Mo Han’s purpose in running Nightmare Mode was primarily to test for bugs. So, instead of selecting the already-cleared Zombie Siege, he chose a new Desert Instance.
The color palette of the Cambra Desert was far brighter than the apocalyptic city. Players spawned at the edge of an endless, boundless desert. A setting sun hung on the horizon, bathing the sands in golden light, making the dust seem like finely crushed golden gravel. The scene’s realism was stunning—they could even feel the softness of the sand beneath their feet.
At the desert’s heart lay the ruins of an ancient human settlement. Weathered by time, the mud-brick walls looked utterly dilapidated. A fierce gale swept through, kicking up vast clouds of yellow sand. The distant ruins were instantly engulfed, only to reappear once the wind died down.
Seeing the endless desert, Iman bounced excitedly beside Mo Han. “This scenery is way too realistic! I’ve never seen such a magnificent desert!”
Mo Han smiled slightly. “This game’s scenes use real-time capture technology. The development team actually went to a desert to map the terrain, which is why it feels so authentic.”
Iman marveled a while longer, then asked, “Oh right, I read some game guides on the forums. They say each scenario has different creatures. Zombie Siege has zombies, Jungle Adventure has jungle beasts. What will a desert have?”
Unlike Ludwig, who shut him down with “Are we close?”, Mo Han patiently explained, “Desert scenarios feature reptiles like Rattlesnakes and Lizards, plus raptors like the Falcon that attack from the air. You have to watch the ground and the sky. It’s no easier than the zombie mode.”
Iman rubbed his hands gleefully. “First time playing a full-immersion adventure game! What can I do to help?”
Luo Fei thought, The best help you can offer is shutting your mouth.
But Mo Han considerately assigned him a task: “Stick close to me. Let’s head to those ruins and find some weapons first.”
Seeing Mo Han standing particularly close to Iman, Luo Fei immediately moved, subtly inserting himself between them, nudging Iman aside.
Iman glanced at him, curious. “You’re using a system face, right? I saw that one in character creation. Even your voice is a system preset.”
Luo Fei replied coolly, “Correct.”
Iman laughed. “Honestly, when I first saw you, I thought you were an NPC.”
Luo Fei: “………………”
You’re the NPC! My system face is handsome too, okay?!
Luo Fei ignored him, keeping him at a distance while walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Mo Han. As they moved, he suggested, “These ruins ahead aren’t very large. We need to move fast. Sticking all six of us together won’t help gear distribution. Let’s split up like last time—cover more ground, find more gear in the limited time.”
Mo Han turned to him. “How do you want to split?”
Luo Fei smiled. “I’ll stick with the captain. The other three form a group.”
After a grueling day of training, all he wanted for his evening was some time alone with Mo Han.
Mo Han considered it carefully and found the suggestion sound. He nodded. “Alright. We’ll split up. Regroup as soon as we find weapons.”
Iman desperately wanted to be in Mo Han’s group, but as the newest member, he had to obey the captain’s orders.
Hunter, Ludwig, coldly stated, “You two, follow me.”
He was clearly following Mo Han’s grouping, taking Frank and Iman.
Frank, thoroughly impressed by the Hunter’s sniping skills, followed without a word. Iman, however, sulked, rooted to the spot.
Iman had teased countless Alphas. The thin-skinned ones blushed and fled. The thick-skinned ones bantered back and became buddies. But this “Hunter” had the audacity to stare coldly and say, “Are we close?”
No one had ever stonewalled him like that to his face.
Iman was deeply displeased. He glared daggers at the man’s retreating back.
The man ignored him completely, already a dozen meters away, treating him as air. Iman fumed and yelled, “Hey, Hunter! Wait for me!”
A gust of wind swept past just then. The man’s cold voice was carried back through the gale: “I already told you to follow. You have legs. Can’t you move faster?”
Iman: “…………”
Watching Iman practically explode with rage, Luo Fei was laughing so hard inside he was near internal injury.
Usually, it was Iman bullying Alphas. To see an Alpha who could turn the tables and infuriate Iman like this—Ludwig was absolutely one of a kind.
He should give his roommate a thumbs-up.
Gloating, Luo Fei walked over and patted Iman’s shoulder. “Better catch up. If you get left behind, no one’s babysitting a newbie.”
Iman shot him a venomous glare. Still fuming, he nevertheless scurried off on his short legs to catch up.
Luo Fei breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Mo Han. “Let’s head out too.”
The human ruins in the great desert, veiled by wind and sand, appeared exceptionally desolate and bleak.
Scattered broken walls and debris offered potential cover for gunfights. With no towering structures or complex buildings, just crumbling mud-brick dwellings, searching for equipment was relatively convenient.
Luo Fei and Mo Han scavenged a few dilapidated huts, finding a submachine gun, two pistols, and some ammunition.
As predicted, acquiring weapons triggered a scene event.
A sharp, shrill cry suddenly erupted overhead. Dozens of Falcons, a dark mass in the sky, dove toward them at terrifying speed!
The lead Falcon had a wingspan nearly five meters wide, its golden eyes locked onto the two figures. Its beak was a vicious, sword-like curve, gleaming with a chilling, cold light under the sun. Such a beak could easily pierce a human skull.
Luo Fei yelled, “Get inside! I’ll cover you!”
Mo Han didn’t waste a second. He instantly spun and dashed for the nearest hut.
Leaving the open desert exposed to the flock’s attack would be suicidal. They needed structures to limit the birds’ attack angles, funneling them to pick them off. The nearby huts were the best option.
Seeing Mo Han retreating, Luo Fei decisively raised his submachine gun to cover him.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
A blistering volley erupted. Several falcons, their heads struck, screeched and plummeted. But the flock was too vast. Even Luo Fei’s fierce suppressive fire couldn’t eliminate them all before they were upon him.
Yet, those precious few seconds were enough for him to escape the initial kill zone.
Luo Fei retreated rapidly, slamming the door shut behind him and barring it with a wooden bolt.
Inside was temporarily safe, but not a permanent solution.
Luo Fei took a sharp breath, turning to Mo Han. He spoke low. “Still over thirty falcons out there. They’ll definitely try to get in through the windows.”
The dilapidated mud hut had two large, gaping windows, offering no cover. Sand and wind blew straight in. The falcon flock would quickly discover these entry points.
Luo Fei rapidly assessed their surroundings and said coolly, “We’ll work together. Shoot one as it enters. You take the left window, I’ll take the right.”
Mo Han nodded instantly. “Got it.”
He then moved behind Luo Fei, pressing his back firmly against the other man’s, pistols raised, sights locked on the left window.
Feeling the warm, solid pressure against his back, Luo Fei’s heart skipped a beat. Mo Han was leaning against him, close.
Back-to-back, facing the coming threat with shared trust, their fates intertwined… it was a strange, exhilarating sensation. A first, for both of them.
Luo Fei’s heart hammered. He fiercely wished he could turn and sweep Mo Han into his arms.
Mo Han himself felt a peculiar flutter. He’d been through too much in his life, making him exceptionally cautious and perceptive. He never casually left his back exposed. Yet here he was, trusting this relatively new online acquaintance… Mr. F.
It was just a game, but previously, Mo Han would never have agreed.
Right then, two smaller falcons shot through the left window in rapid succession—Mo Han’s side. He snapped his focus back, both hands rising. He squeezed both triggers simultaneously—Bang! Bang! Two clean shots, the bullets instantly shredding the birds’ skulls!
On Luo Fei’s side, a stream of falcons attempted entry, all met by the roaring submachine gun and blasted down.
The cramped hut echoed with ceaseless gunfire. Piles of bloody falcon corpses quickly covered the floor.
After roughly three minutes, the falcon attacks abruptly ceased.
Outside, the sandstorm raged, but within… silence, heavy as a tomb. Almost deafening. Only the sound of their own breaths and pounding hearts.
Finally, Mo Han scanned the mound of dead birds at their feet and let out a held breath. “Is it over?”
Luo Fei remained alert, scanning for threats. He murmured, “Wait before going out. The lead falcon still hasn’t been dealt with.”
He vividly remembered: the massive leader, wings five meters across. It couldn’t fit through the windows. It was undoubtedly still lurking just outside the door, waiting.
Mo Han reached the same conclusion, his brow creasing slightly. “That bird is huge and incredibly fast. I can’t guarantee a hit.”
Luo Fei stated quietly, “Leave it to me.”
Firing on the move—an essential skill for any soldier, drilled endlessly. Luo Fei had trained this since he was a boy: maximum speed, maximum accuracy against rapidly moving targets, especially those with erratic, unpredictable flight paths. It demanded lightning reflexes, seizing the perfect millisecond for a killing shot.
Luo Fei steadied his breathing, turned to Mo Han, his gaze deep and steady. “Trust me?”
Mo Han nodded. “Mm.” Right now, his teammate was his only option.
Luo Fei ordered, “Then stick right behind me. We’re jumping out this window.”
Mo Han instantly moved to follow.
Luo Fei loved Mo Han’s decisiveness and efficiency. No wasted words, just instant execution once decided.
Both agilely vaulted out the window. And immediately—a piercing screech. The giant Falcon, wings spread wide, dove with lightning speed, its trajectory aimed straight at Mo Han’s position!
Luo Fei’s heart leaped into his throat.
That razor beak was aimed right for Mo Han’s skull. A direct hit meant instant, gruesome death.
The falcon closed the distance terrifyingly fast. Luo Fei roared, “Get down!”
In the same breath, he twisted, tackling Mo Han flat and rolling with him across the sand, tumbling over and over until they slammed against a crumbling wall, finally breaking the bird’s line of attack.
Mo Han was sprawled on top of Luo Fei, both disheveled, covered in grit, huddled against the wall.
The falcon’s first strike missed. It banked sharply, wings beating furiously, talons extended, diving to tear them apart!
Wall at their backs. Before them, wings spread, talons reaching. No escape seemed possible.
Then, in that hair’s-breadth moment—Luo Fei’s hand shot out, snatching the pistol from Mo Han’s grip. Flat on his back on the ground, he leaned out from beside Mo Han’s shoulder, eyes ice-cold and fixed on the incoming predator. He aimed for the head and pulled the trigger—another perfect headshot!
The gunshot cracked. The giant falcon screamed, a horrifying, piercing shriek. It thrashed wildly in the air, convulsing, then slammed to the earth with a ground-shaking thud, sending up a cloud of sand and dust.
Its golden eyes were still fixed on Luo Fei, wide with undying fury.
Silence returned. The wind howled from afar, a wall of yellow sand threatening to swallow them whole.
Mo Han heard his own frantic heartbeat—thump, thump—pounding in his ears.
He was sprawled atop his teammate, Mr. F. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, faces barely inches apart.
The man beneath him still wore the generic System 1 face. But right now, his gaze was terrifyingly calm, lethally sharp.
Amidst such chaos, Mr. F’s marksmanship had delivered a clean, one-shot kill. That was no ordinary skill.
Pressing into his chest, closer to another man than he’d ever been, the intense heartbeat reverberating in the quiet… Mo Han studied the face below him. A strange, powerful thought seized him—he wanted to see this man’s real face. He realized he had developed an intense curiosity about Mr. F.
After shooting the falcon, Luo Fei finally came down from the adrenaline spike.
And then he registered—Mo Han was lying fully on top of him.
Their height difference was about ten centimeters, and Mo Han had a slender build. When he lay on Luo Fei, a simple wrap of his arms would pull him completely into an embrace.
Such an intimate position… it was impossible not to let his mind wander.
The body nestled against him felt warm and soft. He could almost feel the heat of Mo Han’s skin through the thin layer of their virtual clothing.
…Did this holographic game have to be so damn realistic?!
Luo Fei’s brain completely short-circuited. His heart hammered so hard it was ready to burst from his ribs.
He stared, dazed, at the Mo Han in his arms. If this weren’t a game, his body would be having a very intense reaction right now. His face would be beet red.
Mo Han is in my arms!
That single thought looped endlessly, sending euphoria exploding through him.
Mo Han noticed Mr. F’s face cycling through expressions, his gaze a bit vacant. He seemed to have just realized their compromising position, apparently finding it hard to process.
This man… the very same one who had just so coolly, so dashingly, solved every crisis, from zombie hordes to a giant falcon?
In critical moments, Mr. F was a flawless, decisive, intensely attractive force of nature. But the instant the crisis passed, alone together, he turned into this fumbling, shy, easily flustered mess.
Last time, after realizing they were holding hands, he’d immediately looked away, embarrassed. This time… being pinned to the ground seemed to fluster him even more.
How absolutely endearing.
A sudden mischievous impulse seized Mo Han. He wanted to tease him.
So, Mo Han extended a finger and gently brushed it under Mr. F’s chin, his voice low. “No one ever pinned you down like this before?”
Luo Fei’s cheeks burned. He forced a calm tone. “You’re the first person who dared to get on top of me.”
Mo Han’s smile deepened. “Has anyone ever kissed you?”
Luo Fei: “……………………”
Was Mo Han… flirting with him? He wasn’t misunderstanding this, was he?
Maybe Mo Han had caught Iman’s bad habits from proximity?
But when Iman teased him, Luo Fei only wanted to flee. When Mo Han did it… his heart soared, his pulse raced. He wished Mo Han would keep teasing him a little longer.
This Mo Han… he liked him so unbearably much.
Seeing the guy utterly speechless, Mo Han was thoroughly amused. “I’m genuinely curious what you look like in reality. Such a huge contrast.”
Luo Fei’s heart lurched, thinking he’d been recognized. “Wh-what contrast?” he stammered.
Mo Han chuckled. “Against monsters, you’re handsome, fierce, unstoppable. But every time I touch you, you get all shy immediately. I bet you’ve never been in a relationship, right? Getting close to people makes you embarrassed. Am I wrong?”
Luo Fei’s face felt hot enough to fry an egg. He cleared his throat. “I really haven’t dated anyone…”
And the crucial reason is: The one getting close is you.
Anyone else? I wouldn’t bat an eye. But you are different. When you hold my hand, when you lie in my arms… I get nervous. My heart pounds. I get flustered. And it’s all because… I love you.
Their faces were incredibly close. Just a few more centimeters forward, and Mo Han could kiss his lips.
Luo Fei gazed earnestly into Mo Han’s eyes.
In that moment, a flutter of genuine attraction touched Mo Han’s heart. But he immediately suppressed it. Kissing a system face? He just couldn’t. And they’d only known each other a short time. While Mo Han did feel a flicker of fondness for Mr. F, acting on impulse without even knowing who he was… that wasn’t him.
He promptly climbed off Luo Fei, stood, straightened his clothes, his tone turning businesslike. “Okay, teasing time over. Let’s find Frank and the others.”
Luo Fei lay there, stunned. Wait—you flirt and then just walk away?!
You can’t do that, Mo Han! Walking away after flirting is totally irresponsible!
He’d actually thought, for a breathless second, that Mo Han was going to kiss him. He’d been lying there, mentally prepared, practically radiating come on, kiss me already. And Mo Han just… stopped.
Seeing him still flat on the ground, Mo Han glanced back. “Getting up?”
Luo Fei snapped out of it, vaulting to his feet, dusting off sand. He looked at Mo Han. “Can I ask you that question back?”
Mo Han: “Which question?”
Luo Fei: “The one you asked. I’ve never dated, never kissed anyone. What about you?”
Mo Han had only meant to tease; he hadn’t expected the question reversed on him.
A flicker of awkwardness crossed his face. He averted his gaze. “Let’s not discuss that.”
Luo Fei pressed, a smile in his voice, “Can I change the question, then? What type of person do you like? Male or female? Alpha, Beta, or Omega?”
Mo Han replied, “Gender isn’t really important. It’s more about the feeling.”
Luo Fei’s heart soared. “I feel the same way.”
Mo Han turned and started walking. Following behind, Luo Fei’s mood lifted higher and higher.
Mo Han, in matters of love, was actually rather inexperienced, just putting on a mature facade.
From what Luo Fei knew, Mo Han had never been in a relationship. Aside from the few friends like Frank, absolutely no one could get close to him.
That little spark of intimacy just now had sent ripples through Luo Fei’s heart, lingering long after.
He knew Mo Han had only been teasing him because he found him amusing. That game kiss hadn’t happened, leaving him a little regretful. But on second thought, it made perfect sense. Mo Han wasn’t the type to casually kiss someone he’d only recently met, even in a game. And kissing a system face? Just too weird.
Luo Fei wasn’t impatient. With the person he loved, he possessed endless tolerance and patience.
Mo Han was now willing to tease him, to get this physically close. That at least proved Mo Han held some positive feelings toward Mr. F. He’d never been this intimate even with his close friend Frank. Yet holding hands, that embrace… he hadn’t shown any obvious aversion.
That was already a huge step forward.
One day, Luo Fei would appear before Mo Han as his true self. And with that true self, he would give him the gentlest of kisses.
And then he would tell him: The person who’s been with you all along… was always me.
Always been Luo Fei, the one who likes you the very most.
