74 Shadow Priest

Gudong!

Lu Fengyi landed upon his feet, however the momentum from leaving the rift that transported him to the prepared world for duelling launch him forwards, sending him into the dust once more.

[ Oh? Not bad! You're almost able to land properly now. Duelling transportations are generally more comfortable, so you didn't need to go unconscious ]

Coughing to rid his mouth of the foul taste from the floor, Lu Fengyi stood up before quickly analysing his surroundings. Judging from the view outside the window and the interior furniture, it seemed that he had been sent into an urban apartment. If he were to guess, the storey he was in was most likely in the mid twenty to thirties as his view spanned far across the city before him.

Rebirth of the Thief Who Roamed the World.

That was the world in which he and Ji Xun would duel. A peculiar one as it was extremely likely that there would be no physical confrontation with Ji Xun, having most of the interaction inside the main focus of the novel, the game Conviction.

Popular MMORPG, world influential game, economically powerful creators. All was within Conviction. From the novel, Conviction would spiral into a world famous topic that attracted the attention of even the most wealthy investors, possibly becoming the most competitive source of economic powerhouses and gamers alike.

Although Conviction had never truly existed, Lu Fengyi had played a good deal of MMORPGs during the large amounts of spare time he had before he debuted as an author. D&D, WoW, Terra, you name it. Although he would never become a top player that participated in world championships between professional teams, he was not bad either. No matter what game he played, his skill would bring him to the higher echelons of the gamer base, allowing him to meet some of the most skilled players known. If he were to rate himself as a gamer, it would be decently high even after modesty.

[ Since you already seem to know the world quite well, I'll leave it to you for everything you do after I explain some important points ]

Lu Fengyi nodded. He had some degree of confidence playing the game.

[ Firstly, since this is a duel and not a normal transcension, you've been granted certain perks along with the extra buff that was given to you by Ji Xun. The first is what you're in right now. For the duration of the duel, you'll have access to this room and all the components inside. You'll also be provided with a weekly allowance of credits, mainly to keep your stomach satisfied ]

'I guess enough to purchase decent food and still have some left over...' Lu Fengyi calculated.

[ Another point is the style in which you shall be competing. Unlike your tutorial, you will not be basing your actions of the completion of quests. Rather, you will compete to defeat Ji Xun in a final goal, which shall be announced after you both log into the game ]

[ The final point is basically just, don't sweat it if you take several months during your duel against Ji Xun. The conversion of time from this novel to the Fictional Transcension Hall is approximately a month to a day. Spending an entire year in this world will not even be two weeks in the Fictional Transcension Hall ]

Lu Fengyi creased his brows, 'Didn't they say that it would be broadcasted live? How does that work if there is a time difference?'

[ Obviously spectators are placed inside a time lagged room which corresponds with this world. From there, they can generally view the entire duel as a wandering spirit that cannot interact with the world. If they spend a week inside this world, six hours will have passed in the Fictional Transcension Hall when they leave. It's the same concept ]

Noting down the points, Lu Fengyi looked around the room carefully. Although it couldn't be described as high-class, it was most definitely above average accommodation. A computer, couches, a kitchen, there was practically everything that one would need for everyday life. Noticing a helmet like object lying on the singular queen bed, Lu Fengyi strode over before picking it up curiously.

[ It's a virtual reality helmet that's bound to your identity. Since we can't have suspicion from the police of this world, we've made you a citizen with clear records, family background, blah, blah, blah. Do remember that this makes you obligated to attend school. Your preset age for this world is eighteen, fresh out of highschool ]

Virtual Reality Helmets had never existed in Lu Fengyi's previous life, so getting his hands on one was no small matter. Since he had transcended to this world, that meant that it was guaranteed that everything would work according to the novel, meaning that he would be the first of billions of people from his previous life to access virtual reality in its finest form.

'Can I try it on?'

[ Of course! Everything from here on out is your choice! ]

Thanking the system for its guidance, Lu Fengyi donned some more comfortable clothes he had found in the wardrobe before lying upon the bed and wearing the helmet. As the reflective film of the helmet covered his eyes, Lu Fengyi felt his consciousness leave his body, travelling through an imaginary plane of existence before arriving at a character selection screen.

「System: Do you wish to create an account?」

"Yes!"

「System: Please select your country」

From what Lu Fengyi could remember, there were three countries that players could choose to join. The righteous faction that consisted of two main locations, the Viridian Empire, a human city, and the Satreen Empire, governed by a mixed race alliance. There was also the evil faction and the neutral faction, however Lu Fengyi knew that his greatest advantage lied in his knowledge of the game, meaning his best bet if he were to win the duel, would be to join the Viridian Empire, the starting point for the real protagonist, Nie Yan.

「System: You've chosen to start in the Viridian Empire」

「System: Please select your class」

Gazing at the selection of different classes, Lu Fengyi frowned as he tried to decide. As an MMORPG player, he had delved in almost every single class, becoming one of the best all rounders amongst the casual players. While it didn't matter too much when it came to what class he played, it was still an exciting experience as it was his first time in a virtual reality world. If he were to pick a class, it would definitely be something flashy, so he could experience the game as much as possible.

'Hmm, warriors, mages, priests...' Lu Fengyi's eyes flashed as he made a choice.

「System: You've selected Shadow Priest as your class」

「System: Please name your character」

"Mystical Dawn!" Lu Fengyi choose the name that he had used for almost every single game he played. Surprisingly, his name was extremely popularised and there weren't many people who didn't know him if they were avid MMORPG gamers.

「System: Successfully created character name. The character Mystical Dawn has been created」

Excitement built in Lu Fengyi's heart, completely forgetting the tightness he felt from the consequences if he lost the duel. He was about to journey into virtual reality, one of the things he anticipated the most!