Translator: CinderTL
The moment Xiao Yu closed his eyes, those memories resurfaced in his mind.
A graduate of Winterfrost Academy, he had once held high hopes for humanity's future and joined the frontline supply zone with his younger brother.
His time on the front lines was filled with brutal moments.
Life seemed to wither in an instant. A brother who had been joking with you just moments ago could suddenly be gone.
As the gruesome images flashed through his mind, Xiao Yu clenched his fists, his body trembling uncontrollably.
The image of his brother being slowly dismembered by a domain creature seemed to play out before his eyes.
His brother's helpless screams echoed in his mind.
"Ah!" Xiao Yu roared, slamming his fist into a nearby lamppost.
The lamppost buckled under his force, and the bulb flickered erratically.
Detected vandalism of public facilities. Compensation mechanism activated. Verifying identity.
The smart trash can at the roadside issued a warning, then projected a beam of light onto Xiao Yu's face.
Identity verified as Xiao Yu, former frontline warrior and recipient of Humanity's Distinguished Service Medal. Due to your distinguished service, this fine is waived. Repeating inquiry: Do you require assistance?
"I said, I don't need any help!" Xiao Yu roared at the smart trash can, his bloodshot eyes blazing.
With that, he staggered toward home.
After all these years, he still hadn't escaped the clutches of despair.
Of the domain combat team he had personally assembled, he was the sole survivor.
In the brutal battles, his wife had fallen, his brother had fallen, and all his comrades had fallen.
He alone had lived, but at the cost of both his legs, now replaced with prosthetics.
When he awoke to this reality, he had burned with a desperate desire for revenge, yearning to return to the front lines and fight until his death.
But he was told he must retire, forbidden from ever returning to the front.
He confronted the staff at the battle group headquarters, demanding what meaning life held now that he had lost everything. He argued that it would be better to return to the front lines and expend his last reserves of strength.
The staff offered no response to his impassioned plea, silently processing his discharge papers.
After being sent back to Star City, he repeatedly applied to return to the front lines, but every application was rejected.
Now a cripple, he saw no purpose in his continued existence.
He had dedicated his entire life to the front lines, and all his family members had perished in battle there. Yet he was now condemned to live out his days in the safety of the main city.
This torment was unbearable.
He could only numb himself with alcohol, but even in his drunken stupor, the horrors of the front lines remained vivid, haunting him like an inescapable nightmare.
Staggering forward a few dozen meters, he leaned against a lamppost and vomited again.
A warrior's glory lies in dying in battle.
That was what his captain had told him when he first arrived at the front lines.
At the time, he had dismissed it as mere bravado, but now he truly understood the profound truth behind those words.
Living this wretched life was worse than dying in battle back then.
But the thought of the Domain Field that had killed his family and brothers still lingering, unvanquished, ignited an uncontrollable surge of hatred within him.
He knew he could never return to the front lines.
Even if he bought a ticket to the front, it would be forcibly canceled.
He understood it was for his protection.
But he didn't need this damn protection.
Staggering onward, he suddenly noticed a shop he'd never seen before at the street corner.
Approaching the shop, Xiao Yu looked up.
"Virtual Game Room?"
Despite the late hour, the shop was still open, a poster plastered on its door.
The poster featured images of the front lines and text proclaiming "Realistic Combat Simulations" and "Virtual Battlefield Training."
Xiao Yu's face twisted with disdain.
In his eyes, this was just another gimmick for gaming companies to make money.
As he turned to leave, a recruitment notice beneath the poster caught his eye.
Veteran Recruitment:
Seeking Virtual Combat Instructors.
Initial Requirements:
Five years or more of frontline combat experience. Personal combat strength rating of low-tier silver or higher.
Preferred Qualifications:
Exceptional combat aptitude.Strong practical combat skills and experience. Command experience (veterans with command experience will be prioritized).Disabled or wounded frontline warriors who meet the requirements are encouraged to apply.
Application Process:
Enter the game Dawn and pass the Virtual Instructor Trial.
At the end of the recruitment notice, there was a final line:
Once the fire of conviction is ignited, it will never be extinguished. Have you, who have returned to ordinary life, ever considered setting sail once more? Then come! Even if you can no longer tread the battlefields, your beliefs will be carried forth by youthful faces embarking on their own journeys.
Veteran, welcome to join us!
The last sentence of the recruitment notice inexplicably stirred Xiao Yu's heart.
During his despondent years after retirement, he had repeatedly tried to find ways to return to the front lines, but all his attempts had failed.
So he had sought an alternative path: becoming an academy instructor to nurture future warriors.
He hoped they would carry his beliefs and continue the path leading to the front lines.
But after suffering severe injuries, he had lost both legs, and his dantian, which stored spiritual energy, was only half-functional, making it impossible for him to teach practical combat.
If he were to teach theory, the academy already had far more qualified instructors.
This path was simply impassable for a cripple like him.
As he stared at the notice, a faint spark suddenly rekindled within his extinguished heart.
Taking a deep breath, he trembled as he pushed open the glass door and stepped into the Virtual Game Room.
The Virtual Game Room was decorated in black and blue tones, exuding a futuristic atmosphere. Twenty virtual game pods stood inside, each separated by opaque black glass partitions.
More than half of the pods glowed with green lights, indicating they were vacant and not in use.
Approaching one of the glass doors, Xiao Yu noticed a price list detailing the usage instructions and fees for the virtual game pods.
The prices were reasonable, affordable for the average person, costing only 15 per hour.
He pressed the "Activate" button.
(End of the Chapter)
---------------------------
📖 You are reading [714] Chapters behind with [166] Free Chapters available on site.
🔥 Read up to Chapter [1168] now, only on ᴄɪɴᴅᴇʀᴛʟ.ᴄᴏᴍ.
📊 [17] Novels, [14.4K+] Chapters with [11.2K+] Free Chapters!, [23M] Words on ℂ𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕋𝕃.𝕔𝕠𝕞
---------------------------