"Second Life is out!" Lu Jing yelled waving her arms around like crazy. "It's realism is way higher than the previous online games Life and World!"

"Shush. I have a head ache!" I demanded.

"Leave us alone for the moment! We studied for today's quiz all night yesterday." Xiao Lan added, her face planted on her desk.

"Then why weren't we invited!" Jing cried out indignantly, draping an arm over Yun's shoulder.

"Because you two refused due to 'math allergies'." I mumbled into my hands.

"Everybody quiet!" the teacher has came in unnoticed.

-----------------------

"This is tiring!" I announced stepping into the living room with my bag draped over one shoulder and Wang Ying Ying, my little sister who's younger than me by three years, clinging onto my other shoulder.

"Mum and dad is still not home. I'm going to ditch my homework today." she said gleefully while running towards her colourful room decorated with band posters.

I sighed. I'm nineteen already and she's sixteen. Yet Ying Ying still acts like a twelve year old. I began to take my books out of my bag when I stepped on a piece of paper and slipped. A string colourful language escaped my mouth, and picked the paper up. It was a game manual for Second Life.

"Second Life, 99% realism, breeze can be felt... pain 30%, different races... officially starting 15/8/2100 globally..."

Hmph. I'm bored anyways, and yesterday's quiz study with Xiao Lan really bore into my sleep, why not take a nap now and give Second Life a try?

Looking at the game cartridge Jing stuffed me, I smiled at her enthusiasm. She bought one for me incase I forgot about getting one, since I'm usually not interested for these kinda things. She didn't need to worry about Xiao Lan, that gamer twin brother she's got will solve everything.

I picked up the cartridge stuffing it in a Dream Gaming headgear and plopped the head gear on. Lying curled up on my bed in the corner of the room I closed my eyes to admit blackness.

Is something wrong? I wondered as I stood in complete blackness for a moment that seemed to drag on forever. Suddenly, light flared and a beauty appeared in front of me. GM...or NPC? I wondered looking at her.

"Hello. Welcome to Second Life. Are you ready to create your character?" She asked in a lovely, but stiff voice. Seems more like a NPC, but her red hair is really beautiful.

"Ahh, yes." I stumbled over my words still debating over her... identity?

"You came in at the exact same time as another player, and you both are the first to log on." The beauty said. "We were going to grant the first player to log on a wish, but you two logged on at the EXACT same time. So, both of you will be granted a wish. Do you know this player?"

Know? Know the random person that coincidentally logged on the same time as me? "Of course no-" I stopped mid sentence as Xiao Lan dropped beside me in a poof of smoke.

"I logged on at the same time as someone else? How do I know-" she stopped mid sentence too, looking at me. And so we spent half a minute staring at each other.

"Oh." We said together.

"So you know each other? Wonderful." the beauty presses something on the arm of the floating chair and Xiao Lan disappeared again. "Now let's create your character."

The beauty and I argued over the races and their abilities, since there were so many bizarre races and my knowledge says some of the appearance of the races were incorrect, or their abilities were incorrect. Finally, the argument reached its peak and we began insulting each other. She accused me of not being ladylike and I managed to completely annoy the beauty by saying her hair looked like a bird made a nest out of it and then customised it into a private bathroom.

"You're not fit to be a lady!" She screeched.

"Who said I wanted to be a lady? You either! Who said you were fit to be a lady?"

"You forget who has the power here!" She pointed at me using a finger that shook slightly with rage. "You shouldn't be a girl! You're too...impolite to others!"

"Only because you said I was a dinosaur without a brain did this start you know!" I yelled back.

"You..." the beauty inhaled a breath and did something with the many devices surrounding her. My character suddenly disappeared.

"Aren't you supposed to be helping me create my character? You can't do this!" I looked at the empty space where my not yet customised character had been.

"I said you aren't fit to be a lady! You're more fit to be one of those idiotic rash things they call boys!" The beauty said, calming down. With a click, a male me appeared in place of my original female character.

"Wah..." I stared at my character. It was so HANDSOME! He was better looking than Xiao Lan's brother, who was one of the only two guys I ever thought was handsome. The other one was Zhou-gege, a boy older than me and Xiao Lan by a few years that moved into our neighbourhood eight years ago, but moved away again.

"This... Is not what I expected." the beauty finally said. "Oh my God!" The beauty exclaimed. "Its this handsome in human..."

"What about in elf?" I finished for her, too staring at my male character and pretty much drooling.

The beauty, who I've pretty much confirmed is a GM, pressed a button, then an elf appeared in front of me.

"Ahhhhh..." we both sighed over the elf. The beauty has a nose bleed, and I'm on the verge of a nose bleed.

"Okay, okay." the beauty took a few deep breaths. "OkayIforgiveyoubecause youaresohansome!" She said in a rush and nearly flung herself at the elf. "If you are going to become a guy, I'll be you girl friend! And I forgive you!"

"Is gender change allowed in Second Life?" I murmured, staring at the handsome male elf me.

"No." the beauty said, "But since you're the first to log on with that other girl you're granted a wish! And if you use that to become a guy I'll be your girlfriend and totally forgive you! Or I will hunt you down in Second Life if you don't transgender!"

I shuddered. "Well, I guess..." I started and got cut off by the beauty.

"Okay! Great! Now, let's see. Do you want to be 30% more beautiful or more ugly... wait, I'm pushing that up to 40%... 40% prettier. So, hair colour, eyes..."

After nearly three hours of 'customising' my characters appearance, with the beauty deciding nearly everything, we've finally come to the stage where I'm going to choose my name. Looking at the slender and EXTREMELY handsome black haired, red eyed elf in front of me, my brain goes blank.

"Hmmm..." the beauty taps her chin, apparently deep in thought.

"How about..." I start, to be cut off by the beauty.

"Cain! Yes, that's it! Cain! The perfect name for some one like this!" She beamed.

"Wait...what? Why?" I'm utterly confused.

"Ever heard of the expression 'raising Cain'?" She asks.

"Nope." I say popping the 'p'.

"It means causing trouble, up to no good. Oh, Cain is also the first person to commit murder in the Bible!" the beauty explained. "And you look so mischievous like that! It's absolutely perfect!"

"Murder?! Wait a sec... But-"

"No buts! Now you're ready to be born! Is central continent okay?" She says fumbling with the buttons.

"Yeah... but what-"

"My username is Lolidragon! PM me ASAP!" The beauty flashed a wink at me and I feel me and my character blending together.

-----------------------

"Ugh..." I push myself off the grass and touch my head with one hand. This is Second Life? Looking around, I see that I am in a small village surrounded by lush green trees.

Second Life sure feels real. I thought feeling the gentle breeze caress my cheek and tousling my hair. I played Life before, but just occasionally, and Second Life feels way better than Life.

Since I played online games before I know the basics. "System." I said and the system menu appeared in front of me. Now let's see...

After a while of fiddling around I began to check the village out, there didn't seem to be too much people until... "Hi," a hand landed on my arm. I turned, ready to scold or hit someone who dared grab a lady's arm in public- instead a cute girl with two pink ribbons tying her hair up stood behind me, a hand on my arm. "I'm new and I don't really know how this works... Can you team up with me?"

"Unfortunately, I'm new too." I began, noticing the other female players beginning to surround us. "I don't think I'll be much help to you, ladies." I said with an apologetic face on, trying to remain calm and composed as the girls closed in on me and hearts appeared in their eyes.

"It's fine! I can help you!" A girl cried out. "Yeah! Please team up with me!"

Now they look like wolf that found prey. Normal guys will probably relish that moment of being surrounded by beautiful girls, but... Who said I WAS A GUY?!? And in this situation, my first instinct was to RUN.

Just as the girls rushed towards me I scrambled over the hill behind where I was standing, running into the trees. The lush greenery hid me, for the moment at least. Now I really need to do some training. Running into other wolves... I mean people at lvl 1 just won't do, although my agility is pretty high.

Looking around, I saw a flash of lime green in the trees. I opened my pouch. Usually newbies were provided with some basic equipment. As expected, there was a pair of pants (defense +2) and a shirt (defense +1), as well as a small knife with an attack power of 1... It really is a small knife, with a blade no longer than fifteen centimetres. After I equipped myself I walked towards the flash of green.

It was a slime. With a whole horde of slimes scattered around the place. Hmm... let's start training! I really don't have much experience with combat, so I just walked up behind the slime as silently as I can manage and brought the knife down as hard.

<Attack successful, Man-eating slime HP -5>

I definitely have a knack at this! Who said I can't fight? As I continued to daydream, a sharp pain sheared through my conscience. "Ahh!"

<Man-eating slime attack successful, Cain HP -3>

I looked down at my hand to find a disgustingly green slime hanging on to my hand, saliva dripping. "Disgusting, vile creature!" I screeched. "How dare you attack me!" I wrestled with the slime for the possesion of my hand and, finally, won. I stabbed at the slime repeatedly until it was a pulp and dead.

After I took care of several- no, all the slimes in the small clearing I'm in, I began wondering around the forest. Trying to find a way back to that damned village.

With my sense of direction...uh, it shouldn't be a very big problem. It's a huge problem. I was about to scream in frustration when I came upon another clearing, this one was also filled with slimes, but they are quickly disappearing. A person, no, an elf with snow white hair and eyes the same crimson red as mine was slicing, chopping and stamping them to death continuously.

I watched the elf's movements from the trees. He was also a beginner, well obviously as the game has only be 'live' for three or four hours, judging from his clothing. By the looks of it, his agility wouldn't be lower than mine, and his continuous attack was pretty impressive. As I observed him, a slime came up to me and as I moved my legs for a more comfortable position, stepping on it by accident.

<Attack successful, Man-eating slime HP -3>

The slime bit me, rewarded by a yelp as I stumbled into the clearing with the slime clinging onto my leg. "Damn you slime!" I yelled while stamping on it with my other foot.

Unfortunately for the other slimes that was already under attack of the white haired elf, the slime that just bit me aroused my fighting blood. I hacked through a cluster of them, disgustingly gooey and green vile creatures!

After quite a long while, the white haired elf and I retired from chopping up slimes and sat down against a tree, panting. "What's your name?" he asked turning his head to look at me.

"Cain. You?"

"Prince. Glad to meet you." Prince smiled and we shook hands firmly with each other. Now that I had a proper look at Prince, he really is handsome. Probably as handsome as me, I thought as I mentally compared myself against him. But for some odd reason, he looked familiar. I couldn't recall if I saw him before in game or in reality when I saw with a frown that he seemed to be looking at me the same way. Still, such a handsome guy... should I hook up with him? Wait. No. I'm a guy in this game... why, god... why must I meet someone this handsome and not be able to do anything?!

"Do you wanna head back?" Prince stood, offering me a hand and I waved of my thoughts. Too bad, at least I can experience having a 'brother'. 

As we walked back to the village we chatted, thankfully that patch of clearing was right next to the village, or it would have been so embarrassing to ask. Prince wanted to become a warrior like me so we decided to team up and train together for now.

When we got back, I wandered about, checking out the rest of the village I didn't get to see while escaping from wolves- I mean girls.

There was a shop near where I bought a plain bun from a restaurant, the only thing I can afford. Also nearly the only thing in the menu. The quaint little shop seemed to be selling potions. I walked towards it in curiosity and heard two voices inside and poked my head in to see Prince and the NPC shop tender arguing.