Chapter 3: The Destiny Game’s Call

‘Oh, I’m so tired, and I hurt so much. I want to sleep, but I can’t.’

The young man’s name was Wang Datou (TL Note: Literally ‘Big Head Wang’), but he insisted on being called Wang Tianming.

For now, we shall respect his wishes and refer to him as Wang Tianming.

Lying bored in his hospital bed late at night, Wang Tianming found himself on the third day since waking from his car accident.

Yet, he still couldn’t move a single inch.

While others suffering from insomnia might toss and turn, his only option was to stare blankly at the ceiling.

Unable to move, Wang Tianming couldn’t even play on his phone, and this wretched hospital didn’t even have a television.

In truth, even if there had been a TV, he wouldn’t have been able to watch it; his head couldn’t be lifted, leaving his gaze perpetually fixed on the ward’s ceiling.

“Are you bored?”

“Well then, would you like to play something interesting?” A voice next to him chimed in, its gender indistinguishable, yet undeniably alluring.

“Do you enjoy games?”

“How about trying the taste of being a protagonist?”

“Play games?” Wang Tianming asked, startled by the voice.

“But I can’t even move right now, how am I supposed to play a game?” Unable to turn his head, he couldn’t check the source of the sound, so he simply inquired.

“Besides, who are you?”

“I’ve never heard your voice in this ward before.”

“What are you doing in a hospital room so late?”

“You’re not a thief, are you?”

“Of course, I’m not a thief!” The voice replied, a hint of impatience in its tone.

“Never mind that, I just want to ask you, do you like playing games?”

“Would you like to play some interesting games?”

“Naturally, I have a way for you to participate, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“You only need to answer me from your heart.”

“Of course, I love games!” Wang Tianming exclaimed, excitement instantly bubbling up at the mention of games.

“Which young person nowadays doesn’t enjoy playing games?”

“While I wouldn’t call myself a master, I’ve played thousands of games, be they PC games, mobile games, or even board games!” If he hadn’t been immobilized, he likely would have sprung up to debate with the voice.

“My mechanical skill might be a bit lacking, but my game sense is excellent, just as the saying goes: ‘Bronze hands, King’s mind!’ (TL Note: A common gaming phrase referring to someone with poor execution but excellent strategic understanding.)”

“Alright, alright, I get it; you’re a passionate game fan.” The voice interrupted Wang Tianming’s enthusiastic monologue.

“I came here precisely because I knew that about you.”

“All I needed was for you to personally state your love for games, and with that, the contract is sealed.”

“Welcome to ‘Destiny Game’ (TL Note: ‘Tianming Game’, a play on Wang Tianming’s name).”

“I am its host, the ‘Destiny System’ itself!”

“‘Destiny Game’?” Wang Tianming asked, utterly bewildered.

“What is that?”

“Is it a new game? How have I never heard of it?”

“And you call yourself the ‘Destiny System’?”

“What does that even mean?”

“Are you filming a transmigration novel? (TL Note: A popular web novel genre where characters travel to another world or body.)”

“Most importantly, how does this game share my name?”

“You’ll have to pay royalties, you know!”

“Welcome to the ‘Destiny Game’ world.” The Destiny System’s voice resonated, and the scenery around Wang Tianming began to shift incessantly.

“Here, you can enter all sorts of game worlds, whether they are currently trending popular IPs or obscure, stillborn creations that died an early death.”

“As long as a game has existed, you might encounter it.”

“Of course, you might also stumble upon wondrous games you’ve never played before, as those are unique to ‘Destiny Game’~”

“And even if you enter a game you believe yourself to be very familiar with, you must guard against unexpected mutations~”

“What the hell is this?” Wang Tianming cried out, a tremor of fear in his voice as he watched the shifting scenes before him.

“What are you doing?”

“Is this a movie set?” Although his vision was limited to a small patch above his head, it didn’t prevent him from realizing the profound changes in his surroundings.

“No, it can’t be…”

“Could this really be happening?”

“Have I truly entered a… ‘Main God Space’? (TL Note: A common trope in Chinese web novels where protagonists are forced to complete missions in various fictional worlds by a powerful entity, often for rewards or survival.)”

“A reminder once more: this is the ‘Destiny System’, not something out of other novels, even if there are some similarities.” The Destiny System stated, sounding displeased.

“You won’t be able to strengthen yourself through each game, but you can earn monetary rewards.”

“Crucially, if you manage to survive and achieve MVP, you’ll receive a super-realistic item as an extra gift from the system~”

“And this is possible after every single game~”

“Survive?” Wang Tianming cried out, a sudden panic seizing him.

“Hey, what do you mean by that?”

“Does playing this game mean people can die?!”

“I can’t even move right now, how am I supposed to fight anyone?”

“Aren’t you just trying to kill me?”

“Welcome to the game instance – ‘Chicken Dinner Battlefield’ (TL Note: A popular term for battle royale games, where the goal is to be the last one standing).” The Destiny System ignored Wang Tianming’s wails.

“Here, you will take on the role of a soldier, engaging in a desperate struggle against other player-controlled soldiers.”

“Only one person or one team surviving will achieve victory~”

“Good luck to you~” The system pulled him into a smoke-filled area, disregarding his pleas.

“What?” Wang Tianming lay motionless in his hospital bed, staring wide-eyed at the hazy sky, and screamed with all his might in despair.

“There are teams too?”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“I can’t even move; forget about getting hit, I probably won’t even escape the poison circle!”

“What should I do?”

“Someone, please save me!”