Everyone Wants Me Dead: The Villain Lord's Survival Diary-Chapter 7 – Fourth Calamity descends

On the morning of May 1st, at eight o'clock, Lin Fan lay down in the gaming pod right on time. Today, he wasn't playing the game alone; he had over a thousand group friends watching him!
This was because Lin Fan had boasted to his group friends yesterday and promised to livestream for them.
[
Livestream function activated.
]
[
Facial scan complete, launching the game 'Kain Continent.' Have a great time.
]
Without any pop-up agreements, the game loaded directly. The first screen was the traditional ARPG character selection and face customization feature.
There was only one character type: Heroic Spirit.
It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread.com".
The appearance was that of an ordinary human, with a blue diamond-shaped crystal on the forehead.
The face customization was quite basic, only allowing minor adjustments to make oneself look prettier or uglier.
Fortunately, hairstyles could be changed and dyed in various colors.
"Gender can't be changed either..."
Lin Fan was a bit disappointed. After all, as a Heroic Spirit, not being able to make himself look cooler was a letdown, but there was nothing he could do since the official game didn't provide this feature. He could only adjust the facial details to the highest level.
By this time, the livestream room was already filled with scrolling comments.
"This face customization is so lazy... but the model details are amazing."
"I'm going to protest on the forums; an ARPG where you can't change gender isn't a real ARPG!"
"Count me in for the protest!"
"Maybe this is what the officials meant by absolute realism, including your own realism... I have to say, it's hardcore."
***
While watching the comments and customizing his face, Lin Fan quickly created a version of himself with slightly long, messy hair dyed golden. He also adjusted his most hated short height to be taller.
"I didn't expect this hairstyle to look quite cool. I'll go to the barber and get it done like this someday."
Looking at the name input field at the bottom, Lin Fan hesitated.
What name should he choose? Since it's a Western fantasy game, it should have a Western-style name, right?
A flash of inspiration hit Lin Fan, and he quickly typed a big word.
"Avatar."
That's it!
Enter the game!
"Buzz"
His consciousness suddenly sank, and Lin Fan's vision went black. He felt himself falling rapidly, and when he came to, he was above a continent—Kain Continent.
Looking far into the distance, the magnificent Kain Continent lay below, surrounded by the vast cosmic stars! Not only Lin Fan, but the group friends in the livestream room were also deeply shocked by this grand scene.
Four supreme figures surrounded Kain Continent. Their majestic forms were enveloped in divine light, making their faces indistinguishable. In front of them, Kain Continent seemed like a small sandbox.
It was the scene from the game poster.
Lin Fan was secretly amazed, and before he could react, a strong sense of weightlessness spread throughout his body. Lin Fan plummeted toward Kain Continent like a meteor.
His vision plunged into darkness again, and vivid, tragic scenes accompanied by stirring background music unfolded before his eyes.
Bloody and brutal battlefields, wandering demi-humans, the weeping Demi-human Saintess, a lord trampling on the fields of his subjects...
It was a cutscene!
There were no comments in Lin Fan's view; everyone was engrossed in watching this high-quality cutscene, with no time to type.
The animation had no dialogue or narration, but Lin Fan and his group friends in the livestream room naturally understood their main quest in the game: to help the demi-humans rebuild their kingdom, overthrow the tyrannical Human Empire, and restore the glory of the demi-humans!
A sense of mission surged within him.
Five minutes later, the cutscene ended, but everyone still felt unsatisfied.
Lin Fan's ears gradually picked up the sounds of a bustling environment, and the scent of grass and earth filled his nostrils.
He couldn't help but open his eyes, and the first thing he saw was his own hands. He raised them, looked around, and then gave himself a slap.
"Holy crap! The impact sensation!"
"Holy crap! The facial touch, the visual effects, the sound effects—if I didn't know this was a game, I'd think I had traveled to another world!"
Lin Fan couldn't help but feel delighted. The five senses were truly at 100%, and a company had actually achieved this level.
"But why didn't the slap hurt... Oh, it turns out the pain can be adjusted. The system defaults to zero pain."
Can I check the character panel? Lin Fan noticed an icon labeled "Character" in the lower-left corner of his vision and clicked it with his mind, bringing up his panel.
[Name: Avatar]
[Identity: Commoner (Heroic Spirit)]
[Strength: Ordinary Person (Level 0)]
[Skills: None]
[Equipment: None]
[Cologne Empire Reputation: 0 (Unknown)]
[Demi-human Faction Reputation: 1 (Little Known)]
...
As Lin Fan was curiously exploring, a soft and pleasant girl's voice caught his attention.
"Welcome, Heroic Spirit from another world!"
Lin Fan looked up in the direction of the voice, his heart skipping a beat.
In front of him stood a young girl.
She had a pair of pink fox ears and a fluffy tail like a cloud behind her. Her snow-white hair reached her waist, and her pale golden eyes exuded nobility and elegance. Her gaze was gentle and serene, like a calm lake.
Female Lead 2, Roye
Lin Fan had never seen such a beautiful girl. She combined nobility, playfulness, cuteness, and allure into a strong chemical reaction. Lin Fan didn't know what words could perfectly describe her.
He stared at the girl in a daze, swallowing hard, momentarily forgetting where he was and what he was supposed to do.
At this moment, he had only one thought: Is this character model, this detail and texture, really not a real person?
The noon sunlight fell on the girl's face, adding a touch of sanctity. She smiled slightly, and that smile was even warmer than the sunlight.
"Hello, Heroic Spirit from another world. I am the Demi-human Saintess, Roye. Welcome to Kain Continent."
By this time, the comments in Lin Fan's livestream room had exploded:
"Holy crap!!"
"Mom, I want to be an NPC's dog!"
"Does the Saintess need a guardian knight?"
"+1"
"+1"
"White stockings!! Help!"
"Poor Saintess Sister, her ceremonial robe is patched... Can I trade my Nike for the Saintess Sister's ceremonial robe?"
***
While everyone was happily watching the Saintess Roye through the livestream, a young man in ornate armor blocked their view.
"Damn, who's blocking my view of the goddess!"
"I want to see the Saintess Sister, not a man!"
"Uh, don't you think this guy is a bit too cool?"
...
Lin Fan snapped back to reality, carefully observing the young man in front of him. One of the comments was right; this young man not only looked handsome but also exuded an aura of arrogance and a protagonist's vibe, even though he hadn't done anything.
He had an extraordinarily handsome face, eyes bright as stars, and a blade of grass in his mouth, giving off a carefree yet extremely confident aura.
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the game's core protagonist, Ye Hao, the Child of Fate chosen by the gods."
Lin Fan speculated with his group friends in the livestream room.
"Indeed, just looking at his aura, you can tell. He's just short of having 'I'm the protagonist' written on his face."
"I feel like he's showing off even when he's just standing there. Am I beyond saving...?"
At this moment, the man exuding an aura of dominance spoke.
"Welcome, Heroic Spirit. I am your summoner, Ye Hao. Now, please choose your profession. Currently, there are only two available: Warrior and Mage."
Lin Fan pondered as he looked at the profession selection window that appeared with Ye Hao's words.
Before entering the game, he had a general understanding of Kain Continent's background setting.
This world had four professions: Knight, Mage, Priest, and Warrior. Depending on skills and weapons, there were further subdivisions, such as Assassin and Fist Fighter under the Warrior branch.
Knights and Priests weren't professions that ordinary people could choose freely. The former required talent and enrollment in a specialized Knight Academy, while the latter had to be a follower of the gods.
Mage was a profession with a high entry barrier, but for players like them, it was as if the barrier didn't exist. Then there was the versatile Warrior.
Which should he choose?
Lin Fan glanced at the comments.
"Isn't it obvious to choose Mage? Mages in Western fantasy worlds are rare creatures!"
"Why choose Mage? A real man should wield a greatsword and slash away. Those who use magic staffs are sissies!"
"Mages can blow up a bunch of warriors with one spell in the late game."
"That's funny, try chanting your spell while warriors stand there waiting for you to finish."
***
Seeing the heated debate in the comments, Lin Fan felt a bit of a headache. He personally didn't like overly violent fighting; the elegance of a Mage chanting spells and taking down opponents from a hundred meters away suited his style better.
So, in the end, Lin Fan chose Mage as his profession. A surge of white light enveloped him, and when it faded, his burlap clothes had transformed into a Mage Robe, and a Magic Staff appeared in his hand.
He brought up his panel again, which had changed.
[Name: Avatar]
[Identity: Commoner (Heroic Spirit)]
[Strength: Mage Apprentice Level 1 (1-10)]
[Skills: Basic Elemental Magic]
[Equipment: Ordinary Mage Robe, Ordinary Wooden Magic Staff]
[Reputation: Slight]
***
Lin Fan was in a plaza, and besides himself, golden phantoms were appearing one after another, gradually solidifying into players entering the game.
Players crowded the plaza, chatting, marveling, wandering around, and shouting in excitement. Meanwhile, the area around the Saintess and Ye Hao was packed with people.
Lin Fan looked around.
The exotic town with a Western fantasy style, the fresh air, the breeze on his face, the dappled shadows of trees in the sunlight, and the earthy scent at his nose.
Everything seemed to indicate that this wasn't a game but a real world.
Lin Fan couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement, a big smile spreading across his face.
"I'm going to rave about this game!"
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan