Chapter 67: Chapter 67 – New Game!
Ding!
[Nina: Max! I can't say anything but thank you! Thanks to you, the restaurant has the highest customer count today. Truly… Thank you!!]
A heartfelt message popped up in the window in front of him, making Max smile happily.
[Breeze: You're welcome. Good luck with handling them. If there is someone who looks like he would harass you, just call me.]
[Nina: Hehehe, there was one guy. But he immediately went as quiet as a rock when he saw dad holding two cleavers! His face is so pale. I wish you could see it.]
'Chef Rush is scary.'
A chill was sent through his spine as he imagined the scene in the restaurant.
An unknown man tried to look at Nina with perverted eyes. Then, a giant with a body full of muscles stepped out of the kitchen while holding two bloody cleavers.
'Yeah, I better not make him mad.'
[Breeze: That's good. It's almost midnight. Take a rest already.]
[Nina: You too! Also, I am cheering for you for that streamer event! Good night!]
[Breeze: Thanks, Nina. Good night.]
The screen disappeared as he saw Nina leave the message board. He smiled as he threw his body onto the bed.
"I am glad my advertisement is working." He sighed in relief and put his arm over his head, "Though I was too full as a result, Nina become cheerful again. I guess I will need to work harder at the gym tomorrow."
***
The next day, just as he promised last night, Max went to the gym and pushed himself. The effect of the nutritional supplement was still in his body, and he wanted to maximize it once more.
His trainer, Ava, was displeased that he didn't show up for two days and actually didn't follow the diet menu. She turned into a devil and laughed when he couldn't move after the intense session.
Moving to the resting area, Max downed his drink and controlled his breathing.
"She's a demon." He commented as he saw Ava chatting with the receptionist in the distance. "Let's not make her angry too."
His energy was depleted. Going to the park and trying to climb those poles seemed to be impossible.
'Let's just go home.' He sighed and tidied his stuff, putting it in a small bag he brought along. 'I will stream early and play that new game.'
And he did exactly that. He passed by Nina's restaurant on his way home, and many people were still walking in and out even before the lunch rush. The business was booming, making him happy that his help worked nicely.
The rest would depend on Chef Rush's food, which was actually delicious, to make them stay and become a regular.
Without anything worrying him, Max entered his VR capsule and started it. He wasn't trying to stream right away, as it was still 11 AM. However, he planned to download the new game he chose with his viewers last night and practice the fort siege again.
He had a promise with his buddy, Flexy.
Appearing in his simple lobby, he bought the game for $250 and wept a little bit.
'It's still so expensive! Games in my previous life only cost 10 to 100$ at most.'
While he had more than $15,000 in his bank account now, his monetary value was still the same as before. Also, thanks to his memories from his previous life, he compared his past value with the current one, whether he liked it or not.
Still, Max bought the game and downloaded it.
Usually, he would need at least 6 hours to download even the simplest game. However, his internet speed was also upgraded at the same time as his VR capsule. The game would be fully downloaded in less than three hours.
Ding!
A message notification popped up in front of him. It was from Flexy.
[Flexy: Yo, my friend. Let's have the practice going, shall we? Don't forget to record it so we can upload it to PunchTube later!]
[Flexy invites you to play Knight's Journey. Accept/Deny.]
The message came with an invitation, which Max accepted immediately. He appeared in the waiting room, with someone in golden armor waiting for him.
They only talked for a bit before proceeding to their practice.
Because they were partners, Max didn't need to hide his 'secret path' from Flexy anymore and surprised him. Both of them were certain that it would further cut the time needed to finish the instance if Flexy didn't mess up by more than a minute.
Their training finished around 4 PM. Of course, they only actually tried the instance once or twice. The rest of the time was spent planning and talking, so Max wasn't that exhausted yet.
"Phew! That guy is amazing if he's not screwing around. He managed to kill the boss just a minute after I managed to capture the flag."
Not even StoneSword and LilyPixel's pair could do that. No, it was more like they couldn't do both simultaneously with just a minute difference.
"We might be able to win this."
Max decided to rest before starting streaming. The reason was Nina's message. She prepared a meal for him and sent it to his doorstep with only a note. It put a smile on his face, and he had an early dinner.
Today's dinner menu was… Yes, noodles. A spinach noodle that he didn't really like but still delicious. He ate it because he didn't want to waste food and reminded himself to tell Nina not to send him any again, as he was on a strict diet.
"That was delicious. Now, it's time to work."
The VR capsule was whirring in the corner of the room, ready to be used. It opened its hatch as it detected Max approaching.
All he needed to do was to lay down.
"Start the game." He commanded the capsule, and it answered by closing on the hatch.
His consciousness was pulled into the VR world once again. This time, he wasn't in his Lobby but was greeted by bold words with a bloody background.
V-Shelter Survival!
Infected people with decayed skin and fleshes walked around the destroyed city, dragging their feet. Blood everywhere, pus was dripping from their faces.
All buildings were covered in some sort of brown mushroom, making them look older than they were supposed to be. Electric cables dangling around from poles, threatening anyone near with high voltage current that sparked from the tip.
Scary background music was playing, adding a creepy atmosphere. Max, who had just logged in and saw the intro, was captivated.
The game was indeed worth the $250 he spent.