Chapter 292 - 291: A Rider’s Important Task is to Pinch-hit

Chapter 292: Chapter 291: A Rider’s Important Task is to Pinch-hit

The audio and video were perfectly synced. The response was instantaneous, and it loaded in a flash. The very moment you heard the DING, all the expected information was already there, flooding straight into your vision.

It was hard to say whether all the pros who trained for finger speed were on a break, or if Shi Tiexin’s finger just happened to be right next to the screen. Either way, his finger slammed down on reflex. Another DING, and he’d snagged it.

’Hmm, I got it...’

’Huh? I got it?’

’Yes! I got it! I really got it! I actually fucking snagged an order!’

You really do get what you pay for. The money was absolutely well spent!

Shi Tiexin felt as though a new journey was finally beckoning to him. He strode out, brimming with vim and vigor. He had half a mind to flash his wrist at everyone he met, just to show off the beast of a sub-flagship he’d bought.

’Right, right. Can’t forget what’s important.’

Shi Tiexin took a closer look. The order wasn’t large—just a simple bowl of ramen and a few snacks. The pickup location was nearby. As for the destination, it was none other than the place Shi Tiexin had long dreamed of visiting: Bo Xin Amusement City.

Ten minutes later, Shi Tiexin was standing at the entrance of Bo Xin Amusement City.

Bo Xin Amusement City occupied an entire massive floor of a commercial skyscraper. It was one of the largest arcades in all of Tumu Castle, boasting not only all sorts of advanced equipment but also the distinction of being one of the few arcades with an inter-city secondary network.

Simply put, you could not only play with local players but also compete against players from other Space Cities.

Doesn’t sound like a big deal, does it?

But you have to remember, this was the era of the Space City States, and this was the second-largest planetary system in Sol. The distances between Space Cities could easily exceed the distance between the Earth and Moon. At that kind of spatial scale, you couldn’t use a normal network to play inter-city games.

The technology for the secondary inter-city network was far superior to the primary intra-city network, and naturally, the operating costs were proportionally higher. For an arcade to spend the money to open a secondary network port, its owner must have had real nerve.

In the end, the owner’s gamble paid off. Bo Xin Amusement City stood out from the crowd, becoming one of the most high-end arcades around.

As a gaming enthusiast, Shi Tiexin had longed to come here for ages. He had secretly drooled over advertisements for Bo Xin Amusement City years ago. But this was his first time actually visiting.

So, with the reverence of a pilgrim, Shi Tiexin walked into Bo Xin. He was immediately met with a rolling wave of voices, music, and sound effects that filled his ears, making his blood pump with excitement. It was an incredible feeling.

Shi Tiexin gave the place a quick, sweeping glance before spotting his customer.

It was a young man about his own age, having the time of his life inside a spherical pod.

With no dog-unleashing jerks to block his path this time, he’d arrived more than ten minutes early. It was a smooth and easy delivery.

Shi Tiexin pressed the call button on the pod. Through the translucent wall, he saw the young man shake his hands, removing the equipment from his body. The door opened, revealing a weary and dazed face. "My breakfast is here?"

Shi Tiexin glanced at the time. It was 4:50 PM.

"Yes, your breakfast is here." Shi Tiexin held out the delivery and offered a professional smile. "Enjoy your meal."

The young man’s stomach immediately let out a loud GROWL.

"I’m starving..." The young man shot out of the pod, snatched the delivery away like a starving dog, then seemed to remember something and urgently said to Shi Tiexin, "Hey, buddy, get in there and cover for me!"

"Cover for what?"

"Just for one match! Just one! I’m at a critical moment in a ladder match, just don’t let me get flagged for inactivity!" The young man hastily shoved Shi Tiexin toward the pod. "It’s not hard, just get in there and hold the line for a bit. Just try not to get flamed for being a ’noob’!"

"Uh..." Shi Tiexin was pushed to the pod’s entrance. He twisted his head back and said, "I can play for you for a bit, but I’ve never played this before."

"No problem, just remember to survive!" The young man emphasized as he tore open his food container, waving a hand. "Don’t try to be a hero, just don’t screw up! Just hang in there!"

CLICK. The pod door shut. Detecting a user, several streams of nanites immediately appeared inside, forming into equipment that fit Shi Tiexin’s body perfectly.

The screens on all sides immediately began their holographic simulation. They were translucent from the outside, but from within, all one could see was a hyper-realistic battlefield that made it easy to forget you were just inside a small sphere.

’I have to play for someone just to deliver their food?’ Shi Tiexin scratched his head, then grinned. ’Oh, well. The afternoon rush of orders starts at five. I still have a few minutes, so it’s not a big deal.’

’Besides, I’ve wanted to play at Bo Xin for a long time. And today, someone else is footing the bill. Isn’t this perfect?’

Just as he was thinking this, ZAP ZAP ZAP! Three beams of blue light shot past his face, leaving three small, molten red holes in the ground. Shi Tiexin quickly dodged. The equipment attached to his limbs held him in a relative position while perfectly synchronizing his movements with the game. It truly felt to Shi Tiexin as if he were rolling, dodging, and hiding on a real battlefield.

Blue beams flew everywhere, smoke filled the air, and explosions rang out all around. The audiovisual effects were amazing, and Shi Tiexin quickly got into the zone.

He fumbled around for a moment and found a small, handheld kinetic weapon on his person. Its size and feel were similar to a pistol from his other worldline.

All weapons and equipment in the game were simulated by nanite streams. They had a realistic weight and simulated actual tactile feedback. If you couldn’t lug a cannon around in real life, you wouldn’t be able to in the game either.

Shi Tiexin tested the firearm’s precision. It had less recoil than a USP, higher accuracy, and a tighter shot grouping. His Perfect-tier Basic Marksmanship quickly adapted to the new weapon, and his aiming reticle tightened noticeably faster.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone with a red marker over their head brazenly charging toward him. Shi Tiexin froze for a second, hesitating even after raising his gun. He suspected the person might be a teammate. Otherwise, who would just charge out in the open on a battlefield like that?

But the moment that person saw Shi Tiexin, he laughed wildly, brought up a medium-sized firearm, and started firing, PEW PEW PEW!

Shi Tiexin instinctively sidestepped, then whipped his gun around and fired back.

THWACK. A headshot. The man dropped instantly, his equipment falling to the ground with a CLANG CLANG.

’This game... is it really this easy? No way.’

Shi Tiexin stared blankly at the small pistol in his hand, then glanced around the battlefield. He realized that a lot of people were indeed charging around brazenly, looking like they had a death wish. There were a few people taking cover, but their hiding techniques were extremely amateurish, and their intent to attack was far too obvious.

Shi Tiexin picked off another five or six enemies from various angles. The game really did seem simple; he hadn’t encountered anything difficult so far.

’That guy said he was playing a ladder match. He must have been hyping himself up. This difficulty level is clearly the new player tutorial. He was probably just too embarrassed to admit it, so he claimed it was a ladder match.’ Shi Tiexin crouched and began a strategic reposition, a serious expression on his face. ’When you accept a job, you see it through. And since this is a tutorial, it’d be a shame not to get a perfect score.’