Strategy game? Then I'll have to control you properly.

As evening fell, Lin Miao sat in front of her computer, quietly watching the screen.

He had long understood that the residents' independent actions were crucial. And this group seemed to have grasped his meaning through the sword he had just given them, becoming more proactive than expected.

Led by Attila and Lillie, the group set off on a reconnaissance mission, spreading out across a vast area on horseback. He had to flip through several pages of screens to find them.

The constant stream of achievement notifications were all for their first exploration of a new area.

They don't seem to be wandering around mindlessly.

Since the decision was made to survey the surrounding terrain, the dispersed group would obviously not be returning anytime soon.

They even brought their luggage; they're definitely ready for camping.

But Attila's move was not a rash reconnaissance; he already knew that Lin Miao would summon them to this game world.

It was precisely because he trusted Lin Miao that he dared to venture into such a dangerous place.

"Pretty clever, huh?"

Lin Miao chuckled and deployed them into the game on the spot. As the game administrator, they would not be restricted no matter where they were.

Seeing Attila's unsurprised reaction to the sudden change in the scene proved that Lin Miao's guess was correct.

However, the three were important combatants after all, and if they left, the reconnaissance team left behind would be in danger at any time.

Indeed, it was true. Although the team members who were with Lillie were aware of her disappearance, they still panicked and raised their weapons the moment a two-headed giant bear pounced out of the bushes.

Desktop tampering is activated.

But now Lin Miao no longer needs to stand idly by. With the points earned by the residents from unlocking achievements, she can finally start the program she had her eye on last time.

This was the first time Lin Miao had used this thing since graduating from elementary school. What she found amusing in childhood but discarded as trash as an adult had now become Lin Miao's secret weapon.

"hammer?"

As expected of a program with numerous restrictions, the only thing that can be opened so far is a hammer. You can swing this hammer that can shatter the screen by clicking with the mouse.

But it seems to be enough for now.

Lin Miao raised the hammer that followed the mouse and smashed it down hard on the head of the monster that was threatening the residents.

"Bang!"

Lin Miao couldn't help but sigh when she witnessed what followed.

Logically, there should have been a screen cracking effect, but the hammer Lin Miao swung was different.

A hammer the size of a house, literally the size of a house, fell from the sky and crushed the monster's body into a pulp.

The splattered blood and fragments of internal organs startled the nearby residents, who blinked in shock.

"Not bad."

Dizzy and clicking the mouse repeatedly, the giant hammer slammed into the ground, turning the monster's corpse into a pulp, causing the ground to tremble.

After the initial surprise came a sense of reassurance.

Lin Miao's heart pounded as she finally found a way to deal with those crazy monsters in the real world.

"The population has increased, and our military strength is secured. We just need to proceed step by step. Buying a firewall would make it even safer."

For Lin Miao, who was caught up in a strange incident, as a player who likes games but has mediocre skills, it was already quite an achievement to have progressed to this point.

After confirming that everything else was normal, Lin Miao placed her hands on the keyboard and began to control her character, preparing to complete the remaining tasks with Lillie.

"If everything goes smoothly, I should be able to complete Chapter 2 and level up within a few days."

This way, they can assign classes and skills to newly joined warriors, just like Mista did.

[Message Registration]

"what?"

But at that very moment, a completely unexpected message popped up.

The message reported by the system actually came from the user manual.

Lin Miao's thoughts froze for a moment. She had absolutely no idea why a notification had popped up there.

Lin Miao, who was walking along just fine, suddenly stopped. Lillie looked at Lin Miao in confusion.

Lin Miao quickly used a 'shh' emoticon to signal her to wait a moment, and then opened the user manual affected by the system.

[User 2: Here's my message. Are you aware of all this?]

A message was displayed there, a reply to a post Lin Miao had made on the user forum on a whim.

New user!

The moment Lin Miao saw those words, she held her breath, trembling all over.

The new user, whose arrival was completely unpredictable, suddenly appeared.

Although Lin Miao never imagined that she would be all alone from beginning to end, she was still at a loss when she actually encountered this situation.

How should I start a conversation?

His fingers, resting on the keyboard, tensed involuntarily. Facing a complete stranger, he was momentarily at a loss for words.

Although the other party was not an enemy, he was unwilling to rashly reveal his true identity.

"Although we're in the same situation, you're not completely ignorant, are you? Did the program encounter any problems during its execution?"

Lin Miao cautiously struck up a conversation, and the other party replied immediately.

[User 2: How could there be no problem? The monster is about to jump out of the monitor, and the people inside are still fighting.]

Even though it's just a text-based exchange, it's as if you can feel the other person's emotional fluctuations.

Unease, fear... it was just like watching Lin Miao when the malfunction broke through the screen.

"Please calm down. Since we can still chat like this, it seems the problem has been resolved?"

[User 2: We captured the monster, but too many people died. If those monsters keep appearing, my soldiers definitely won't be able to win. How can we help them? We followed the system's suggestions exactly, but the enemy is just too strong.]

"A lot died?"

As they chatted, Lin Miao felt something was off. It was clearly just a Level 1 malfunction, yet the residents had to exert all their strength to barely defeat it.

"Um...you didn't install any games or anything, did you?"

Suddenly, an idea struck Lin Miao, and she tentatively brought up the game.

If various applications are tools to assist in matters between players and residents, then games are the means to directly enhance them.

Lin Miao murmured in realization, "Ah, I see."

On second thought, this is only natural, after all, not everyone in the world uses the same desktop configuration as him.

The high refresh rate monitor, top-of-the-line PC, and hard drive desktop filled with various games were all built according to his preferences.

No one knows whether there are specific screening criteria for becoming a user of the system.

While there must be a set of evaluation criteria, ordinary people like him, elderly people who are not good at operating computers, foreigners, or even young children may be selected.

[User 2: Why install games? I don't play games on my computer, I only use it for work.]

Just as Lin Miao had expected, the other party was the type who didn't play games.

Lin Miao intuitively felt that the other person was probably not very old, but there are quite a few people of the same age who don't play games, so it's not surprising.

"Through the system, various games can be activated to help residents grow. Not only games, but other applications can also play a significant role."

Lin Miao suggested to this user, who seemed to only use the computer for document processing, that it would be best to install a variety of programs, including games, and even mentioned desktop destruction tools.

After several attempts, Lin Miao discovered that the other party was also cultivating guardians on a village-to-town scale.

Are you a player who plays a settled Guardian class?

Lin Miao thought to herself.

The residents trained by the other side are clearly quite different from the nomadic tribesmen under Lin Miao's command.

Even so, acquiring resources through games is far more efficient than farming and hunting in real life, so Lin Miao recommended Minecraft, the game she had activated first, to the other party.

This game not only allows players to acquire basic food resources, but also enables residents to awaken core growth resources such as magic.

[User 2: I've heard of this game.]

The other party said they had heard of the game and would try it out based on his suggestion.

Seeing the other person's response, Lin Miao couldn't help but feel a little curious about this kindred spirit she had never met before, but in the end she didn't continue to pry into the other person's private affairs.

Conversely, if the other party asked about his situation, he might not be able to tell them frankly.

Although a subtle feeling of mutual appreciation arose, it was their first meeting, and neither of them would casually reveal their information to a stranger.

[User 2: I'll give it a try. Can I contact you again then?]

"Of course," Lin Miao replied.

He could sense that the other party had clearly left room for maneuver and did not want to end the conversation there.

The person who said he would try it according to his advice exuded a sense of desperation between the lines. The urgency of finally grasping at a straw and not letting go easily was almost palpable through the screen.

I'll probably meet many more people like this in the future.

Lin Miao felt a mix of emotions, a blend of joy and instinctive wariness.

As the saying goes, many hands make light work; perhaps things will gradually improve.

Lin Miao was absolutely certain that this encounter was just the beginning.

The emotional turmoil caused by interacting with unfamiliar users did not subside after Lin Miao returned to the game. Even when advancing through the main story chapters with Lillie, he was somewhat absent-minded.

"...It seems he has all the qualities of a hunter."

Lin Miao couldn't even hear the blacksmith's muttered words as he took the hides of the monsters they had hunted. She only vaguely felt that these words seemed somewhat different from the original lines in the game.

"You said you wanted to find evidence of the devil? I'll take you to see it now."

The blacksmith stood up and led the two towards the inner room next to the workshop.

The task was indeed triggered as expected.

Lin Miao knew very well that completing this task, which carried the blacksmith's resentment and sorrow, would not only advance the main storyline but also grant him a special piece of equipment.

In a sandbox game that emphasizes free gathering and crafting, players acquire survival resources, while in an action RPG, they unlock skills and equipment through quests and storylines, creating a perfect growth cycle.

Even now, Lin Miao is absolutely certain that the game is an indispensable tool. Without the help it provides, they would have no chance of defeating those strange, corrosive entities.

Deep within the mansion connected to the workshop, the basement the blacksmith led the two to was exactly the same scene Lin Miao knew from the guidebook.

And just as the intelligence indicated, a corpse lay silently on the cold stone platform.

That was no ordinary corpse, but a body as shriveled as a mummy.

Startled, Lillie trembled violently and instinctively moved closer to Lin Miao's character, her shoulder gently bumping into his arm.

"That's my son. He did nothing wrong... yet he ended up like this."

The blacksmith, with eyes that had seen the coldness and indifference of the world, looked down indifferently at his son's corpse.

At this moment, Lin Miao felt a completely different emotion.

The corpse's expression, the intense grief and resentment so palpable it was almost tangible, made him feel suffocated, even through the screen.

"Is this reality?" Lin Miao murmured to herself.

He was playing a game, but ironically, the world on the other side of the screen was a reality that was within his reach.

The so-called missions, game mechanics, and fighting processes are utterly meaningless in the face of real life and death.

"I haven't told anyone about this. The current cult is completely unreliable. Forget about saving my son; telling them would only bring him even greater disaster. Besides... this isn't over yet."

The blacksmith turned around and gave the two a new task—no, a request that was almost pleading.

The content was exactly as Lin Miao had predicted: the blacksmith had a daughter who was his son's twin, who had been captured by a being suspected to be a demon, and they hoped that the blacksmith could come to their rescue.

Upon hearing this, Lillie immediately turned to look at Lin Miao's character, her eyes filled with earnestness, clearly wanting to accept the commission.

For her, saving innocent people was far more important than the ordinary side quests in the first chapter.

◆◆◆

"A demon attempting to invade the world..."

A monster known as the devil is lurking in the shadows, but people have long forgotten this ancient danger, indulging only in greed and comfort, and spending all their energy on scheming against each other.

After gaining a general understanding of the background of this world, Lillie's expression turned completely somber.

For some reason, she simply couldn't treat these things as stories that had nothing to do with her.

The sudden upheaval that swept through her hometown brought endless sacrifices and displacement. Even now, she still doesn't understand the root cause of that disaster, only that it was a surprise attack from a foreign enemy.

Instead of joining forces to fight the crisis, the tribes on the grasslands invaded and plundered each other in order to survive.

In this process, countless victims like the blacksmith's children emerged, and Lillie herself was one of them.

"We must resist." She made a vow in her heart.

Now, she has the power to fight back.

Before this, she even had a record of defeating demons.

The blacksmith's commission was just a small episode in this long struggle.

Since Lillie had made up her mind, Lin Miao did not hesitate for a moment, and controlled his character to turn around and run towards the outside of the city.

"Over there? How did you know...?"

Lillie hurriedly drew her sword and followed, chasing after his unwavering back.

Even though she was full of confusion, she was absolutely certain that, as always, his choice was never wrong.

"What exactly is that?"

After rushing out of the city, the two sped along.

Their physical abilities have long surpassed the limits of ordinary people; even when clad in heavy armor, they can run tirelessly.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Lin Miao controlled her character to use rolling and jumping game controls, speeding all the way, even faster than Lillie.

Finally, the two arrived at a clearing deep in the mountains on the outskirts of the city.

On the open ground, a portal similar to those in the city was waving an eerie purple light.

Upon seeing this, Lillie was taken aback: "Wait!"

Lin Miao, however, seemed to already know where the target was. Without the slightest hesitation, she leaped towards the teleportation portal.

As she watched his figure disappear completely into the light, a panicked Lillie bit her lip.

She had already made a vow that she would follow him wherever he went.

"Hmm..." Lillie also leaped up, using the exact same posture as him, and jumped into the portal.

The moment the dizzying sensation of spatial transformation hit, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed drastically.

"The prey has delivered itself to our doorstep."

Kragg, an elite monster and low-rank demon in the second chapter of the game, is a deformed monster with a female upper body and a spider lower body.

As the boundary between hell and earth becomes increasingly blurred, and demons tear the boundary apart with their own hands, Kragg is one of those who burst forth from the collapsing cracks.

It grinned menacingly at the intruders who had invaded its lair.

For demons, this human world, filled with the offspring of gods and heroes, is a dangerous place. But now that the world's barrier is showing signs of abnormality, it is the perfect opportunity for them to show their skills and strengthen their power.

On this land, it, which was originally a mere low-ranking demon, has transformed into the embodiment of fear, accumulating power that should not be underestimated.

"Come on, foolish mortal... huh?"

But this arrogance only works on the native inhabitants of this world.

In Lin Miao's eyes, Krag was nothing more than a minor monster who appeared in the second chapter.

No matter how much Kragg, who harbored ambitions to expand his power in the human world, clamored, Lin Miao turned a deaf ear. She simply controlled her character to wave her staff, and blazing magical flames instantly erupted forth.

"What the hell! You, you listen to me! I haven't finished speaking... Waaaaah!"

Krag, who is usually good at using sweet talk to bewitch people, found all his words meaningless when faced with Lin Miao, who was determined to finish the battle quickly.

Even Lillie, who rushed up right behind it, ignored its clamor and directly activated her combat skill, her longsword sweeping out with golden light.

What made it even more desperate was that the oath of eternal love held by the two people rendered its most proficient hypnosis technique completely ineffective.

"That's impossible!"

Under the combined attack of Lin Miao and Lillie, Kragg was forced to retreat step by step, and finally watched his body gradually melt in the holy light and flames, letting out an unbelievable scream.

It never imagined that it would be executed on the spot before it could even utter a complete seductive phrase.

"Disappear, demon."

"You woman, I'll remember your face..."

With a look of disgust, Lillie plunged her longsword into the melting skull of Kragg on the ground; this was their last conversation.

The rescue mission is now complete.