Chapter 088: Server Load Balancing

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Bleary-eyed, Lin Jia stepped into the internet café. The girl at the counter, a cheerful staff member, greeted him with a smile: “Hey, Little Madman, you’re here! How come your boss and the others haven’t shown up yet today? That’s odd—they’re usually here before you!”

After nearly living in the café for the past several days, eating and drinking there, the three brothers had already become quite familiar with the staff, especially with Lin Jia. He was naturally good-looking, and when he smiled, it was hard for anyone not to like him. His affinity for girls was formidable. Every day, Lin Jia would dash out of the private room to ask the staff girl for help—making instant noodles, refilling water, or topping up the tea. Since he was so naturally sociable, he’d often strike up a conversation with her, whose name was Zhang Yingmei, while waiting for his noodles to be ready. After a few days of this, the two were already on friendly terms, joking and playing around to the point where she started calling him by his nickname.

“Heh, Meimei, you’re on shift again today?” Lin Jia grinned mischievously, teasing her, “How come you remember this so well? Don’t tell me you’ve taken a fancy to me? Warning you—I’m a busy man!”

She huffed coquettishly, rolling her pretty almond eyes at him. Sticking out her tongue and making a face, she retorted, “Hmph! As if I’d like a rascal like you! Go play your game!”

Lin Jia snickered wickedly. While Meimei turned to greet another customer, he quickly reached over the half-height counter and gave a light pat to her rounded bottom, which was sticking out as she leaned forward. Then he bolted. Meimei shrieked in surprise and, without thinking, grabbed a half-empty can of Pepsi from behind the counter and hurled it toward the stairs leading to the second floor.

A cry of “Ouch!” echoed from Lin Jia, and the can came clattering back down the stairs. Hands on her slim waist, Meimei wrinkled her nose and scolded triumphantly, “Serves you right, you pervert!”

Rubbing the soda stain on his backside, Lin Jia entered the private room he and his brothers always used, grinning from ear to ear. He wasn’t a brazen womanizer, but he certainly wasn’t one to pass up a chance for some harmless mischief. The reason he dared to pat Meimei’s perky bottom after only knowing her a few days was simply because they were all young, wild, and fun-loving. He and Meimei—a lively, outgoing, and adorable girl—clicked instantly, and their banter quickly became routine.

Of course, Lin Jia’s boldness was also encouraged by Meimei’s flirtatious and fiery nature. Occasionally, she would act coy and coquettish, which only inflamed the passions of a hot-blooded young man like Lin Jia. Her vivaciousness, coupled with a certain obliviousness to the boundaries between boys and girls, meant that she didn’t mind a bit of innocent touching now and then, making Lin Jia all the more reckless.

At their age, it was easy for the subtle attraction between boys and girls to create a deliciously ambiguous atmosphere. They got along well, neither disliking the other, and Lin Jia’s glib tongue made these little episodes almost inevitable. While it would be a stretch to say there was any deep romantic feeling between them, there was definitely a mutual fondness. If she were a stranger, Lin Jia wouldn’t have dared to try such antics, no matter how bold he was.

The curiosity about the mysterious bodies of the opposite sex is a mix of excitement and fear for boys, while girls, when teased, feel embarrassed, surprised, angry, and delighted all at once. Boys worry about making a girl genuinely angry, while girls are secretly pleased to see their own charm is truly irresistible. Ah, youth really is wonderful.

Rubbing his palms together, Lin Jia savored the lingering softness and bounce of that touch. In early autumn, how many layers could a fashion-loving girl wear? The answer was: not enough to dull the sensation. He even lifted his palm to his nose, as if to catch a whiff of her fragrance. The memory of her bashful, flirty reaction made his heart race, and he was almost tempted to dash back for another touch. The blood in his veins was practically boiling.

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Still, Lin Jia knew his limits—joking was one thing, but to try his luck again would probably make her genuinely angry. So, cracking his knuckles and still chuckling lewdly, he sat down and powered up his computer, ready to dive into the game.

The three brothers had been grinding levels frantically in the Centipede Cave for days, barely leaving at all. Every morning, usually around ten, as the number of players in the game soared and the server lagged to a halt, they’d finally go home to sleep. They were online for more than sixteen hours a day, perpetually short on sleep. But the effort was worth it: all three had finally reached level 24. The youngest brother had finally donned a blue jade necklace and bought a skull ring, restoring his attack power to 7-32. With their new gear, they had finally joined the ranks of the game’s elite players.

[Note: The three brothers’ level 24 equipment has been updated in the “Related Content” section. If you’re unclear, check there; equipment details won’t be described at length in the main text!]

Given all the limitations, reaching level 24 in just six days through pure grinding was almost unheard of. Other than a few players who alternated shifts without logging out, Lin Jia and his brothers had become top-tier players with high levels, great gear, and plenty of gold.

Most high-level players were still hovering around levels 20–22, and those below that weren’t even worth mentioning.

And today—October 4, 2001, at 8 a.m.—a major change occurred in the game, one that would propel “Legend” into its golden age as a classic MMORPG.

At 8 a.m., after days of announcements, the much-anticipated server overload solution finally arrived! The first server split and version update for "Legend" began promptly at 8 and lasted over ten hours.

The only existing server, “Thunder,” was bursting with players, so many were migrated to the newly opened servers, “Radiance” and “Flame.” Players had seen the red system messages the day before and were elated, spreading the word and following the official instructions to transfer their data and characters to the new servers.

Guilds, gaming communities, and families shouted invitations across the system cities—Biqi, Novice Village, Red Name Village, and Tucheng:

“Friends from Hubei, please transfer to the ‘Radiance’ server! Our guild is being established today—let’s create our legend together!”

“Families recruiting new blood! If you’re interested, come to Alliance City and find ‘Monk Without Underwear’ to sign up!”

“Sichuan bros! Sichuan bros! Sichuan kids switch to the Flame server! We’re going to stake our claim on the mountains!”

“Shanghai Guild sincerely invites all loyal brothers to join us in glory! May Radiance shine upon Marfa! If you want in, transfer to the Radiance server!”

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“Fists smash Millennium, feet trample Kings—if you love PK, hunting for gear, and loyalty, come to the Radiance server!”

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[End of this volume]

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A note from the author: Comrades, the first volume is finally complete! This phase of “Legend” also comes to a close, but the story doesn’t end here. Even more exciting legends, unforgettable memories, and cherished tales will unfold in the coming chapters!

The much-discussed quest system, the soon-to-be-opened Stone Tomb Maze, the Zuma Tower, hidden bugs in the system, new skills, new equipment, the legendary Double Flame Slash of the Warrior, the Laser Ghost Step and the Twin Worlds of Ice and Fire for the Mage, the Phantom Step and Thousand-Mile Assault for the Taoist… All the things that millions of hardcore Legend fans hold dear will gradually appear in “Mage’s Legend: Radiance Server.”

Please, everyone, vote like crazy to support me! Don’t worry about knocking me silly—fire at will!

Click the button below and roar!

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