Death came without warning, just like the lightning at your fingertips, which was the faith of my whole life…
Momo’s final Remembrance stayed at that early morning.
On the computer screen, the Hollow exploration interface of “Zenless Zone Zero” was halfway loaded, she stood up to get a glass of water, a nearby power strip lit up with a dazzling light, Momo’s vision suddenly went dark, and the back of her head hit the corner of the table.
And then — — there was nothing…
It was…
just nothing.
In her past life, she was an ordinary game otaku, her biggest achievement was grinding over a dozen accounts, and her biggest regret was probably not uploading her browsing history to a cloud drive to share.
As her consciousness floated up from the long darkness, a cold system voice rang out in her mind.
“Ding — —”
[Host soul matched, loading the ‘Troll’ System…
Loading the compatibility of the ‘Vicissitudes’ Signet…]
[Loading complete]
[In 3 minutes, the host will be reborn as ‘Fu Hua’, and will obtain part of her combat abilities.]
[Current ability is locked to ‘Junior’, the Valkyrie armor has unlocked the ‘Valkyrie·Accipiter’ form, and subsequent higher-stage Valkyrie armor forms can be unlocked sequentially through popularity points.]
[The host has descended to the world: Zenless Zone Zero · New Eridu]
[Warm reminder: The world the host is currently in is an independent spacetime parallel to the real world.]
[The host’s actions will be presented in various forms such as games or live broadcasts in different parallel worlds.]
[Players in the parallel worlds will be able to observe the host’s actions and accumulate popularity points for the host through behaviors like “likes” and “thumbs-ups”, and the host’s popularity points will directly affect the ability unlock progress.]
“Ding — —”
[Popular explanation: The more the host creates chaos and the more players like her, the stronger her power will be, so…
Come on!
For the sake of joy above!!!
For the next tomorrow!!!]
“System,” she spoke, with suppressed laughter in her tone, “So what you mean is, the more exciting my performance is, the more the audience will like it, and the stronger I will be?”
[Host understands accurately]
Fu Hua sat up from the dim alley, she lowered her head to look at her slender fingers, slender yet sturdy wrists, wearing a blue-based martial arts uniform trimmed with white.
Fu Hua, who originated from Shenzhou, chose a hometown-styled design when customizing this uniform.
The lightweight design, akin to martial arts clothing, allowed her to launch attacks freely, and the special treatment at the cuffs prevented her from being hindered when throwing punches.
A head of grayish-white long hair fell over her shoulders.
She raised her hand and took off her glasses, behind the lenses were a pair of azure-blue eyes.
That was not ordinary blue — — the depths of her pupils settled with a weight that spanned across a long time, clearly just quietly gazing at the neon lights at the alley entrance, yet inexplicably making people feel that those eyes had seen too much and remembered too much.
‘Valkyrie·Accipiter’, once her favorite character, the Immortal Lord’s initial form, just looking at it made people’s saliva secrete and fingers itch…
“Ding — —”
[Novice quest released: Take root in New Eridu, establish contact with the Phaethon siblings]
[Quest reward: 100 popularity points.]
Fu Hua put her red-framed glasses back on, patted the non-existent dust on her martial arts uniform, and stood up.
The lenses covered that excessively sharp azure-blue eyes, making her entire demeanor instantly much softer, transforming from a warrior steeped in ten thousand years of time into a seemingly ordinary, somewhat dull ‘young girl’.
“Then that makes things easy.”
She stepped out of the alley.
— — — — The night of New Eridu rushed over her face, neon lights dyed the streets in colorful hues, holographic billboards alternately played concert trailers of the popular diva Yao Jiayin, the air was mixed with the aroma of grilled skewers and the pungent smell of engine oil, and pedestrians in all sorts of bizarre clothes came and went: engineers wearing work clothes, street artists carrying instrument cases, and a few Thirens with animal features.
This was New Eridu, the last oasis surrounded by the “Hollow” disaster, the fire rekindled by human civilization after the apocalypse.
Sixth Street was even livelier than in her Remembrance.
Fu Hua walked along the street for a while, and finally found that video store near a noodle shop.
The storefront was not big, with a retro sign hanging at the door, and the glass display windows were filled with various old-fashioned videotapes.
Pushing open the door, the bell on the door made a crisp sound.
[Seven Immortals Crossing the Sea in Yuanshen: Wow!
After waiting so long, zzz finally has a new plot!
This new character is quite good-looking]
[I Ship Umbrella x Bo: zzz didn’t it start broadcasting long ago, the Calamity King is still bullying the Little Nightmare]
[Guga Invincible: What the f***ing zzz is that]
The store was very quiet, warm yellow lights shone on rows of shelves, and the air was filled with a faint smell of paper pages and plastic sleeves.
The computer screen at the front desk was lit up, with only a small Bangboo at the counter.
“Is anyone here?” Fu Hua asked.
“Coming, coming!!” A crisp female voice came from the inner room as a young girl walked out briskly.
A head of blue short hair emitted a soft luster under the light, the tips of her hair slightly curled up, she wore a pair of special earrings, exuding a bit of playfulness.
Wearing a loose hoodie, she was also holding a box of videotapes in her hand.
Seeing Fu Hua, she tilted her head and showed a bright smile.
Belle, that energetic, cheerful, sharp, and alert girl.
On the surface, she was a video store clerk, but behind the scenes, she was a member of the legendary Proxy “Phaethon”.
Although she didn’t have much combat capability for the time being, through the HDD system, she could possess her consciousness into the dedicated Bangboo “Eous”, entering the Hollow to guide agents.
Fu Hua had seen her countless times in the game in her past life, but standing here face-to-face, she was still infected by those bright eyes.
Belle’s smile had an indescribable infectiousness, not the polite kind of smile, but a heartfelt, unreserved warmth — — just like a ray of sunshine suddenly caught in winter.
“Welcome to Random Play!”
Belle put the videotape on the table, wiped her hands, “Are you renting or buying movies?”
“We have a new batch of classic old movies here!
Super exciting doomsday blockbuster movies!
Vinyl-textured restored version!
This handsome…
uh, little sister, do you want to take a look?”
Fu Hua lowered her head slightly to look at her toes, letting her red-framed glasses slide down to the bridge of her nose, and softened her tone even more.
She took off her glasses, gently wiping the lenses with her cuffs, those azure-blue eyes briefly revealed themselves, and were quickly covered by the lenses again.
“Hello, I…
I am here to look for a job.”
“Looking for a job?” Belle blinked.
“Mhm.”
“I just arrived in New Eridu not long ago, I’m not very familiar with this place…
and I don’t have much money left on me.”
“Passing by and seeing that you run a video store, I wanted to ask…
do you need help watching the store or anything?”
“I can do anything!”
Belle looked her up and down.
The young girl in front of her had a slender figure, wearing blue-based clothes with white borders, and the red-framed glasses gave her a bit of a scholarly air.
Her timid tone and reserved, dull standing posture made people couldn’t help but feel a desire to protect her.
The whole person exuded an aura of “just arriving, unfamiliar with the place” — — like a kitten that accidentally wandered into an unfamiliar neighborhood, vigilant and “helpless”.
“You came alone?” Belle’s voice softened involuntarily.
Fu Hua nodded, lowering her eyelids.
She didn’t speak, but that action was more powerful than any words: alone, with no family, no support, standing in a completely unfamiliar city, not knowing where to go.
Belle’s expression softened completely.
“Wait for me a moment.”
She turned her head and shouted toward the inner room.
“Brother — — come out!!
”
After a moment, the door to the inner room opened and a grey-haired young man walked out.
He wore a simple shirt and trousers, with a steady and introverted temperament, his pace neither fast nor slow, every step planted steadily and quietly.
His gaze fell on Fu Hua, without hostility, but carrying a serious, scrutinizing look.
Not the kind of uncomfortable gaze, but like someone who was used to taking care of others, evaluating whether the other person really needed help.
Wise, Belle’s brother, another member of Phaethon, steady, gentle and introverted, meticulous, capable of bringing peace of mind at critical moments.
“Belle, what’s wrong?
And this is?”
“She’s here to look for a job,” Belle blurted out, “Just arrived in New Eridu alone, no family, and doesn’t have much money on her.”
“Brother, doesn’t our store lack people to help organize those old videotapes?
Look at her — —”
Wise looked at Belle, then looked at Fu Hua.
He knew his sister’s temperament: soft-hearted, easily moved with pity upon seeing a girl all alone.
But as the backbone of this family, he needed to be more cautious.
He noticed that although the martial arts uniform on Fu Hua was clean, the cuffs had traces of wear, indeed looking like she had walked quite a lot of distance.
The red-framed glasses added an impression of honesty and diligence to her.
“What is your name?”
“Fu Hua.”
“What can you do?”
“I…” Fu Hua thought for a moment, “I’ve learned a bit of combat, my physical stamina is relatively good, I can help move things and organize shelves.”
“Also…
I can grow vegetables!”
[Thick You Zhongli’s Man:???
Wait a minute, applying for a job at a video store and saying your specialty is growing vegetables?
Is this right?]
[Seven Immortals Crossing the Sea in Yuanshen: Upstairs, your name is quite fancy]
[Lushui Heibei!
My Love: Country girl.jpg]
Wise’s gaze lingered on her for a few seconds.
The young girl in front of him indeed looked harmless, slender, with clean eyes, looking honest and dutiful, lowering her head slightly when speaking, as if somewhat reserved.
“Where are you from?”
“A very distant place,” Fu Hua paused, remaining silent for a moment, “Xuling, a once remote and obscure small village.”
Wise saw her slightly clenched cuffs, and although he always felt an indescribable oddity, he nodded anyway.
Belle pulled Wise’s sleeve: “Brother, look at how pitiful she is all alone.”
“Our store happens to be short-handed, let her try, won’t you?”
Wise fell silent for a moment, and gently sighed.
His sister had been like this since childhood, unable to bear seeing others lonely and helpless.
To be honest, the store had indeed recently accumulated a batch of old goods that needed sorting and categorization, and Belle was busy with Inter-Knot commissions all day, so he couldn’t handle it all by himself.
“One-week probation period,” Wise said, “Room and board included, daily wages.”
“Where to live…
There is a storage room on the second floor, which can be lived in after tidying it up.”
“The conditions aren’t very good, but it’s better than sleeping on the street.”
Fu Hua raised her head, a trace of surprise flashing in her azure-blue eyes behind the lenses.
She had originally thought she would need to spend more tongue-tied effort, not expecting it to go so smoothly.
Belle’s soft heart contributed immensely, but Wise’s trust was equally precious.
A cautious person willing to give this trust weighed much more heavily than a carefree person casually agreeing.
“Thank you!” Fu Hua’s voice was very soft.
“You’re welcome!” Belle leaned over and patted her shoulder, her palm carrying a carefree warmth when it landed on her shoulder.
“From now on we’re family!
My name is Belle, this is my brother Wise, you can just call me Belle, and call him little Zhe.”
Wise’s mouth twitched, and he didn’t speak, but Fu Hua noticed that there was an extremely faint, almost imperceptible arc at the corner of his mouth.
[Thick You Zhongli’s Man: Good grief, she just sneaked in like that?
This move is getting something for nothing!]
[Luofu Diviner: Belle really is a soft-hearted little angel, she can’t help it when she sees a pitiful person!]
[I Have 76 Accounts: Ling: I picked up a cat today, she wants to come home with me.jpg]
Fu Hua looked at the bullet comments bouncing in her mind, the corners of her mouth curved up slightly, the lenses covering the smile in her eyes.
It seemed a new life was about to begin.
Lord of Trolls above, I bring you joy!