While he was inside the cutscene, he saw a small yard at the back of the house with a small pond. So with the hand chain clenched in his hand, Lixin walked through the house to the back door.

It was pretty strange how he knew the house layout like the back of his hand. He didn't even have to think about it as he exited the living room before turning right to enter the kitchen where the back door was.

Lixin could only presume that he wasn't just shown his persona's memories but that they were imprinted into his brain as well. 

'I'm going to have to explore that assumption sometime,' Lixin thought as he turned the door handle and stepped outside.

Lixin inhaled deeply as he walked towards the small pond, taking in the virtual surroundings. He was amazed at how real everything seemed. From the wind rustling through his hair, flowing gently over his skin. To the water gently rippling in the pond going up and down, reflecting the midday sun. 

As he got closer he could even see a few fish darting beneath it, moving swiftly through their underwater world. It reminded him of something in a slice-of-life anime.

Slipping his shoes off, Lixin approached the pond edge and crouched down, peering into the water. He could see the plants growing at the bottom, swaying gently with the water's movement. He wondered if the game designers had created a whole ecosystem for this pond or if it was just a static asset.

Suddenly, a splash startled him, and he stumbled back, nearly losing his balance. He looked down and saw a small turtle had emerged from the water and was now looking up at him with beady eyes. Lixin chuckled and stroked the turtle's shell.

"Hey there, little guy," he said, marveling at how detailed the turtle's texture was. It felt like he could actually feel the grooves and bumps in its shell.

After watching the turtle slowly crawl away, Lixin decided to tackle the task at hand. He sat on the pond's edge, dipping his feet in while looking at the bracelet in his hand. He expected something spectacular to happen as soon as he picked it up, but he was mistaken. Absolutely nothing happened.

Wondering what he did wrong, he looked at the chain in contemplation. 'Maybe I need to wear it.'

As soon as he equipped it, a blinding yellow light burst forth from the hand chain. It entered the scales covering his body, making them glow brightly. As soon as he saw the glowing light, a ding sounded in his ear, followed by a notification:

[Cora:] Synchronization is at... 1%] 

While Lixin wondered how long it would take to sync, he suddenly saw blue -1's appear over his head. Wondering what was occurring, he opened his status and saw that he was quickly losing MP.   

This made him nervous because he didn't know what would happen to him if it all disappeared. However, before he could panic he heard another ding.

[Cora:] Synchronization is complete! The Tskhali Bracelet is now bound to Fortuitous Fish! ]

Meanwhile, while Lixin was glad he finally figured out how to bind the bracelet to himself, he failed to notice something. If he had looked in the pond, he would have noticed that the fish that was once very lively had been completely drained of life. 

[Cora:]Quest completed!]

[Cora:] [You have gained: 30 EXP]

[Cora:] [You have gained: 30 Bronze Coins]

You have gained: Tskhali bracelet

Tskhali Bracelet Rank 1: A hand-crafted bracelet crafted by the magnificent Blacksmith Hirwen.This item is a conduit but its real power is unknown.

Herba Enhancement + 50 Magic Damage Int + 10 MP + 20

After reading the bracelet's stats, Lixin couldn't help but smile at how cool his new item was. Even though he started playing this game for revenge he had to admit that Watashinojinsei-dan Online was really fun and intriguing. Although he did wish that his storyline was a food-related one.

'Oh, well at least I have the skills for it. I can always train it myself,' Lixin thought as he removed himself from the water and stood up. As he slipped his shoes back on, he swiped through the rest of his notifications.

[Cora:]New Quest has been Created!]

Storyline Quest created: The Mystery of the Golden Scale: A Young Koi's Journey.

The Adventure Begins Part 5

You have figured it out and bound the bracelet to yourself. That, however, was only the first step. What purpose is a conduit for if there is no power? It's time to learn more about Herba.

Objective: Learn the Atropa tea style

Reward: 40 EXP & 40 Bronze Coins

Skill: ?? & ??

Item: ?? & ??

After reading the quest information, Lixin realized that these early quests, although vague, gave him things he needed to survive in the game. The previous one gave him a weapon, so logically this one should be related to skills. 

'At least the objective is easier to understand than the other one,' Lixin thought, closing the quest notification. 

Once his vision was cleared of the transparent blue boxes, he finally noticed what had happened to the fish in the pond. 'How the heck did that happen?'

The once vibrant yellowish-orange fish was now withered husks floating around. Did it occur when he imbued power into the hand chain? It must have.

"Things are becoming curiouser and curiouser," Lixin muttered, forgetting to speak in correct English exactly like Alice did when she was surprised by the strange circumstances she found herself in Wonderland.

Shaking his head, Lixin felt bad that the fish had to die for his quest. The only thing that soothed him was knowing they were only digital. With a sigh, he returned to the house.

Once he was back inside he walked to the living room, heading straight for the bookcase, and grabbed the book Peter left. As he was about to open it, the memory of when he last opened a book in this game came to mind. Remembering the experience of being swept into a cutscene, he decided the best action was to sit down first.

With that thought in mind, he headed over to the sofa and plopped down on it, making himself comfortable. Opening the book he braced himself for a blinding light or something, but to his utmost shock, only words appeared before his eyes.

Author Says:

MomoCatt: Those poor fish… at least they didn’t go to waste.

Lixin: What do you mean?

MomoCatt: Did you know there was a Fish tea? It’s quite delicious.

Lixin: …

~

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