Chapter 13
Lin Ran hadn’t noticed the wolf cub initially. It was Sootball, scouting ahead, who discovered it. The little bat flew over cautiously, assessing the situation.
“Is it stuck in the branches?” Lin Ran followed, crouching down for a closer look. If not for the system prompt, he would have mistaken it for a dark grey Samoyed. Trapped by the branches, it lay motionless, barely alive. Its family or pack must have abandoned it, unable to rescue it in the dangerous forest.
Lin Ran cut the branches with his machete and gently lifted the weak creature.
“Just in time, we’ve finished our task. Let’s go back, Sootball.” He glanced at the task panel. The final construction task was complete, meaning the entire quest chain was finished. The rewards should be good, and he was looking forward to them.
Although gold rewards were doubled in Immersive Mode, earning money was still challenging. Seeds and decorations were expensive. He wanted to buy a swing for Sootball, but it cost thousands of gold, beyond his budget. He sometimes wished for more lucrative daily tasks.
“Cheep~” Sootball flew back to his shoulder, occasionally glancing at the wolf cub, then snuggling closer to Lin Ran, as if wary of it stealing his attention. Its tail swished against Lin Ran’s neck, tickling him.
As he submitted the collected wood to the system, a series of reward notifications appeared:
[Beep—Construction quest chain complete! Reward: Homestead upgraded to LV5. Fluffy Kindergarten established. Promote your kindergarten to increase its fame and attract more fluffy creatures!]
[Activating second quest chain: Starry Voyage. Current fame: 1 point.]
[Reward: Beginner Livestreaming Equipment!]
“Eh… livestreaming?” Once again, the game seemed to mirror his real-life thoughts. He had been thinking about livestreaming to sell peaches, and now the game had a livestreaming quest. Could the game read his mind?
And who was he supposed to livestream to? Were there other humans in “Demon World”?
Countless questions popped into his mind, unanswered.
“Cheep cheep cheep!” Sootball, excited about the upgraded house, tugged at Lin Ran’s clothes, wanting to show him.
“Coming, let’s go take a look,” Lin Ran followed, finding the house significantly larger and more beautiful. The bedroom was now upstairs, and the ground floor had several workshops, including the sewing room and the newly added livestreaming equipment.
“This equipment looks high-end,” he muttered, thinking it would be expensive in the real world. The game was really generous with its rewards. But if he could livestream in the game, wouldn’t it be good practice for real-life livestreaming?
“Cheep cheep cheep!” Sootball, seeing the new equipment, wanted to play with it.
“We’ll look at it later, okay? We need to treat this little wolf cub’s wounds and give it a bath,” Lin Ran said, holding the cub.
“Cheep…” Sootball, already holding a miniature camera, tried to say something.
Lin Ran somehow understood. “Livestream this? But would anyone watch?”
Sootball nodded earnestly.
It wasn’t a bad idea. Regardless of viewership, livestreaming how to treat and bathe an animal could be helpful.
“Sootball, can you hold the camera while we go to the stream?”
“Cheep!” Entrusted with an important task, Sootball readily accepted, flying overhead with the camera, a perfect aerial cameraman.
Wasn’t this also a form of wing training? Lin Ran smiled, seeing Sootball so engrossed in its task that it didn’t realize it had to keep flapping its wings to hold the camera. And its flight was becoming steadier.
He couldn’t help but smile. Sootball was so different now, much more cheerful and active.
“Let’s see… is this the start button?” He fumbled with the game interface and the livestreaming equipment, his movements slightly clumsy.
[Start livestream?]
[Yes]
He clicked “Yes,” expecting something to happen, but nothing did. His nervousness subsided. Maybe it wasn’t so complicated after all. How many people would watch a livestream of an ordinary person?
“Okay, let’s disinfect the wound…” He checked the wolf cub, still unconscious, and carefully began treating its injuries.
Unbeknownst to him, the moment he clicked “Yes,” countless phones in the real world vibrated with a notification from the “Demon World” app:
[@Everyone, new livestreaming interaction update! Check out the livestreams~]
The official message practically urged all demons to watch. The effect of this bizarre notification was like dropping a bomb on the demon community.
Even Shao Mian, about to exit his car, paused to look at the rare notification. A livestreaming update? The game was releasing updates at an alarming rate lately.
“Mr. Shao, welcome! You’re so young…” The school officials greeted him with smiles, preventing him from checking his phone. They had been surprised by his appearance. They had expected an older, distinguished gentleman, a patriotic overseas businessman donating to charitable causes.
Instead, Shao Mian was young, with golden hair and unusual light gold eyes, his imposing presence demanding attention.
Unable to check his phone, Shao Mian missed the explosion on the “Demon World” forum:
[What the heck! Another update?!]
[This game is suddenly so active… I have to see what this livestreaming is about.]
[Seriously? It costs 1000 points just to open the interface?! One high-grade magic stone only gives 100 points!]
Countless demons flocked to discuss the update, only to discover the exorbitant cost of accessing the new feature. What kind of livestream could justify such a price?
[Poor demons can’t afford this. Any rich big shots willing to check it out?]
[More like any rich suckers willing to waste 1000 points. It’s just been updated; I bet there are no livestreams yet.]
[Right, it’s probably just an empty interface. I’m not paying.]
[Yeah, me neither! Let’s not pay!]
The high cost deterred many curious demons.
However, among the vast demon population, there were always some with both money and time to spare. Even suspecting a scam, their curiosity won.
Like a certain young demon sitting in an airport VIP lounge, wearing a mask and hat, noise-canceling headphones blocking out the argument between his parents and his manager. An Xun knew it was because he had disappeared into “Demon World” for half a month, leaving his manager scrambling to deal with the online rumors.
Ever since that day, under his parents’ terrified gazes, he had uncontrollably transformed into a snow leopard, hiding in a corner and injuring his ear on a broken bowl. He had realized a terrifying secret: he wasn’t human. He was a monster.
But why? He had never done anything wrong.
All his confusion, anguish, and fear found some solace when he discovered the “Demon World” app. He learned he wasn’t alone. There were others like him, some born that way, others transformed later, even if their parents were ordinary humans.
The app was a lifeline for these outcasts. Sometimes, An Xun wished he could stay in “Demon World” forever, despite the dangers.
A loyal user of the app, he didn’t hesitate to pay for the new feature.
[Congratulations! You have successfully activated the new interactive feature! Your payment will be added to the Creator Incentive Plan as a bonus!]
A dark red notification appeared, and the livestreaming interface opened. To his surprise, it wasn’t empty. There was a live stream.
[#Treating a little wolf cub’s wounds. A very cute fluffy creature#] The title was simple and straightforward.
He clicked on it, the familiar “Demon World” art style greeting him. The environment was unfamiliar, probably a location he hadn’t explored yet. The “Demon World” map was vast, and even the shared maps on the forum were incomplete.
But what surprised him most was that the streamer was a human. Humans never appeared in “Demon World,” not even in their human forms!
The camera was zoomed in, showing a slender, pale hand carefully cleaning a wolf cub’s wound with an alcohol swab. Then, a pleasant voice spoke:
“This little guy must have been abandoned in the forest after getting injured.”
“Its belly was caught in the branches, and it got more scratches struggling. So, we need to trim some fur and disinfect the wound…”
“It might hurt a little. I hope it doesn’t wake up and struggle.”
“I have some candy and milk for it. If it wakes up, maybe something sweet will calm it down.”
Lin Ran, talking to himself, was unaware of the rapidly growing number of viewers in his livestream. He couldn’t see any viewer data. But even without an audience, he enjoyed livestreaming, as it was generating income. The income counter ticked up every few seconds, labeled “Creator Incentive Plan Bonus.”
Where was this money coming from? Did he get paid just for livestreaming? This game was too generous. At this rate, he could soon afford that swing for Sootball!
