Chapter 001

【The game is about to begin, welcome all players. 】

The cold robotic voice entered Shijiu's ears, and Shijiu's consciousness slowly returned.

Game? Player?

Why do I still hear this sound? Isn’t she dead?

Not long after the robot's voice fell, Shijiu suddenly felt a little dizzy.

Impossible, could a dead person have feelings?

Or, she wasn't dead at all?

[Welcome all trainees to the holographic game hall. The program has officially begun. Please take off your blindfolds.]

This time, the voice wasn't a cold, mechanical hum; it was a man's, speaking with a tone like a host. Unconsciously, Shijiu was able to control his arms and remove his blindfold. The light in this place was bright and dazzling, and Shijiu squinted to adjust.

It was a large oval-shaped field, resembling a football field. At first glance, it was packed with people. They all wore the same silver uniforms, and the seats were neatly arranged. Upon receiving instructions, they all removed their blindfolds and curiously surveyed their surroundings.

"Wow, this is a variety show made by more than a dozen investors. This venue, this production."

"Hiss, still a little nervous."

"Don't be afraid, I heard that this variety show has 1 billion people booked to watch it. As long as you get some screen time, you'll be famous! Perform well, brother!!"

"I'm a complete game newbie. Even though the game 'Yu' has always been very popular, I've never played it."

"Damn, that's impossible. It's so hot and so fun, and you haven't experienced it before? I don't believe it!"

Shi Jiu didn't quite understand what was going on. She quietly listened to the three or four boys chatting behind her.

When he heard the name of the game, Shijiu raised his eyebrows slightly.

Holographic game "Encounter"?

Is that the game she made?

But her game had just been released. How could it be liked by so many people in the initial stage?

Shi Jiu was confused when her head suddenly started to hurt and a wave of memories that did not belong to her flooded into her mind.

It turned out that she was not dead, but she was alive again.

The body she now possessed was not hers.

When the pain subsided, Shi Jiu slowly raised her hands. She lowered her eyes and looked at them. Her hands were fair and slender, but there were some rough calluses on the fingers. These were definitely not her hands. She was born into a wealthy family and had never done rough labor since she was a child. It was impossible for her hands to have calluses.

"Warm the Shijiu?" Shijiu murmured.

The girl who possessed this body was named Wen Shijiu, which was very similar to her name. She was an 18-year-old high school senior, but had recently dropped out. She was also a gaming streamer, and after dropping out, she spent her days and nights playing games and livestreaming. Shortly after entering this gaming chamber, she died suddenly from lack of rest.

After that, she was inside her body.

Through Wen Shijiu's memories, Shijiu knew that it had been five years since her death. In the intervening years, the holographic game she created had become a huge hit across the StarCraft. It had consistently been the top holographic game in the StarCraft universe, beloved by many fans.

At the same time, as holographic gaming grew in popularity in StarCraft, gaming stars emerged. The holographic gaming market grew, and so did the player audience. Some of the top gaming stars even achieved influence comparable to that of the most successful actors and actresses in StarCraft.

Holographic games are so popular that naturally some capitalists have set their sights on this piece of fat meat.

Over a dozen corporate groups, in conjunction with a leading gaming company, have jointly invested in a new star-making variety show, "Sprint Camp 2000." The program team invited two thousand trainees from various industries to compete in a selective holographic gaming competition. The show was broadcast live, with audience participation in voting, and the final ten trainees who would debut were determined by audience vote.

It sounds like fun.

Shi Jiu thought secretly.

[Variety show live broadcast channel is open, voting channel is open. ]

"Ohhhh, the live broadcast has started."

"Look at the vote count on the wristband. I've already started getting tickets."

“I got more than ten votes, hahaha.”

The trainees around him began to quietly count their votes, and Shijiu also looked down at the red bracelet on his wrist. The bracelet was very thin, with a black display in the middle.

The data displayed on her screen was a big zero.

No one voted for her.

The live broadcast of "Sprint Camp 2000!" has begun. Come and see if there are any trainees you picked!

At the same time, this message appeared on the terminals of more than one billion interstellar residents.

The variety show live broadcast started and many people were excited.

Some were already sitting in front of their laptops, instantly opening the livestream to watch. Some were walking down the street when they suddenly stopped, lowering their heads to watch the livestream on their terminals. Some were secretly opening their terminals in their offices...

The live broadcast had just started for five minutes when 400 million people immediately flooded into the live broadcast room.

[Bullet screen] Ahhh, it’s started, it’s started, I’m so looking forward to it hahahahahaha!

[Bullet screen] Awesome, this venue is really amazing, it’s worthy of being a program with more than a dozen sponsors.

[Bullet screen] Two thousand people, so many people, it makes me dizzy.

[Bullet screen] I’m really looking forward to what their game copy will be like. Will it be the same as the ones we usually play?

[Bullet screen] I wonder if I can challenge the SSS-level copy.

【Bullet screen】Ahhh, I saw my brother!!

......

When the game first started, the production team also wanted to build momentum, so they didn't open any other live broadcast rooms, only one. Fortunately, the server equipment they used was powerful, otherwise it really couldn't handle so many viewers.

The audience was very enthusiastic, and the comments were posted as fast as a rocket.

There were 2,000 trainees participating in the variety show, and the camera couldn't capture everyone. Many shots were just fleeting.

The camera flashed past a strange girl with exaggerated makeup on her face, and her face was as pale as a female ghost.

[Bullet screen] Oh my god, I was scared.

[Bullet screen] A female ghost suddenly appeared among so many good-looking boys and girls.

[Bullet screen] This person seems to be a game anchor. I have watched her live broadcast before. To attract attention, she made herself look like this.

[Bullet screen] I’ve seen it too. Isn’t this her usual live broadcast style?

[Bullet screen] Tsk, it’s her, the failed female anchor with a dark history.

......

Shijiu had just come to terms with her rebirth and had no idea what she was like now. She just felt like many trainees were secretly looking at her and whispering to each other.

Feeling a gaze from not far away, Shijiu looked towards her.

She looked like a girl, with chestnut curly hair that reached her waist, and delicate eyebrows and beautiful eyes, like a daughter of a noble and wealthy family. Wen Shijiu seemed to have the image of this girl in his memory, but she had not yet digested the memory of Wen Shijiu, and Shijiu did not know who she was.

The curly-haired girl didn't look at her for long, she turned her gaze away indifferently.

Not only the curly-haired girl, but also many other girls around her were looking at her. Shi Jiu's eyes moved and met the eyes of another girl. The girl looked petite and cute, with a soft face.

Shi Jiu narrowed his eyes and smiled at her.

The girl looked away in fear.

Confused Shijiu:?

Welcome all trainees to the game talent show "Sprint Camp 2000!"

When the host's voice appeared, the originally chaotic game hall suddenly became quiet.

[The live broadcast has begun. Are all the trainees ready to take on the challenge? ]

First, let me explain the rules of the variety show. Our variety show involves a lot of interaction with the audience. The more votes a trainee receives, the higher their points in the competition. Don't underestimate game points; they play a crucial role in game dungeons, such as redeeming items.

[Everyone can take a look at the swipe card in their hand. The data displayed on the swipe card is the number of audience votes we have.]

After hearing the host's words, Shi Jiu lowered his eyes to look at his bracelet.

Someone actually voted for her, and her number of votes became five.

Everyone must be looking forward to the upcoming adventure. The production team has also prepared some pre-game footage for you to experience in advance. Trainees, please look at the big screen in the middle.

After the host finished speaking, a huge square virtual screen appeared above the center of the hall.

All the trainees held their breath.

The clip that appeared on the screen lasted less than thirty seconds. Within thirty seconds, eight or nine clips flashed by, and more than a dozen various game NPCs appeared.

After seeing those NPCs, fans who have played the game all gasped.

At this time, the barrage in the live broadcast room also exploded.

[Bullet screen]: Wow wow, this is so exciting, I saw a copy that I have never been able to complete!

[Bullet screen]: Awesome, there will probably be a hell-level copy this time!

[Bullet comment]: Hahahaha, I saw some trainees’ faces turned pale.

[Bullet screen]: I actually saw the boss on the game NPC ranking list!

Shijiu's mood was quite different from theirs.

She started working on this game at the age of fifteen, and completed it at the age of twenty-five. It's fair to say she poured a tremendous amount of effort into it. The game has numerous dungeons, and she used a novel combination technique during its creation, resulting in over a hundred thousand unique dungeons. This is why players, five years into the game, still find it so fresh.

The NPCs in the game were all designed by her bit by bit. Seeing them on the screen now was like seeing the goose girls and goose girls that she hadn't seen in a long time.

The program's mentors have assigned each trainee a rank based on their performance in the preliminary rounds. There are six ranks in total: A, B, C, D, E, and F. The rank details are now available, and trainees can check their ranks on their wristbands.

The production team deliberately left a suspense and did not directly announce the trainees' levels. The camera kept flashing across the faces of different trainees, and looking at their faces, the audience in front of the screen became even more impatient.

【Bullet screen】: I really want to know if my brother is A

[Bullet screen]: Really, why didn’t the program team release the results?

Shijiu looked down at her bracelet, which showed her level: F.

It wasn't a surprise.

Wen Shijiu is a game streamer, but she has no natural talent for gaming. She's known for her comedic style, but she's actually a complete game newbie. She didn't perform particularly well in the preliminary dungeon, even being frightened to tears by an NPC. An F grade is par for the course.

Everyone has seen their initial evaluation levels. Now, please enter the practice rooms for your respective levels. In five days, we will begin the first elimination round.

The host finished speaking, and before the trainees could breathe a sigh of relief, he continued.

[However, before entering the practice room, each trainee needs to pass a small test. ]

As the host spoke, a huge dark corridor appeared on the big screen above. Across the corridor were six gates marked with ABCDEF respectively.

Only 1,800 trainees present at the event can enter the practice room. The door to the practice room will open after 200 trainees have been eliminated.

The trainees present were all shocked.

Two hundred people were eliminated right from the start?

[Bullet screen]: Holy crap, this free-for-all mode? ? So exciting, hahahaha.

[Bullet comment]: Oh my god, there are two hundred people, and they don’t even know each other’s game level.

【Bullet screen】: The program crew is amazing!!

The host's voice slowly sounded:

[Please prepare yourselves, trainees. The transmission channel will be activated soon.]