"Phew~!"
Under a holy white light, the exhausted Chen Xinhe let out a long sigh of relief as he bathed in it.
The stats of the game character he was controlling were recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"If only I had the money to buy a high-end gaming pod!"
"Then I could grind in the game for 7 days before logging out, unlike now where I have to get out and rest for 12 hours every 3 days."
Summoning the system panel, Chen Xinhe looked at his nearly full health bar, a self-deprecating smile on his face.
"I'm already starting to fantasize. Might as well think bigger and just live in the game! Never wake up!"
Health: 13821/13821 (Full)
All stats have been restored, all negative statuses have been cleared.
Chen Xinhe pressed the virtual "Log Out" button in the top-left corner without hesitation.
In the next instant, the healing white light around him gradually faded, replaced by endless darkness.
Chen Xinhe closed his eyes, waiting for the gaming pod to calm his nerves and reawaken his body within it.
"One, two, three…"
This was his habit. Every time he logged out of the game, he would count while waiting to finally return to the real world. It usually only took 60 seconds.
"Fifteen, sixteen…"
The familiar sensation in his limbs returned, and his five senses gradually reawakened.
"Thirty, thirty-one… thirty-three… Huh?"
As his nerves and physical sensations were recovering, Chen Xinhe suddenly felt that something was wrong.
How come he had only counted to thirty-three, and all his senses had already returned?
With his eyes closed, he could still feel a warm light, like sunlight shining on his face.
How could this be…
The place he lived in was a low-rent apartment provided by the Federation for the poorest of the poor. It was actually a super-deep basement. Where would sunlight come from?
And this physical sensation, it didn't feel like his own weak body that hadn't been exercised in years.
He felt full of strength, a bit like the feeling of controlling his character in the game "Divine Revelation"?
Could it be that he clicked the wrong button? He hadn't logged out of the game?
Without continuing to count silently, Chen Xinhe opened his eyes.
He saw himself lying on a soft, classical European-style bed, with sunlight streaming through a small window on the side, casting its rays upon him.
Above his head was an ornate and massive chandelier, the candles on it already extinguished.
To the side was a small desk, along with an entire wall of mahogany bookshelves.
This… Where is this?
Where's my home?
Could someone have kidnapped me, gaming pod and all?
Impossible, right? What kind of kidnapper would come to a basement in the slums to abduct someone?
…
Turning his head to survey the room again, Chen Xinhe's face grew more and more bewildered.
Not only did he not see his gaming pod, but there weren't even many modern facilities in the room. This place really looked like ordinary, ancient medieval Europe.
"Knock~ Knock~!"
"Lord Baron, are you awake?"
Baron?
Chen Xinhe suddenly realized and looked himself up and down.
Strong arms, an eight-pack, this was definitely not him!
Could it be… I've transmigrated?
"My lord, you're awake!"
Before he could respond, a maid had already pushed the door open and entered.
Seeing Chen Xinhe looking at her with a strange expression, the maid quickly knelt down to apologize.
"My lord! I didn't mean to disturb you."
"It's Miss Anna who is looking for you. She's in the living room downstairs. Would you like to see her?"
…
"Tell her to wait a little longer. I'll be down shortly."
Seeing that she wasn't being punished, the maid quickly got up and left, closing the door behind her.
Chen Xinhe paid no mind to this, still immersed in his current surroundings.
He found the current situation somewhat unbelievable. The living environment here was like heaven compared to his life in the Earth Federation.
Only the environment in the virtual reality game "Divine Revelation" could compare to this.
Could he really have had such dumb luck to transmigrate into this unfamiliar ancient world with such excellent conditions?
And as a baron, no less!
Wait!
Thinking about how he was in the game one moment and in this world the next.
Chen Xinhe skeptically summoned the system panel.
Sure enough! The system panel appeared just as he had expected.
[Name: Lister Merrick]
[Age: 29/113]
[Class: Warrior (Martial Arts)]
[Level: 17 (31/17000)]
[Health: 732/732]
[Stamina: 431/431]
[Attributes: Strength 13, Stamina 12, Intelligence 13, Agility 11]
[Skills: Merrick Blade Technique (Rare) LV3 (21/30000): Precisely strikes the target, dealing 282~354 (buffed by Strength attribute) damage, Merrick Breathing Method (Passive: No Grade) LV2 (0/20000): Strength +2]
[Overall Evaluation: F-Rank]
[Experience: 1031]
...
This… How is this possible? Did I log into someone else's account?
_Incredulous, Chen Xinhe immediately swiped to the startup interface, preparing to log out of the game again.
But after searching for a long time, the familiar system in front of him didn't have the "Log Out" button he remembered.
A hair-raising feeling crept into his heart, and Chen Xinhe's back was soaked in sweat before he knew it.
Could it be? This isn't medieval Europe at all?
Did I end up in the world of "Divine Revelation"?
"Lord Baron, Miss Anna is urging you again."
A cautious, urging voice sounded from outside the door once more.
"I know, go on down."
With no time to think it through, Chen Xinhe first opened the door and went downstairs.
There was indeed a young lady waiting in the living room.
She wore a white, off-the-shoulder long dress, with a bottomless cleavage at her chest.
The woman's overall features were Western, but her appearance, by any standard of beauty, could be described as devastatingly beautiful!
It was just a pity that besides being slightly stunned, Chen Xinhe had no other reaction.
Having spent years in the game "Divine Revelation," where players could freely customize their faces, handsome men and beautiful women had long become the norm for his aesthetic standards.
It was just a shame that in reality, everyone was plain-looking, which was one of the fundamental reasons why the Earth Federation couldn't raise its birth rate no matter how much they promoted it.
Chen Xinhe's daze upon seeing her wasn't because of her almost perfect face, but because he had a sense of familiarity with this Miss Anna.
Hearing the movement on the stairs, this Miss Anna had already put down the teacup in her hand.
However, she didn't get up to greet him, quietly waiting for Chen Xinhe to sit down, a hint of impatience deep in her eyes.
"What do you want to see me about?"
Chen Xinhe didn't know his relationship with her, but judging from how the maid was willing to risk disturbing him by entering his room for this Miss Anna.
Either this lady had a romantic entanglement with him, or her family was extremely prominent.
Chen Xinhe chose to get straight to the point, hoping to quickly bluff his way through and get rid of her.
Figuring out his current situation was his number one priority now.
"Viscount Anbeit…, my father, has something for you."
"He says it can help you successfully defeat Kunt in the duel a month from now."
As Anna spoke, she took a wooden box out of her bag, placed it on the table, and pushed it over.
Just as Chen Xinhe reached out to take the box, Anna's hand seemed to flinch as if startled, quickly retracting it, a faint look of disgust flashing across her face.
But when Chen Xinhe looked at her in confusion, the look of disgust instantly vanished, replaced by a polite smile.
This made Chen Xinhe even more suspicious. The relationship between this woman and him must be very complicated!
"Duel?"
He quickly processed the words the woman had just spoken.
What's this about a sudden duel?
"Yes? Didn't you just agree to it with Kunt yesterday?"
Seeing Lister's expression, Anna's face also became complicated.
She felt that the Lister she met today was strange, different from when she had interacted with him before.
The possessiveness and naked desire that used to be in his eyes, which she found disgusting, were gone, replaced by a kind of bewilderment and calmness.
But this couldn't change her established impression of Lister.
"What? You don't like me anymore? You don't want to marry me anymore?"
"Or are you scared that Kunt is a duke's son?"
Silence...
Chen Xinhe's mind raced. His predecessor, Lister, was in love with the woman in front of him?
But he couldn't feel any affection from this woman's eyes, only more disgust.
"In any case, the duel has been set, and Duke Will II himself will witness it. You should practice your family's Merrick Blade Technique diligently during this time."
After saying that, Anna had already stood up and, accompanied by an attendant at her side, turned and left.