I Became an SSS-Ranked Chef in a VR Game [Arc 1 Complete] ✅

Stage 8: The Pieces Are Set

December 1, 2083

As the doorbell rang, a low, two-toned melody echoed throughout the house, causing Lixin to jump. Wondering who it could be, the black-haired boy rose from his chair, his slippers scuffing against the hardwood floor as he made his way to the door.

Once there, he peered through the peephole. His face lit up when he saw his cousin. Unbolting the locks, he opened the door and greeted Zeyu warmly. But his cousin was too excited to pause for pleasantries, pushing past Lixin and bounding into the house with a barrage of questions.

"Did your pod arrive?" Zeyu asked enthusiastically.

Lixin nodded in confirmation. "Yes, it just got here about 30 minutes ago. The delivery crew is setting it up now."

"Finally," his cousin sighed as he entered the living room and plopped down on the couch. "It's been three days since mine arrived. I don't know why it took so long for yours to come. I thought I would go crazy with the wait."

"If waiting makes you crazy, then you might have deeper issues. Do you want to speak to my therapist?" Lixin asked jokingly.

"No thanks, I'm alright."

Lixin chuckled at the look of horror on his cousin's face when he said the word "therapist." He understood, though. Following a kidnapping scare, his cousin had been required to see one for five years. It was no wonder he didn't like them.

"Hey don't change the subject. Was there a routing problem or something? Was that the reason they took so long to bring your pod?" Zeyu asked.

"No," Lixin denied. "It was because nobody was home. They tried to deliver it twice, but I was at my therapy session both times, and you know that my mother and stepfather are away on business, so no one was available to sign for it."

"Urg, I keep telling Aunty to hire some help, but no, she wants to do everything herself. Well, at least that was all it was. I didn't feel like writing that nasty complaint email anyway," Zeyu laughed.

Although it sounded like a joke, Lixin had a feeling that his cousin was dead serious. Because if there was one thing he learned about his cousin, it was that the man didn't play about his money.

"Well, at least the wait was worth it. It gave us more time to gather more information about Watashinojinsei-dan Online."

His cousin nodded. "Yeah, that post about the best starter accessories was really helpful."

"I know," Lixin chimed in."We've learned a lot this past week."

Although he was forced to help his stepsister create recipes for the game in his former life, he never fully knew what it entailed. But now, he has a better understanding.

Watashinojinsei-dan Online, which translates to 'Story of my Life', is named that because every player can become the protagonist of his or her own story.

From what he researched, he knew players needed to answer a series of questions to get one. After that, they would receive an original plotline or Persona as they were called that was tailored just for them.

The game boasted having over ten thousand unique storylines, with new ones being added all the time—and depending on the action a player takes, one narrative can lead to over 500 singular paths.

So even if players copy the same answers and get the same storyline they have, it will still turn out differently down the road depending on their actions.

The game gave players limitless choices; they could partake in whatever they dreamed of doing. Whether it be smoking Copper Oak weed, drinking with dwarfs from Underland, gambling away their fortunes, marrying an NPC, divorcing a dolphin, or having intercourse with a giant and producing offspring with an elf–they could achieve all these fantasies inside Watashinojinsei-dan Online.