Blade of Tyranny

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“Highspeed rail R1218 traveling from Ningdong to Yinhai will be arriving at the station in five minutes. Disembarking passengers, please prepare.” The sweet voice of the train attendant echoed in the coach.

1

“Finally.” Nie Fan stretched lazily, picking up his luggage as he prepared to leave the train.

2

This was the first time he left Ningdong.
He was eighteen, standing one point seven five meters tall and had average looks. That being said, his face has pronounced outlines and curves, a straight nose, appropriately thick lips, and thick jet-black hair. There was a hint of health in his handsomeness, with his form upright and his movement nimble, which in turn gave the impression that he was decisive, experienced and capable, which was rather mismatched compared to his age.

5

“Young man, are you in the army?” The old man wearing a gray shirt with short sleeves sitting beside him was grinning at him.

1

“I was, sir, but no longer. I left after two years of service.” Nie Fan smiled calmly.

1

“No wonder. I myself served with the twenty-seventh brigade of the air force, but I’m too old now.” The old man looked like he was having a nostalgic moment.
Nie Fan understood him—people tend to reminisce about the past when they become older, but he did not have the time to hear the old man’s story at the moment.
Swinging his backpack over his shoulder, he said, “This is my stop, sir.”
“Hehe. Very well, young man. Safe journeys.”
Nie Fan picked up a thick notebook of several hundred pages and a worn cover. He felt a pang of misery when he looked at it—his mother had given it to him before he came to Yinhai, saying that it was the only thing his father had left him. It was a very thick notebook, and with the tiny handwriting of at least several million words meant that he could not finish reading it, and was only able to carry it around.
The train stopped steadily then. Nie Fan pulled his luggage along, left the coach and looked around at his surroundings. This was the first time he was in Yinhai, and as he moved along the wide train station, he found not a single piece of litter on the crystalline marble floor. Nie Fan himself had lived in a small isolated city, and was therefore not quite used to being in such a modern metropolis.
Nonetheless, he should settle down here before anything else.
Rows of billboards stood in the train station adverting a VR game called [Blade of Tyranny], which would begin public testing in three days. As Nie Fan moved along, he decided would describe the billboards for the game as blanketing heaven and earth.
This was an age where physical needs were met in excess, and VR games were one of the main pastimes for the people. After all, entering the game was no different from entering a different realm, soothing the tension in real life in search of a different existence. In fact, coverage of VR games had reached 89% according to Federation statistics, not to mention that the annual in-game purchases of the countless gamers had also arrived at a shocking threshold.
Before this, Nie Fan had played several VR games but was not especially gifted with it. All he could be was an ordinary gamer, and soon he gave up altogether for various reasons.
As he followed the crowd towards the entrance of the station, several big screens in the stations were broadcasting news of various major studios recruiting gamers. The studios in Yinhai which were ranked in the top fifty were even offering high pay for professional gamers of considerable skill as they prepared to join the Blade of Tyranny. The poaching of talent between studios was also escalating, with the price tag on top professional gamers doubling or tripling.
Nie Fan often kept an eye on the news, which nowadays mostly focuses on the many gamers of online VR games. Professional gamers are treated no differently from star celebrities, and they also earn stunning incomes through annual tournament prizes, sponsorships, and endorsements. Nie Fan’s own father was a famous professional as well, ranking third in China and had been wildly popular for a time. Be that as it may, his father retired when Nie Fan was only twelve, even piling up a huge debt and leaving his family impoverished. Three years later, he died in a car accident. Both Nie Fan and his mother were hence left in great agony.

1

Since then, it was as if Nie Fan suddenly sprouted and matured, and he began to support the household, dropping out of school early on to make a living.

2

Did he not wish that he could hide beneath his parents’ wings like other teenagers?
That being said, he had learned to assume responsibilities.
As he delved in his thoughts, he had unwittingly reached the entrance when a clear shout interrupted his thoughts.
“Hey. You’re Nie Fan, right?”
Turning towards the voice, Nie Fan’s eyes brightened.
A girl who was around eighteen was approaching him. She stood at an average height of around one point six meters, but her figure was nimble and she exuded a graceful charm with the backdrop of her yellow short skirt. Her jet-black hair hung like a waterfall down to her waist, with perfect pink complexion on her oval face. Beneath her bushy eyebrows were a pair of crystalline eyes, her lively gaze hardly hiding her cheekiness which she deliberately concealed.
“I am. And you would be…?” Nie Fan was left stunned and only spoke after a moment as he wondered why the beautiful girl would know him.

1

“You don’t remember me?” She looked at him rebukingly, her slightly pursed lips sparkling and translucent like jelly. Suddenly, her gaze shifted, her face showing an indistinct smugness before her eyes narrowed in a smile.
That smile was like a ray of sun in winter that gifted warmth.
As Nie Fan listened to her and watched her expression, a long-forgotten memory surfaced in his mind because that outline of her face was vaguely familiar.
“You’re Lin Xinyan?” He suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
“You finally remember.” She smiled at him.
“Is Uncle Lin not here?” Nie Fan asked doubtfully—he had assumed that Uncle Lin would be meeting him here.
“My dad’s is outstation for work. Let’s go, he told me that you’ll be staying with us for a while.” Lin Xinyan smiled mysteriously, as if saying that ‘You brat, you’re finally in my domain. Watch as I avenge myself for what happened in our childhood days!’

4

Hence, Nie Fan pulled his luggage along as he kept up being Lin Xinyan, caught in an unreal sensation as he looked at the sweet, fair, and graceful figure before him.
His memories of her only reached the time when they were six or seven. Their parents were longtime acquaintances and their families often came together, although Nie Fan himself was at odds with her and often fought. Eventually, their families saw each other less when Nie Fan’s family moved to Ningdong, although Uncle Lin would come visit during various festivals. Still, Nie Fan did not expect that the naughty little girl who would scratch others with her nails had grown to be such a beauty. There certainly was no telling how many boys she had charmed in her school, as evidenced by the number of passersby who were sliding glances at their direction.
Nie Fan could not help but sigh that time flies.
“Wouldn’t it be inconvenient if Uncle Lin is out?” He asked hesitantly as he hurried to catch up with her.
“And where would you go other than my home?” Lin Xinyan rolled her eyes at him.
Since when did this brat become so polite? He certainly wasn’t that tender when he snatched her toys off her as children.

4

“Sorry for troubling you and Uncle, then. I’ll rent a place as soon as can… right after I find a job,” Nie Fan said, reluctant to rely on others.
“Are you going to find work here instead of studying? What job would you look for?” Lin Xinyan asked, taken aback.
She remembered that he was the same age as she was and should still be in school. When she heard from her father that he was coming, she assumed that he was transferring schools.
“There are many jobs I could take: customer service, security guard or even bodyguard.” Nie Fan replied.

2

“AI robotics has become common in Yinhai long ago—you’re never going to get a job in customer service or as a security guard. And bodyguard? Forget it.” Lin Xinyan smiled as she studied his 1.75m frame. His loose jacket made him looked especially skinny and definitely not the look of robustness—he was definitely not going to win in a fight with that frame.
“Those are jobs in my resume. I’m confident I wouldn’t fare badly.” Nie Fan explained with a grin, aware of what she was thinking from her eyes alone. He was in fact working as a bodyguard for a rich businessman in his last job, and the employer had been quite pleased with him. However, Nie Fan determinedly resigned when he found out that his employer had connections to **.

8

Lin Xinyan looked at him in shock. She then remembered that his father had mentioned that Nie Fan had dropped out of school to work a few years ago—he must have had it hard over the years, and realized that she was being quite insensitive with her own excellent living conditions.
Nie Fan had definitely changed a lot. Lin Xinyan had initially intended to give him a good teasing when he arrived, but she gradually put away that thought.

1

Blushing, she said apologetically, “Sorry… for what I said.”
“It’s okay.” Nie Fan smiled calmly; he knew she meant nothing bad.
Then, sensing her change in attitude lifted his brow slightly then—he did not need the pity of others, but he also knew that he would not even afford a week’s rent in a modern city like Yinhai with those miserable seven hundred dollars in his wallet. Therefore, he could only stay at Lin Xinyan’s home for the time being, and he would remember Uncle Lin’s kindness in taking him in. He was confident that he would find a job eventually, and when he did, he would be able to gain a footing here to repay that kindness.
As the two talked, they left the station and Lin Xinyan made a beeline to a red Lamborghini and opened the door. “Get in.”
“Yours?” Nie Fan asked in shock. The car had perfect curves, a vivid color, and appeared breathtakingly wild.
Which made it really suitable for Lin Xinyan.
“Yeah.” She nimbly turned on the ignition.

1

After a moment of silence, Nie Fan opened the other door and got into the passenger seat.
The engine purred as the red Lamborghini sped off.
“Nie Fan, are you interested in becoming a professional gamer?” Lin Xinyan suddenly asked while driving after having just remembered it. “My cousin’s studio is recruiting, you could try.”
“Professional gamer? I might not make the cut.” Nie Fan shook his head, believing that he did not have the gift for it.
“No one is a pro on day one. Try it, or you might not have the chance ever again three days late when the servers for the Blade of Tyranny begins service,” she urged him excitedly. “It doesn’t take much skill if you work as a crafting gamer either, and the pay is good. You would earn a basic income at first, and if you improve there would be additional bonuses.”
“Alright, I could give it a go.” Nie Fan agreed after some thought, finding it awkward to refuse when he saw how excited Lin Xinwei was. She was being kind after all, and being an amateur was better than being unemployed. Moreover, he had heard that he could play at night while keeping his day job, which meant he could take two jobs at once.
It was not a bad choice, given that he wouldn’t want to keep staying at Lin Xinyan’s home.
“Fantastic. My cousin actually needs more gamers urgently, I’ll give him a call right now.” Lin Xinyan cheerfully dialed a number when he agreed. “Back in the day, Uncle Nie was a pro who ranked third—I believe you can make it too, Nie Fan.”
“Hopefully.”
Nie Fan’s thoughts drifted into the distance as he watched the sights outside that dashed past.
He never imagined that he would take the same path as his fathers.
He wanted to know what his father felt when he ranked third, and what actually happened that led to his dejecting exit.

2

***
Headquarters of the Tempest Wings Studio, sixteenth floor of Xuangong Tower, Yinhai.
Being herself familiar with the place, Lin Xinyan led Nie Fan into an office, and introduced him to a young man sitting behind the desk.
“Cousin, he’s Nie Fan, the one I told you about. What do you think?”
The young man was Lin Quan, Lin Xinyan’s cousin and the owner of Tempest Wings Studios, a company once ranked in China’s top twenty. Despite having already become a legend at the professional scene, Lin Quan looked just around twenty-six, his height not too apparent since he was sitting. He did resemble Lin Xinyan a little in his facial features, although his expression was somber and mature with his formal attire.

1

Lin Quan studied Nie Fan with his sharp eyes and nodded. “I heard about you from my uncle, Nie Fan. Just arrived at Yinhai?”
“Yes.” Nie Fan nodded with composure.
“Although Xinyan brought you here, I have to learn some details about you before you join Tempest Wings. I’ll be asking you some questions, so just answer as is.”
“Alright.” Nie Fan replied.
Lin Quan had put some formless pressure on him, but he was not nervous after having started working for years.
“Have you played VR games before?”
Nie Fan nodded. “Yes.”
“What are some of the titles you played?” Lin Quan pressed.
“Foreworld, Legend of Enzex, Faith…”
“What level did you reach?”
“Fifty-seven, fifty-one, one-two-one.”
“Too low.” Lin Quan shook his head—such levels were certainly not professional, and might not even qualify as middling. “Have you tried support classes?”
“No.” Nie Fan shook his head honestly, thinking that this is a failure.
As he thought, Lin Quan shook his head and leaned into his chair. “It seems that you haven’t played many VR games, and it remains to be seen if you could reach the level of professional gamers. We wouldn’t simply recruit someone like you under normal circumstances.”
Nin Fan nodded, indicating that he understood Lin Quan—it was indeed as he put it: the studio was an organization set up to make profits, why hire him if he could not make a profit for them?
Meanwhile, Lin Xinyan became nervous after listening to what Lin Quan said. Now that she knew Nie Fan’s circumstances and being eager to help him out of kindness, she quickly poured her cousin a cup of tea and sweet-talked him. “Cousin, you should take him in. Uncle Nie had doted on me back then, and he was once the third in China’s professional scene. Trust me, his son would not lose out.”
“I know that.” Lin Quan threw her a feeble look and smiled. “By the way, I wasn’t finished—and I did say under normal circumstances. How about this, Nie Fan? It’s impossible for you to join the studio with your current ability, but your talent still remains to be seen. I’ll arrange for you to be a fringe member, and you just have to complete monthly quests set by the studio. We won’t be limiting your freedom—you can do anything you like with your time out of the quests, while you would be accepted into our inner circle if your level and skill is found to be up to standards. That being said, you have to leave if you can’t complete said quests. Your salary would be two thousand per month, and you would be receiving bonuses for every quarter of the year: a few hundred on the low, dozen thousands on the high.”

2

Nie Fan had already given up, and was naturally surprised that Lin Quan would keep him—it must have been because he was trying to save face for Lin Xinyuan.
That being said, having a job offering two thousand dollars for income was already very good.
“Thank you,” he told Lin Quan.
“You’re welcome. Fringe members are nonessential anyway, and in the end it’s you yourself who determines whether you stay.”
It was a little hurtful to hear something like ‘nonessential’, but such was reality: Nie Fan must prove himself or he would be belittled.
Lin Quan then tap Lin Xinyan on the nose and told her, “You brat. Blade of Tyranny is starting so I’ll be busy for some time. I’ll be very happy as long as you don’t make a scene.
“Got it, cousin.” Lin Xinyan grinned and made a silly face at Nie Fan.

1

“Okay. Now leave us alone for a bit, I still have something to tell Nie Fan.” Lin Quan gave Lin Xinyan a pat on the head.
Lin Xinyan glanced curiously at Lin Quan and then at Nie Fan, curious what Lin Quan wanted to talk about.
However, she nodded after hesitating for a bit. “Alright, I’m heading out.”
She turned and left the room, closing the door gently behind he