Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 1: Small Workshops Really Go All Out
[In this modern age, cancer has ceased to be an absolute death sentence. Thanks to our cutting-edge technology and seasoned medical experts, survival is possible—provided you have insurance, a loyal family, or at least your own strength…]
A hollow laugh escaped Chen Huai’an’s lips as he clicked off the television. “Too bad I don’t have any of that.”
His world had shattered in stages: the terminal diagnosis arrived two days ago, his girlfriend dumped him yesterday, and today, he finally hit his breaking point.
As a mere college freshman, he was alone. His parents, who served as forest rangers, had perished in a massive wildfire years prior, leaving him with nothing but a modest sum of compensation money.
Chen Huai’an had eventually processed his grief, choosing to meet life’s challenges head-on. By living a frugal existence and working various part-time jobs alongside his inheritance, he had managed to fund his education.
He was a solid student at a top-tier university, and his future seemed secure with a guaranteed job waiting after graduation. The pay would have been modest, but it would have supported a simple life. However, two days ago, a medical check-up for a nagging pain in his ankle resulted in a diagnosis of mid-stage cancer.
Realizing that the costs of treatment were far beyond his means, Chen Huai’an withdrew from school. He rented a small apartment near the city’s wetland park for a year, intending to see out his final days there. And once the lease ended and his funds ran dry?
He let out a grim chuckle. He doubted he would even survive that long.
Checking his banking app, he saw a balance of just over 30,000 yuan.
“Food will cost maybe five or six hundred a month. Throw in other necessities, and let’s call it a thousand. A year from now, I’d still have twenty thousand left,” he calculated, his eyes fixed on the screen. His life had been a series of hardships. While his peers traveled, he was working. While they played games, he was toiling. And while they went on dates… his girlfriend was busy betraying him.
For the time he had remaining, Chen Huai’an vowed to live for himself.
He would play games. He would binge all the shows he had missed. If his health permitted, he might even travel to see the sea.
[Installation complete.]
[Claim your virtual girlfriend now!]
Under normal circumstances, Chen Huai’an would have closed such a blatant pop-up immediately. Today, however, he paused.
A fresh icon sat on his home screen, depicting a chibi-style girl in ancient attire wielding a sword.
“A self-installing game? This looks like a virus waiting to happen…”
Usually, he would have wiped the app and triggered a security scan. But in his current state, he felt a strange curiosity about what these malicious apps actually did.
He had nothing left to lose. Facing a terminal illness with no family or future, what did he care about a phone virus? Besides, he had never actually played games before, having always been too occupied with work and his studies.
He clicked the icon. The screen faded to black before a notification appeared:
[This game is restricted to players aged 18 and older. Launching the game will bind your identity permanently. Accounts are non-deletable and non-transferable. By proceeding, you consent to these draconian terms.]
“At least they’re honest about the contract being draconian.”
With a faint, self-deprecating smile, Chen Huai’an tapped “Start Game.”
He was convinced it was malware.
What could it possibly take? His private data? His messages? Once the scammers realized he was a broke, dying student, they would probably delete the app themselves out of pity.
[Choose your virtual girlfriend!]
To his surprise, the visual quality was breathtaking. Despite the cute icon, the actual character models were strikingly realistic.
A roster of “virtual girlfriends” appeared, complete with detailed biographies. For instance:
[Neon Mafia Princess: Kiriko Kirishima]
[Age: 22 | Height: 158cm | Measurements: 89, 55, 86]
The Live 2D animation was exquisite, showcasing dramatic curves and a charming face. Her kimono was draped loosely, barely covering her. She was the quintessential big-breasted lolita with a yakuza flair—a perfect bait for the average male player.
However, the blonde hair and Japanese theme didn't appeal to Chen Huai’an.
He scrolled through various profiles, noting that the characters hailed from different time periods and even foreign planets. The variety was immense—there was even a girlfriend based on a Transformer!
Finally, one profile made him stop:
[Disciple of the Qingyun Sect: Li Qingran]
[Age: 19 | Height: 169cm | Measurements: 90, 60, 91]
This was the girl from the icon, but she looked far more vibrant here. She possessed porcelain skin, refined features, and long, ink-black hair that flowed down her back. Dressed in a simple green robe with a sword strapped behind her, she lacked any makeup yet possessed the ethereal beauty of a classical ink painting.
What caught Chen Huai’an’s attention most were her eyes—they were cold and vacant, filled with a sense of hopelessness that seemed to reach out through the glass.
“Good grief… do small indie teams really put in this much effort?”
He began to question if this was truly a virus. Why would a scammer invest this much into the art? Was this some student’s high-end graduation project?
“I’ll pick you.”
[Confirm Li Qingran as your virtual girlfriend?]
[Warning: This decision cannot be undone!]
[If your virtual girlfriend dies, she is gone forever. She cannot be resurrected!]
“High stakes for a mobile game,” Chen Huai’an muttered, frowning. He figured the developers were using these tactics to create an emotional bond and force player engagement.
Normally, he would have quit, but today he pressed “Confirm.”
[You have 132 days left to live.]
This ominous message flickered across the screen before the gameplay officially started.
Chen Huai’an anticipated a standard, cheap mobile experience—stiff animations, a generic starting village in a Cultivation world, tedious quests, and endless grinding for gear and mounts on autoplay.
The reality was far different.
The scene opened inside a leaking, dilapidated thatched shack. The only furniture was a straw mat on the floor, currently drenched by the falling rain.
A thin, trembling girl was huddled in the corner, her arms wrapped around her legs. Her messy hair hid her face, but her pale limbs were covered in dark bruises and open sores. A particularly nasty scar, looking like a centipede, was etched into her fair skin.
“Is that… Li Qingran?”
Chen Huai’an watched, stunned. On the wet floor beside the mat sat a shattered blade—the same sword from her profile image.
[Li Qingran is freezing and starved. Her vitality is fading.]
[Li Qingran is suffering from fire poison; the pain is excruciating.]
[Li Qingran has thirty minutes left to live.]
As the notifications scrolled by, the girl let out a soft moan of agony. She slowly looked up, showing her vacant eyes and bloodless lips.
Even with her face partially hidden, Chen Huai’an recognized her instantly.
“What am I supposed to do?”
A sudden wave of anxiety washed over him.
The girl’s voice and expressions felt disturbingly real, and the wounds looked far too vivid. He felt that if the timer reached zero, she truly would…
A new prompt flashed:
[Ding! A first-time purchase of 6 yuan will unlock the “Home Improvement Bundle,” providing your virtual girlfriend with a warm and comfortable home!]