Jiang Xiao opened the shop. Items filled the shelves, all listed by players. He flipped through a few pages—prices ranged from tens to thousands of points. Cheap items were low-level, like “Flashlight,” “Battery,” “Food,” and so on. Expensive items seemed more useful, reaching up to Level 5, such as “Disguise,” “Talisman of Protection,” “Save Point,” and “Protective Jade.” They were all one-time-use items.
“Oh, right, about entering instances,” Babyface said. “The easier the instance, the fewer the rewards. The harder it is, the better the loot. But Hell-level instances should have a difficulty bonus. You’d know that if you’d seen the settlement panel. Once you decide what kind of instance to tackle, you can buy the corresponding items to protect yourself.”
“So you mean… there will be ghosts in the instances?” Jiang Xiao frowned slightly. “And they can hurt people? That defies common sense.”
“We’re already in this godforsaken place. Who cares about common sense anymore?” Babyface let out a chuckle. “Forget ghosts—people can sell their own souls here now.”
Jiang Xiao: “…”
“For any Normal-difficulty instance rated three stars or higher, entering it means risking your life,” Babyface said. “One moment of carelessness and an NPC can kill you. But as for Hellish Difficulty… well, whether it’s a low-star or high-star instance, the possibility of getting killed seems to always exist.”
Jiang Xiao: “…”
From the sound of it, Hell-level players existed on an entirely different plane from the rest of them.
Still, Jiang Xiao noticed a specific word Babyface had used: difficulty bonus.
He hadn’t seen his settlement panel. Maybe his points had increased precisely because of that bonus.
Jiang Xiao combed through the panel but found no information on selling Zero-Level items. Was it because no one had them, or because no one was willing to sell?
Then again, if a Zero-Level item let you instantly clear a dungeon, it was effectively a second life. It was unlikely anyone would willingly sell one.
Jiang Xiao searched for “Intimacy Lock.” Sure enough, a player was selling one. But when he tapped it, a message appeared: This player has entered an instance. Unable to complete transaction. Please try again later.
And this player was asking for two thousand points. Jiang Xiao only found this single seller. There was no way he could afford it.
Two thousand points… He’d need at least four or five instances just to save enough.
“This item is useful, but it doesn’t seem that powerful. A rookie absolutely doesn’t need to buy it,” Babyface said, also seeing the listing. He spoke with a tone of sincere advice. “Unless it’s a specific instance where a female ghost deliberately seduces players to kill them—then you won’t need it in any other situation.”
“I… guess so.” Jiang Xiao was equally baffled. Why would he spend money on a useless item?
Besides, he doubted he’d be so easily seduced by a female ghost anyway.
Babyface: “You’d be better off saving up and buying something more practical. Look—this person is selling a Universal Key for only a hundred points. That thing is truly useful.”
Universal Key… Can unlock any door…
Jiang Xiao had actually learned some lock-picking skills before. For some reason, seeing that line stirred a sense of familiarity deep within him.
It was as if he’d done something similar not long ago.
But when on earth had it all happened?!
“Thanks.” Jiang Xiao thought for a moment. “Can I come find you again in the future?”
“Of course. Just send me a private message. You can find me here again, or come into my Rest Room. My rates are very fair, you know.” Babyface pondered for a moment, then his expression grew serious. “The Trading Zone is a safe zone, but once you leave, there’s no System regulation. I’ve heard there are people around here who rob others of their points and items. Be careful not to get targeted.”
Jiang Xiao thanked Babyface and said goodbye, then entered the Customer Service Dept.
The moment he stepped inside, an oppressive, silent darkness swallowed him. It felt as if all light was absorbed by some dark matter. Only a few eerie blue glows flickered in the distance, looking particularly blood-curdling.
“Welcome to the Customer Service Dept. Do you have an issue to consult?” The inorganic system voice rasped like gears without oil, grating and deeply uncomfortable.
A few lines of red text appeared before Jiang Xiao.
A. Learn about the Customer Service Dept
B. Inquire (Requires sacrificing a portion of your soul)
It really required a soul… This kind of setting, which you only saw in anime, had actually appeared for real!
Jiang Xiao selected A.
“Dear Player, the Customer Service Dept. adheres to the principle of fairness and impartiality, serving you with utmost dedication. For any problem you encounter in the game, you may ask us. Naturally, there is a slight price to pay.”
“The human soul is abundant. Losing a small portion does not affect your daily life. You may even sell your soul. 1% of your soul can be exchanged for one thousand points. Alternatively, you can choose to become one of us.”
“Once you become one of us, you can return to reality at will. All you need to offer… is your soul.”
“The Customer Service Dept. welcomes your arrival.”
The emotionless voice made one’s skin crawl.
And yet, all that talk about “losing a small portion of your soul won’t affect your life”… Who were they trying to fool? Who would willingly give their soul to someone else? It felt like the prelude to something horrifying!
No wonder no one entered this place…
He’d originally wanted to ask about his missing memories, but if the answer was so expensive that they had to resort to such scams, he’d better give up for now.
Jiang Xiao exited the interface, turned around, and left the Customer Service Dept.
The moment he stepped out, the extreme, suffocating pressure instantly dissipated. It was like walking back out after a tour through hell itself.
It seemed the ultimate goal of this game was to steal the players’ souls. They appeared desperate for them. But what use were souls to the game? Could collecting seven summon a dragon or something?
Jiang Xiao couldn’t figure it out.
The Red Copy Zone was as bustling as the White Trading Zone. People were constantly going in and out. Since he was already here, Jiang Xiao decided to drop in and take a look along the way.
As he walked down the street, Jiang Xiao felt eyes on him. However, he clearly looked like a newbie with probably not much on him, so he passed through without incident, albeit nervously.
Unlike the other grim-faced players, Jiang Xiao looked as relaxed as if he’d just entered the game and was completely ignorant of its dangers—
In fact, that was exactly the case. Jiang Xiao didn’t even understand the game mechanics yet. He was more clueless than a newbie, so naturally, he wasn’t afraid of anything yet.
Dozens of red machines were set up in the Copy Zone. Someone operated a machine for a moment, and then with a “whoosh,” they simply vanished, just like magic.
Jiang Xiao watched for several minutes before confirming it was real.
This world… was it truly an illusion?
Maybe he was just dreaming, or his consciousness had been trapped by a virtual program. But no matter what, continuously entering instances seemed to be the only way to probe the true nature of this game.
Beyond the machines, Jiang Xiao noticed a black door on the inner side of the Copy Zone. Just as he was about to push it open, a line of red warning text appeared before him:
Players are forbidden from entering the Black Room!
You may select the System Work ID you wish to redeem.
What was this now? Jiang Xiao’s mind filled with confusion. Fortunately, he didn’t just read suspense novels; he often played puzzle games too. In that split second, an idea flashed. He raised his hand and recited: “T012.”
“Searching… Search successful.”
“System T012 has been confined in the Black Room for three weeks. Do you wish to spend 2100 points to redeem it?”
Jiang Xiao was purely grasping at straws. Plus, combinations of a letter and three numbers weren’t that many. The system, right after he woke up, had said its work ID was G125—exactly the same format.
Why would he write a system’s work ID on his hand? Could this system know him? Or perhaps, it had been his previous system?
He seemed to have found a breakthrough.
This system must know what happened during his Tutorial Level! But the first objective was to redeem it.
“Why was it locked in the Black Room?” Jiang Xiao asked.
The red warning flashed again. A massive warning siren blared, driving Jiang Xiao’s eardrums crazy.
“System classified. No comment.”
Mm… fine. One hundred points a day. That was seriously expensive. Even if Jiang Xiao wanted to immediately redeem the system, he didn’t have the means.
Jiang Xiao glanced at the Black Room a few more times, then turned and walked to one of the machines. The machine automatically scanned his information and displayed it on the screen.
Name: Jiang Xiao
Difficulty: Hell-level
Points: 500
Remaining Time: Two days, nine hours, sixteen minutes
The remaining time was probably his rest period. But Jiang Xiao wasn’t in the mood to rest. He needed to earn money to redeem the system. If he didn’t do it quickly, more troublesome things might happen later.
After all, this game had made him inexplicably lose his memory and locked the system holding vital information into the Black Room. It was clearly trying to suppress information.
If he did nothing and let the system serve its three weeks, would he really still be able to see it then? That was uncertain.
Four instances appeared on the screen. Jiang Xiao tapped through them one by one, stunned to find that entering an instance also cost points. A One-Star difficulty required two hundred points, Two-Star difficulty cost one hundred fifty, and Three-Star difficulty cost one hundred… Meaning, the harder the instance, the fewer points it cost to enter.
Wasn’t this obviously hoping that players would choose high-difficulty instances, where the probability of death was high?!
This game’s malice towards its players was truly undisguised…
Below the four instances, the screen had even considerately set up a “Swap” option. Swapping once cost fifty points.
If Jiang Xiao guessed correctly, the more you swapped, the more points it cost. He just didn’t know if the number of swaps accumulated over time…
The first instance’s picture intro was the Red Cloth Haunted House. It looked chillingly sinister. A multiplayer instance, difficulty rating: Four Stars.
The second instance was Sealed High School. Also dark and gloomy. A multiplayer instance, difficulty rating: Two Stars.
The third instance was Art Museum Murder Case. The art style finally looked somewhat normal, but it had a One-Star difficulty rating, so it was a bit expensive.
Jiang Xiao’s current priority was earning points to redeem the system.
The fourth instance appeared to be… a variety show shoot?
Compared to the previous instances, this variety show seemed far too normal, even though its one-line description was very simple—
You signed up for a perfectly ordinary Love Variety Show.
Single-player instance, difficulty rating: Three Stars.
Perfectly ordinary, nice!
Wasn’t this much better than a haunted house? He didn’t want to go to a school, either. Jiang Xiao never wanted to go back to school again—exams were a living nightmare!
As for the Art Museum Murder Case, it also seemed okay, but a One-Star difficulty probably wouldn’t yield much money.
Overall, the fourth option was the most cost-effective. Hard, but not too hard, cheap to enter, and most importantly, not a multiplayer instance.
Jiang Xiao currently had zero desire to get entangled with any other players. Judging by the fact that players could be robbed, getting backstabbed was a real possibility. Better to go solo.
This is the one!
Jiang Xiao lightly tapped the fourth instance and selected “Enter Game.”
The instant he pressed the button, Jiang Xiao’s vision went black. His body felt weightless. Then, like a movie opening, several blood-dripping large characters materialized before his eyes:
《Bloody Love Variety Show》
【Please select your Identity Card】
The system’s voice sounded even more sinister in the dark space. Each rigid syllable added an extra layer of horror.
It was only at this moment that Jiang Xiao suddenly realized he was already deep inside an extremely dangerous game—not a holographic game he could casually log out of.
Two cards appeared before him. Spade 【Straight Man】, Heart 【Homosexual】.
What kind of choice was this?
Jiang Xiao was utterly baffled. A bad premonition crept in. The Spade card seemed like bait, but he still resolutely chose 【Straight Man】.
The Spade burst into golden light, and then both cards vanished from his sight.
After selecting his Identity Card, nothing else happened.
System: “You are about to enter the instance. Countdown: three seconds.”
“Three… two… one…”
【You signed up for a little-known Love Variety Show. However, after you arrived at the filming location, you suddenly passed out.】
【Prologue storyline imported.】
Along with the system’s mechanical voice, a violent wave of dizziness assaulted Jiang Xiao, forcing his eyes shut. When the vertigo gradually subsided and he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an unfamiliar room.
It was a small Single Room, resembling a waiting room’s layout. The walls, ceiling, table, and cabinets were all white. The decor was minimalist to the extreme. There were no windows, only one door.
The TV cabinet, the vase on the coffee table—everything was pure white, devoid of any other color. Only Jiang Xiao, wearing an orange-yellow T-shirt, looked completely out of place in this room.
Dozens of surveillance cameras lined the room, their red lights blinking, clearly recording.
And before he woke up, his posture had been slumped on the table, face down as if asleep.
This room was a bit strange.
Was a normal Love Variety Show supposed to start like this?
Jiang Xiao fell silent. Then, he spotted a white card on the table.
Dear Jiang Xiao:
Your identity is [Straight Man]
Your hidden identity is Mole.
Your task: Do not let anyone discover your true identity. Otherwise, you might just die, you know～
The card even had a simple smiling face drawn on it, its lips curved upward. It looked somewhat cute, but after staring at it too long, the smile seemed almost lifelike, as if the corner of its mouth had even twitched upwards a little more.
Immensely malevolent.
What did it mean…?
At the same time, the system’s icy voice rang out again:
【Hell-level Instance’s inherent debuff has been drawn】
【This instance’s debuff is: Prosopagnosia (Face Blindness)】
【Nullification condition: None】
