Chapter 1 Why Am I Playing This Role?!

"Ahem, let me tell you, this 'Ghastly Marriage' is the earliest and least scary escape game in the 'Ancient Blue Star Survival Guide' series, basically the newbie village! Don't be afraid, guys!"

Lu Xiaoyao, a newly signed game streamer for 66 Electronic Media Company, had gained a following of "parents," "older brothers," and "older sisters" with her delicate and sweet appearance.

Her fans knew she was the type who was all talk and no action, timid as a mouse but always trying to pull off daring stunts.

For example, while other game streamers were screaming their heads off playing "Ancient Blue Star Survival Guide," she actually dared to try it herself today.

[2333 Don't worry, we're not afraid, it's you, right?]

[Didn't see you for a day, did my daughter get braver?]

[Don't be afraid, little sister, I'll lend you some courage.]

[Your older sister will lend you some too.]

[Lend you 101.]

"Okay~ With everyone's courage, I'm full of bravery now~"

Standing in front of a dilapidated stone archway in the holographic scene, Lu Xiaoyao chatted with the livestream audience for a while before truly entering the game, smiling brightly.

"I won't be able to see your comments once I'm really in the game. This is the first update in fifty years since the game company released this series, and I'm really looking forward to it. I rushed in as soon as the game was updated! I'm going to be one of the first to beat it! Please watch my performance~"

[Pfft, beat it...]

[Ahhh, be careful, my daughter~]

[Sob sob sob, it's okay, even if you die in the newbie village, our Lulu is still the cutest!]

"Don't worry, I've read a lot of guides for this game! I can pass it with my eyes closed! Absolutely no problem!"

Lu Xiaoyao patted her chest and completely closed the comments. Looking at the gloomy, almost dripping sky behind the stone archway, she couldn't help but gulp.

Did the water towns of the late 19th century Ancient Blue Star really need such a terrifying backdrop?

Lu Xiaoyao kept cheering herself up, and after truly stepping through the stone archway, she entered the game completely.

Before going in, she couldn't help but look up at the words on the stone archway.

Hey! The characters were quite nice, square and neat, but she didn't recognize them.

When she was looking at the guides, it didn't seem like any of the experts explained what it was.

Fortunately, this role-playing puzzle escape game wasn't a solo game, but a multiplayer co-op.

There were many guides online, which she had already memorized. Even though the official had just updated it extensively two days ago, saying that they had modified some of the data inside, and it was only completely updated just before she came in, she wasn't afraid!

The official said that they had modified some of the NPC data and individual detail plots in the storyline. As long as the overall plot didn't change, what did it matter if the details and NPCs became smarter?

In order to play this game, Lu Xiaoyao had read the "Ghastly Marriage" guide several times!

She knew the key props, tools, merchants, and everything else clearly!

Brave Lulu, fly forward!

Thinking this, Lu Xiaoyao mustered her courage and walked towards the stone archway. As she walked in, her clothes immediately changed.

She was now wearing a very beautiful Western-style dress, with a small pink and white wooden box in one hand.

Lu Xiaoyao looked at the electronic screen that popped up in front of her, displaying her identity card—Miss Bai.

A wealthy young lady who had just returned from studying abroad, with a marriage contract with the game's villain boss.

Thinking about the identity card related to the villain Boss, the plot, the tasks to be completed, that was really—

Whether it was the netizens watching Lu Xiaoyao's livestream or Lu Xiaoyao herself, they were all about to cry!

"Sob sob sob, I was wrong, why am I this character, ahhhh QAQ"

Just a second ago, Lu Xiaoyao was full of confidence, but now her bright, watery eyes were about to cry out egg-frying effects!

This Miss Bai identity card was really too miserable!

Whether it was the failed ending of being dismembered and devoured by evil spirits after failing to clear the game; or the victorious ending where she teamed up with other players to kill the villain, but she had her own arm twisted off in the process, only surviving at the cost of a severed limb, either way, it was so painful!

The most坑(kēng – to pit or trap) part of this damn game was that it retained the senses!

That is, it really hurt!

Not like the pain in a dream!

So far, none of the players who played this character had managed to get an ending where they died quickly or kept all their limbs.

The comments were currently filled with a row of [Pity] to express their condolences.

Some even felt that Lu Xiaoyao was really going to die in the newbie village this time.

A streamer from the game zone dying in the newbie village? That was something other game streamers could laugh about for a long time.

"Miss, fresh boxed lunches, would you like one?"

At the same time, a slender, fair hand rested on Lu Xiaoyao's shoulder. Instantly, Lu Xiaoyao's tears stopped and her heart almost stopped beating.

"Tasty boxed lunches, would you like one?"

Hearing the cold, bone-chilling voice behind her again, Lu Xiaoyao couldn't help but feel her scalp tingle. She let out a scream that shattered the sky, a scream that belonged to the original owner of the body!

"Ahhhhh!"

Lu Xiaoyao, who had been screaming for a long time, kept her eyes closed and jumped up and down on the spot for a while. Only when she didn't feel anything bad happening did she dare to open her eyes.

Then, she saw a black-haired beauty standing in front of her, looking up at her, half a head shorter than her.

The other person had long, slightly curled black hair that draped over her waist, and was wearing a light turquoise student uniform from the specific era in the game.

Ignoring the cold and exquisite eyebrows and eyes that didn't quite match her height, to Lu Xiaoyao, this was simply a larger version of a figurine doll!

Biu!

As if there was a sound effect of a gunshot, Lu Xiaoyao's face suddenly turned red in front of Mingmei, who was completely confused as to what was going on after approaching to ask about buying a boxed lunch.

She only asked two questions, why was the reaction so big?

"Oh my god! Sister! You're so cute! How can you be so adorable?!"

In the Interstellar Era, the average height of girls was 1.8 meters. Lu Xiaoyao's 1.75 meters was already considered below average, but she never expected to meet a "萌" (méng – cute) girl who was half a head shorter than her!

Mingmei, who had always thought she was going for the cool and aloof route, suddenly felt her scalp tingle when faced with this suddenly perverted and cute girl.

She couldn't help but take two steps back, but saw the other person following up with two steps as well.

Then, she felt her face being rudely touched by this bold player!

Mingmei: ???

Was this... the exuberance and enthusiasm of the Interstellar people?

"Sob sob sob, the feel is so good, ahhhh, so cute and adorable! Is this a naturally airheaded beauty?!"

Naturally... airheaded?

Mingmei stared blankly, tilted her small head slightly, and there seemed to be a small tuft of silly hair on the top of her head that was also swaying slightly, causing the player in front of her to "ahhhh" again.

Looking at the player in front of her losing control of her emotions and jumping around on the spot with a red face, Mingmei belatedly realized another problem—

She was just harassed, right?

=.=

"I'm not a cute girl, Miss, may I ask, would you like to buy a boxed lunch?"

Mingmei put aside her personal emotions and continued to recite her NPC lines in a serious manner.

That's right, Mingmei was an NPC in the game, a mysterious merchant played by a real person.

Although Mingmei was expressionless and spoke in a way that normal players would have noticed something was wrong, Lu Xiaoyao was a newbie!

She was always a happy little rookie(sha)chicken(diao)!

In Lu Xiaoyao's eyes, Mingmei was just the epitome of cuteness, a 反差萌(fǎnchā méng – moe due to unexpected traits)!

"What boxed lunch are you selling? Sister! Is your role-playing character selling boxed lunches?"

"I'm not..."

"Ah! So, after the official updated the game yesterday, did the number of role-playing decryption characters in this game also increase, right?"

"I'm not..."

"Hey! This game has been changed in a weird way. Why are players selling boxed lunches?"

Mingmei: "..." So! I'm not a player!

Mingmei, who hadn't been able to get a word in from the beginning to the end, was now holding a boxed lunch and didn't know what to say to the other person.

[Special NPC Occupation Code First Rule: It is forbidden to reveal one's true identity to players. Everything must be triggered by the player themselves.]

The NPC role auxiliary system "Guigui" sent a timely reminder to Mingmei, which made Mingmei, who was already quiet, even more unsure of what to say.

[It seems that the person in front of you is not the destined person who can discover your true identity as a mysterious merchant. Little sister, let's change targets~]

Guigui sighed, wanting to comfort Mingmei, who seemed to have encountered a Waterloo on her first day on the job.

[Don't call me little sister.]

[Okay~]

With a cold and serious little face, Mingmei looked at Lu Xiaoyao again, hearing her still babbling non-stop.

"Let's go, let's go, my character's plot seems to be starting. I'm going to rebel against my parents' arranged marriage and personally go to the Zhang family to break off the engagement!"

Hearing Lu Xiaoyao say that she was going to leave to follow her character's plot, Mingmei secretly breathed a sigh of relief and planned to leave on her own, and then find a destined person who could trigger her true identity.

However, obviously, the other person didn't give her such an opportunity.

Looking down, Mingmei saw her arm being grabbed by this Lu Xiaoyao player, no, being held by the other person.

"You come with me, I'll accompany you after my plot is over, okay?"

Lu Xiaoyao really thought she was a player.

"I don't have a plot."

Mingmei refused seriously.

She had already made it so obvious, shouldn't this young lady let her go?

"Ah, that's great, then let's go together, you accompany me through the plot~"

Mingmei: ?????

Before she could refuse more directly, Mingmei was forcibly dragged away by Lu Xiaoyao, who was half a head taller, with her arm linked, and walked towards her plot trigger point.

And Mingmei, who had always been somewhat expressionless, now looked at the surrounding NPC with eyes full of refusal, intending to ask for help!

But everyone turned a blind eye!

Wasn't it said that NPCs were intelligent?

Why couldn't they see that she was being "kidnapped"!

Mingmei: [Guigui! Save me! Save me! Save me!]

System Guigui: [Why don't you just go along with her =。=]

Mingmei: ???