"Step right up, come take a look…"
"Fresh stock of God World helmets, limited supply, five thousand yuan each, first come first served!"
"We also have God World game pods. $10,000 apiece. Home installation included!"
"And the limited Supreme Game Pod. $100,000 each!"
When Tidus entered the shop, noise flooded his ears. God World was a VR game that required specialized equipment.
Helmets granted one basic talent.
Normal Game Pods granted a rare class, a starter treasure chest, beginner noble status, and one basic talent.
The Supreme Game Pod granted a rare class, a starter treasure chest, high noble status, and one precious rare talent.
In his previous life, Tidus had to spend money treating his sister's illness and chose the cheapest helmet.
That caused him to miss the rare talent and instead receive a useless one: "Repair Cost -1%."
Countless nights, he had woken up regretting not buying the Supreme Game Pod.
Now he finally had the chance to make a different choice.
"Make way…"
Tidus didn't join the long line. Instead he pushed through the crowd toward a vending machine in the corner that sold health products.
In his memory, during his previous life, a shut-in guy bought a box of Durex from this very machine before heading to a club to meet some models and get lucky. From that box he obtained God World's greatest reward.
The God World Ring.
Only ten God World Rings existed worldwide. The company had randomly placed them inside ten different consumer products, claiming only those blessed by the gods would receive one.
The ring granted a rare class, a gold treasure chest, high noble status, and one god-tier talent.
Tidus didn't care about the other rewards. That god-tier talent was absolute heaven.
"That shut-in guy won the prize on June 15th, 2050, around four in the afternoon. Which means… today."
Tidus checked his phone. His heartbeat jumped.
The God World Ring had dominated headlines everywhere in his previous life. There was no way he remembered it wrong. And right now, it was exactly three o'clock.
Which meant the Durex box containing the ring had not yet been purchased.
"I'm buying all the Durex here today."
He stood before the vending machine, stared at the boxes of Durex inside, and decisively pressed the purchase button.
"Ding! Purchase successful. Ultra-thin vitality Durex. Wishing you a blissful time!"
"Ding! Purchase successful. Bold protection Durex. Play safe!"
"Ding! Purchase successful. Ribbed and dotted Durex. Have fun and excitement!"
"Ding! Purchase successful. Strawberry-flavored Durex. Enjoy to the fullest…"
"Ding!…"
The machine even came with voice prompts. Tidus' face twitched.
Players waiting in line for helmets heard the commotion and looked over. They saw a handsome young man buying box after box of Durex… endlessly.
A cute girl said dreamily, "This guy needs that many boxes? Could he be… that kind of monster…"
A college girl in yoga pants and long legs bit her lip. "Mm… I want to know a guy like him. One box a week is enough for me…"
A mature woman carrying a luxury bag sighed, "My deadbeat husband can't finish one box in a whole year…"
A guy in flip-flops muttered, "People say handsome men suffer from their own charm. The ancients never lied…"
A bucktoothed player said tearfully, "I'm proud to be a virgin. A patriot like me saves plastic for the nation…"
Tidus ignored all of them.
He tore open each box, checking for the ring. The condoms couldn't go to waste, so he tossed the empty boxes into a trash bin and stuffed all the condoms into a shopping bag.
At this rate, he had bought more than a thousand. Even if he used seven a day, it would take a year or more to finish…
Ten minutes passed.
When he opened a ribbed Durex box, his hand trembled. Inside lay a crystal ring emitting a soft glow.
The God World Ring.
"Ahem…"
Tidus cleared his throat and casually glanced around. No one was looking. He carefully picked up the ring and slipped it into his pocket.
Relief washed through him.
Right then, a soft voice called out.
"Mr. Tidus, what are you… doing?"
He turned to see a woman in black stockings and a hip-hugging skirt. It was the interviewer from PwC.
Behind her stood a girl in ankle boots and over-the-knee socks, displaying a stretch of pale thigh. She wore cat ears and looked like an anime character.
"Pfft…"
Seeing Tidus scrambling to hide a pile of condoms, the interviewer smiled. "My sister and I came to buy game equipment. I didn't expect to run into you."
The cat-eared sister gazed at Tidus with sparkling eyes. "This handsome guy… is he really Tidus, the top graduate of Harvard and the first-place candidate in the PwC interview? I didn't think he would be… this handsome…"
By the end her voice was barely a whisper and her head dipped shyly.
"Hello."
Tidus finished packing the bag and chatted with the sisters.
"Sis, there's a new bar down the road. Why don't we invite Tidus and go have fun tonight?" the cat-eared girl suggested.
The older sister looked at Tidus hesitantly, hope flickering in her eyes.
"Sure. Let's go tonight. My treat."
Tidus flashed a sunny smile. God World didn't open until the next day, and he wanted to enjoy some peace while he could. And now the angels had delivered a glasses-wearing beauty and a cat-eared cutie, sisters no less. How could he pass that up?
With his looks, he could easily sweep them off their feet and bring the two of them home for a night of fun.
Tonight he would use the ribbed ones for extra excitement.