Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 1: Small Workshops Really Go All Out
[In this modern age, cancer isn't always a sure death sentence anymore. Thanks to our cutting-edge tech and skilled medical experts, if you've got insurance, family backing, or even just yourself…]
Chen Huai’an turned off the television and gave a wry chuckle. “Yet I possess none of that.”
The notice about his severe illness arrived two days prior. His girlfriend abandoned him the day before. And now, he had utterly collapsed.
As a mere college freshman, his parents—who worked as forest rangers—perished in a blaze years back, leaving only a small payout.
Gradually, Chen Huai’an had come to terms with their loss, opting to confront existence boldly. Using that compensation, along with penny-pinching and side gigs, he scraped together enough for his education.
His academic performance was solid, securing him entry into a top university. Upon completing his studies, a job was assured. The pay wouldn't be lavish, but it could've sustained a basic life. However, just two days earlier, a checkup for his nagging ankle ache uncovered cancer in its middle phase.
Aware that treatment lay beyond his means, Chen Huai’an dropped out and leased a tiny apartment close to the urban wetland park for twelve months, intending to pass his remaining time there. Once the lease ended and funds ran dry?
He let out a sardonic laugh. He figured he wouldn't last even that far.
He launched his banking application to view his funds—barely exceeding 30,000 yuan.
“Monthly food might run five or six hundred at most. Factoring in extras, around a thousand. By year's end, I'd retain at least twenty thousand,” he figured, gazing at the figure. The preceding years had been grueling. While peers jetted off on trips, he toiled in part-time roles. As they immersed in video games, he labored. And when they romanced… his partner betrayed him.
For the duration he had remaining, Chen Huai’an resolved to exist solely for his own sake.
Indulge in gaming. Binge those accumulated series. If his health permitted, perhaps journey to the sea.
[Installation finished.]
[Retrieve your virtual companion today!]
Typically, Chen Huai’an would swiftly close such intrusive banners. Yet on this day, his digit lingered.
A fresh application symbol had materialized on his main interface. It showed a cute, miniaturized figure in ancient attire, wielding a blade.
“An auto-installing game? Hopefully not some malicious software…”
In ordinary circumstances, he'd erase it at once and perform a security check. But today, he yielded to his intrigue regarding these rumored harmful programs.
At this juncture, he held no stakes to risk. Afflicted with deadly cancer, devoid of prospects or ties, why fret? Moreover, he'd scarcely touched games, occupied with studies and employment.
He selected the app. The display darkened, followed by a notification:
[This title suits individuals 18 years or older. Launching will link to your profile. Profiles can't be removed or handed off. Initiating means accepting these harsh conditions.]
“Impressive, you openly declare it's a tough agreement?”
With a twisted grin, Chen Huai’an selected “Begin Game.”
He grew certain it was malicious code.
What harm might it cause? Pilfer his data? His messages? Should they discover he was a broke, dying patient, might the creators scrap it on their own?
[Select your virtual partner!]
Unexpectedly, the visuals proved striking. While the icon hinted at a chibi vibe, the in-game rendering appeared remarkably real.
The interface presented various “virtual partners,” each boasting comprehensive details. Take this one:
[Neon Mafia Princess: Kiriko Kirishima]
[Age: 22 | Height: 158cm | Measurements: 89, 55, 86]
The animated 2D figure was captivating, boasting amplified proportions and an endearing visage. She donned a kimono scarcely hiding her form. A voluptuous youthful type infused with gangster flair—a hit among numerous guys.
However, the fair locks and Nipponese origin didn't appeal to Chen Huai’an.
He scanned additional entries and noted the figures hailed from diverse periods, some not even terrestrial. The imagination ran rampant— including a transforming robot companion!
Finally, one entry seized his attention:
[Disciple of the Qingyun Sect: Li Qingran]
[Age: 19 | Height: 169cm | Measurements: 90, 60, 91]
This Li Qingran echoed the app's emblem yet appeared far more vibrant. Ivory complexion, refined countenance, ebony tresses flowing to her waist, and a plain verdant gown with a blade secured at her back. Devoid of cosmetics, she radiated the grace of an artwork.
What captivated Chen Huai’an above all were her gaze—icy, lifeless, laced with sorrow and void that seemed to bore into the viewer.
“Incredible… does an indie developer pour this much into it?”
He began questioning if it truly was malware. Who invests such caliber in a fraud? Were they crafting a graduate dissertation?
“This one it is.”
[Verify Li Qingran as your virtual partner?]
[Alert: This decision can't be undone!]
[Should your virtual partner perish, revival is impossible. She vanishes forever!]
“Such grave consequences?” Chen Huai’an furrowed his brow. He suspected the makers aimed to hook players via sentiment.
Under normal conditions, he'd retreat. But today, he chose “Verify.”
[You possess 132 days remaining.]
This ominous notice blinked across the screen prior to the game's launch.
Chen Huai’an anticipated the standard cheap phone game—rough visuals, a starter hamlet in a cultivation realm, dull retrieval tasks, equipment farming, steeds, and perpetual auto-mode.
Yet the display revealed something wholly unexpected.
The view commenced within a leaky straw dwelling. The sole “resting spot,” a mat of hay, dripped with precipitation.
A slender, tattered young woman huddled in the shadows, arms wrapped around her legs. Messy strands veiled her features, though her ashen limbs displayed welts and slashes. A worm-like scar protruded starkly on her fair flesh.
“Could this be… Li Qingran?”
Chen Huai’an gaped in shock. Beside the mat rested a shattered blade—the identical one from Li Qingran's description.
[Li Qingran feels the chill and starvation. Her form weakens further.]
[Li Qingran endures scorching toxin and agonizes intensely.]
[Li Qingran has thirty minutes remaining.]
As these alerts surfaced, the young woman uttered a pained moan. She lifted her head gradually, exposing her vacant stare and bloodless mouth.
Even with partial visibility, Chen Huai’an recognized his selected figure.
“What action should I take?”
A wave of tension gripped his heart.
The figure's reactions and tones felt astonishingly authentic, the irregular injuries appeared tangible. Without intervention, once the countdown reached nil, this young woman would genuinely…
A fresh alert emerged:
[Ding! Initial purchase of 6 yuan activates the “Home Setup Pack” to provide your virtual partner with a warm abode!]