An egg broken from the outside is food; broken from the inside, it is life — Hemingway.
Several cherry blossom trees stood outside the window, planted for the patients to enjoy.
Summer happened to be the perfect season for viewing the blossoms, but staring at them day after day inevitably grew dull.
Yan Huang rested one hand against the window, his bald head tilting slightly as a faint smile crept across his face.
Beep… beep…
Beep… beep…
Beep… beep…
The electrocardiogram’s fluctuations were unusually steady, yet that still didn’t allow him to get out of bed on his own and go outside for a look.
Because he was a mid-stage brain cancer patient.
A dying man.
He was only twenty-six. He had just fought his way to the position of top sales representative, and before he could even enjoy life, he’d been diagnosed with this illness.
He didn’t want to die.
If there was any way to survive… it had to be by entering that “other” world that had never revealed itself to the surface of this one.
Yan Huang opened his phone and looked at the missing-person reports he’d collected over the past month.
[The old beggar who had stood guard beneath Jiangdu Bridge for ten years like clockwork vanished for six months, then reappeared — only to be revealed as the lost son of a hundred-billion conglomerate chairman, inheriting the fortune and turning his life around overnight.]
[A mysterious ritual: the 130-year-old elder of Wanzhu Village disappears once every year, and every time he returns, he looks ten years younger. Even scientists call it a miracle.]
[After a great 21st-century artist vanished for seven days, a twisted, bizarre painting appeared in his home. A collector offered a billion for it, only to discover that the paint was made from the artist’s own flesh and blood.]
Within a single month, more than four hundred people had gone missing.
Some vanished and became “winners in life.” Others vanished and died unnatural deaths.
Once or twice could be coincidence. But four hundred times?
Yan Huang had been following these stories for a long time. Maybe he really had gone mad.
But he had no choice but to believe.
There had to be something in this world that hadn’t yet revealed itself — something that could satisfy every desire.
He wanted to live. He didn’t want to die so pathetically!
He had to live!
Yan Huang clenched his fist.
Suddenly, a sweet, loli-like voice echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations, human full of desire. You have been chosen by the Instance!]
[As long as you become a player, clear instances, and earn points, you can obtain everything you desire — money, beauty, even mysterious powers beyond ordinary comprehension.]
[So tell me, what is your desire?]
It’s here!
Just as he’d expected…
A glint of sharp light flashed in Yan Huang’s eyes, and his answer came without a moment’s hesitation: “I want to live.”
[Then… are you willing to enter the Instance and become an Instance player? Neither fear nor madness can separate you from the Instance. Only death can grant you true release.]
Yan Huang curled his lips.
His life had already been on a countdown.
If he could survive, even if it meant living with fear and madness for the rest of his days, so what?
“I am willing.”
…
[Contract established. Evaluating player talent.]
[Player Yan Huang’s words and deeds are consistent, his character noble. Congratulations, you have awakened the talent: Deceiver.]
[Talent confirmed. Evaluating player attributes.]
[Player: Deceiver — Yan Huang]
[Talent: Your words and deeds are consistent, your character noble. All people will maintain trust in you. You never lie — you are the lie itself. When you activate your talent, everything, including trust and distrust, will be converted into a probabilistic calculation method.]
[Talent Hidden Information 1: For a certain basic event, your words will enter a judgment. The other party has a 50% probability of trusting you. If the judgment succeeds, the corresponding cognition and rules of the affected person will be changed. If the judgment fails, it will be ineffective.]
[Talent Hidden Information 2: For a certain absolute event, if your words reach a state of opposing events (either A or not A), then regardless of whether the judgment succeeds or fails, the corresponding cognition and rules of the affected person will be changed, and information feedback will be obtained.]
[Strength: 0.5 (Normal adult is 1)]
[Agility: 0.5 (Normal adult is 1)]
[Intelligence: 1.7 (Normal adult is 1)]
[Evaluation: Your stat panel is truly too rare. Hurry up and enter the game to die!]
…
[Now drawing a beginner Instance.]
[Congratulations! You have drawn the beginner Instance—Solo Instance—F-rank Instance “City of Incubation”]
[“City of Incubation” Introduction: This is the hometown of a century’s worth of geniuses. This is a place countless people dream of. Whether it’s the residents here or those who have ever walked into this town, they all become rare dragons and phoenixes among men, social elites. They possess the most perfect brains in this world, possess the most perfect talents in this world. Those who walk out of here shake the world with their fame. And now, as an archaeologist, you are fortunate enough to be warmly invited by Incubation Town to explore their culture and showcase their culture.]
[Newbie Protection Reminder: In the beautiful Incubation Town, once night falls, it will sink into a mysterious silence. My dear player… if you want to survive, do not sleep too deeply, and do not approach the darkness.]
[Instance Completion Deadline: 3 days.]
[Friendly Reminder: Your Instance process has entered the livestream room according to procedure. You can know the real-time data through your brain. The system will comprehensively consider your Instance difficulty, livestream stickiness, and other data to recommend your livestream to other players in real time. If you’re stuck… satisfying the audience’s demands to receive tips is also a good way to survive.]
[Now, the game begins!]
…
Yan Huang felt a dizzy spell and rubbed his own head, but was astonished to discover.
His hair was back?
He felt the bumpiness of sitting down and looked to the side in surprise.
The car window was wrapped in black tinted film, making it impossible to see what was outside, what the situation was, or which road they were taking.
The black tinted film allowed him to see his own face clearly even inside the car.
His hair was thick, silky and smooth, scattered across his forehead.
He wore a pair of thin black-rimmed glasses. That familiar, delicate face still bore his signature smile. Anyone who saw him would be unable to resist feeling fond of him.
Truly refined.
This was how he looked before his diagnosis.
It had been a long time.
He was in a car now?
It seemed he could check the livestream situation.
A thought flashed through his mind.
[Livestream Online Viewers: 1 person.]
There seemed to be a livestream comment too?
[Passerby A: A newcomer to the City of Incubation? This stat panel… HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!]
[Passerby A forwarded your livestream.]
[Passerby B entered your livestream.]
[Passerby B: HAHAHAHA holy shit, this is really the shabbiest stat panel I’ve ever seen. Not even as good as a little kid’s. Doomed for sure, no doubt about it.]
[Passerby A: The City of Incubation is the hardest of the beginner instances—no one has ever gotten the good ending so far. Wonder how this newbie’s gonna die.]
[Passerby B: How else? Either get incubated or get killed, nothing interesting. Forget it, I’ll toss him a tip out of pity and leave.]
[Passerby B has tipped you 1 point.]
[Passerby A has tipped you 1 point.]
[Live stream viewers: 0 people.]
Yan Huang: “…”
Thanks, I guess.
Was his panel really that pathetic? It didn’t look that bad to him.
But what did they mean by “get incubated”?
Just then, without a sound—
A human face suddenly appeared in Yan Huang’s line of sight. Its hollow eyes held no emotion, its stiff face like carved wood, barely forcing out a strange smile.
“Teacher Yan, we’ve arrived at Incubation Town. You may get off now.”
— Author’s Note —
New writer here, hope you’ll be forgiving of any flaws, and feel free to point out any detailed errors.
Here’s a heads-up for everyone:
1: All players’ talents in “Instance” have certain limitations and backlash, for balance purposes.
2: No CP, and teammates will be gradually added.
There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand readers’ eyes. I’m just a storyteller—I can’t satisfy everyone, and I’m truly sorry about that, but I hope I can write a work that satisfies myself!