Eternal Art Online

The living room was empty and stifling. Though the air conditioner was installed, it barely worked, leaving the room hot and muggy.

Kiriya sat on the couch, drenched in sweat, with no idea what to do.

The girl in the bedroom—Lina—wouldn't wake up any time soon. He didn't want to disturb her, so he could only sit in the living room, so frustrated he didn't even bother pouring himself a glass of cold water.

Then, his eyes landed on the Mind Gear helmet she had brought.

An idea suddenly struck him.

Of course!

There was a spare game access port he had installed in the corner of the living room to test equipment before—just perfect for a situation like this.

As for whether this Mind Gear was compatible with Eternal Art Online, he'd just have to find out.

He immediately pulled out a data cable from her bag and began connecting the device, following the instructions with practiced ease.

A few minutes later, he sat in the corner and gently placed the Mind Gear on his head.

In an instant, his mind cleared.

A calm, synthetic system voice echoed in his consciousness:

"Iris scan in progress. Player identity confirmed and locked. Do you wish to enter the game?"

He swiftly sent a mental confirmation.

"Welcome, User No. 000000002. Iris scan complete. Identity locked."

Kiriya's heart skipped a beat.

Wait-What?! Number 000000002? Identity locked through iris scan?

That meant... the system had automatically bound the helmet to him?

He froze for a moment, then gave a wry smile.

Well, she took my bed, I'll take her helmet—guess we're even.

Besides, since it's already bound to me, I'll just make it up to her later.

Just then, the system chimed again:

"The game is not yet available. Please wait 23 hours and 42 minutes before access.

Character creation is now available."

Kiriya lightly selected "Create Character," and the screen blinked.

The world around him shifted, transforming into a tranquil plain.

Three selectable races appeared before him: Human, Elf, and Half-Beast.

He remembered reading on forums that there was a one-in-a-million chance of encountering a

hidden race, but clearly, he wasn't that lucky.

Without hesitation, he chose Human.

"Facial scan in progress. Please hold still..."

A blue-and-white scanning beam slowly swept across his virtual field of view, officially starting the character creation process.

Before long, an avatar that looked exactly like Kiriya appeared before him, clad in basic leather armor—clearly a fresh new character.

However, no plot unfolded. The system merely gave a simple notice:

"The game has not yet begun. Please be patient."

Suddenly, the surroundings shifted again, and the perspective changed to a blood-soaked battlefield.

In a vast canyon, warhorses neighed and voices roared. The alliance of Humans, Elves, and Half-Beasts clashed violently against the forces of darkness.

Mages in robes brandished their staffs, launching massive fireballs; lithe, seductive female archers in tight armor pulled their bows, loosing icy arrows that pierced the enemy lines.

On the front lines, berserkers roared as they charged, spears and axes cleaving through the air, their bodies glowing with blood-red light as they tore through waves of skeleton soldiers. With each swing, bones shattered and scattered.

Meanwhile, dark elemental mages cloaked in black let out guttural roars, summoning meteor showers that rained fire from the skies, engulfing the front-line warriors of the light faction.

Their heavy armor burned red-hot, leaving them in agonizing pain.

Then, beams of gentle white light fell—healing spells cast by chanting priests, struggling to save the fallen.

In the chaos, a few shadows slipped past the front lines. Cold flashes of blade light blinked in the dark—dark mages were decapitated in the blink of an eye, their skeletal remains shattering mid-air.

Snowflakes suddenly began to fall, glittering crystals blanketing the canyon.

As the skies turned white, massive ice blocks descended, crashing down onto the battlefield. The light faction suffered heavy casualties.

All eyes turned upward.

Hovering above the canyon was a four-winged demon, arms outstretched, chanting an incomprehensible forbidden incantation.

In that moment, the entire canyon was frozen for a thousand miles, countless lives struggling between ice and death.

Suddenly, a blinding beam of light streaked across the sky, a blade of sword energy slicing through the heavens.

The demon shrieked—its wings were severed mid-air!

The forbidden chant was interrupted, and the four-winged demon plummeted into the canyon, where enraged berserkers tore it to shreds.

The camera slowly panned out. At the top of a tall cliff stood a young man with an elegant figure. A longsword hung from his hand, its blade gleaming coldly.

But what caught the eye most was his snowy white hair and those clear yet sorrowful eyes, quietly gazing down upon the flames of war.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, heralding a new storm.

Blue light slowly gathered in the sky, forming several large glowing words:

Eternal Art Online

Kiriya remained speechless, overwhelmed by the scene. Perhaps it was the sheer realism of the game, but even he forgot to say anything.

One thing was certain: this Mind Gear was the legendary official helmet for EAO.

And that made the girl—Lina—all the more mysterious.

How did she get her hands on a Mind Gear before its public release?

More importantly, why was the account bound to No. 000000002?

That meant the Mind Gear he just used... was likely the second one ever distributed!

With nearly a full day left before EAO officially launched, Kiriya logged out, removing the

Mind Gear and wiping the sweat from his forehead. Even that brief experience had left him deeply awed by the game, touted as the pinnacle of a decade's effort by the world's top developers.

The realism, the detail—it truly felt like another world, exhilarating and breathtaking.

He could still clearly remember the scene of that silver-haired swordsman severing the demon's wings. Kiriya couldn't help but smile—if a player could truly reach that level in the game… they'd be a legend, rich and famous, surrounded by admirers.

He was still lost in thoughts of future glory when the scent of burning food suddenly reached his nose.

His eyes widened. The porridge!

He bolted into the kitchen and switched off the burner. The pot was scorched black. There was no appetite left to speak of.

Back in the room, Lina was still fast asleep, clearly still hungover. No matter how much he called, she didn't respond.

Kiriya sighed and looked around the empty living room, finally pulling the yellow tablecloth off the dining table and using it as a makeshift blanket.

He lay down on the floor and smiled bitterly. Other guys have lucky encounters with beautiful girls—he ends up like the punchline of fate's joke.

Before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep. He didn't know how long it had passed when a sudden beam of light shone on his face.

He squinted, only to find a chubby man aiming a flashlight at him. Just as he was about to get angry, he realized—it was the landlord.

The man looked at him with distaste. "Kiriya, haven't paid next month's rent yet, right? You drag it out any longer, and I'll have to kick you out! Also, what are you doing sleeping in the living room this late?"

Kiriya glanced at the clock on the wall—it was already past 2 a.m. He frowned. "Why are you here at this hour?"

"Tenants downstairs said the power tripped. I came to check the breaker. But seriously—when are you paying your rent?"

Kiriya's heart sank. The rent money had been stolen earlier that day. He was completely broke now. How could he pay?

Just then, the bedroom door creaked open. Lina appeared in the doorway.

Her clothes were loose, accentuating her delicate figure. Her face still held a sleepy, innocent charm.

"I want some water…" she murmured, rubbing her eyes.

The landlord was stunned by the sight. After a long pause, he said, "Kid, your girlfriend's pretty, huh?"

He clicked his tongue twice, then added, "Fine, I'll come back later. You'd better find a job soon. Drag this on any longer and I will evict you."

Then he left on his own, closing the door behind him.

Kiriya looked at Lina, who seemed completely unfazed. He gave a faint smile. Maybe she hadn't heard anything—or maybe… she'd heard it all.

By now, Lina had been asleep for seven or eight hours and was completely sober. She blinked at Kiriya, still a bit dazed. Then she said, "I want some water."

Kiriya paused but got up instinctively to pour herself a glass of warm water. Even he found it strange—he usually wasn't this obedient. Must be the power of a beautiful girl.

Lina took the glass and downed it in one gulp. Then she looked at him and suddenly smiled. "Your name is Kiriya, right?"

He nodded. "Kiriya. Kiriya Jin."

She smiled again, brushing back her bangs. "Your name doesn't matter that much… what's important is—I'm hungry. Can you find me something to eat?"

Kiriya blinked. "It's past midnight. The convenience stores are all closed."

She frowned slightly, her expression adorably pouty. "I drank so much. If I don't eat something, my stomach will hurt."

Honestly, whether it hurt or not had little to do with food… Kiriya sighed silently but didn't say anything. "You're a girl, why drink so much?"

"Not your business!" she snapped, then muttered softly, "You wouldn't understand…"

Kiriya didn't reply. He turned toward the kitchen and pulled the last bit of porridge from the

pot, setting the bowl on the table with a thud. "This is all I've got. If you don't mind it, eat. If you do, your car's downstairs—go out and find something."

Lina stared at the bowl, her expression suddenly complex, as if surprised, as if calculating something.

"Is this what you usually eat?" she asked cautiously.

Kiriya nodded. "Yeah. This is the best I can afford right now."

Just then, his stomach growled loudly. The atmosphere turned a bit awkward. He looked down to hide it but saw Lina staring at him with a playful, knowing gaze.

"You haven't eaten either?" she chuckled. "Is there more? If not, we can split this one."

Kiriya froze. The pot was indeed empty. This was all there was.

Lina seemed to understand his hesitation. Without another word, she went into the kitchen, grabbed a clean bowl, and deftly split the porridge in two. She pushed one bowl toward him.

"Here. Don't be shy."

Kiriya stared at her in silence. She drove a BMW, wore designer clothes, clearly came from money—and yet here she was, sharing a bowl of plain porridge with him.

Something inside him stirred. He nodded and took the bowl without a word.

At this moment, this girl before him… didn't seem quite the same as the one in his mind before.

He sat down and finished the porridge to the last drop—truthfully, he'd been starving.

Lina sat across from him, slowly chewing on a few pieces of leafy greens.

In less than a minute, their simple "dinner" was done.

She licked her lips and said playfully, "Not bad. But next time, go easy on the salt."

Kiriya looked helpless. She seemed wide awake now, completely refreshed.

Suddenly, her eyes landed on his face, and she giggled. "You look so dumb. From now on, I'm calling you Dummy, okay?"

Kiriya instantly refused. "That's an insult. No."

Lina grinned, dimples showing. "Don't be so stiff! Sometimes those nicknames are cute—like 'little rascal,' or 'silly goose.'"

Kiriya rolled his eyes. By that logic, any insult could be a nickname—"tiny idiot," "little punk"?

Just then, Lina's gaze shifted to the Mind Gear on the coffee table. Her expression changed.

She rushed over, picked it up, and noticed that the once-blue chip was now glowing yellow.

Her face darkened. She turned to Kiriya and spoke in a low voice. "Did you do this?"

Kiriya froze. He scratched his head awkwardly. "This… was a misunderstanding. How was I supposed to know it would auto-bind just from wearing it?"

Lina stared at him, biting her lip, voice trembling with frustration. "You big idiot! Do you know how hard it was for me to get this Mind Gear… and you just locked it to your ID… sniffle…"

Kiriya looked at the clock. Lina pouted, "Great. Now there's only 14 hours left until Eternal Art Online opens, and I don't want to wait in line to buy a new one!"

He wished he could disappear into the floor. "I'll pay you back someday… I just… really can't right now."

Lina stared at him for a few seconds, then shoved the Mind Gear into his arms.

"Here. Take it. It's yours now. It's already bound to you, so it's useless to me anyway."

She looked around and suddenly asked, "Do you have a shower? I reek of alcohol. I want to clean up."

Kiriya hesitated. "Maybe… you should get a hotel? I don't have anything girls can change into."

Lina raised a brow. "You want me to go out this late? What if I meet a bad guy?"

Kiriya chuckled. "Aren't you worried I'm a bad guy?"

She laughed. "You look so harmless. Bet you wouldn't dare touch me even if I handed myself to you. I feel pretty safe around you."

Kiriya nearly choked on his spit—was that a compliment or an insult?

Lina didn't elaborate. She went straight into his bedroom, rummaged through his closet, and pulled out a loose white shirt.

She tried to find some pants but could only find big men's shorts. Blushing, she took the shirt and went to the bathroom.

Water splashed. Kiriya sat on the couch, heart racing.

Those ten minutes felt longer than any dungeon raid.

When Lina finally emerged, he was stunned. She wore a white shirt and short shorts, her legs long and pale. She looked like she had stepped straight out of an anime.

She walked back into the bedroom, crawled into his bed, shut the door, and tossed him a blanket.

"You're on the couch tonight. Oh, and take this too."

A thin blanket landed on him. Kiriya caught it, wryly smiling—it seemed like another night sleeping on the couch.

He clutched the blanket and the Mind Gear. Despite everything, his heart felt light. After all, with this Mind Gear, he could finally enter EAO.

People said top players could earn a fortune just from selling items—maybe he could make his first pot of gold there.

He didn't sleep well, but he had a wonderful dream.

In it, he became a peerless swordsman in EAO, cutting down a thousand foes, surrounded by riches and beauties.

A doorbell woke him. He sat up. Morning light peeked through the cracked door.

Lina was gone. The bed was neatly made. Her phone and car keys were gone too.

On the nightstand, a stack of bills sat under a note.

Kiriya picked it up and read:

"Dummy, if you're looking for a job, go to the Expansion Department at Blue Star Digital Plaza. This 2,000 is your overnight fee~"

At the corner of the note was a cute doodle—a crescent-eyed smiling face, just like Lina's grin.

He stared at the note, recalling his conversation with the landlord. So Lina had heard everything.

He looked again at the handwriting—elegant, beautiful. It was hard to believe someone like Lina—gorgeous and aloof—also had such fine penmanship.

They say when God gives beauty, he takes away brains. That rule didn't apply to her.

Kiriya couldn't help but wonder—just who was Lina?

Still, she had offered him a job, and he had no reason to refuse.

He got up, washed, changed, and set out for Blue Star Digital Plaza.

No matter how that went, one thing was clear—he had to be home by 6 p.m.

Because tonight, Eternal Art Online would officially go live.

And he had to be there the moment it began—to seize his chance, his destiny, and his first treasure in the world of the game.