Chapter 9: The Game Begins

"So the final stone gave us… this?"

In the presidential suite, Zhao Kuo stared at the items on the table, his eyes gleaming. Laid out before him were a hand-cranked generator, two rechargeable batteries, and a power strip—an incredibly thoughtful package.

"Not bad luck," Luo Ping'an replied calmly. "This generator set would fetch over 3,000 Subway Coins on the trading platform. At least for now. As more people master electricity, prices will drop." He transferred the remaining coins back to Zhao Kuo.

"I don't know how to thank you," Zhao Kuo said.

Luo Ping'an chuckled. "No need for that between us. By the way, have you all awakened your professions?"

"Yes." Zhao Kuo shared the details of their trio's professions without hesitation.

"Not bad. With Shan as the tank, your DPS is secured—though it's still luck-dependent. Tang Yingying's puppet, based on its materials, should have decent offensive or crowd-control capabilities. Shame we're not at the same station." Luo Ping'an sighed. In the tense Metro World, having allies nearby would've been a relief.

"We'll meet again," Zhao Kuo reassured him. "Rest well. Tomorrow's unpredictable."

"Right. I'd kill to sleep in a presidential suite too, but 100th place only gets a studio. Later!" The video call ended, costing Zhao Kuo another Subway Coin. Calls are pricey—1 coin for 10 minutes. They should offer packages, he mused.

Just then, Tang Yingying skipped out of her room, trailed by a… peculiar puppet. It resembled a lop-eared bunny, but asymmetrical ears, sickly green fur, and a bladed arm made it unsettling.

"Stats?" Gu Shan asked, unfazed by appearances.

"Pretty awesome!" Tang Yingying proudly displayed its attributes:

[Cute Little Bunny (Summon)]

Strength: 20/30

Constitution: 13/30

Speed: 21/30

Spirit: 5/30

Skills: Invisibility, Hibernation

Invisibility: Hides for 5 seconds (detectable by anti-stealth). Gains +50% damage for 1 second after breaking stealth.

Hibernation: Upon fatal damage, sleeps for 10 seconds to recover 20% HP, then operates at half stats.

Zhao Kuo and Gu Shan exchanged stunned glances. They'd expected strength, but this was broken. The bunny's ambush potential was terrifying—even Zhao, ever-cautious, might fall prey to it.

"Insane. With this… thing, you're first-tier now," Zhao said.

"Constitution's low, though. Ties to HP," Gu Shan noted.

"Nothing's perfect!" Tang Yingying hugged the bunny, cheeks squishing against its eerie face. The men quickly looked away. Since when did she have such… assets?

"Did you bless it?" Zhao Kuo asked, recalling her Puppeteer's "Blessing" skill.

"Yep! Blessings bring puppets to life. Plus, they can level up with better materials."

Zhao sucked in another breath. Rare classes are OP. Never cross her—death would come too quietly.

The evening passed leisurely. Chatting and watching TV, they almost forgot the Metro World's horrors—until night fell. After a 2-coin takeout feast and showers, they retired.

Zhao collapsed onto the plush bed, oddly content. Back on Earth, he'd been a wage slave grinding for scraps. Here, despite the darkness…

He dreamed of returning to his old life—endless work, terminal illness, despair—then jolted awake. Pitch-black. The walls felt coarse, the bed hard.

Where's the lamp? Panicking, he tried summoning the Metro System. No response.

A bloodcurdling shriek echoed.

"Welcome to Lord Yole's Game!" A mocking voice rang out. "Pass the trial to reach the next station. Fail, and…"

"You may bring three items from your inventory. Exceed that, and you're eliminated. Prep time starts now. Toodles!"

[Countdown: 2:00]

Zhao scrambled to choose. Where are Gu Shan and Yingying? If they're here, we need to regroup.

[Note: Each station's trial is unique.]

Choosing only three items proved to be a challenge for Zhao Kuo—he had too many good options. After much deliberation, he settled on [Three-Minute Rush], [The Evil One's Revolver], and [Cursed Pendant].

[Cursed Pendant x1]

[Activates a 1-meter-diameter repulsion field that damages and repels spirits. Consumes 3 Sanity per second.]

[Three-Minute Rush]

[Grants a significant speed boost for 3 minutes. Afterward, the user enters a 30-minute虚弱 state (all attributes reduced by 60%).]

[The Evil One's Revolver]

[A special revolver with a 70% chance to fire an unavoidable bullet at the enemy and a 30% chance to fire at the user.]

These three items provided a balanced setup:

Three-Minute Rush enhanced his mobility for escapes or pursuits.

The Evil One's Revolver offered a reliable (if risky) combat advantage over his Luck Pistol.

Cursed Pendant countered spirits, a constant threat in this world.

Zhao Kuo couldn't think of a better combination. Thankfully, his职业页面 (class interface) and Fortune Aura system were still active. After a few hours, his Fortune Aura had climbed to 56%.

But the darkness around him was overwhelming.

Groping in the blackness, Zhao Kuo found a nightstand. Inside, he discovered a cylindrical object—a flashlight! Flicking it on, the weak, flickering beam barely illuminated the room. Fortunately, he also found two spare batteries and, beneath them, a yellow talisman.

[Low-Grade Talisman]

[When ignited, repels spirits and zombies within a 10-meter radius for 10 seconds. Single-use.]

No lighter, though. Zhao Kuo scanned the room with the flashlight. It was a cramped, rundown space—about 8-9 square meters—with a bed, a desk, and a crimson cabinet that radiated unease. Red often signaled danger, and Zhao Kuo kept a wary eye on it as he searched the desk.

Soon, he found a second talisman. Was the previous occupant a Taoist priest? he wondered wryly.

Just then, the countdown ended, and a mocking voice echoed in his ears:

"Ding-dong! The game has officially begun. Do your best to survive! Oh, and a friendly reminder: you can kill each other. The spoils of the fallen belong to the victor. Lord Yole admires strength above all!"

Killing is allowed? Zhao Kuo's mind flashed to a popular game he'd played before: Battle Royale. A classic mode where 100 players are dropped into a confined area to scavenge, fight, and be the last one standing. Typically, such games featured a shrinking safe zone—those outside it would be eliminated or take damage.

Is this a Battle Royale? Zhao Kuo felt a pang of dread. If so, did that mean only one of him, Gu Shan, or Tang Yingying could survive? No, the Metro World wouldn't be so cruel. The rules can't be that harsh.

As he pondered, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the silence outside his door. A woman's voice, filled with terror, as if she'd encountered something unspeakable. Zhao Kuo gripped the talisman, his body tensed, eyes locked on the door.

But after a few seconds, silence returned.

A notification chimed: [Map loaded successfully.]

As expected, it was a Battle Royale. The map, however, was incomplete—only a small section of the surrounding area was visible, the rest shrouded in fog. Thankfully, Zhao Kuo was still within the safe zone.

After ensuring no further disturbances, Zhao Kuo crept toward the door, careful not to make a sound. He didn't press his ear against it—that would be foolish. The head was humanity's most vulnerable spot.

Two minutes passed. Silence. Slowly, he pushed the door open.

The flashlight's weak beam revealed a chilling sight: a trail of bloody footprints leading to the staircase. At the foot of the stairs lay the corpse of a young woman.

Spirits? Or something else? Zhao Kuo's heart raced. He feared the body might be Tang Yingying's.

Taking a deep breath, he weighed his options. Staying in the room might be safer, but with spirits confirmed in the building, lingering was suicidal. Better to escape now, before drawing their attention.

The only spirit Zhao Kuo had encountered was the red-bridal ghost on the first night. Back then, he'd had the safety of the train car and the stove. Now, all he had was a flashlight and two talismans he couldn't ignite.

Cautiously, he approached the corpse, his guard at its peak. If attacked, he'd activate the pendant immediately.

Luckily, the spirit seemed to be in a cooldown phase after killing the girl. Reaching the body, Zhao Kuo confirmed it wasn't Tang Yingying. The girl's face had been flayed, the raw flesh a gruesome sight.

[Player corpse detected. Loot?]

The system prompt felt eerily game-like.

[Loot!]

Zhao Kuo didn't hesitate. Not having to manually search the body was a plus.

He guessed the girl had rushed out before the countdown ended, bypassing room searches and directly confronting the spirit in the hallway. Without any means to fight back, she'd met a grim end.

Unlucky.

[Loot successful. Obtained: Qingming Eye Drops, Infinite Lighter.]

Only two items?

*Why only two items? Each player should carry three.* 

Zhao Kuo frowned but didn't dwell on it. Maybe the third item had been consumed earlier. 

**[Clear Vision Eye Drops (68% remaining)]** 

**[Grants night vision for 3 minutes per use.]** 

*Night vision… So that's how the girl moved before the countdown ended. Handy.* 

The lighter, aside from its infinite fuel, was unremarkable—but paired with the two talismans he'd scavenged, it could prove useful. Without hesitation, Zhao dripped the eye drops into his eyes. The darkness shifted, revealing a grainy, green-tinted world. 

A "4" painted on the hallway wall marked his location as the fourth floor. *Not too high.* He descended swiftly, avoiding the eerie stillness left by the sacrificed girl. The red wardrobe creaked open a slit but stayed quiet. 

Outside, the skyscraper loomed like a monstrous shadow. Screams echoed nearby—another player eliminated. With no way to contact Tang Yingying or Gu Shan, Zhao could only hope they survived. 

The city stretched endlessly, modern yet lightless, suffocatingly oppressive. In a battle royale, looting or hunting others was standard—but recklessness here meant death. Zhao slipped into a dilapidated housing complex, greeted by a rotting stench. *Something's here. Ghost? Player?* 

Armed with a talisman and gun, he crept into the nearest building. A relic of the '80s, its crumbling brick walls and narrow stairwells reeked of decay. Zhao bypassed the first two floors, settling on the third—high enough to evade ground threats, low enough to jump if cornered. 

His search yielded scant rewards: a dusty mango and a grimy bandage. 

**[Stale Mango (Uncontaminated)]** 

**[Restores +10 Sanity upon consumption.]** 

**[Contaminated Bandage (3/3)]** 

**[Heals 100 HP, then drains 10 HP/sec for 20s. Cooldown: 3min.]** 

*Mediocre, but better than nothing.* 

A whisper cut through the silence: "Li… *Li-ge*… Is it gone? When will this nightmare end?!" 

Zhao froze. Two voices—a man and woman—drifted from below. 

"That ghost cost me a damn artifact! You'd better *compensate* me later," the man growled. 

"Oh, Li-ge~ You know I'll make it up to you~" The woman's giggle turned saccharine. "*Mwah!*" 

*Looters. And they've got anti-ghost gear.* Zhao melted into the shadows, clutching his pistol. With 62% Luck stacked, his first shot was guaranteed—but after that, odds dropped. 

He retrieved a rusted kitchen knife from earlier. Useless in combat, but in the dark, its jagged edge gleamed menacingly. Switching off his flashlight, he hid behind the door. 

"Li-ge, this place is trash. Nothing here," the woman whined. 

"Shut up. Rich zones are crawling with S-Class horrors. At least here, we can run." 

"Ooh, a stamina bread! Eat it, Li-ge!" 

"Good girl. If that *thing* weren't out there, I'd…" 

"*Later~* Let's check upstairs!" 

Footsteps climbed. Zhao held his breath.