The Nexus acts as a communal space open to all players, resembling a vast plaza dominated by a central fountain, with a glowing, multi-faceted prism hovering above the water.
This massive cube displays different information on each of its six faces:
Game Notices: The same information newbies are meant to read, often ignored in their initial rush.
Lottery Overview: "Congratulations to Player [Redacted] for winning...!" IDs are always masked. The purpose here seems to be two-fold: to remind players of the Main God's "generosity" and to prove that top-tier prizes actually exist—it's just that you lack the luck to win them.
Leaderboard: A ranking of the top hundred players based on the Main God's proprietary, opaque evaluation criteria.
Memorial Board: "In loving memory of our friends who perished in Game Instances." Just that one sentence. Players have always held onto the suspicion that the Main God is being incredibly snarky here.
Guild Rankings: Where there are people, there is conflict; where there are games, there are guilds.
Music Module: A non-stop broadcast featuring hit tracks from various real-world music platforms1. Sometimes a song repeats incessantly, suggesting that the Main God has developed a sudden obsession. The most infamous "Player Catastrophe Day" occurred when the Main God looped Butterfly Drunk, Wild Wolf Disco, and Meow Meow Song for hours on end. The fixation was so intense that players could even hear the tracks as background music while actively navigating Game Instances.
"Yo, beauty~"
Lin Shuang had barely materialized in the Nexus when a young man brandished a sign and greeted her with forced enthusiasm.
"Interested in checking out Twilight Deities?" the young man asked, eagerly tapping the recruitment board in his hand. "Check out our perks! We have veteran players who group up with newbies for Game Instances. Our survival rate is as high as 71%."
Lin Shuang glanced at the ID hovering above his head: King★Afterimage彡 (Twilight Deities Guild). "Sorry, sorry, I've already got a guild in mind."
She offered an apologetic smile and quickly put some distance between herself and the young man.
Once selected by the Main God, the experience becomes much like any other holographic game, though it lacks character panels or inventory slots. The only accessible feature is a virtual chat channel.
Lin Shuang typed in the protagonist's name. Just as she was about to initiate the search, she received a friend request from someone with a silent ID.
After accepting and sharing her location, she soon saw Jiang Mo hurrying toward her, his head displaying a "Newbie" generic ID.
"You can hide that," Jiang Mo said, pointing to her head. "Open your chat, then tap your avatar to toggle off the ID display."
Lin Shuang followed his instructions. While disabling the ID, she recounted what had just happened.
Jiang Mo chuckled. "Guilds like that talk a big game, but a real Grand Duke wouldn't go around actively recruiting people."
"Do you have a guild?" Lin Shuang asked.
"No," Jiang Mo replied. "I prefer solo-ranking. I hate being bossed around, and I hate bossing others."
"Oh~" Lin Shuang gave a dramatic nod. "So, what was your rating this time? I'm a C-rank. I honestly thought I was headed straight for D."
"Setting your standards so low? You're the only survivor among the rookies, after all," Jiang Mo said, raising his hand to pat her head.
Having anticipated this, Lin Shuang let out a "Hey!" and darted away from his reach, then straightened her face, looking exceptionally serious.
"Man, you know, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river2. I'm not the person I used to be..."
Jiang Mo laughed. Relying on his height and reach, he snagged Lin Shuang and began vigorously mussing her hair. "Does Miss Lin know the saying, 'The priest is tall, but the devil is taller'?"
Lin Shuang, sporting a chaotic mess of hair, admitted defeat and strongly condemned the villainous Jiang Mo for acting before the protagonist could finish their monologue.
Jiang Mo mused for a moment, then said earnestly, "You can finish the rest of it now."
"I'm not the person I used to be," Lin Shuang whispered, reclaiming a shred of her dignity. Then she heard Jiang Mo's tone shift to something more serious. "Did you use your lottery tickets?"
"Not yet. I'm planning to save up for a ten-pull."
Jiang Mo stared at her. "You didn't know? Ten-pulls guarantee a pity pull!"
He knew. Although Jiang Mo hadn't played games since graduation, he hadn't been disconnected from society for long enough to be unaware of the mechanics. But this game didn't follow the "ten-pull pity" rule. "Don't get your hopes up. Even if you save for ten, it just draws them one by one."
"...Oh." Lin Shuang pursed her lips. "I'm pulling then?"
"Yeah."
"Hold my hand," Lin Shuang said, reaching out a treacherous hand, intending to siphon all of the protagonist's luck onto herself.
That's right—she was just that kind of sinister woman... (Evil laughter!)
If only Jiang Mo could read minds. Unfortunately, he couldn't. After taking Lin Shuang's hand, he even coughed twice, feeling slightly self-conscious.
[Player: Shuang Lin has two lottery attempts. Please proceed.]
[Congratulations, you have drawn: Simulated Origami Paper, Long-Lasting Fragrance Beads.]
[Simulated Origami Paper]
This is the paper origami masters dream of. No creases remain when unfolded, and the material is soft yet resilient, impossible to tear.
Usage: Fold it into whatever you desire, and it will become real. Duration: 10 minutes.
[Long-Lasting Fragrance Beads]
Tired of regular scent beads being expensive and running out fast? Don't worry, now you've got these!
Usage: Ten scents to choose from. Place them in the washing machine and take them out to dry after the cycle; they are reusable.
Lin Shuang stared at these two items with a look of profound misery. Only two words came to mind: Wow.
They were truly, utterly useless. Could she fold an aircraft carrier? Or was she supposed to stuff an enemy into a washing machine and suffocate them with scent?
Jiang Mo didn't react much after hearing Lin Shuang describe the items—perhaps he was used to the disappointment.
"Actually, your luck isn't that bad," Jiang Mo said. "Both items are tool-type artifacts. As for whether they're useful... you could pick up origami, and the scent beads will save you money, I guess."
She supposed she had to console herself somehow.
Lin Shuang nodded. Fine. She shouldn't waste the items. Decision made! She was going to become a world-class origami master, starting by folding a camera.
"Did you pull?" Lin Shuang asked, thinking that since her own luck was trash, Jiang Mo, with five attempts, must have done better.
"I did," Jiang Mo said, not hiding it. "Two 1% Strength Enhancements, one 1% Pain Reduction, and a 1TB Security USB. When plugged into a host, it automatically scans for viruses and software, downloads movies at lightning speed, and things like that."
"There was also a Painless Syringe. 2.5ml. Doesn't hurt when you inject yourself. Very reliable."
Wow. Sounds like they were equally useless.
Summary:
Lin Shuang and Jiang Mo navigate the social hub of the Main God Space, sharing banter about their status as a lone player and a survivor. They discuss the game's mechanics, specifically the disappointing lottery system. Lin Shuang unsuccessfully attempts to steal Jiang Mo's protagonist luck before both receive low-value items.
Trivia:
The Nexus allows players to hide their ID above their head through chat settings.
The Main God appears to have a fickle musical taste that affects the entire player base.
Guild recruitment boards are a standard feature used by veteran players to entice rookies.
The lottery system in this game explicitly does not feature the "ten-pull pity" mechanic common in modern games.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ This refers to the Chinese tendency to utilize popular, culturally pervasive songs (like the ones mentioned) as recurring background humor in web novels to create an absurd, relatable contrast to the high-stakes game world.
2 ↩ An idiom meaning fortune changes rapidly; it is used here to mockingly imply that the speaker's status has drastically risen since their last encounter.
Notes:
• Mo - Jiang, a gifted martial artist, is defined by his cold-but-caring demeanor. While he prefers operating alone, he serves as a dedicated mentor to Lin. Known simply by his given name, he balances his solitary nature with his role as a guide, maintaining a reputation for both his aloof outward appearance and his protective influence over those he chooses to support.
• Lin Shuang - Lin Shuang is a college student transmigrated as a cannon fodder in an infinite game. To survive its horrors, she adopts a detached persona, clinging to the male lead for security while finding solace in small rewards like cake. Navigating the original owner's complex social ties with anxiety, she hides her true self, focusing solely on comfort and survival within the deadly, surreal game world.
• Shuang - Lin Shuang is a college student who transmigrated into an infinite game as a cannon fodder. Anxious and desperate to survive, she adopts the persona of an opportunist clinging to the male protagonist for comfort. Known as Shuang or Lin, she navigates this dangerous world by leveraging the original owner’s social ties and attempting to siphon protagonist luck to secure her own survival.
• Lin - A university junior and Jiang Mo’s fiancée, she is a resilient survival game player who masks her trauma and vulnerability with a facade of bravado. Lean and striking in a black blazer and pencil skirt, she swaps a formerly sedentary life for tactical combat with a Tang dao. Though judged by others for her appearance, she skillfully navigates the brutal game while forging vital alliances to survive.
• King - A guild recruiter for Twilight Deities who wears an Afterimage ID.
• Jiang Mo - A cold, calculated strategist in the Infinite Stream, he masks a predatory nature with a gentle persona. As a former boxer living a solitary, tidy life, he balances lethal survival skills with a guarded temperament. He acts as a devoted protector to Lin Shuang, navigating the game's dangers with detached pragmatism and a methodical, controlled approach to both combat and his personal life.
• Jiang - Ranked first in the Main God Space, 'Jiang' is a stoic, cynical, and highly skilled survivalist. A working-class young man with a lean, fit build, he appears in-game as a weary construction worker in a white vest and camo pants. Armed with a Tang sword and chainsaw, this reluctant, protective solo-ranker masks his growing attachment to his rookie partner, Lin Shuang, with a teasing demeanor.
• Evil - A player who is killed during the final stages of the game instance. An accomplice to Slaughterhouse, equally cold and calculating.