The winter snowfall was heavy.
After the bustling night market closed, the lingering mess was gradually concealed beneath melting snow.
Wrapped in a thick down jacket, Song Zang walked through a deserted, pitch-black alley with his head lowered, holding a dog leash.
The dog’s paws moved lightly and silently, leaving a long trail of plum-blossom prints across the snow.
“Xiao Bai, Uncle Liu is dead,” Song Zang said softly as he watched the white mist of his breath. “You won’t have any meaty bones to eat tomorrow.”
Xiao Bai had originally been grinning foolishly.
Upon hearing this terrible news, its cheerful movements immediately stiffened.
“Woof?!”
“It’s true. His death was suspicious, and his body was thrown into the sewer. We’re in danger too, so we need to move as soon as possible. Don’t count on me. I don’t have any money.”
“Woof, woof!” Xiao Bai refused to accept this, barking in protest.
“All right. I’ll collect trash to support you from now on.”
Xiao Bai could not understand the words, but it could sense Song Zang’s voice gradually softening.
It resumed its silly grin, its face full of gluttonous anticipation.
Then the exquisitely beautiful young man paused and stared at it, revealing a slightly pale smile.
Song Zang added gently, “But you’re not allowed to seduce other people’s dogs while I’m away from home. Otherwise, I’ll kill you.”
“Whimper…”
Although it still did not understand, Xiao Bai immediately cowered after sniffing out the danger.
Its fluffy tail practically spun like a propeller as it followed eagerly at Song Zang’s feet, whining a few times to ingratiate itself with him.
Song Zang curled his lips into a quiet laugh and began privately calculating where he might find bones to feed the dog.
He had lost his memory. It was very troublesome.
When he woke up one day, he remembered only two things.
—His name was Song Zang. He was extremely powerful, but he was desperately hiding from certain people.
To evade those people, he had no identity card, no smartphone, and no way to open a bank account.
Without identification, he could not find legitimate work. At present, he was desperately short of money.
Even working illegally tended to get him sexually harassed because he was far too beautiful.
Being sexually harassed was troublesome. The only way he could completely eliminate the root of the problem was by killing the offender.
And killing people would attract… even more trouble.
Thinking about it carefully, he might genuinely be better off collecting trash.
The glossy white dog pressed itself against his legs, rubbing against him with an aggrieved expression. Only then did Song Zang’s mood improve slightly.
“Behave. If nothing else works, we’ll just keep running,” he said gently.
“Woof!”
Song Zang played idly with the leash while chatting sporadically with Xiao Bai.
The only sounds in the silent alley were the young man’s clear, mellow voice and the crunch of footsteps against the soft snow.
He looked toward a distant, dim yellow streetlamp and decided that once he earned some money, he would buy a membership card at a veterinary hospital.
Just then, a red laser condensed into a tiny dot and fixed itself squarely between his brows, extraordinarily conspicuous amid the deep night.
Song Zang instantly sensed that something was wrong. He pulled Xiao Bai behind him with one hand and shielded it beneath his oversized down jacket.
Xiao Bai, however, barked anxiously twice and desperately craned its head around him, its nose twitching as it peered into the darkness.
“I’m fine. Get away from me.”
Growing anxious, Song Zang immediately released the leash and gestured for Xiao Bai to run, just as he had trained it to do before.
After all, sniper rifles were useless against him.
“Woof, woof, woof!”
To his surprise, Xiao Bai refused to move. It stubbornly sank its teeth into his sleeve.
Bang—!
The person concealed in the darkness pulled the trigger, but the bullet was directly repelled the instant it touched Song Zang’s body. It rolled across the ground and dropped into the roadside drain.
The noise was quite loud, yet Xiao Bai still did not move. It had almost bitten two holes through Song Zang’s down jacket.
What was the point of a creature that was usually so cowardly trying to act brave at a time like this?
Song Zang did not really understand how dogs thought. He badly wanted to pick it up and throw it somewhere far away.
But… the sound of hard boot soles rapidly trampling through the snow was far too distinct. They had already been surrounded.
Song Zang could only crouch down expressionlessly and embrace Xiao Bai, turning his back to receive the hail of bullets.
He should never have fed this stupid dog until it became so fat. Now, even with his own body, he could not completely shield it.
The machine guns fired enough ammunition to empty two magazines, with tranquilizer darts occasionally shooting from some unknown location as well.
The dense smell of gunpowder rose into the air. As the snow melted, it released faint odors of fish and rotting vegetable leaves.
The sewer was right beside Song Zang.
Two months ago, he had found the trembling Xiao Bai here.
Two months later, he lost it in the very same place.
Blood dyed Song Zang’s cheap down jacket red. The artificial feathers were dampened by the fine snow, yet they continued to drift helplessly in the wind.
The fully armed mercenaries seized the opportunity to swarm forward. They appeared ferocious, but the expressions hidden beneath the darkness and their helmets were filled with terror, and the hands gripping their guns trembled uncontrollably.
They fired recklessly, heedless of their own lives, attempting to overwhelm and subdue this bizarre, seemingly frail young man through sheer firepower.
In the instant Song Zang froze while holding Xiao Bai, a man covered in explosives roared and threw himself onto him, seemingly intending to trade his own life for Song Zang’s.
The way they behaved… made it seem as though Song Zang were the one hunting them.
The man clutched Song Zang’s clothes with all his strength, intending to drag him down with him. Amid the struggle, he nearly stripped Song Zang bare, exposing his pale, slender back to the freezing wind.
It looked as though it should snap with a single bend.
Song Zang did not care about his appearance.
He met the terrified man’s gaze for a moment, then curled his lips. The emotions churning within his black eyes resembled a deep sea in the dead of winter, shrouded beneath layer after layer of cold, sinister fog.
Cold sweat slowly slid down the man’s cheek. The sound of him swallowing was exceptionally clear.
Feeling the body above him trembling faintly, Song Zang’s smile remained unchanged. He lifted a hand, gently clasped the man’s helmet, and abruptly rolled over with a burst of strength.
Bang! Bang! Bang—!
The earthshaking crashes were almost enough to render a person temporarily deaf.
Electric scooters at the alley entrance began wailing one after another, blending perfectly with the startled cries and curses coming from the residential buildings.
The concrete ground did not even have time to crack before it disintegrated into fine powder beneath the snowmelt, collapsing downward into an enormous pit.
The man’s skull had shattered into pieces and was gruesomely fused with fragments of his armor. None of its original details could be distinguished.
He was embedded firmly in the center of the pit, kneeling with all five points of his body pressed to the ground.
His ruptured carotid artery seemed to remain frozen for an instant before finally beginning to spray blood with a sharp hiss.
Illuminated from afar by the red laser dots and streetlights, he resembled a miniature human fountain.
No one dared approach again.
The many scents permeating the air were complicated, but not difficult to distinguish.
At least two mercenaries had wet their pants in terror. They hugged their guns tightly, sobbing quietly as they prayed.
Song Zang ignored them. Lowering his pitch-black eyes, he leaned down and slowly embraced Xiao Bai, burying his face in the soft mass of fur.
He closed his eyes and asked softly, “Xiao Bai, should I not have saved you?”
Amnesia was truly troublesome. It left him ignorant of the world, forcing him to learn every lesson through experience.
—Now he understood. He absolutely could not form attachments to the weak.
Song Zang did not shed a single tear. Instead, he repeatedly warned himself to remember this lesson.
He carefully released Xiao Bai, rose to his feet, and looked at the surrounding mercenaries who had been frightened senseless. A faint smile rested upon his lips.
“None of you move.”
Within the alley, which had abruptly fallen silent, came the faint sound of restrained, shuffling footsteps. They were frightened sewer rats, producing rustling noises as they tried to escape.
But Song Zang no longer possessed a weakness.
“The faster you run, the worse your deaths will be.” He raised his head smugly and straightened the shirt that had been torn into rags, lazily drawing out his final words. “I think I once learned how to skin people. Mm, don’t make me angry again.”
…
Killing people was the easiest thing in the world.
At the very least, it was far easier than protecting someone.
Maintaining a perfectly practiced smile, Song Zang smashed the bloody corpses into pulp.
He was very patient and efficient. He dug a pit and buried every twisted limb that could no longer be recognized.
The remaining fragments of tissue and blood flowed into the sewer with the icy snowmelt.
After washing his hands in the snow, Song Zang raised an arm to wipe his face. He picked up the barely usable down jacket and wrapped Xiao Bai inside it.
By the time police sirens sounded in the distance, Song Zang had already carried Xiao Bai home.
More precisely, it was the “home” Uncle Liu had kindly rented to him.
From now on, he would stay away from every kindhearted person.
After showering and washing the blood from his body, Song Zang swept his wet black hair behind his ears, changed into a clean shirt, and sat in the living room with a towel draped over his shoulders.
Xiao Bai did not meet his gaze.
The large dog that was usually so noisy was exceptionally quiet at midnight. It lay motionless on its side, and no matter how much Song Zang had washed it, the bloodstains could not be removed from its fur.
Resting his chin on one hand, Song Zang stared fixedly at it. Fragments of ice and a faintly distorted smile seemed to have been tempered into his dark pupils.
“Xiao Bai, it looks like we can’t stay here anymore.”
“Xiao Bai, I’m a little tired.”
“Once I’ve slept for a while, I’ll take you away.”
“…Perhaps dying is fine too. Once I save enough money, I’ll buy you a refrigerated casket.”
Death was eternal life.
One had to remain optimistic.
Song Zang worked hard to comfort himself, then stood and embraced the gradually stiffening body, once again burying his face in its fluffy fur.
He did not care whether more enemies came in the middle of the night. They could not kill him anyway.
Right now, Song Zang only wanted to sleep.
He curled up on the sofa and quietly closed his eyes.
…
The instant he fell asleep, an intense light suddenly shone upon him for some inexplicable reason. Song Zang seemed to see Xiao Bai alive and bounding around.
His heart trembled. He abruptly opened his eyes wide, only to discover that his arms were empty. The plump white dog had vanished without a trace.
Song Zang did not make a sound. He steadied himself and immediately began calmly observing his surroundings.
He did not even consider the possibility that this might be a dream.
That was because he understood both his body and his dreams extremely well.
—In his dreams, he was either trapped in the middle of a battle royale or repeatedly eating an enormous pot of braised pork.
Yet at this moment, Song Zang was lying on an excessively soft, long sofa, covered by an equally soft, thin blanket.
The rich fragrance of coffee beans drifted past his nose, invigorating yet comforting.
This appeared to be a large café divided into a main room and a side room. The sofa where Song Zang lay was in an excellent location, comfortable and peaceful. A dark green wall blocked the view from the front entrance, while two classical, exquisitely designed arched windows stood directly opposite him.
Faint, warm sunlight streamed past the eaves and fell across the blanket, yet the scenery outside the windows appeared inexplicably blurred. Even when he focused on it, he could not see clearly.
A vinyl record player beside the window was spinning. The melody was husky and gentle, but unfortunately, Song Zang had never heard it before.
Just then, footsteps came from the main room. Song Zang temporarily stopped thinking and blinked. A hazy layer of moisture instantly veiled his eyes.
He bit his lower lip lightly and anxiously pulled up the blanket, quickly wrapping himself inside it from head to toe. His slender body curled into a ball, trembling faintly with unease.
Even though the employee walking toward him was merely a young woman with her hair tied in a high ponytail.
She was sweet-looking and wore a baseball cap, appearing entirely harmless. She had on a white T-shirt, pale blue jeans, and a dark green apron, with several barely visible coffee stains dotting its hem.
Her clothing was so ordinary that it would cause people to lower their guard without realizing it.
But Song Zang remained motionless. Like a startled little white rabbit, he curled vigilantly into the corner, his fingers secretly tightening around the blanket.
“Hello, Player Song Zang. Welcome to the Infinite Game World.” The young woman’s bright voice echoed through the empty café.
Song Zang’s entire body stiffened. Summoning his courage, he slowly raised his head and met her gaze. Only after a long silence did he ask softly, “Hello… may I ask where this is?”
“This is the Player Lounge. We provide complimentary alcoholic beverages, other drinks, meals, snacks, player guidance, and consultation services,” she replied with a brilliant smile, her attitude remaining enthusiastic. “I am Employee Number One. It is my pleasure to serve you.”
Perhaps because she had spoken too much and too quickly, Song Zang, seemingly unable to process the overwhelming information, widened his eyes and shrank farther back against the sofa.
The moisture swirling in his eyes became even more pronounced, dampening his long, curled lashes. The teardrops seemed poised to fall.
Song Zang’s favorite role was that of a frightened, frail little white rabbit.
His appearance was also more than sufficient to make this lie perfectly convincing.
Being a little white rabbit was wonderful. It could obtain the wholehearted protection of genuinely kind people while also probing for the poisonous needles concealed within the hearts of hypocrites.
Upon seeing this, Employee Number One’s movements visibly froze.
Immediately afterward, she resumed her original smile. “Player information registration has been completed. You may now summon your status panel and browse it freely.”
“…What is a status panel?”
Employee Number One patiently replied, “By opening your status panel, you can view your real-time personal information, stored items, special titles, and permanent skills. If necessary, players may also select the Points Shop at the bottom and purchase any goods they desire.”
Song Zang nodded timidly. “Thank you. I understand.”
“You’re welcome.”
After saying this, Employee Number One stood in place and fell into a strangely prolonged silence for several seconds.
Only after confirming that Song Zang had no intention of asking any questions did she continue with a beaming smile. “Player Song Zang, would you like a cup of coffee?”
“…A matcha latte, please.”
The moment he finished speaking, a latte abruptly appeared on the small table before the sofa. The cup and saucer were exquisite, the coffee steaming hot, while the distinctive aroma of matcha rushed toward him.
—It was as though the café had automatically generated it, with no need for a human to prepare it.
Song Zang raised an eyebrow slightly, suddenly unable to understand the purpose of the “employee” setting.
He lowered his head and lifted the cup. He had only just taken a sip when Employee Number One’s voice abruptly sounded beside his ear.
“Announcement, announcement. Twenty minutes remain until the next instance begins. New players, please take note: read the game rules, familiarize yourselves with your status panels, and cherish your lives and safety… Player Song Zang, Employee Number One looks forward to serving you again.”
She had not opened her mouth while speaking. Her lips maintained the perfectly measured curve of a sweet smile.
The words had seemed to emerge directly inside Song Zang’s mind. No matter how warm and welcoming the café appeared, this behavior was exceptionally eerie.
The other players had probably experienced the same thing.
Song Zang lowered his eyes and bowed his head, not daring to react too noticeably. Only after Employee Number One gradually walked away did he bite his lip and open his status panel.
It was a translucent, deep-blue screen floating lightly before Song Zang. It followed the movement of his eyes and body, possessing the high-tech appearance of a retinal projection.
A layer of moisture still covered Song Zang’s eyes, but he raised an eyebrow with keen interest. Holding his latte, he began examining the data.
【Player: Song Zang
Points: 0
Instances Cleared: 0】
【Base Attributes:
Health: ?
Attack: 9999
Defense: 9999
Speed: 9999
Resistance: ?
“Currently Available Attribute Points: 0”】
Song Zang: …
Why did he feel that this game was somewhat illegitimate?
When he had worked illegally at an internet café, he had heard customers complain about such things. It resembled one of those exaggerated browser games that advertised dealing 999 damage with a single slash.
Rubbing his slender wrist bone, Song Zang narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and leisurely continued scrolling downward.
【Special Title: Mask (1/100)
*Deception is a sweet poison, and lies are magnificent traps. Nail the false veil to your face. Let them speculate and misunderstand, let them swing between love and hatred, and make them believe without doubt.
Title Bonus: Every statement you make has a 99% chance of being believed by others. (Those with Resistance above 100 are immune.)】
This special title was much more interesting.
The conspicuous “1/100” was even more interesting.
He had only just arrived in this strange café. Who could he possibly have deceived?
Song Zang paused. His gaze slowly turned toward the café entrance, and sudden realization dawned upon him.
—It seemed he had deceived Employee Number One.
Interesting.
Song Zang took another sip of coffee and continued reading the title description. He discovered that special titles were not something every player possessed, but rewards granted after clearing extremely difficult instances.
Furthermore, the drop rate for such rewards was exceptionally low. They would only be awarded to the player who contributed the most toward clearing the instance.
But Song Zang had never entered one of these so-called instances. Why had his status panel come with a special title?
And why was he the only person in the café? Where were the other players?
Every part of this chain of events concealed mysteries and strangeness.
Fortunately, Song Zang did not particularly care.
That was because the game rules were written very clearly—
- Players who fail to clear a game instance: death.
- Players who reveal the game’s contents to non-players: death.
- Certain mission rewards and items purchased with points can be used in reality.
【Can be used in reality.】
They could be used in reality!
The Points Shop contained everything, including genuine Hua Country banknotes.
He carefully examined the exchange rate. The conversion ratio between game points and paper currency was 1:100.
Song Zang drained his coffee and raised his lips in a faint smile.
This meant that from now on, he could exchange his points for an enormous amount of money and use it to buy Xiao Bai a casket.
He would buy the most expensive and best refrigerated casket available, ensuring that every strand of the dog’s fur remained perfectly protected.
Song Zang looked forward to the arrival of that day.
Besides money, there was another item that Song Zang added to his wish list.
【Resurrect a Designated Target】—priced at one billion points. This figure was already the promotional discounted price.
Moreover, the item could only resurrect someone who had died in reality. It could not revive players erased by the game’s mechanics.
Of course, just because Song Zang could not afford it now did not mean he would never be able to afford it.
As long as he did not die inside an instance, one day he would save one billion points—or even more.
“Xiao Bai, wait for me. Uncle Liu… you can wait too.”
Song Zang’s eyes darkened. His pale fingertip touched the luminous blue screen as he murmured softly.
Five minutes after Employee Number One issued her announcement, five players began appearing in the café one after another.
There were two men and three women, each wearing a different expression.
One young man wore black-framed glasses and a flannel plaid shirt.
He skillfully ordered an espresso and sat beside the small bar closest to the employee. His gaze swept over Song Zang on the sofa and paused briefly before calmly moving away.
The other man was middle-aged and dressed in pajamas. His face was filled with terror as he looked anxiously from side to side.
The final three were young women who knew one another. They even carried a faint scent of barbecue. Perhaps they had gone out for a late-night meal together over the weekend, only to be dragged into the café midway through eating. It was truly a disaster that had descended upon them from nowhere.
“What’s going on? We didn’t even drink tonight…”
The short-haired woman sitting in the middle was not intimidated in the slightest. She looked around the café in astonishment.
The three exchanged glances and quietly discussed the abnormalities before them. Only after pinching one another several times did they finally confirm that they were not dreaming.
They were university classmates who shared the same dormitory, and their relationship appeared quite close.
Song Zang remained silent the entire time, quietly hiding beneath the blanket and observing them in secret.
It was obvious that only the bespectacled man was not a novice. A trace of impatience appeared in the eyes concealed behind his black-framed glasses.
The only thing they had in common was that all five had been summoned to the café together exactly fifteen minutes before the instance began.
Song Zang could not understand why he had received different treatment.
Employee Number One did not seem to understand either.
She looked at Song Zang with confusion in her eyes, then immediately resumed her classic smiling expression. Walking lightly toward the five people, she repeated the explanation she had given earlier.
The short-haired woman listened with great enthusiasm. She was the first to open her status panel and exclaimed excitedly, “Awesome! The Great Women’s Dormitory Escape!”
“Shuang Shuang, we’ll die if we fail,” the long-haired woman beside her reminded her softly.
“Ah… I suppose that’s true.”
The atmosphere in the café immediately turned stagnant.
After everyone stared at one another for a moment, the remaining woman, whose hair was dyed chestnut brown, looked at Employee Number One and tilted her head. “Miss, are we really not allowed to refuse to enter the game?”
Employee Number One replied with a smile, “No. If a player refuses to enter a scheduled instance, they will be forcibly erased by the system.”
Her meaning was brutally simple—playing the game might kill them, but refusing to play would definitely kill them.
“All right. Can we eat barbecue in here, then?”
“No,” Employee Number One replied, still smiling. “Player Xiao Li Li, would you like a cup of coffee?”
“No, thank you.” The chestnut-haired woman sighed.
Only ten minutes remained before they would enter a completely unknown game instance.
The bespectacled man drained his coffee, feeling somewhat displeased that he had been assigned to a novice round.
Although special instances where experienced players guided newcomers offered additional point rewards… newborn calves were not afraid of tigers, and there was absolutely no predicting what novices might do once inside an instance.
There were countless tragedies in which veteran players had been dragged to their deaths by disobedient newcomers, resulting in the annihilation of the entire group.
He helplessly adjusted his glasses and introduced himself first. “My name is Xie Chun Ye. I’m the veteran player responsible for guiding you through the instance. Those of you who don’t know each other should hurry up and get acquainted. The instance is about to begin. Once we’re inside, no matter what happens, keep your mouths shut first. Don’t scream loudly, and don’t run around.”
Upon hearing this, the three women from the same dormitory moved in perfect unison and obediently nodded together.
The short-haired woman linked arms with the long-haired woman and said with a grin, “I’m Qiu Shuang, and she’s Lin Wen Jing, the most reliable big sister among the three of us!”
The remaining chestnut-haired woman yawned. “You probably all heard it earlier. I’m Xiao Li Li.”
Xie Chun Ye nodded expressionlessly, then turned his gaze toward the visibly uncomfortable middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man looked down at his silk pajamas and appeared even more ill at ease. He gave an awkward, simpleminded smile. “Wang Shu. Everyone can just call me Old Wang.”
“Looking forward to working with you.” Suppressing a laugh, Qiu Shuang cheerfully shook his hand.
After Wang Shu finished introducing himself, the room fell silent once more.
Everyone’s gaze turned simultaneously toward the sofa in the side room.
“Handsome little brother, you’re the only one left.”
Qiu Shuang was once again the first to break the silence.
Song Zang raised his misty eyes. He resembled an exquisite doll that had unexpectedly gained consciousness—innocent, bewildered, and frightened. He appeared even more nervous and ill at ease than Wang Shu.
“H-Hello. I’m Song Zang,” he said softly before immediately lowering his head, as though he were unaccustomed to meeting a woman’s gaze.
Qiu Shuang became curious. “Which zang character is that?”
“…The zang in ‘funeral.’”
“Wow. That name is so edgy.”
Even Xiao Li Li, who had previously shown little interest, lifted her head.
Song Zang lowered his head even farther. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, it’s fine. It sounds very cool, so don’t worry about it.” Qiu Shuang lightly smacked Xiao Li Li, then looked back at Song Zang, her tone instantly becoming much gentler. “Don’t be afraid, little brother. Big Sister will protect you later.”
Song Zang’s eyes lit up, and he obediently nodded. “Thank you, Big Sister.”
“No need to thank me.”
After speaking, Qiu Shuang turned away, buried her face against Lin Wen Jing’s neck, and secretly whispered, “Hiss… my maternal instincts are exploding. How is anyone supposed to resist that?”
Lin Wen Jing looked thoughtful. “You like his type?”
“Don’t you?”
The girls’ whispers entered Song Zang’s ears without a single word escaping him.
Song Zang pretended nothing had happened and sat obediently, discreetly glancing at his status panel.
【Special Title: Mask (5/100)】
Four people believed the intellectually impaired persona he was currently presenting.
But the veteran player named Xie Chun Ye probably still harbored doubts and was quietly evaluating him. His Resistance stat was also undoubtedly above 100.
Very good. At least the future still held the slightest hint of a challenge.
The instant the game officially began, Song Zang heard Qiu Shuang cry out in surprise.
A blood-red numerical countdown appeared before everyone’s eyes. It clung directly to their retinas, flashing with a chilling glow that remained clearly visible even when they closed their eyes.
【Instance opening in 3, 2, 1…】
【Game Title: “Journey Through Tianhai”
Assigned Role: None
Clearance Requirement: Take three different forms of transportation within Tianhai City and successfully arrive at the corresponding destinations. (0/3)
Optional Mission: Uncover the truth concealed behind Tianhai City.】
Futile Devices Scans 
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