Chi Ling woke up to find himself curled up in the narrow back seat of a car. The cramped space left his lower back sore and aching. The car’s inferior cigarette and sweat odors made his stomach feel as though it had taken a heavy blow, making him feel so nauseous that he wanted to throw up.
However, the most unbearable part was his headache, which throbbed as if it were about to explode.
He could not help clenching his fists, suppressing the faint, unvoiced groan rising in his throat, and propped himself up into a difficult, seated position.
What was going on? Chi Ling stared blankly at his hands. When he exerted a bit of force, his fingernails sank deep into his palms.
“Hisss!”
The sensation of pain proved that this was not a dream.
“Xiao Ling, are you alright? Didn’t you sleep well?” The middle-aged man in the passenger seat turned back to ask, his eyes filled with genuine concern.
Scene after scene and thought after thought flashed through his mind, condensing into a single question: Why am I here?
Chi Ling focused on processing his current predicament, intending to act with caution.
When the man in the passenger seat received no reply from Chi Ling for a long time, the aura surrounding him seemed to undergo a subtle shift, gradually turning eerily chilling. A pair of excessively dark eyes stared fixedly at Chi Ling.
Chi Ling could not help shivering. He could even feel the man’s cold, sticky gaze lingering on the top of his head, sending a chilling freeze creeping down his scalp all the way across his entire body. His train of thought instantly ground to a halt.
Sensing a dangerous atmosphere, Chi Ling forced down the nausea and lifted his gaze toward the middle-aged man in front, offering a pale, strained smile: “I am fine. I might just be a bit carsick and feeling unwell.”
The young man’s bangs were slightly long, shadowing his eyes when he lowered his head. With his fair skin and bloodless lips, he looked extremely frail.
The man fell into an eerie silence, withdrew his gaze, and tutted, “This child grew up in the city and has taken cars plenty of times before, so how can he still get carsick?”
He muttered like a genuinely concerned elder, then said to the man in the driver’s seat, “Big Brother, hurry up and get Xiao Ling a bottle of water.”
The man in the driver’s seat pulled a bottle of water from the case of mineral water by his feet and handed it to Chi Ling.
Chi Ling carefully accepted it, stashed it in his backpack, and then leaned back against the rear seat, saying no more.
The two middle-aged men stopped paying attention to Chi Ling in the back, turning instead to converse with each other, chatting about trivial domestic matters before moving on to their glory days of traveling far and wide.
Naturally, Chi Ling had no interest in listening to this. He rolled the car window down a bit and breathed in the cold, damp air, finally feeling his mind clear up a little.
Resting his hand by the window with his head lowered, his slightly long bangs obscured his expression, leaving only the sharp profile of his high-bridged nose and thin lips visible.
When did the abnormal changes begin? Chi Ling pressed his lips tightly together, unassumingly sorting through the information in his mind.
Was it when he woke up one day and kept feeling like an inexplicable gaze was spying on him? Was it a few days ago at work when he suddenly felt time stutter and freeze for a split second? Or was it last night when a strange application suddenly appeared on his phone?
With a solemn expression, Chi Ling pulled out his phone from his pocket and unlocked it. The black icon was as dark as ink, and four white characters gradually emerged as Chi Ling stared at them.
The glow of the phone illuminated Chi Ling’s face, casting an ominous radiance across it.
“Eternal World,” Chi Ling murmured to himself.
The two men in the front did not react at all to Chi Ling’s strange behavior, as though they existed in a completely different world from him.
Even though the phone had no signal and he had not touched a thing, that strange application, which refused to be deleted, opened on its own.
Welcome to the Eternal World!
The phone screen went dark for a fraction of a second before lighting back up, revealing this line of text.
Simultaneously, a cold, mechanical prompt echoed in Chi Ling’s mind, causing him to instinctively press his temples in pain.
Hello, Player S0112103. I am your Newbie Game Guidance System No. 1109099. You may call me Number 9.
Accompanied by the system’s voice, these words also appeared on the phone screen.
Enduring the headache, Chi Ling continued to look at the screen.
Your appearance in this game indicates that you have fortunately passed the preliminary screening of the Eternal World, bringing you one step closer to eternity. Next, please strive to complete tasks and earn more points.
You can reap everything you desire in this game, provided you achieve ultimate victory; you can even become eternity itself.
The system’s cold electronic voice sounded like a demon’s whisper, raising goosebumps all over Chi Ling’s scalp and causing a dull ache to ripple through his heart.
However, remember: do not violate the game rules, or you will be purged.
If the player has considered it thoroughly, please confirm your choice within one minute.
[Yes] [No]
A floating panel suddenly appeared in front of Chi Ling, with the two options right before his eyes.
“Let me ask, what happens if I choose No?” Chi Ling did not rush to make a choice, reacting out of reflex instead to ask a question first.
Entering the Eternal World is the player’s honor. If the player refuses, you will be purged immediately.
Chi Ling’s brow twitched, and he hastily confirmed Yes just as the ten-second countdown was about to expire.
As soon as he confirmed it, another block of text popped up immediately.
Player Notice: The player must independently bear all risks encountered in this game. (Additionally: The final right of interpretation for this game belongs to the Eternal World.)
I have boarded a pirate ship! Chi Ling sighed inwardly, but he had no other choice. After all, he did not want to die young; there was still someone he wanted to see.
Chi Ling’s left hand unconsciously rubbed the stud earring on his lobe while his right elbow rested against the car window, turning his head to gaze outside.
The car drove through winding mountain roads, following the path deeper into the terrain. Dense bamboo forests blotted out the sky, forming one massive shadow after another, amidst which several archaic shrines were faintly visible. A gentle breeze drifted through the air and into the car, carrying the fresh scent of bamboo and a hint of earthy dampness.
It must have rained here recently, and the sky remained extremely dark at present. Large, rolling dark clouds surrounded the mountain ranges, as though isolating the peaks into an entirely different dimension.
Chi Ling observed the scenery outside while listening to the system’s introduction.
Loading player initial information… Load successful.
Chi Ling withdrew his gaze, and another panel materialized before him, detailing things including his life background and initial attributes. Chi Ling focused primarily on his starting character stats.
Player Name: Chi Ling HP: 90 (Cap: 100) (Note: If HP drops to zero, the player’s physical body dies.)
Sanity: 95 (Cap: 100) (Note: If Sanity drops to zero, the player’s mind dies, and they will never be able to leave the game instance.)
Attack Power: 45 (Your attack power is not high; hopefully you will work hard to improve yourself in the game.)
Stamina: 38 (It is one thing for your attack power to be low, but your stamina is this low too.)
Intelligence: 83 (You are smart, surpassing at least eighty-three percent of people. Hopefully you can make good use of your intellect.)
Appearance: 93 (You possess an outstanding appearance, but you have yet to maximize its value.)
Charm: 49 (Compared to your appearance, your charm is damnably low.)
Luck: 48 (You do not seem very lucky; your luck cannot bring you any help.)
Talent: Unlocked (Clear the newbie instance to unlock)
Points: None
Title: Unlocked
Items: None
Achievements: None
Shop: Not open
Comprehensive evaluation: Player rating is E-Rank.
About to enter the newbie game, please prepare yourself.
Loading newbie game… Game load successful.
Seventy-year-old Grandpa Liu has passed away. You are returning to your hometown with your father and uncle to attend his funeral. Having not returned to your hometown for a long time, you might see different sights…
Instance Name: Mountain Village Burial
Instance Mode: Solo Mode
Instance Difficulty: E-Rank Instance
Main Quest: Successfully survive in Liujiaba for three days.
Side Quests: To be discovered by the player.
(Notice: Once the player has points, the shop will automatically unlock. Completing main quests, unlocking side quests, accepting commission tasks, expanding instance completeness, and receiving audience tips can all earn points. Points can be exchanged in the shop for items you need; points are life. Please work hard to earn more points!)
Chi Ling gave a slight nod, deep in thought, a wisp of a dark glint flashing across his amorous eyes.
Players have one and only one chance to seek help in the newbie instance; please use it prudently.
Also: Please take the newbie instance very seriously; it determines how far you can go in this game.
Hoping the player survives this game and wins the love of more audiences.
Accompanied by a ding sound, the system went offline. Following that, the contents of the panel changed once more.
E-Rank Stream S0112103 has been opened. Current viewer count: 0, likes: 0, favorites: 0, tips: 0. Please continue to work hard, player.
The two men in the front seat were still chatting, occasionally bursting into loud ha-has so boisterously it felt as though they might blow the roof off the car.
They shifted from their glory days back to trivial family matters, but this time Chi Ling listened very intently.
“Uncle Liu is gone; it is truly a pity. His health was still quite robust, so how could it be so sudden…” The uncle sighed as he spoke.
“Indeed!” The father joined in with a long sigh, and one could tell his regret was genuine.
“Still, Uncle Liu was over seventy years old, so it can be considered a natural end to his lifespan.”
“Is Uncle Liu’s mourning hall set up in the ancestral hall this time?”
“It should be. Uncle Liu did a lot for the village. He also contributed the most money when the ancestral hall was renovated back then. After his death, the ancestors will surely bless him.”
Robust health yet a sudden death, highly respected in the village, and the whole village making a special trip back to attend the funeral…
What kind of person could this be?
Chi Ling remained silent, listening quietly. The father in this instance suddenly spoke up, “Xiao Ling, remember to go pay your respects before Grandpa Liu’s casket when we get back to the village, burn some paper money, and he will bless you to have smooth sailing and safety.”
Chi Ling nodded hesitantly. Seeing him nod in the rearview mirror, the father revealed a satisfied smile.
Passing through several large mountains, they finally arrived at their destination: Liujiaba.
The village was built in a small basin nestled among several mountains. It was not large, housing only a few hundred people.
At the entrance of the village stood an ancient Earth God shrine. The shrine was not small, but its grounds were overgrown with weeds, and its doors were woven with spiderwebs, clearly having gone unvisited for a very long time.
Chi Ling followed right behind his father and uncle all the way, their destination being the ancestral hall.
Along the way, they passed numerous houses, all of which had their doors tightly shut. Chi Ling found this point rather strange, though no other anomalies had surfaced for the time being.
Finally, they reached the ancestral hall, where quite a few villagers were waiting to greet the three of them.
Upon seeing Chi Ling, smiles bloomed uniformly across their sorrowful faces, looking as if they had been stamped out from the same mold. These smiles were stiff and eerie, making Chi Ling feel utterly uncomfortable and covering him in goosebumps.
He consistently and cautiously followed behind his father and second uncle, greeting them one by one under the prompts of the two men.
He raised his head, his peach-blossom eyes brimming with affection, a smile favored by elders plastered across his face as he spoke in an eager and affectionate tone.
“Grandpa.”
“Third Aunt.”
“Cousin.”
…
“My, we have not seen each other in so many years, yet Xiao Ling still remembers us.”
“Xiao Ling has grown up so handsome, and his mouth is so sweet.”
“Jinghua, you really know how to raise a child.”
With Chi Ling’s series of greetings, the eerie aura emanating from this group of elders slowly dissipated. He let out a shallow breath of relief; the aura from this bunch of elders just now had been far too terrifying. It seemed he could not actively provoke conflicts with them for the time being—ten of him would not be enough to slaughter if things went south, just to play it safe.
Chi Ling looked at the group of people before him, all uniformly draped in hemp mourning clothes, and said to his grandfather, “Grandpa, can I also wear mourning attire for Grandpa Liu?”
“Who would have thought this child is quite filial? Since you volunteered, of course it is a good thing. Desheng Grandpa and the ancestors will all bless you.” The grandfather stroked his beard, nodded in satisfaction, and turned to say a word to his cousin.
Before Chi Ling could react, someone draped a piece of white mourning cloth over his head.
“Cousin, you can use mine first! I will have Auntie get me another piece later.” The cousin scratched his head with an honest smile, his eyes squinting into slits on his chubby face.
Chi Ling expertly squeezed out a fake smile.
Congratulations to the player for obtaining the ordinary item: White Mourning Cloth x 1. Can immunize against a specter’s attack once within this instance (Ordinary items cannot be taken out of the instance).
Chi Ling’s movements paused, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. It was actually an item; this acquisition was way too casual!
Chi Ling felt the item came too easily, and many players watching his livestream felt the same way, turning red with envy.
Livestream S0112103, current viewer count: 19, likes: 3, favorites: 0, tips: 0. Please continue to work hard, player.
“Why did I not have such good luck back then!”
“On what grounds?! Just because he is good-looking?”
“Are items nowadays this easy to get?”
Chi Ling took a moment to glance at the chat barrage contents, the corners of his lips curving upward slightly, only to lock eyes with his father’s pitch-black pupils when he raised his gaze. His body stiffened involuntarily before he forced out another smile.
“Dad, what is wrong?”
“Xiao Ling, you seem a bit strange.” The father’s expression carried a hint of suspicion.
“No, nothing. I just want to go home and rest soon. Having ridden in the car for so long, my lower back feels sore and aching.” Chi Ling said, thumping his lower back.
A miscalculation. It seemed one still could not lower their guard in front of this group of villagers.
“Sigh, looks like your mother really spoiled you rotten. Just a few hours in a car tires you out like this, never mind how hard we usually work.” The father sighed outwardly, but his eyes held scrutiny.
“But I really am tired! I just want to go back and sleep right now.” Chi Ling earnestly played the role of a spoiled teenager, pouting and turning his head away.
The father sighed, shook his head, and said, “You cannot go back to rest yet. We have to go through the ancestral hall and pay respects to the ancestors before going home to rest. If you are really that tired, have your cousin carry your bag.”
Chi Ling reluctantly agreed. He handed his bag directly to his cousin, brazenly squeezing himself among the group of elders while ignoring his cousin’s aggrieved expression.
With someone to help carry his bag, why not enjoy the convenience?