Lu Zhao’s eyes rolled listlessly twice before closing again with indifference.
Just then, the viewer count in the livestream changed from 0 to 2.
Two people slowly typed question marks in the scrolling subtitle.
[Jianmengtianxia: ?????? What’s this livestream for? Why is everything pitch black?]
[Shuaidebumingxian: Is the streamer performing as a corpse?]
In the frame, only Lu Zhao could be seen lying motionless with closed eyes. Under the dim moonlight, numerous others lay scattered around.
[Jianmengtianxia: Why are the streamer and the people around dressed so strangely? Is this some film set?]
Lu Zhao communicated with the audience through his thoughts: [Hello everyone, I’m your streamer. As you can see, this isn’t a film set or a shooting location. This is a high-level dimensional livestream. Your streamer is currently in the ancient Da Yong Dynasty, trapped in a black mine. The main quest is to support this dimension’s Child of Destiny to ascend the throne and become Empress. The current side quest is to help the Child of Destiny escape the black mine.]
A few more viewers gradually joined the livestream.
[Zuipaotianwang: Become Empress? Is the streamer female?]
[Sijibushache: Hahahaha, Child of Destiny? Streamers will make up any lie to attract viewers these days! Must be tough hiring so many people. Waiting for the streamer to get exposed!]
[Jianmengtianxia: Waiting for streamer to get exposed +1]
[Shuaidebumingxian: Waiting for streamer to get exposed +2]
Footsteps approached the iron door. Soldiers holding torches glanced toward the stone hut entrance. The torchlight overpowered the moonlight, illuminating the area around the hut entrance. Seeing complete silence inside, the two soldiers who had approached turned away, muttering quietly as they walked: “Damn misfortune! Everyone else went drinking, only us two left to watch these lowlifes!”
Everyone in the stone hut silently sat up, their eyes filled with resentment!
The Liangzhou Governor was ambitious and forcibly conscripted laborers, treating commoners like themselves as less than human – utterly despicable.
After the footsteps faded away, the leader of the group looked toward Shen Qi sitting against the wall and whispered: “Later, kill them directly, don’t hold back!”
After speaking, seeing Shen Qi remain silent, he frowned and whispered again: “Lu Shiqi!”
Shen Qi still ignored him, instead lifting his chin to gesture toward Lu Zhao.
The leader followed his gaze to Lu Zhao. The young man who had been curled on the ground had changed positions, his thin chest rising and falling noticeably, long eyelashes fluttering – clearly breathing again.
He froze momentarily, then heard Shen Qi’s cold voice: “He opened his eyes earlier.”
Hearing this, the timid man near Lu Zhao immediately stammered: “I-I saw it too earlier! His eyes were wide open, staring right at me!” He knew it wasn’t his imagination.
After these words, everyone in the stone hut turned to look at Lu Zhao.
The effect was equivalent to over forty people simultaneously looking up at the camera. The few viewers in the livestream were startled, exclaiming in surprise.
[Zuipaotianwang: Streamer, get up! Stop pretending to be dead!]
[Shuaidebumingxian: These actors the streamer hired are too dedicated! Their eyes are terrifying! Looks like they want to skin the streamer alive!]
[Jianmengtianxia: Exactly! Scared the hell out of me! Streamer, get up and pay their wages!]
Being stared at by such a group, Lu Zhao could no longer keep up the act. Her eyelashes fluttered twice before she opened her eyes again, propping up her frail body with one arm.
The stone hut fell silent for a moment, and soon everyone looked panicked as they turned to the burly leader: That jinx was right—she actually came back to life! What do we do?
The burly leader sighed softly, lowering his voice: “Guess it’s not her time to die. We’ll have to think of another way.”
Someone grew anxious: “What other way? The hour of Zi is almost here!”
Everyone in the stone hut fixed their predatory gazes on Lu Zhao again—a look she knew all too well. In the early days of the apocalypse, when zombies besieged the city and food was scarce, she, weak and vulnerable, had been stared at like this by a group of Ability Users.
It was the look of wolves eyeing their prey.
Now these miners, tortured to the brink of collapse, would never let a “weakling” like her go if it meant securing their own escape.
The tension in the stone hut was palpable, and the live stream audience was holding its breath too.
Behind Lu Zhao, a square-faced young man with a dark complexion seethed with rage. He untied his equally blackened belt and moved to strangle her neck…
Everyone in the stone hut held their breath in unison, but not one spoke up to stop him.
It wasn’t that they lacked compassion—they just wanted to live more.
In contrast, the live stream viewers couldn’t stomach it.
[Shuaidebumingxian: Shit shit shit, streamer, watch out! Someone’s trying to sneak attack you!King of Trash Talk: Streamer, turn around now ah ah ah ah ah ah!]
A handful of newcomers calmly picked their ears.
[Jianmengtianxia: Relax, like we said, these are all actors hired by the streamer. It’s all an act!]
[Driver No Brake: Acting +1.]
[Sucking a Pacifier to Conquer the World: Acting +2, boring. I’m leaving the stream.]
Just as “Sucking a Pacifier to Conquer the World” was about to exit, the square-faced man in the stream crashed face-down at Lu Zhao’s feet, his head impaled on a protruding sharp rock. His eyes were wide open, blood mist spraying everywhere—lifeless.
The dozen or so viewers who had just joined were terrified by the gruesome scene, vomiting instantly before exiting. Soon, they timidly reentered and asked, [Is this acting?]
[An ancient execution drama?]
Later viewers questioned the earlier ones.
The original viewers were already stunned, their hands trembling as they typed.
[Sucking a Pacifier to Conquer the World: Seems like it’s not staged…]
[Driver No Brake: Is the streamer really in an ancient alternate dimension?]
[Jianmengtianxia: Is this a Live Stream System that comes with crossing worlds?]
[King of Trash Talk: I was so scared I randomly hit the report button.]
[Report +1]
[Report +2]
The system automatically pixelated the square-faced man’s dead, unblinking face, but the terrified expressions of everyone in the stone hut remained starkly visible in the live stream.
What just happened? How did the square-faced man die?
The other miners didn’t know, but the skilled leader and Shen Qi, sitting opposite Lu Zhao, saw it clearly: the moment the square-faced man bent to strangle her, Lu Zhao’s supporting hand behind her back moved lightning-fast. The man fell unexpectedly, right onto the jagged rock.
Their eyes simultaneously scanned Lu Zhao’s face—she still looked terminally ill and frail.
So weak a gust of wind could knock her over…
It must have been a coincidence.
The timid man next to Lu Zhao belatedly screamed: “D-dead! Someone’s dead!!!!”
“Someone’s dead!!!!”
The timid man recoiled, his hands covered in blood, scrambling backward as he tried to distance himself from the terrifying corpse. The stone hut was packed with people, and his movement caused those he stepped on to shriek in alarm.
The cries traveled far through the skylight and iron door.
In the distant, lonely mountains, startled crows took flight.
The two patrolling guards returned upon hearing the commotion. Approaching the door, they rapped on the iron bars with their sword hilts and spat inside, “What’s all this racket?”
“Someone’s dead! Officer, someone’s dead!”
At first, the soldiers assumed it was Lu Zhao, who had been hovering near death. But when the scent of blood wafted out on the cold wind, they realized something was gravely wrong. Immediately, they unfastened the padlocks from their belts and opened the door.
The clinking of the lock echoed through the dark night like a drumbeat pounding in everyone’s chest.
The crowd parted, all eyes fixed nervously on the doorway, awaiting wolves entering a sheepfold.
The leader pressed against the left side of the iron door and signaled to Shen Qi, who silently took position on the right, fists clenched in a combat stance.
Clang! The iron door swung open.
Two soldiers stood silhouetted in the doorway, raising their torches to illuminate the stone hut. The gruesome sight of the square-faced man on the floor startled them, and they barked, “What happened? Who did this?”
The crowd stammered incoherently.
As the soldiers stepped forward with their torches and bent to investigate, Shen Qi and the leader sprang into action simultaneously—one hand covering mouths, the other twisting to snap necks.
Shen Qi moved with clean precision. The soldier slumped silently from his grasp, and the torch fell into his hand. The leader was just a step slower, barely managing to tackle his target to the ground. As the soldier’s eyes bulged, on the verge of shouting, Shen Qi—now holding the torch—stomped on the man’s head…
Crack.
Blood pooled together.
The miners in the stone hut looked pallid and sickly.
The leader stared at Shen Qi with a complex expression, but Shen Qi remained unruffled, explaining calmly, “You said we couldn’t hold back.”
The leader choked back a retort: He had indeed said that, but crushing a head like a watermelon was unduly brutal…
Of course, he wouldn’t voice such divisive, morale-shattering thoughts aloud.
Secretly, he resolved to part ways with Shen Qi as soon as they escaped the mine.
Lu Zhao, who had been silent all along, also formed her own judgment: This Child of Destiny was ruthless.
Almost as if he came from the same place as her.
Ignoring the others, Shen Qi handed the torch to someone nearby and bent down to strip the soldier’s uniform, pulling it onto himself.
The leader didn’t dare delay either, quickly stripping the other soldier’s official garb and donning it himself. As he dressed, he ordered the remaining miners, “Drag these two to the corner and cover them with straw. Don’t let anyone notice anything amiss.”
The others complied, hauling the bodies toward the haystack behind Lu Zhao. Leaning against the stone wall, Lu Zhao struggled to her feet, quietly observing the scene.
How long had this body been ill? Just standing up made her vision swim with darkness.
She had to sit back down against the wall, taking deep breaths to regulate her energy.
The live-stream audience was also shaken.
[Sucking a Pacifier to Conquer the World: If the streamer isn’t lying, this Child of Destiny seems a bit dark-hearted.]
[Driver Without Brakes: Dark-hearted? He snapped a neck and crushed a skull without a moment’s hesitation.]
Yet, some defended him.
【Zui Pao Tian Wang: The person upstairs can imagine the conditions in ancient black mines. These miners clearly have been tortured for a long time. Showing mercy to the soldiers who whip them daily? Are they reincarnated saints?】
【Jianmengtianxia: Exactly! If it were me, I’d want to stab the people tormenting me eighty times over.】
【Shuaidebumingxian: The streamer’s in trouble. Look at her sickly, frail figure. Are we sure she’s helping the Child of Destiny escape, and not the Child of Destiny dragging her out?】
Lu Zhao let out a silent scoff: Who’s dragging whom remains to be seen.
In the span of a few breaths, the burly leader had already dressed, picked up a torch, and ordered two men to carry away the square-faced man’s corpse. The rest immediately fled the stone hut as planned. Before leaving, the timid man glanced back and pointed at Lu Zhao in the shadows: “Him…”
His meaning was clear: Are we just leaving him here?
Shen Qi replied coldly, “Want to carry him yourself?”
The timid man recoiled in fear and scurried away.
Without so much as a glance at Lu Zhao, Shen Qi shut the door behind him. The sound of the lock clicking into place echoed sharply.
Click—the sound erupted like a storm in the live stream.
【Jianmengtianxia: Damn, damn, damn! My heart aches for the streamer for a second. They didn’t even bother dragging her along—just locked her in. This is setting up for a brutal game.】
【Shuaidebumingxian: This isn’t just having a black heart—it’s having every organ rotten. Sympathizing with the streamer for two seconds.】
【Zui Pao Tian Wang: I was wrong. I defended the Child of Destiny earlier, but to be this ruthless to a fellow streamer… Truly black-hearted. No more words—just sending the streamer some comfort.】
A few small star effects flashed across the live stream screen.
The system promptly reminded, 【One small star equals one Popularity Value. For gift-to-popularity conversions, streamers can check the gift section in the backend.】
Following the earlier donations, several others who had spoken up for Shen Qi also sent small stars one after another.
It felt like a farewell tribute to the streamer.
Seeing over twenty small stars in the backend, the system’s eyes lit up, immediately popping up a reminder: 【Streamer currently has 21 Popularity Value. Would you like to exchange for corresponding stamina attributes?】
Lu Zhao opened the backend’s attribute exchange panel. It required 10 attribute points to exchange for 1 stamina point.
She decisively closed the interface, her thin lips parting slightly: “No exchange!”
Then she stood up, pushed aside the pile of straw, took another waterskin from the dead soldier’s waist, and gulped down a large mouthful of water. Tossing the waterskin aside, she picked up the square-faced man’s belt, tied it between two protruding stone pillars on the wall meant for torches, and created a taut line. Pressing her feet firmly, she stepped onto the belt, nimbly climbed up to the skylight, and—using her slender frame to her advantage—slipped directly out through the opening.
The system was stunned. 【Ho-host, your post-fusion stamina isn’t zero?】
Lu Zhao, now standing in the darkness, curled her lips: How could it be zero?
Her original body’s combat prowess was top-tier. Even without her abilities, post-fusion, it could never be zero.
The system quickly pulled up her attribute panel to check.
【Streamer’s New Identity: Name: Lu Zhao】
【Age: 16】
【Gender: Disguised as male】
【Origin: Hunter from Xishan Village, Liangzhou, Da Yong】
【Original Skills: Hunting | Post-Fusion: Combat, Assassination, Tracking, Others…】
【Original Strength: 3 | Post-Fusion: 3】
【Original Intelligence: 5 | Post-Fusion: To Be Determined】
【Original Appearance: 5 | Post-Fusion: 70】
The system was incredulous. 【How did you manage that with just three points of physical strength?】
The few viewers in the livestream were also stunned, then erupted in cheers.
【Jianmengtianxia: Great, folks, we’re saved! The streamer isn’t actually weak!】
【Zuipao Tianwang: The streamer’s moves were too cool—already screen-recorded!】
【Shuaidebumingxian: Streamer, sending you a rocket! Chase after that Child of Destiny and bust his head, then grab him by the neck and tell him, “I am your golden finger!”】
Rocket effects flooded the entire livestream—each rocket worth five hundred Popularity Value.
Lu Zhao’s eyes gleamed brilliantly as she chased after a swiftly moving figure in the shadows.