Leveling Up Through Death: An Unorthodox Gaming Tale

Chapter 1: My DIY Skills Are Out of This World

On a summer afternoon in the year 21XX, in a residential high-rise in Xiaoshan City, Huaxia, the piercing sound of metal clanging echoed across the quiet of the 24th floor. Inside Apartment 2402, a young man with jet-black hair was hammering away at a metal frame, focused and determined. His hand gripped a mallet as he pounded a stubborn joint that didn’t quite fit. With each blow, he seemed to be reshaping the frame to his will.

With one final, heavy strike, the frame snapped into place. Stepping back, he surveyed his creation. The setup looked like a bulky massage chair, though it was larger and had an oddly shaped dome at the headrest—something that resembled a hair salon dryer. Cables were haphazardly arranged around it, a clear indication of a DIY project. In the 22nd century, such exposed wiring would never pass any safety inspections.

Next to the “chair” was a computer screen covered with lines of code and complex figures—English text and Arabic numerals densely packed on a white background. It would have baffled even seasoned programmers.

“Done!” he announced with a smirk, wiping the sweat from his brow. “My DIY skills are just insane. Only took me three days to build this game pod from scratch! Tianyu Corp thought they could stop me from playing their game just because they flagged me in their system? Three days, and here I am, ready to log on again. Let’s see them try to keep me out.”

Just as he reached for a wireless keyboard to make some final tweaks, a loud banging erupted from the door, followed by an annoyed female voice shouting, “Open up, Li Huai-lin! I know you’re in there!”

“Uh…” Recognizing the voice, Li Huai-lin scratched his nose, feeling a mix of amusement and resignation as he went to open the door.

When he did, he was met with an annoyed woman in her late twenties. Despite the frustration on her face, she was strikingly attractive, with big eyes, a sharp jawline, and a body that could turn heads. However, her expression revealed not just anger but also deep fatigue.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” she demanded, her eyes flashing.

Li Huai-lin glanced at his watch. “Yeah, it’s 2:14 PM. What’s the big deal, Sister Juan? Did you need to bang on my door that loud just to check the time?”

“Do you not know what my work schedule is? Do you not realize I need to catch up on sleep in the afternoon?” She glared at him, her annoyance growing. “For three days now, you’ve been hammering away like you’re on a construction site! First, there’s the sound of a saw, then hammering—how am I supposed to sleep? And how am I supposed to work tonight on no sleep?”

Her name was Chen Juan, and she lived next door in Apartment 2401. Her “job,” as she often called it, consisted of going out to clubs or bars each evening to find wealthy patrons who would fund her lifestyle. Occasionally, she picked up modeling gigs or short-term contracts, but her income largely relied on her ability to charm. Her work hours started at 5 PM, meaning she had to sleep during the day to be ready for her night shift. Over the past three days, she had been repeatedly disturbed by his work, and this was the most interaction they’d had since he moved in, given their vastly different schedules.

“Alright, today’s the last day, I swear. It’s finally done,” Li Huai-lin said, forcing a smile. He knew the noise was annoying, but it was the middle of the day, not exactly a violation. However, trying to reason with a sleep-deprived woman was a losing battle.

“Three days! Do you see these dark circles?” She gestured at her eyes with an exhausted expression. “How am I supposed to go to work like this? Are you going to pay my bills?”

“Come on, Sister Juan. You earn more in a night than I do in a month,” he said with a grin. “You should be paying for me instead.”

Her irritation faded a bit, replaced by a mischievous smile as she gave him a once-over. “Oh? How about it then, handsome? Maybe I should take care of you instead?”

“Ha!” He shook his head, chuckling. “Nah, I think I’ll just stick to my trusty left hand. But seriously, you should get back to sleep. I won’t make any more noise, I promise.”

“Don’t be like that. My left hand is quite skilled too,” Chen Juan said playfully, raising her left hand and giving it a teasing wiggle. Her posture softened, exuding an undeniable allure.

“I sell my skills, not my body. I won’t bend to pressure, and I won’t be swayed by cheap tactics,” Li Huai-lin replied, puffing out his chest and adopting a serious expression.

“Humph.” Chen Juan tossed her head, warning him, “You better not make any more noise, or I might just have to take matters into my own hands with you, little virgin.”

“That’s not taking matters into your own hands; that’s outright assault,” Li Huai-lin corrected her.

“True, but what are you going to do about it?” She flashed a mischievous smile.

“Heroine, I beg you, spare me!” he exclaimed, exasperated.

“Humph, from now on, keep your eyes peeled and don’t provoke someone you can’t handle,” Chen Juan said, proudly emphasizing her assets that were barely contained by her outfit. “I’ll let you off this time, but make sure you don’t disturb me again. I’m going to sleep now.”

“Your generosity is noted,” Li Huai-lin replied, cupping his fists in a mock bow.

“Ehehe,” she giggled at his antics, covering her mouth. With one last teasing look, she sauntered off.

Once Chen Juan left, Li Huai-lin returned to his work. He picked up the keyboard, and his expression shifted. His fingers flew over the keys with an intensity that would make anyone think he was just mashing buttons. The speed was astonishing; even for typing, it was a blur, let alone programming.

“Should be good to go,” he muttered to himself, glancing at the lines of code appearing on the screen. “But seriously, Tianyu Corp is ridiculous. A game pod for 599,998 yuan? I’ve built my entire setup for just over 20,000 yuan. The processor cost a bit, but everything else barely cost a dime…”

Thinking back to three days ago, he still felt a flare of anger. He’d seen an ad announcing a groundbreaking online game developed by Tianyu Corp in conjunction with the government, titled “Heart of Glory.” It promised 98% realism in a virtual world. The game was set to have servers not just in Huaxia but also in other countries, and future updates would introduce cross-server battles—nations going head-to-head in a global arena.

Even before its launch, “Heart of Glory” was everywhere. Li Huai-lin thought it was hard not to know about it. By the 22nd century, playing online games had become an accepted career path, almost mundane. What struck him as odd was the government’s open support for “Heart of Glory,” even encouraging unemployed citizens to join. If they logged in for at least 90 hours a month, they’d receive a government stipend of 2,000 yuan.

In this future, as productivity soared, the need for human labor dwindled. Large-scale farming machinery replaced traditional agriculture, and factory farming handled livestock. Computers and networks had taken over much of the labor force, allowing companies that once required thousands of employees to operate with just a few hundred. With the world population surpassing ten billion a decade ago, unemployment was rising. Although the government had plenty of funds, they faced growing unrest from a population with nothing to do. So, in a bid to alleviate this pressure, they partnered with Tianyu Corp to roll out “Heart of Glory.”

Being able to play games and earn money sounded pretty appealing. It was this advertisement that had sparked his interest in trying it out. However, when he went to purchase a headset, he ran into trouble. It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford the premium game pod—after all, it was priced at a staggering 599,998 yuan—but there was a cheaper option available: a virtual headset for just 19,998 yuan, affordable enough. The problem was he was barred from making any purchases.

“Sorry, sir, according to our records, you have a criminal record, and therefore you’re ineligible to purchase the gaming headset,” a customer service representative explained with a smile.

“Seriously? You didn’t mention in the ad that those with a criminal record can’t buy one! I came all this way just to find out I can’t buy it?” Li Huai-lin had waited in line for ages only to be told he couldn’t make the purchase, which understandably put him in a foul mood.

“That’s…that’s the policy,” the representative calmly reiterated. “If you look closely at the bottom right corner of the flyer, you’ll see it’s mentioned there.”

Li Huai-lin took another glance at the flyer and indeed spotted the fine print tucked away in the corner.
With growing frustration, Li Huai-lin returned home. “Why not just make my own headset? It’s just a collection of brainwave sensors and imaging devices. The tech isn’t that complicated; I should be able to do it. I can program it to connect to Tianyu’s network and play!”

Thus began his three-day venture into DIY electronics. By the end of it, he had successfully assembled a makeshift game pod. While it couldn’t compare to the sleek design of commercially produced ones, it had all the basic functionalities.

“Let’s see if it can connect to the official network,” he thought, feeling a mix of anticipation and impatience as he settled into his self-made game pod. He adjusted the headset, pressed a button, and waited for the connection.

For a moment, everything went dark. After about ten seconds, just as he was beginning to doubt his creation, the Tianyu Corporation logo flashed before him. Then the screen went dark again. Ten seconds later, the opening animation began to play.

Having already seen this animation on the official website, he wasn’t too invested in it. However, just two seconds in, the video stuttered. What was supposed to depict a glorious battlefield filled with epic battles between various races suddenly distorted. The ground transformed into a vast ocean where tens of thousands of combatants appeared to “stand” on the water, and a distant city engulfed in flames shifted into a dense forest of trees.

“What’s going on? Is it lagging?” Li Huai-lin stared at the bizarre scene, confused. Before he could figure it out, the animation finished. He felt a lightness in his body, and a white palace materialized before him.

“Is this the character creation screen? Well, at least this looks normal. What was with the glitch earlier? Did my black tech have issues?” He couldn’t quite grasp it but shrugged it off.

“Welcome to ‘Heart of Glory.’ Please create your character,” a gravelly voice boomed from in front of him, sounding as if it were distorted and crackling.

Li Huai-lin looked up in shock. A woman in white stood before him—at least, he assumed it was a woman. Her face was obscured by long strands of black static, splitting her visage into three segments, making it impossible to determine if she was human.

“W-who are you?” he stammered.

“I am the new player assistant for ‘Heart of Glory,’ responsible for character creation,” the pixelated figure replied in her eerie, raspy tone.

“Seriously? They send out a horror show like this to greet newcomers? Aren’t they afraid of scaring off the kids?” Li Huai-lin rubbed his face in disbelief.

“Please create your character,” the assistant repeated mechanically, as if bound by a script.

“Alright, alright, it’s a bit creepy, but let’s get this character set up…” He took a deep breath and prepared to proceed.

“Character name?” the assistant prompted.

“Xiong Huai-lin,” he replied, which was a name his father had drawn from a book, and he had used it online ever since.

“Name is unique. Confirm?”

“Confirm.”

“Please select a race.” As the assistant spoke, a holographic panel appeared before Li Huai-lin, displaying six races from “Heart of Glory” (Human, Dwarf, Elf, Demon, Beastman, Undead) along with their respective traits.

He had already reviewed these on the website, and now, glancing over them, he felt that the human race, with its intelligence bonus (+10% intelligence) and diplomatic skill (increased reputation in non-human cities), suited him best. His goal was to play as a mage, and only the human race provided a direct boost to intelligence, which translated to higher magical damage. The diplomatic trait was just an added perk, something he didn’t think too much about—it was merely a 10-point reputation boost, which would only make a slight difference when purchasing items in the main city.

Choosing a class would have to wait until he reached level ten and found a class trainer in the main city, so after selecting a race, he would directly enter the game.

“Select Human, confirm?”

“Confirm.”

“Have a pleasant gaming experience.”

Although the assistant’s farewell was polite, her voice was unsettling. Before Li Huai-lin could register his discomfort, everything went dark again. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a quaint village.

He paused, taken aback by how incredibly real everything appeared. Although he had played virtual MMORPGs before, they had always had a layer of unreality to them. But this time, “Heart of Glory” astonished him.

The humble yet genuine houses, the beautiful and peaceful environment—he even took a deep breath, finding the air felt real. Observing the other players milling about, he instinctively raised his right hand and clenched his fist to feel his own body.

“Wow, this is amazing! I can’t believe this game really does have 98% realism. It was worth it to try playing after all,” Li Huai-lin said, a smile of satisfaction creeping onto his face. “I can’t believe my homemade game pod actually works. Tianyu Corporation doesn’t seem to be that impressive after all.”

With that, recalling his previous MMORPG experiences, he muttered, “Character,” and a user interface popped up before him.

Name: Chestnut Heart

Class: None (Unassigned)

Sub-Class: None

Level: 1

Experience: 0/500

Attributes:

• HP: 100/100
• MP: 100/100
• Attack Power: 4-7
• Defense: 2-4
• Spell Attack Power: 4-7
• Spell Defense: 2-2
• Strength: 7 (Affects physical attack power, varies with class and range, meaning physical classes benefit more from strength than magic classes.)
• Agility: 9 (Affects attack speed and movement speed, slightly increases defense.)
• Stamina: 5 (Affects health, significantly increases defense.)
• Intelligence: 7 (Affects spell attack power and spell critical hits, varies with class and range.)
• Spirit: 5 (Increases magic points, magic recovery speed, and spell defense.)
• Luck: 5 (A mysterious attribute that increases critical hit chances, drop rates, and triggers quest conditions.)

Reputation Points: 0

Skill:

• Heavy Strike (Level 1 0/200): A fierce blow that increases attack power by 5. Active, consumes 5 magic points, cooldown of 15 seconds. Can be upgraded.

Racial Traits:

• Wisdom: -10% Intelligence
• Diplomacy: -10 Reputation with all races except for human cities.

“What the hell is going on?” Li Huailin exclaimed in shock after checking his character’s attributes.