003 Meditation Time

Ten minutes later, Xiu Nan stood by the window, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he let the cold wind wash over his face, his expression clouded with melancholy.

On the screen, the transition cutscene played again.

Ten minutes earlier, Xiu Nan had decided it was safer not to interact with any NPCs. He focused solely on moving forward, occasionally mixing in jumps, rolls, or crawling. The game’s controls were a little different from the standard layout.

Xiu Nan wanted to get accustomed to them, to be ready for combat.

If you hang around the riverbank long enough, you’re bound to get your feet wet. Rolling and crawling right in the middle of the street, the assassin Kashu suddenly tripped and somehow ended up beneath the skirt of an overweight woman. After a piercing scream, everything was over...

The familiar silver bracelet. The familiar psychiatric hospital.

And the all-too-familiar achievement system.

[Achievement System Unlocked...]
[Achievement: Old Pervert, What Unique Taste You Have]
[Reward: Born to Court Death (1/4)]
[Progress: Born to Court Death (3/4)]
Notification: [Nine Lives Cat (6/9)]

It must be said, all players share a common flaw when entering a brand-new game: itchy fingers.

If you don’t stir up some mischief, you’re hardly a true gamer.

That’s how Xiu Nan saw it, and besides, he didn’t really care—it was just a game. And he still had six lives left, after all. Plenty of room for error.

In fact, he was even tempted to die again, just to see what this “Born to Court Death” achievement was all about.

He scrambled out from underground and sprinted forward. As he passed a signpost, he grabbed it and tucked it into his belt.

Rounding a corner, he saw a black car with silver trim parked by the roadside. A ram’s head emblem adorned the hood.

[Name: Golden Ram Automobile]
[Type: Vehicle]
[Grade: Common (Mid)]
[Description: A civilian sedan manufactured by the Toronto Company, seats five, combining speed and stability.]
[Feature: A car is a symbol of a man’s status.]
[Price: 586,000 Star Credits]
[Note: Can be stolen (Assassin All-Skills Package)]

What was he waiting for? Running was far too slow.

He immediately used the theft skill.

Kashu the assassin swiftly reached into his coat, pulled out a black wallet, opened it, and took out a length of wire.

For a fleeting moment, Xiu Nan noticed a colorful family photo tucked inside the wallet.

Kashu, with his arm around his daughter, was beaming with joy.

Kashu began to work automatically, stepping forward and fiddling with the car a few times. The Golden Ram’s door popped open.

Who would have thought an assassin could moonlight as a car thief? But then again, everyone has their rough patches...

He got in, fiddled a bit more, and now Xiu Nan could control Kashu as he drove.

The engine roared to life, the car shuddered, and the Golden Ram shot forward, swerving erratically.

It took a moment for Xiu Nan to adjust, but soon Kashu’s full suite of assassin skills kicked in.

[Vehicle Mastery (Beginner)]

Sometimes Xiu Nan veered off the road, but Kashu would automatically correct his course, keeping the car running smoothly.

The Golden Ram sped ahead, overtaking the surrounding vehicles one after another. Xiu Nan became increasingly adept at the controls, even throwing in a few drifts on empty stretches.

“Honk! Honk! Honk!”

To his right, a sedan being overtaken laid on the horn furiously.

Clearly, the driver wasn’t happy with Kashu.

An interaction prompt appeared.

[Stan Laurel is seriously annoyed with you. There’s a model in the sports car’s backseat, and your overtaking made him lose face.]
[You should respond to him.]
A. Internationally recognized gesture of friendship
B. Shoot him (Hostility 10/100)
C. Hit him with the signpost (Hostility 10/30)
D. Blow him a kiss (๑˙❥˙๑)

Neither B nor C had enough hostility points, and frankly, D was a bit much. Xiu Nan quickly chose A.

Kashu rolled down the window. In the parallel car, a young blond man with earrings glanced his way.

A hand shot out the window, middle finger raised.

“╭∩╮”

“Damn it!” the young man cursed.

“You bastard, how dare you...”

Kashu floored it, leaving him in the dust.

Reaching the city center, Xiu Nan found a random spot to park. After taking a few steps down the street, he spotted a police officer in a blue uniform smoking outside a storefront, occasionally glancing at the passing pedestrians.

As the officer smoked, a tall man in a black suit strolled over. He slammed the signpost into the dirt between the shop and the curb.

The slightly chubby officer glanced over.

In crisp, bold letters, the sign read:

[Public Toilet →]
[Walk 150 meters ahead]

“Huh?” A wave of confusion swept over the officer.

A sign installer? Really?

What a guy. Dressed in a suit, not in a work uniform—classy!

The suited man then pulled a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and put them on. It must be said, the long-haired man did look quite dashing in shades.

No sooner were the sunglasses in place than he drew out a pack of Lanshan cigarettes—premium stuff.

A flick of the right hand, and a TG lighter appeared in his palm.

He leaned against the signpost with extravagant flair, lit his cigarette with equal ostentation, then blew smoke rings with the same showy air.

The metal lighter twirled between his fingers.

“This guy’s got to be nuts,” thought the cop, eyeing his own cheap, ten-star-coin Blues cigarettes in silent resentment before turning away in annoyance.

Click. A bullet slid into the chamber.

A bullet. Into the chamber!

The chubby officer’s head whipped around at the sound.

The man in the suit, cigarette in his mouth, was twirling a pistol in his hand, spinning it like a black top.

“Hell! You’ve got some nerve!” The officer recoiled in shock, quickly stepping back and drawing his own pistol.

“I order you to put your hands up!”

[Interaction prompt]

A. “Relax, I’m just a passing cowboy...” Kashu slowly exhaled a smoke ring.

“Bang!”

The spinning revolver went off by accident.

“Bang!”

The tense cop fired his own weapon.

A cutscene played, showing police quickly locking down the block, yellow crime-scene tape cordoning off a wide area, a dark brown pool of blood staining the pavement.

Next to it stood a bloodstained signpost.

[Public Toilet →]
[Walk 150 meters ahead]

The view pulled upward, panning over the entire city.

[Character Assassin Kashu has died...]
[Time: June 7, 2017, 16:05]
[Location: Baiyan Street, East District, Crescent City]
[Killed by: Officer Jack Yeb]
[Weapon: P-99 Standard Issue Police Pistol]
[Note: The cowboy was bold!]

“Kidding me, I’m nothing if not bold...” Xiu Nan stroked his chin.

[Achievement System Unlocked...]
[Achievement: The Cowboy Was Bold]
[Reward: Born to Court Death (1/4)]
[Progress: Born to Court Death (4/4)]

[Born to Court Death has been completed. You have earned a temporary reward—Meditation Time—for four meaningless deaths.]

Xiu Nan’s eyes lit up. Even though it was just a temporary reward, he hadn’t expected the achievement system to cough up anything first-rate. Any reward at all was more than enough.

He clicked the mouse rapidly.

[Name: Meditation Time]
[Type: Skill]
[Duration: Two mission instances]
[Grade: Bronze Wood (Upgradeable)]
[Description: Meditation Time is a special reward (Shame) from the achievement system in the game Transcendent World.]
[Feature: Greatly increases physical and neural response speed for a short period, enhancing information intake fiftyfold. Your body operates at maximum capacity, and time seems to slow before your eyes.]
[Duration: 3 seconds]
[Note: Meditation Time lets you make a fast escape from the scene after your misdeeds, specially tailored for you, you despicable, lowlife criminal suspect!]

“Hey, what’s with that last line? Is it really so much fun to mock me?” Xiu Nan grumbled.