shaped hazel eyes—which she was using to glare hatefully at Liang Wu—and she was clothed in a set of pink robes with a cute little bear design embroidered on the front. "Cute," Liang Wu couldn't help himself from speaking his honest opinion. Granted, he had formed a habit of speaking aloud most of the time, perhaps due to the thousands of years he spent in solitude.

(Ai Art - Hidden as I realize some people don't like Ai Art - I'm really only using it as reference for my character's. Sorry if it offends 🙇‍♂️)

"Humph!" Although the young lady made a disgruntled sound, she seemed slightly pleased to be called cute.

 

"Give me back my hairpin!" She demanded with a voice filled to the brim with anger.

 

Liang Wu played with the hairpin in his hands, twirling it between his fingers. "I'll give it to you, but only once we reach a large city."

 

"Fine." Surprisingly, the young lady agreed calmly.

 

Liang Wu felt an inexplicable shiver run up his spine when he heard the young lady agree so easily. "Fine? You're really okay with that?"

 

"As long as I get my hairpin back safely, I'm fine with taking you to the nearest large city. In fact, we are headed there anyway," she said with a smile, as her earlier angry expression was now nowhere to be seen.

Liang Wu felt a slight hint of danger, but then he thought to himself. I'm the Supreme God Emperor! What do I have to fear from this cute little lady?