"Sys?tem?"
Little Yuri and Xiya tilted their heads simultaneously, their actions in perfect sync, which was quite pleasing to watch. But Lynn had no mood to appreciate the cuteness of the little girl or the beauty of the young girl just then.
"Where's my game interface? My system panel? Customer service! Where's customer service!"
Lin was genuinely panicking. The game "Miracle" had been running for ten years, and he had never heard of players being stuck offline. Even if one was in a dungeon or amidst the storyline, if a player wanted to logout forcibly, the game couldn't refuse, after all, no matter which country, personal autonomy is paramount.
But now, Lynn wanted to log off yet couldn't find any way to exit the game. Forget about the usually effective voice function, even the most primitive game interface had vanished without a trace.
"What's customer service?"
Little Yuri turned around and whispered to Sister Xiya. She couldn't comprehend the strange big brother's words — why did it feel like he'd suddenly gone mad?
However, regarding Little Yuri's question, Xiya, who considered herself relatively worldly, couldn't provide an answer either, as now she also couldn't understand the series of actions by the man claiming to be Lynn.
"Grass (a type of plant)! This is doomed!"
After fiddling around for a long time without a clue, Lynn couldn't help but feel anxious. Currently, virtual online games were still in a relatively basic stage. While enjoying the game, players' real bodies couldn't be cared for. If he was unable to log out of the game for long, his body in the real world outside risked starving to death.
"Strange big brother, don't worry! Is there anything Little Yuri can help with?"
Seeing Lynn so frantic, kind-hearted Little Yuri approached like a little angel, tugging at Lynn's clothes to try and comfort him in her own way.
Being tugged lightly by Little Yuri made Lynn pause.
If he remembered correctly, he was supposed to be wearing the Saint Emperor's Armor. Where did he have any clothing corners for Little Yuri to pull?
Lynn followed his thoughts and looked down at himself, only then noticing that at some point, his luxurious gear, including the Saint Emperor's Armor, had been replaced by beginner's cloth clothing. Though not particularly ugly, it was somewhat shabby, unbefitting his identity as the game's first warrior.
Suddenly, Lynn's left hand moved slightly, and as he raised it, he noticed a uniquely shaped ring on his left middle finger. Just by looking at the ring, it seemed he could see a space about the size of a house.
Previously, he was wondering where his Saint Emperor's Armor, the Saint Emperor's Sword, and all the luxurious equipment had gone — they were now obediently lying inside. Various high-level and even top materials he had collected but not yet used were piled up there as well. However, he was running low on Red and Blue Potions, having used many in the process of slaying the Demon Dragon Emperor.
This was the first time Lynn saw something similar to a game interface after fiddling for a long time, yet it was completely different from the previous system backpack interface. The in-game backpack was a 64x64 grid combination, while now he was seeing a spacious space akin to a real storage room.
A ring on his left middle finger - so he's already engaged... Xiya straightened her head again, indulging in unrelated thoughts.
"Big brother, say something, Little Yuri is worried..."
While Lynn was in a stupor, Little Yuri tugged at his clothes again, her babyish voice tinged with concern. She was naturally caring, worrying even over strangers, one of the many reasons people liked her.
"Oh, it's nothing, it's just that Little Yuri grows up and forgets brother, and brother is very sad."
Listening to Little Yuri's soft voice, Lynn temporarily set aside his urgency, not wanting Little Yuri to look unhappy. She was everyone's little joy-bringer, and sadness shouldn't touch her.
"But Little Yuri really didn't know big brother before. Yet big brother knows Little Yuri's name, so he must know Little Yuri... Oh, it's so hard to understand, Little Yuri is dizzy~~"
Seeing Lynn not as frantic as before, Little Yuri let out a sigh of relief, but thinking of the fact that the big brother in front of her was a familiar stranger still left the usually sharp-minded Little Yuri scratching her head.
"If you can't figure it out, don't think about it, we can always start over. I'm Lynn, 26 years old, a glorious warrior."
Saying this, Lynn reached out a hand to the little girl standing at about his bellybutton height, waiting for her response.
"Oh~~ I'm Yuri. Didn't have a mom or dad since childhood, so no surname. I'm eight years old now and I will become a glorious warrior in the future!"
Little Yuri happily stretched out a small hand to hold Lynn's large hand, though she hadn't known this big brother Lynn before, it didn't stop her from quickly bonding with the newly acquainted big brother.
Little Yuri was well-known in the village… within the city, having great rapport with everyone from shopkeepers on Commercial Street to gatekeeping guards, from buddies at shelters to kids of all ages throughout the streets.
Despite having no parents, there was no one who dared bully her in the entire City of Victory, because those looking out for her could line up from the South City Gate to the North City Gate.
"Would Little Yuri like to tag along with big brother Lynn? Brother can make you fly~"
Holding Little Yuri's soft little hand, Lynn's expression shifted slightly, but he still calmly delivered his prepared lines.
How did he end up actually holding hands... Where's the game's harmony function? To prevent any copper-related offenses in the gaming world, the Miracle game prohibited direct bodily contact between players and minors — this rule was codified, not something to test provocatively.
"Big brother Lynn is strong, strong? Can you be Little Yuri's teacher?"
Little Yuri blinked her innocent eyes, gleaming brightly, adorably.
"Not particularly strong really, just barely world's first male warrior, Level 999, only just reached the top."
Lynn accompanied his words with a hand wave, adopting a "I'm very humble" demeanor. He didn't even mention a series of titles he earned, only "world's first," something he deemed least noteworthy.
After all, boasting about titles like "World-saving Hero," "The Chosen One," "Human Race Saint Emperor," "Holy Sword Envoy," "Demon King Butcher" to such a young girl felt a bit too stuck-up.