No One Told Me That This Isn’t a Game (Patreon)

Chapter 3: My Past Is Catching Up

Suddenly seeing his former follower, Zuo Chang was naturally surprised.

Now, what he had to do...

Zuo Chang walked up, raised his hand, and pinched her cheek.

"...?"

Xue Qiangwei didn't dodge, saying, "General, what's wrong?"

Zuo Chang didn't speak immediately.

It was real.

The flesh in her hand, Xue Qiangwei flesh, felt the same as a real person; her cheeks were warm, pores tight, her skin unusually smooth, and her touch was very pleasant.

In the game, Xue Qiangwei's illustration was quite outstanding.

If you click her with the mouse, and she would tremble all over, her alluring curves were on full display, her face a mix of desire and shyness, it was tempting to play with her all day, Zuo Chang could attest to that.

Standing in front of him now, her shoulders were narrow, her chest ample, her waist slender, and her figure formed a perfect 'S' shape.

The most captivating were undoubtedly the legs encased in thigh-high stockings.

Her thighs were full, her legs elegantly shaped, the combination of shorts and long boots sent one's blood racing. Even if one tried to look away forcibly, their gaze would quickly become uncontrollable, autonomously drawn to appreciate.

Zuo Chang endured his desire to stare at it with superhuman willpower.

He let go and said, "I didn't expect to see you here again... How have you been since then?"

Xue Qiangwei smiled on her lips, "I've been well, I just miss you. I miss those passionate days and nights we spent together."

Ah, this.

"Becoming Zero" wasn't an adult game; it had a favorability system, but not the explicit content.

Zuo Chang asked again, "Do you hate me?"

Xue Qiangwei shook her head, her expression calm, her tone composed, "General, banishing me was the right choice back then. I don't hate you, I only hate those despicable wretches who dared to defy you. They didn't understand your wisdom and brilliance at all. Without you, they're nothing."

If this were in the game, Zuo Chang would have considered it just a scripted line. But now…

Leaving aside whether the term "despicable wretches" was too harsh, Xue Qiangwei's devoted stance alone was hard to handle.

After careful consideration, Zuo Chang said, "You should know that I failed. I lost everything in the battle against the Celestial God. I'm not a general anymore, just an ordinary person."

"That's temporary, General. With your intelligence and determination, making a comeback is just a matter of time. And as for me—"

Xue Qiangwei knelt on one knee.

Right here on this open square.

She lifted her head and continued, "I yearn to become your sharp blade once more. I will clear obstacles for you, disembowel those wretches who oppose you, and hang them from lampposts!"

Zuo Chang lowered his head, his face filled with hesitation, saying nothing.

The game "Becoming Zero" has many systems placed in it to seduce the potential players, and one of the systems in the game is something called the ‘favorability system’.

When your favorability with a follower reached a certain point, special character events could be unlocked.

Zuo Chang had spent a long time with Xue Qiangwei, so her favorability was naturally high, and he was familiar with her events.

She had three events in total:

"The Orphan Girl Full of Lies"

"Deception is Also a Form of Talent"

"To My Beloved, I Offer Everything"

The first event's plot was roughly about Xue Qiangwei craving attention due to lack of love. She forged jewelry, counterfeited luxury clothes, learned social etiquette, falsely claimed to be a noble's descendant, smoothly infiltrated high society, only to be exposed, mocked, and eventually choosing to commit suicide by jumping into a river—a tragic tale.

The second event was about Zuo Chang rescuing her from the river, training her against all odds, intending to send her on a life-or-death mission to an opposing community.

The third event was about Xue Qiangwei successfully completing the mission, gaining everyone's attention, Zuo Chang personally placing the "King's Medal" symbolizing the highest honor on her, and Xue Qiangwei swearing allegiance to him.

When Zuo Chang read the story at the time, he had two thoughts—

The first was that the CG (computer graphics) were decent.

In the second event, when Xue Qiangwei faced setbacks during her training and was feeling disheartened, Zuo Chang appeared at the right moment and said the line "Deception is also a form of talent," and "Your lies will become my sharpest sword." Xue Qiangwei looked quite attractive in her depiction.

The second thought was that it was a bit far-fetched.

Leaving aside the fact that there wasn't any such "life-or-death mission," even if there were, Zuo Chang wouldn't send an inexperienced person to execute it.

Was he asking for that person's death?

But...

It seemed that those favorable events in the game might actually come true.

Looking at the blonde woman's humble and submissive posture by his feet, Zuo Chang was acutely aware:

What seemed to be a bunch of images with text on the monitor screen to him was a cherished memory of beauty and devotion for Xue Qiangwei.

At a certain moment, Zuo Chang indeed supported her, bringing warmth to her.

Seeing Zuo Chang remain silent for a long time, Xue Qiangwei understood his reluctance.

Her heart raced, and the tears she had held back threatened to fall again, "General... Do you... no longer need me?"

Zuo Chang truly couldn't stand seeing a woman cry.

He said, "Xue Qiangwei, your loyalty has my gratitude. I am glad to have had a subordinate like you."

"I will forever be your subordinate, General!"

"Well... is there a possibility that I don't want to be a general right now?"

Xue Qiangwei was taken aback, blinking her eyes as if not fully understanding his words.

Zuo Chang helped her up and said, "A year ago, I fought against the Celestial God. The power the Celestial God revealed left me breathless, and I didn't know what to do to overcome such beings. Xue Qiangwei, it's not that I don't need you, it's just... I haven't found my direction yet."

"Ah..."

This time, Xue Qiangwei understood.

The battle between General Tianwang and the Celestial God was known to all. The battle lasted for three full days, during which General Tianwang used up all his strength and was ultimately defeated after severely injuring the Celestial God!

When she heard the news of his demise, Xue Qiangwei almost fainted!

She contacted her former colleagues and even ventured to the Number 1 Community in an attempt to find out about Zuo Chang—

But, there is no news.

The battlefield was a mess, with the bodies of followers strewn everywhere, but General Tianwang was nowhere to be seen.

And he didn't return to the Number 1 Community either; he disappeared like that, until today.

Xue Qiangwei looked at the man's calm face in front of her, unable to imagine the torment and pain he had experienced!

Think about it!

The former General Tianwang, how strong and ruthless he used to be?

To achieve his goals, he could ruthlessly subjugate millions without mercy, any minister who dared obstruct him would be dealt with promptly, not waiting until after tea.

He disregarded people's livelihoods with every decree, and every war had nothing to do with justice; in his eyes, there was only—

The goal!

The goal!

The goal!

Like a tank, he charged relentlessly toward the finish line, and everything along the way was just an obstacle to be destroyed!

It was precisely this iron-blooded, inhuman personality that forged a legend!

Leading the number 99,999 community to become Number 1 and still not being satisfied. With no opponents in the human world, he initiated the War of Divine Slaying, playing the strongest note of humanity's resistance against the divine!

And now...

General Tianwang had lost his edge, he appeared like an ordinary person, his face only showing calmness and confusion.

Xue Qiangwei, a executioner with hands stained in blood, was now overflowing with maternal instincts.

Her heart softened, and she couldn't wait to care for Zuo Chang, "General. No matter what happens, I'll be your support. I won't abandon you like your three former wives."

"?!"

Zuo Chang was slightly startled, suddenly realizing a blind spot!

He...

When he was playing the game, he got married three times, one after the other!

All three marriages were something that his character had done to gain political alliances, the marriages are devoid of real emotions, those acts are done purely for mutually beneficial cooperation.

The first marriage that he did was to a widow, her name...

He forgot.

It can’t be helped, the first marriage of his happened in the early stages of the game, four years ago.

He only remembered that it was an Eastern name, something like "Jian Li Lingzi" or "Jian Li Jingzi." She was the female general of the "9979 Community."

Her illustration was very beautiful; she wore a kimono, exuding a sense of Yamato Nadeshiko.

She had a teardrop-shaped mole below her left eye, her gaze gentle, looking nothing like a mother who had a daughter.

What's even more peculiar is—

Perhaps to consider the players' feelings or to make the character design more legendary, when Jian Li Zi gave birth to a child, she was still a virgin.

On their wedding night, before they even entered the bridal chamber, her husband put on armor and went to battle, and met his demise.

Jian Li Zi never saw her husband from beginning to end. After learning of her husband's death, she didn't evade; instead, she took over the banner of the "Jian Li" family as the lady of the house.

Discarding the red attire and donning armor, she united "9979" with exceptional ability and determination, becoming an actual heroine.

Subsequently, she used a significant amount of "points" to petition the Celestial God.

She begged the Celestial God to let her conceive a child from the Jian Li family, and the Celestial God took the money and granted her a baby.

So...

Jian Li Zi is extremely rare, even one could say uniquely, as a "virgin housewife"!

Zuo Chang isn't like that deceitful Cao Cao, who has an odd preference for married women.

He simply thought that virgin housewives were very rare, especially exceptional ones...

He…

Mainly, the situation was extremely urgent. Zuo Chang's community was facing an enemy invasion, a matter of life and death. To seek outside aid, he had to compromise.

After the wedding, General Jian Li Zi sent elite soldiers to assist Zuo Chang in overcoming the crisis.

The two communities, using the literal meaning of 'unity between Qin and Jin,' exchanged resources and mutually supported each other, cooperating for a long time.

Unfortunately, later on, the 9979 community experienced internal strife. A group of lower-ranking officers with abundant military virtue rebelled against their superiors and launched a coup.

Upon hearing the news, Zuo Chang immediately led his followers to suppress the uprising, executing all rebels.

However, his 'wife' had disappeared without a trace, along with the entire Jian Li family.

There was nothing else he could do.

He did his best.

After all, it's just a game; losing a wife is normal.

After that, communication and trade between the 9799 community and Zuo Chang did not cease, until they couldn't keep up with Zuo Chang's pace and gradually lost contact;

Two years after that, Zuo Chang had his second marriage.

At that time, he sought the support of the Church of Time, so he married the church's saint and, with the help of the church, successfully elevated the community to a three-digit number.

Zuo Chang remembered quite clearly that during the "wedding" with the saint, he triggered a special event—

A peculiar letter appeared in the system mailbox, with only one line of poetry:

"Since you're not looking back, why not forget? Since there's no destiny, why make an oath? Today, everything is like water, leaving no trace; tomorrow, who knows when we'll meet again."

The signature was unexpectedly from Jian Li Zi!

At that time, Zuo Chang was momentarily stunned.

He didn't know the meaning of this letter; was it part of the game's design?

During the second marriage, even if his first wife had died, would she still send a letter to sever their ties?

Or...

Did Jian Li Zi not actually die? Was this letter not sent by the system, but by her personally?

At that time, Zuo Chang didn't delve into this matter deeper.

His community had just been upgraded to a three-digit number, and there was too much to handle; who had the time for romantic affairs?

He directly employed the supreme strategy from StarCraft: ignore;

The third marriage occurred around two months before his time travel.

It was already the end of the game; Zuo Chang had become a legend, the helmsman of the "1" community, actively preparing for the War of Divine Slaying.

The internal turmoil within the Church of Time, which had previously provided significant assistance, resulted in it splitting into more than a hundred small organizations, completely losing its influence and no longer being a super giant spanning thousands of communities.

The saint had left the Church of Time during the initial chaos, and for half a year, there was no news of her.

Feeling that he was approaching the game's conclusion, Zuo Chang went all out, regardless of the cost, to pursue the strongest equipment. He plunged the people into poverty, and despair spread everywhere.

In order to turn the situation around, he decided to marry for the third time—

Entering into a marriage alliance with an extremely wealthy woman.

Without a doubt, this was a significant devaluation. The ministers strongly discouraged it. How could a mere merchant match up with their General Tianwang?

But Zuo Chang simply didn't care.

In his view, marriage was just a system; what's the big deal?

In "Becoming Zero," there were no enjoyable segments. As long as the other party could help him solve problems, it didn't matter if she was a 'female business magnate,' or even a mother pig, or a boar; he would marry them regardless.

In the end, he gained a substantial amount of wealth and successfully completed the preparations for the upcoming war.

His second wife, the saint who had disappeared for several months, sent a letter on the eve of the wedding, with only five blood-soaked words:

"I, will, never, forgive, you."

That CG that he got at that time...

Honestly, it was quite intimidating.

Zuo Chang composed himself and asked, "Xue Qiangwei... I remember I got married three times, right?"

Xue Qiangwei nodded, "Yes. But General, I don't recommend you look for your last wife—'Mistress of Spices' Herz."

Zuo Chang asked, "Why?"

Xue Qiangwei hesitated before deciding whether to speak, "I contacted your former subordinates before, and they told me... After becoming your wife, Herz and her family formed factions, engaged in clandestine activities, and were disloyal to you. There's evidence suggesting that the reason your community fell apart was due to the Herz family's manipulation from behind the scenes. Some even speculate that the failure of the War of Divine Slaying was because of Herz's scheming!"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Chang's expression remained unchanged.

He smiled and said, "I plan to develop a bit in Community 96511. I don't have a place to stay now. Xue Qiangwei, is there a hotel nearby?"

Xue Qiangwei hurriedly responded, "General, a hotel might not be convenient. Until you find a suitable mansion, please stay at my house. I live alone."

Zuo Chang wasn't surprised hearing her words, he then nodded his head and said., "Lead the way."