Author: Qianyu Ruosheng	Original Source: SFACG
Translator: Silva	English Source: Re:Library

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

Bang!

Faced with a sudden crisis, her body moved instinctively.

With a slight pivot to the side, her delicate arm raised a sharp sword, blocking the oppressive force descending from above.

“Hi—ya!”

With this soft yet resolute cry, her slender frame unleashed an astonishing burst of strength, forcing the powerful force to retreat.

Before the next clash could occur, the girl had a brief moment to observe her opponent—the assailant was entirely clad in a tight black suit, leaving only their eyes exposed, making it impossible to discern their true identity.

“…”

“Sigh, someone’s targeting me again. All I did was rob a few people. Do they really need to chase me down for three whole months? I can’t even relax and get a decent night’s sleep!”

The speaker was neither the girl nor the attacker. The two remained locked in silent confrontation, both ready to strike at the first sign of weakness. If either made a mistake, the other would instantly transform into a grim reaper, snatching the life of their opponent.

“This guy looks like an amateur. No need to be so serious. Finish this quickly, and I can finally get some rest,” a lazy male voice muttered to himself. It seemed his voice couldn’t be heard by either combatant.

However, he appeared to be fully aware of this, merely grumbling about the girl’s excessive caution. His assessment proved accurate—the assailant lost patience first, raising a dagger and charging forward with reckless abandon.

Unfortunately, the moment his initial ambush failed, his fate was sealed. The girl easily dodged the attack, and in the same motion, her sword slashed across the assailant’s neck.

As the body collapsed, blood dripped and spread across the ground.

This was no place to linger. The girl turned and left without hesitation.

…

“You’re awake? The surgery was a success. You’re already…” Before Zane could fully open his eyes, he saw someone in a white coat and mask standing over him.

Startled, he jolted upright, hurriedly shoving his hands under the blanket to check his lower body.

“Ahh…” Feeling the familiar sensation, he let out a long sigh of relief.

“Hahaha! Look at you panicking. You dream about turning into a woman every day—wouldn’t you be happy if it actually happened?” The figure in the white coat mocked him mercilessly.

“Get lost! You’re the one dreaming about turning into a woman! You know exactly what my situation is,” Zane snapped, visibly annoyed.

“Well, you wouldn’t wake up so late, so I thought I’d mess with you a bit,” the figure replied, spreading his hands helplessly.

“So late? What time is it?”

“Eleven o’clock! If you don’t get up soon, I’ll go buy it myself.”

“Brother Shiu! No, no, no, I’m getting up right now! Give me three minutes—I promise I’ll be ready!” Zane exclaimed hurriedly.

“Then hurry up! The release is at twelve o’clock, and it takes half an hour to get to the plaza. There’s probably already a long line!” Shiu warned.

With that commotion, Zane was fully awake. He touched the ancient necklace resting against his chest and got out of bed. Brushing his teeth and washing his face simultaneously, he somehow finished in under a minute.

“You…” Shiu stared at Zane, whose hair was now standing on end, utterly speechless.

“Whatever, this is nothing. Isn’t the release about to happen? Let’s go now—we can’t waste a second! Go, go, go!” Zane declared with enthusiasm.

…

“I mean… why don’t you take out your little car for a spin? Why are we riding this thing?” Zane muttered as he watched the cars speeding past them.

“You don’t get it! If we hit traffic, this little electric scooter can easily weave through the gridlock. When that happens, we’ll leave everyone else in the dust!” Shiu said with a smug smile.

“…That’s your excuse for getting overtaken by a bicycle?”

“Hey, staying safe and steady isn’t bad, is it?”

“…Alright, fine.”

…

As it turned out, Shiu’s foresight was on point. The narrow road ahead had indeed become an unbearable traffic jam. Noisy chaos erupted as cars crammed together, honking and shouting filling the air. It seemed unlikely that the gridlock would clear anytime soon.

However… even the little scooter couldn’t squeeze through. The remaining gaps had already been occupied by others with the same idea.

“Damn! What do we do now?” Zane asked, dumbfounded.

“Don’t panic. I’ve got Plan B!” Shiu said with absolute confidence.

“Alright, let’s hear it.”

“Hmhmhm! Plan B is… we run!” With that, Shiu darted off through the sea of cars.

Zane stood there, stunned. “What the heck! Wait for me, bro!”

…

“Huff, huff, huff…” Zane panted heavily as he trudged forward.

“You’re really out of shape, man. Huff… It’s just… Huff… a little run, and you’re already huffing and puffing,” Shiu couldn’t resist taking a jab at him.

“Don’t give me that! If you weren’t so unreliable, I wouldn’t have to run this far! And now it’s already… oh no, it’s 11:50! We’re cutting it close! We have to hurry, or everything will be sold out!” Zane said anxiously.

“Don’t worry, I can still… huff… keep going…” Shiu wheezed.

“Keep going, my foot! I’m going ahead to grab a spot. Catch up!” Zane yelled as he picked up his pace and dashed off, disappearing in the distance.

“What the heck… How is this kid running so fast? I remember he barely passed high school gym class!” Shiu stood there in disbelief.

Twenty minutes later.

Shiu finally arrived at the central plaza, still out of breath. But as he saw the massive crowd of people packed tightly together, his sense of urgency turned into disbelief.

At that moment, he spotted Zane pushing through the crowd, holding two helmets triumphantly.

“Bro, you’re way too slow! I already finished buying them, and you’re just getting here,” Zane said with a grin.

“How on earth did you manage to squeeze in there?” Shiu asked, stunned.

“Eh, just slipped through the cracks. Nothing too difficult,” Zane replied, feigning modesty.

“Wow, looks like you’re pretty good at threading the needle!” Shiu nodded in mock admiration.

“Get lost!” Zane rolled his eyes.

…

On the way back, the two strolled leisurely.

“The pre-sale price was 5,000 yuan each. You bought two, so you must be completely broke now, right?” Shiu asked curiously.
“No way. I still have this much left,” Zane said, holding up his right hand.
“Five yuan?”
“Come on, you think that little of me?”
“Fifty?” Shiu guessed again, puzzled.
“Bolder!”

“Five thousand!? Wow, so you’ve had money all along, yet you’re always whining about being broke! Hurry up and pay me back the money you owe me!”
“…It’s 500, alright? And the 5,000 for these helmets? Consider that interest. I’ll pay you back in full separately.”

“Forget about interest. I’ll be thrilled if you actually manage to pay me back. I’ll transfer the 5,000 to you later,” Shiu said generously.

Although Zane wanted to act tough, the sad reality of his empty wallet couldn’t be ignored.

“Fine, but once I dominate this game, that debt won’t even matter anymore,” Zane said confidently.

“Yeah, sure. Keep dreaming,” Shiu said, shaking his head.

Today, July 6, 2030, was destined to be an extraordinary day. The highly anticipated game Dreamscape—a collaborative effort of nations—was set to launch at exactly 12:00 noon in cities across the globe.

Next ⇒

⌈ Index ⌋