Standing Next To You - Chapter 208: A Gift

[Ding!][Cashback System Activation Requirement Met!][System Binding In Progress...!][System Successfully Linked!][Spent $1,000. 10x Critical Hit. Earned $10,000. The money has been transferred to account XXX-XXX-XXX][Spent at least $1,000 on a beautiful lady. Received 1 lottery ticket. Do you want to use it?][YES][NO]Kyle was a man that has never had any luck in life and he was on the verge of ending it all after being fired from his minimum wage job due to a customer's complaint which turned out to be a lie but due to the customer being an attractive lady, no one believed Kyle.To make matters worse, he had to pay for the damages that was caused by the customer.Beautiful people, they had it easy, didn't they?This was his last step and he knew that he wouldn't see tomorrow as he searched for a river to throw himself in.He thought his mind finally broke as there was no explanation for the Cyan Screen that popped up as he clicked the [YES] button.[You have drawn Charm!][Charm: There is nothing the user can't charm his way out of or into! The universe has blessed you with charisma!]“Hahaha! I must have lost my marbles...” Kyle muttered to himself but his phone soon rang out to show that he had a notification.And to his surprise, he saw $10,000 sitting in his account and his jaw dropped.“THIS IS FOR REAL!!!”

When an ordinary gamer wakes up in the body of Ellen Joe, a high schooler and an elite member of Victoria Housekeeping Co., life takes a bizarre turn. Known for tackling everything from cleaning and yardwork to securing rare items and fighting off monsters, the company operates more like a covert squad than a housekeeping service.Caught between school deadlines and deadly Hollow missions, the protagonist struggles to maintain Ellen’s demanding dual life. Armed with Ellen’s ice-infused scissors and sharp wit, they navigate a world of high-stakes combat and meticulous chores while trying to keep their true identity hidden. But as Ellen’s habits and instincts creep into their own, the line between their life and hers begins to blur.

In 2173, the world’s first Full-World Virtual MMORPG game ‘Astral Online’ went on sale globally, forever changing the blue planet Asteria!

With its revolutionary Digital Capture System, astonishing graphics and ability to scan yourself into the game with up to 20% beautification, countless defenders rallied to play the game.

Fifty million players logged in on launch. There were no queues or lag on launch, leaving countless critics impressed and willing to try the game. Because the game used a 6-hour play limit a day, it allowed even working adults to keep up with young students and the unemployed.

A resounding success, as more people poured onto the game servers, families and friends alike. Astra Online became a household name overnight.

One month later, the game opened its first RMT system, which made earning a living from the game easier... Thus began the Astral rush!

Professional players formed guilds and factions to increase their profits, but nobody could know this prosperity was a mere joke.

One year later, players fused with their avatars, gaining powerful abilities in the real world, which tipped the power and caused chaos.

Two years later, demons and monsters from inside the game invaded the real world.

Three years later, over 90% of humanity perished, leaving the rest to hide like rats, unable to fight back in fear.

Four years later, this world is no longer ours. The demons march on our last bastions, one by one. They exterminated us.

Zell was an average player who liked to collect beasts in the game and evolve them into humanoids, as they were primarily females.

He spent most of his life working two jobs to make ends meet.

Thanks to the excellent healthcare of his country, there were no crippling debts. There was only emptiness.

When the end came, he was powerless and alone. His only companions were his cute pets and Rika, his cherished Flame Rabbit.

She was the only beast he evolved to a humanoid form after his late start to the game.

He died saving the life of a strange girl with white wings and his pet Rika, the sad eyes of Rika and the girl’s sorrow floating through the air as he slowly passed away.

However, instead of dying, he awoke inside an empty white room with a single computer and a strange, game-like screen that allowed him to edit his IRL avatar and persona.

Who offered him this second chance?

For what reason did they help him?

Can he meet Rika again?

Zell could never know; he only knew his second life’s goal.

Survive!

The Interstellar Fleet from the game appeared before the ordinary youth, Bai Zhongqi, and the player became the Chancellor of the Empire, opening a new chapter for his brethren and Earth as they set out for the vast sea of stars. The nations of Earth were engaged in cunning and fierce competition for the future of the Intergalactic Era. Bizarre and varied alien civilizations were waiting for Earth’s explorers to discover them. It was a cruel, dark jungle where only the fittest survived, and a world filled with opportunities and magnificent adventures. But for Bai Zhongqi, this was simply a laid-back story about leading Earth’s friends, furiously climbing the tech tree, beating up aliens, and dominating the Galaxy.