Chapter 2: Menial Avatar Customization.

"I've invited Blackie too. With the three of us, things will be much easier…." Stretching out, Shi Feng sipped some of his bubble tea, savoring its sweet taste.

"I suppose you have a grand plan? Because were all broke, you wanna rent out the Gaming Helmet from the University, right? Don't they have a ten-day period thing?" Chewing on some soft tapioca, Lin Ke got up, yawning.

*POV Change*

"Indeed." Shi Feng said, a knowing smile on his face. Lin Ke had always been quite the knowledgeable person…. It was really an anomaly that his friend hadn't joined God's Domain in his previous life.

A game like that would have presented the troll with much amusement. Yet Lin Ke had decided not to embark on that journey….. Instead, his good friend had gotten a job at a small retail company and lived a rather peaceful life from there on out.

Even after Shi Feng became a member of the Shadow Guild and started to gain a reputation, the two remained in close contact. The bond of friendship over the ages did not break easily.

But this time…. Would be different. His friend had agreed. Lin Ke was both physically superior and better at video games than Shi Feng. He knew how to play games in the most enjoyable ways for himself and absolutely demolish anyone who stood in his way with humiliating ease.

Few Hours Later….

"Hm." Lin Ke touched the top of the smooth helmet. It was large enough to easily fit around his head. It was built from plated metal painted a nice snowy white, with a glowing black-blue visor in its front. Buttons lined the right side of the helmet and the company logo was engraved upon its back.

He eased it onto his head. Outside, the sky was dark and the moon rose overhead, a few small crows cawed as they darted through the evening. The cities many buildings were a mix, some of them brimming with light and noise while others were dark and quiet.

It was quite amazing that this game could be played while sleeping, and the fact that there was a time lag. Lin Ke was fascinated by this as he closed his eyes, his back resting against the softness of his mattress.

And then, he entered God's Domain. It was disorienting really, a flash of rainbow light as he was sucked into a whirling spacial tunnel. Around him, the air seemed to warp and turn as he sped through, before landing to the floor with a loud thump.

He blinked looking up. Lin Ke's hands touched his face in amazement. He had tried virtual reality, but nothing came close to this realism…. His nose inhaled and his pupils dilated as he smelled the fresh fragrance of rosemary and oranges.

Before him, was a brilliant golden temple. It was magnificent and glorious, towering over him. Spiraling Roman columns ascended into the air, holding up the building's giant ornately carved roof, and the floor was made of glazed marble. Various vases and sculptures lined the walls neatly, as Lin Ke turned around in circles. It was….. Beautiful…

He stood upon a large circular pedestal, holy runes forming a beautiful mesmerizing formation below him. In the distance, he could hear peaceful goth music playing, along with the singing of a choir.

Unlike his good friend Shi Feng, Lin Ke actually took the time to enjoy the game's aesthetic, breathing in every small detail. He sat there for a second, breathing in the fresh air, his lungs expanding and contracting.

God's Domain was a gateway to new possibilities. He was completely convinced of this now The novel really didn't do this palace much justice. RSSG described most things, unless they were somewhat important, with some lame imagery at times. Or none at all.

And then, out of nowhere, a small six-winged fairy flew forth gracefully. She was small, about the size of his palm. Beautiful and peppy, she had golden-blonde hair and pale skin. Her eyes were a bright blue, and a professional smile adorned her face. She wore a flowing white dress, golden dust sparkling in her wake.

"Hello Adventurer, welcome to God's Domain. I am the Sheperd Angel, Gabriel. I will be introducing you to this world's four main classes and the twelve main jobs. Please choose wisely."

Her voice was sonorous and calming as she flicked her minuscule fingers, a giant glowing screen appearing before Lin Ke. The Twelve Main Jobs. Each one posed a small description and a piercing image.

He scanned through them in interest. Lin Ke smiled. He had to choose wisely….

But first…. He crouched to the ground, pinching some of the dropped golden dust in hand. Gabriel looked at him curiously but didn't say anything. Instead, she fluttered back, seemingly analyzing the virtual screen.

Lin Ke breathed in and out, the golden dust in his right hand. And then, he willed it to happen.

*Fwo.*

With a barely audible sound, he activated [Switcheroo]. Closing his eyes, he felt the golden dust in his left hand now. Lin Ke smirked, trembling hard. It was true. And that meant something big….

He shook his head and looked back at the floating screen. Which one would be the most fun to play….?

Guardian Knight? It would be hilarious attracting agro through the ground with [No-Clip], but honestly, he wanted something a bit more agile. In Virtual Reality, speeding about was a fun experience.

Berserker? No, it wouldn't be much fun.

Swordsman? It would be funny, but he really didn't want to.

Cleric? Close-Combat Healer was fun, but he'd done it more times than he could count.

Summoner? Honestly, Lin Ke felt Summoning stuff wasn't that fun.

He'd most likely choose from the Weapon Specialist Class. He liked melee.

But more specifically, Assasin. While Ranger was fun, he couldn't exactly shoot through walls with [No-Clip] which was sad. Assassin was the way to go. Stealth was his thing.

Reaching out, Lin Ke tapped Assasin without a second thought.

"Job-Selection has been completed. Please name your avatar." Gabriel flicked away the screen, and another screen appeared before him.

Lin Ke smirked, before clearing his throat.

"FF."

Forfeit. That would be his name. Lin Ke laughed out loud as if the username was actually funny.

"Naming successful. Do you wish to adjust your appearance? Adjustment capacity limited to 15%."

Lin Ke looked on as a naked glowing avatar appeared before him. It was muscular and tall, standing at about six feet. He was slightly tanned, with a slim body and long legs. His short hair was a deep inky black-blue, and his jawline was chiseled and hard. His nose was pointy and his eyes were large and piercing a dark soul-wrenching brown. This was how he looked in real life.

Admiring himself for a second, Lin Ke shook his head and went to work. He changed his hair to a light brown and had his hair at shoulder length. His eyes were now a bright blue, and a crooked grin adorned his face. By now, pretty much no one could tell who he was. Just the way he liked it….

"Please select a birthplace in the Star-Moon Kingdom."

The Star-Moon Kingdom. A key part of RSSG, the birthplace of Zero-Wing. He looked over a sprawling holographic map, looking on in wonderment. Giant intricate medieval buildings built from glowing white clay sprawled about and giant statues and towers rose into the sky. Clouds floated about and giant flowing rivers carved through the terrain.

After amusing himself for a while at the ingenious map before him, Lin Ke scrolled over to a certain area.

"White-River City."

Lin Ke shrugged. Might as well go with the same canon city. It would make things easier for him, as Shi Feng was around. Not to mention the number of enemies Shi Feng would make. Being the upright person he was, Lin Ke only trolled people who he judged as losers. Shi Feng would encounter many idiots about, so that would be a lot of free real estate for him to grief.

"City confirmed. The Player will arrive in Red-Leaf Town of White River City. We wish you happy gaming."

Gabriel flickered out of sight and the brilliant temple of gold faded away as Lin Ke felt himself being sucked away.