Chapter Three: The Terrifying Elder Sister

So that template wasn’t the protagonist template he’d imagined, but actually the villain template? Did that mean he was destined to be overthrown? Wait a minute—this didn’t seem to be inside the game at all!

In just an instant, Ji Cheng’s shock and confusion flipped into delight. In the game, as the villainous protagonist and final boss of the “Undying Machine Empire,” he was fated to be defeated by the player—no question there. But this place felt more like a real universe, where anything was possible.

If that were the case, becoming a future cosmic overlord was surely far better than being some background nobody. After all, his future self was a terrifying existence—an empire embodied in a single person, holding the line at the Blood Wall for centuries against coalitions of interstellar alliances. There wasn’t a single person—no, not even a single nation—who dared face the “Undying Machine Empire” alone.

“I really am that man…” Ji Cheng couldn’t help but let his imagination run wild at the thought of the cataclysmic might of the “Undying Machine Empire.” He’d felt this subtle sense of something missing ever since awakening here, but now, at last, he felt at ease. For a transmigrator, not having some cheat felt just too insecure.

It took him several seconds to recover from his excitement. In any case, for now he was just a gifted young man, and temporarily stranded on a rather backward, lost planet.

“A-Cheng, why won’t you open the door for me?” Luo Rao’s voice came from outside.

“Oh, right, right, coming!” Ji Cheng twisted the lock and pulled open the door. The sky outside was tinged with yellow, he didn’t know when, and Luo Rao stood on the threshold, looking at him with suspicion.

“A-Cheng, you weren’t up to no good in there, were you?” she muttered.

Ji Cheng, dodging her gaze as he accepted the things from her hands, coughed, “Of course not. I just accidentally broke a mirror. Come in, hurry up.”

He found it difficult to meet Luo Rao’s eyes. He’d originally thought she was just clingy, but now, having figured out his own identity, he understood the reason. Luo Rao—a name that had never appeared in the game. Players only knew her by her honorific: “The Lady of Desolation.”

A terrifying villainess, the number one “little brother-obsessive” in “Grand Galaxy.” Behind her angelic face lurked a twisted, malicious soul. According to an unlucky anonymous player’s post, female players caught by the “Lady of Desolation” would be presented to her brother as little gifts—though, of course, the system would respawn players before anything truly frightening happened. Male players, however, were killed outright.

Because of these bizarre and nasty quirks, the “Lady of Desolation” had been ranked among the top ten most evil female NPCs in “Grand Galaxy” for years and had once sparked intense curiosity among players about her brother’s identity.

“A-Cheng~” Luo Rao smiled as she sat beside Ji Cheng, sidling up to him with feigned casualness.

Ji Cheng shifted uncomfortably away.

“Were you just now…?” Her delicate hand, soft as boneless, rested lightly on Ji Cheng’s, tracing circles with her fingertip in pointed suggestion.

“Stop, stop, stop!” Ji Cheng hastily brushed her hand away. The tingling sensation was too much; he was terribly ticklish.

“So stingy.” Luo Rao huffed. “I really want some soy milk.”

“I’ll buy you some later,” Ji Cheng replied.

“I want the kind you make yourself.”

Oh no, could his sister really be thinking of doing something to him?

“Let’s leave that aside, I have something serious to discuss with you,” Ji Cheng tried to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“Oh, right! On my way back from shopping, I saw a pair of really pretty sisters. I already got their address,” Luo Rao said mysteriously, brandishing a slip of paper, a wicked gleam in her charming eyes. “Tonight, I’ll sneak out… I’m top of my class in combat, you know.”

Ji Cheng’s mouth twitched into a bitter smile. “So it’s like that after all.”

“What is it, A-Cheng?”

Luo Rao’s eyes were so gentle they seemed ready to weep, a stark contrast to the person who’d just talked about abducting someone.

“Big sister, you need to obey the law, you know?” Ji Cheng said.

Luo Rao nodded earnestly. “I know. So, do you like Y-shaped or I-shaped better?”

“What?” Ji Cheng was a bit lost.

“The shape,” she clarified, gesturing seriously in front of her.

“….”

“Oh, right, the Princess hasn’t been fed yet,” Luo Rao turned to rummage through her luggage.

Soon, she produced a delicate glass jar containing a scrawny black-striped leech, its slimy body adorned with a ribbon.

Ji Cheng took a deep breath and, after a pause, said solemnly, “Big sister, I really have something to talk to you about.”

“I’m listening,” Luo Rao replied, placing the leech on her wrist.

“You can see for yourself—this place is run-down and miserable, and someone even died here. Mom and Dad are getting old; they deserve a good life,” he said, pointing to a leaky pipe. “Dad’s had rheumatism for decades. This damp house can’t be good for him. You wouldn’t want that either, right?”

Tears welled up in Luo Rao’s eyes. “A-Cheng, do you want to sell me?”

“No, I want to— You’re being dramatic.” Ji Cheng rapped her on the head. “I want to take the mining license exam next week.”

The original Ji Cheng had kept his exam preparations secret from his family. But now that he knew Luo Rao was destined to become the “Lady of Desolation,” her true nature meant she’d probably support him wholeheartedly.

“Oh, go for it! The mines are so much fun. Too bad I’m majoring in psychology and biology, otherwise I’d love to go too.” The leech on her wrist had visibly plumped up, dark red blood visible beneath its skin.

“Aren’t you even a little worried about your brother?” Ji Cheng felt like all his arguments were wasted.

“What’s there to worry about? My brother is the best!” Luo Rao said adoringly.

“So, A-Cheng, which level of mining license are you aiming for?” Luo Rao was genuinely curious—after all, the difference between license levels was huge.

“My plan is to go for the full mining license next week. I’ve pretty much memorized the entire ‘Comprehensive Guide to Energy Crystal Mining.’ If there aren’t too many tricky questions, and I brush up over the next few days, I should be fine. Plus, being a Gene Prototype Recipient gives me extra points, so I have a good chance.”

“Wow, you’re going straight for the hardest one?” Luo Rao said cheerfully. “I heard mining licenses come in Outpost, Provisional, Full, and the Special License that only Awakened can get. Full is as high as a normal person can go, right?”

Ji Cheng, fending off Luo Rao’s wandering leg, replied, “That’s right. For regular people, even Gene Prototype Recipients, the full license is the ceiling. Reaching that level means you can join Awakened mining teams, go deep into the mines, and do support work.”

The energy crystal mines were perilous. Every worker faced dangers—widespread psychic contamination, radioactive toxic soil, rogue Imperial defense systems, and mutated beasts, any of which could be fatal. Most mining teams required Gene Prototype Recipients as a basic qualification for support staff.

Naturally, in the full mining license exam, being a Gene Prototype Recipient was a significant advantage.

“But I hear most people start with the Outpost license, work a few years at the supply stations to gain experience, and only then try for Provisional,” Luo Rao said, removing the leech and returning it to its jar. “And even then, not many pass the Outpost exam.”

“Your brother can recite the whole ‘Guide,’ you know.” Ji Cheng tapped the plastic-clad table, brimming with confidence. “Even if I don’t pass the full license, scoring over 500 points gets me the Provisional license, so worst case, I’ll at least get something.”

At Ji Cheng’s age, with a strong academic foundation and a Gene Prototype injection, he was exactly the type the authorities wanted to cultivate. There were policies in place to grant a lower-tier license if he aimed high but fell just short, to encourage young people to strive for the top.

And as long as he got a license—even Provisional—he could buy a discounted single-story house. If he moved fast enough, he could even visit the mines before his parents arrived. One unit of energy crystals was worth twenty thousand Baishan credits, and a mineral vein usually contained hundreds of units—he could easily buy a house with just a few shares.

The houses weren’t fancy, but they were well-equipped and didn’t leak everywhere.

“So, is there anything big sister can do for you~?” Luo Rao licked her finger. “I just bought a new pair of stockings, you know.”

“What goes on in your head?” Ji Cheng massaged his temples. “I’m your brother.”

“We’re not even related by blood,” Luo Rao pouted dramatically.

“And we’re already broke.”

At this, Luo Rao brightened. “But I didn’t pay for them!”

He froze, then said earnestly, “No matter how poor we get, always pay when you buy something, okay?”

“I know—A-Cheng taught me to knock the shopkeeper out first, then it doesn’t count as buying,” Luo Rao replied.

How did it come to this… Ji Cheng was dumbfounded.

“Alright, just cook me a few good meals these next days,” he said, dodging her grasp as he stood. “I checked when I got here—this area has a communal kitchen. It’s still early, so not many people are there. Go cook now.”

In his memories, Luo Rao’s cooking was excellent, though she rarely took to the kitchen. Not even their parents could coax her to cook—only if Ji Cheng wanted something would she oblige.

“I’ll go buy some pork belly then. Tonight I’ll make you lard rice!” Luo Rao announced.

But in less than five minutes, she returned, dejected.

“There’s a notice outside. Too many immigrants, so food and meat are rationed. Only registered heads of household can buy the allotted rice and meat with their ID.”

“Then just stir-fry some greens tonight. There’s rice in my bag,” Ji Cheng said, pointing.

Watching Luo Rao leave with rice and vegetables, Ji Cheng shook his head with a wry smile. It was now clear—her character was already showing signs of becoming the “Lady of Desolation.” Who knew how much trouble she’d cause him in the future?

“Better hit the books—passing the mining license is what matters.”

Time slipped by as he reviewed. Soon, the aroma of food wafted through the door.

“Dinner’s ready, A-Cheng.” Luo Rao entered carrying two bowls of rice topped with greens.

“Great.” Ji Cheng smiled, straightened the tablecloth, and took a bowl to dig in hungrily.

Even with little oil or salt, the greens were delicious, and the rice was scrubbed clean, steamed to a pearly gloss and resilient bite—tasty even plain.

The siblings devoured their simple meal, though Luo Rao clearly wished she could have eaten something else.