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Chapter 295: 190 Eric had only ever contacted this fan online before, but he knew the person was not someone who liked to joke around. He wandered downstairs to the living room, puzzled. He planned to check what was going on with the game, only to discover that his father had somehow already returned. His father was a game review columnist, and his own love for games was guided by him. His tough-guy styled father had always been his pride. And although reserved and taciturn, his father always fully respected his choices. Even when he expressed his wish to drop out of school to become a game streamer, his father only repeatedly made sure he had thought it through before providing him with startup funds to begin from scratch. Even now that he was earning far more than his father, he still held him in high regard. At the moment, his father, reeking of smoke and with a stubbly beard, was tidying up the game console. The console had been shut down and put away, but the game disc and even the game case were nowhere to be found, which Eric found utterly bewildering. “Dad, where’s my game?” Eric’s father paused, then said, “That game… How far did you get?” “Just started, why?” “Stop playing it.” “Why?” “It’s not healthy.” Eric looked at his father in astonishment, finding it hard to believe as he said, “You didn’t say anything when I saw that first porno, but now you tell me a game is unhealthy?” Eric’s father stepped forward, placed his hands on Eric’s shoulders, and looking sternly into his eyes, he said, “Listen, you’re nineteen, a young adult. There are things you really shouldn’t be exposed to; this is for your own good. Alright, it’s already eleven o’clock, go to bed.” “Dad… this is a commercial gig…” “I’ll explain it for you, go to bed.” Faced with his father’s absolute authority, Eric could only think of walking upstairs. On the stairs, he saw his father standing by the window, holding a phone and whispering, “Yes…” “He’s played it…” “I’ve confirmed it, he’s just started… Yes, it’s not too late, I’ll watch over him. I know, he’s a sensitive kid, it’s too soon for him.” “Alright, that’s all.” After hanging up the phone, his father didn’t leave but instead stood looking out the window, murmuring to himself: “‘Heavenly Demon’…” Tiptoeing back to his bedroom, Eric felt increasingly strange. Lying in bed, he waited until his father was asleep before sneaking downstairs, where he found an old laptop in the basement covered with dust. He booted it up and connected to his mobile hotspot. Then, he purchased the digital version of “Heavenly Demon” and began playing again. In the dark, cramped basement, only the dim light from the laptop in his embrace flickered. Without a mouse, he could only control the game using the touchpad, but since he had already played once, he sailed through the beginning and quickly reached the early to mid-stage. It was only at this moment that he understood why this game was categorized as horror. In the darkness, the Heavenly Demon opened its fierce eyes, and despair from another world captured him, making it impossible for him to break free. The facade of ease was ripped away. The sweeter the atmosphere before the game, the more despairing it became now. He watched helplessly as his parents fell into a pool of blood, with a three-meter-tall monster appearing before him, its claws carrying the clothes he had made for his childhood sweetheart. The tragic death of his relatives filled him with sorrow and anger. The emotional bond formed through two rounds of gaming made him feel double the pain. At this moment, he was no longer Eric, but the protagonist! His empathy with the protagonist surged, driving him to pull out his weapon and rush at the enemy without a second thought. It was a tough fight. The foe was not just any common soldier, but a formidable, stage-specific boss. If he hadn’t cultivated his abilities properly earlier on, he wouldn’t stand a chance now. However, this was Eric’s second time playing the game. He had managed his time well, and although facing the monster was perilous, it wasn’t impossible. Leveraging the skills honed in “Hammer of Thor,” after dozens of rounds, he finally chopped off the neck of the monster, with its head falling behind him. As he watched the monster collapse with a thud, Eric finally felt the thrill of vengeance, but soon he saw the monster revert to human form. The headless body looked all too familiar. Staring at the familiar figure, Eric froze. He instinctively wanted to turn around, but someone held his hand. When he looked up sharply, he saw his father appearing silently in the basement, then restraining his hand to stop him from continuing. “Just walk away, walk away slowly from here, and don’t come back. Remember, what you just killed was a monster disguised as a human, the whereabouts of your childhood sweetheart are still unknown.” “How do you know?” “I’ve played this game at the company. I know what happens next, so there’s no need to look back, keep moving.” “…Thank you, dad.” It was only at that moment that Eric understood the well-intentioned efforts of both his fan and his father. But it was too late. He had seen despair, and he knew he couldn’t let go of the game until he had completed it.