chapter 1
[Detected hatred index off the charts.]
The Biochemical Laboratory constructed three layers of tempered glass, each five meters thick.
A strong stench of blood filled the sealed space.
The young man’s arms were locked in iron chains, suspended high above. A Giant Wolf clamped onto his left hand, tearing it apart chunk by chunk, leaving it a bloody mess. A Chainsaw extended from the wall, severing his right hand.
A transparent electronic screen appeared before him.
[Any wish you have, the Necromancer Game can fulfill. Please choose Yes/No to join the game.]
After the mechanical voice finished reading, the line of text flashed and enlarged, pressing infinitely close to his face.
Thick, icy gray blood trickled down from his temple, flowing into his eyes and blocking his ears.
The young man started to laugh.
“Hallucinations already? Does that mean I’m finally about to die?”
The electronic screen displayed: Loading [……]
Suddenly, a gust of wind rose at his side.
The next second, the Giant Wolf’s roar was abruptly cut off. It collapsed to the ground, torn to pieces. The Chainsaw also stopped buzzing, breaking apart segment by segment and crashing to the floor.
As for the iron chains on his body, a mere touch reduced them to powder.
He stood there in a daze, pacing back and forth in disbelief. “How did you do that?”
The electronic screen loaded a cold, smiling face.
[-]
[Necromancer Game is omnipotent.]
[Please choose Yes/No to join the game. If the countdown ends, it will be considered a forfeit. Five]
“Any wish can be fulfilled?” the young man murmured, looking down at his experiment uniform full of holes.
[Four]
He picked up his right hand, which had just been bitten off by the Giant Wolf, and rotated it at the wrist to reattach it.
[Three]
He wiped the blood and grime from his face, revealing strikingly handsome features with a dangerous edge.
“What if I want to die?”
[Two]
……
Outside the Laboratory, a Researcher dozed off with his legs crossed, his head lolling to the side as he woke with a start.
Yawning, he made a record: “Giant Wolf bite force level 10, tearing at the Experimental Subject for five hours. Experimental Subject’s life value unchanged, estimated full recovery within two hours.”
The Researcher looked up. Through the thick glass, he couldn’t see the Experimental Subject at all.
Gone!
He jumped up in panic and pulled up the surveillance feeds.
Eight cameras, every blind spot-nothing!
Cold sweat poured down his back. The Researcher pressed the emergency button.
A dozen Guards in bomb suits burst in, searched every inch of the Experiment Chamber, then came out and shook their heads at the anxious gathering of Researchers.
“There isn’t a single gap in the Experiment Chamber. He really disappeared.”
The Researcher pulled down the only red lever on the control panel. Throughout the Laboratory, and even across the entire city, massive alarm sirens blared.
He gripped the microphone, his voice trembling as it echoed across the city:
“Level One Alert.”
“The War Weapon bred and imprisoned in No. 1 Biochemical Laboratory is missing. Serial number Zero Six. Experiment duration: twenty years. Weakness: none.”
“I repeat, this is the highest level of alert.”
–
[Welcome, Player, to the Necromancer Game.]
[Current location: Game Instance Hall.]
As the cold mechanical voice faded, white light illuminated all sides of the hall, revealing a crowd packed as densely as ants.
They buzzed with excitement:
“The Necromancer Game is about to begin!”
In the center of the hall, a young man with silver-gray hair lifted his beautiful face slightly. A pitch-black collar encircled his neck, making his pale, translucent skin look like a fragile, priceless treasure.
His expression showed a purity that clashed with those around him, and he couldn’t help but smile.
“So many people.”
It was his first time seeing so many living humans.
“The newbie Instance Hall is really crowded!” An Office Worker squeezed over. “What’s your name?”
The young man instinctively touched his collar. “My name is… Zero Six.”
The Office Worker didn’t catch it. “Lu what?”
The collar was cold. The young man withdrew his hand.
Having escaped the Laboratory that imprisoned him for twenty years, he was no longer Experimental Subject Zero Six. He should have a name of his own.
“My name is Lu Li.”
“Good name, good name.” The Office Worker smiled, rubbing his hands. When he looked up and met Lu Li’s eyes, he suddenly froze.
Only then did he notice that Lu Li’s irises were a rare deep gray, cleaner than a robot’s glass eyes, utterly devoid of emotion-hollow.
Staring into them sent chills down his spine.
How could such a frail-looking kid give off such a terrifying sense of danger?
It must be his imagination.
The Office Worker snapped out of it and pointed at Lu Li’s wrist, asking cautiously, “I see you haven’t bound an Evil Spirit Bracelet, and your clothes are the starter set. Are you a newbie?”
Just entering the game, Lu Li found every term unfamiliar. He asked curiously,
“Evil Spirit Bracelet?”
The Office Worker rolled up his sleeves, showing off his Wristband while watching Lu Li’s expression closely. “See, this is it. I’ve already participated in a Game Instance, I’m not a new Player. The Evil Spirit Bracelet connects directly to everyone’s Live Stream Room-we’re both Players and Streamers. When the Audience sends Spirit Money as tips, Players receive corresponding Points, which can be exchanged for life-saving Items in the game.”
“Who are the Audience?” Lu Li mimicked his gesture, touching his own empty wrist.
At their current level, neither of them could open their Live Stream Room, so they didn’t know that the Office Worker’s Bullet Comments were already rolling:
[Spirit Money tip *5, a newbie’s life is worth 500 Points! Can the Streamer hurry up? Haven’t made a move for ages, even the Ghosts are getting impatient.]
[You can never be too careful. In other Instances, Players have used Items to hide their Wristbands-clearly wearing one, but invisible to others, playing double agent and counter-killing. But this time, it’s probably just a dumb newbie!]
[Has no Ghost noticed the newbie’s eyes? So special, so beautiful! Hope they’re dug out while fresh, I’ll pay high Points to buy them and put them in my own eye sockets.]
[A D Grade Game Instance opens with 10 Players. Hurry up and clear out the Players in the lobby! Looks like it’s all old Players again, nothing new!]
Seeing Lu Li’s hand touch his skin without obstruction, confirming he was a complete rookie, the Office Worker relaxed completely. He pulled out a Dagger and grinned viciously, “So you really are a newbie. That means your life is worth a lot of Points!”
“Boom-”
The white screen at the front of the lobby suddenly split apart, and as the smoke cleared, a rusted iron door appeared.
A cold wind swept in.
Startled by the loud noise, the Office Worker dropped his Dagger.
Lu Li picked up the Dagger and kindly handed it back.
“You dropped your little knife.”
The other Players here were strange-their expressions twitched, their voices fluctuated, and they kept dropping things.
“Give it back!” The Office Worker snatched it and gripped it tightly.
Just as the two stood still, a huge Eyeball appeared out of nowhere, falling from above and stopping abruptly over everyone’s heads.
The Eyeball rotated stickily, and the more timid Players in the lobby collapsed to the ground in fright.
“Ah-!”
With the screams, the Eyeball drooled.
It enjoyed the sound of Players’ fear, extending a red tongue from its lower eyelid to lick away the saliva.
“This Game Instance is rated D Grade, with 10 official Players. I am the Guide for this round. See the door behind me? Out of the hundred people present, only ten are qualified to enter.”
“Luck is part of life. Before the door opens, let’s play a simple Luck Test!”
As soon as the Eyeball finished speaking, a palm-sized Dice floated in front of Lu Li.
“Test time: 200 seconds. Each person gets one chance to roll the Dice. The Player with the highest number survives. Repeat the test until only 10 Players remain.”
“Now, the test begins.”
Lu Li tossed the Dice casually.
The highest number-six.
So simple, and it takes 200 seconds?
He glanced to his right. The Office Worker was stiff all over, with a floating number one in front of him.
The Office Worker stared wide-eyed at Lu Li’s Dice. “You got six? Your luck is amazing.”
Lu Li didn’t like being praised for his luck. He waved it off. “Just average.”
The Office Worker scratched his hair frantically.
“Six won’t die. You definitely won’t die.”
He fell into extreme panic and suddenly lunged at Lu Li. “I can’t die! I just won a Game Instance, just had bad luck this time. And you… you know nothing, why are you so lucky?”
“I wanted to kill you earlier! Before I die, let me teach you one last lesson-luck isn’t enough.”
The Office Worker drew his Dagger and stabbed fiercely at Lu Li’s Heart.
As long as this kid died, the Dice showing six would be his!
–
The Dagger was inches away.
Lu Li reached out and grabbed it.
The tip didn’t move at all, not even touching his clothes.
Lu Li’s expression was calm. “Besides good luck, what else do you need?”
“Impossible… This is an Item I exchanged for! It can even cut through bone!” The Office Worker refused to believe it, straining until his face turned red and black.
Lu Li loosened his grip, and the Office Worker fell flat on his face.
Trembling, he climbed up and stabbed at Lu Li even harder.
The blade was caught again.
This time, the Office Worker finally saw clearly.
The Dagger was indeed slicing open Lu Li’s palm.
But it didn’t advance at all.
Because the wound was healing at a bizarre speed.
Countless fine threads grew from the wound, densely connecting and stitching the flesh together, rapidly restoring it.
“Gray blood?” The Office Worker’s face turned pale. “You-you’re some kind of monster!?”