The cat meowed again.
Fu Changxun’s gaze lingered on someone for just a second before he asked casually, “Lu Qi, weren’t you always the one cats loved most? Could you come calm it down for me?”
Lu Qi instinctively took half a step back. Noticing the suspicious looks from the others, he quickly snapped, “Yeah, yeah, I got it.”
He reluctantly approached the cat to pet it—only for it to claw at him instantly.
“Shit! Damn animal, it’s completely feral!” The words slipped from Lu Qi’s mouth without thinking. “Figures it oughta be dead.”
Fu Changxun’s downcast eyes suddenly sharpened. He gave a quick glance to the cat and Dong Zi, silently warning them to stay still.
Lu Qi had never been good with cats. One casual lie, and the truth was laid bare. Combined with the clear malice he’d shown toward the cat, it was almost certain now…
Lu Qi was the [Ghost] hiding among them. And that also explained Wang Fei’s death.
The [Ghost] must have used some method to trick the cat spirit into thinking Wang Fei was the [Ghost], manipulating it into killing him and escaping suspicion unscathed.
Unfortunately…
It still wasn’t the second day yet. That meant they couldn’t make a second accusation. If the [Ghost] realized they’d been exposed, they might just go berserk and try to kill everyone.
***
In the higher-dimensional space—unseen by Fu Changxun and the others—bullet comments began rolling in again:
[He’s brilliant!]
[Smart and beautiful—what a deadly combo…]
[I have to make him into a doll! He’ll be the perfect piece in my collection!]
[Ladies and gents, among all these early-triggered games, this pretty little low-dimensional creature is already ahead of most. Such a shame he hasn’t opened his livestream.]
[He’s amazing. I’m going to keep a close eye on him!]
[Game admins! Next round, no matter what—force open his livestream!]
The higher-dimensional beings were salivating over him, flooding into the young man’s still-locked stream.
***
“You’re just too rough,” Fu Changxun said as he cradled the cat back into his arms. “See how well-behaved it is? Come on, Ah Zi, you try petting it too.”
He took Dong Zi’s hand and gently placed it on the cat’s back. Dong Zi didn’t register the cat’s soft fur at all—he was too caught up in how gentle Ah Xun’s voice had sounded.
He called me Ah Zi!
He held my hand!
Dong Zi mechanically stroked the cat a few times, managing a dry, awkward “Mm.”
Xu Zhengyi had been observing quietly for a while. When he was sure the cat wasn’t a threat, he stepped in to smooth things over. “Maybe it also got pulled into the game from the real world. Let’s not panic. We still don’t fully understand how this game works…”
Just then, everyone’s game panel lit up at once.
Time froze across all game instances.
[System Announcement: Congratulations to Players “Wage Slave” and “Holy Shit” for being the first to clear the beginner game level. You are now officially participants in the game.]
[Low-Dimensional Selection has officially begun. Welcome, all low-dimensional beings, to the game!]
[Attention, players! Please take note of the following rules:]
[First: Player identities may change. Clearing a game and gaining abilities marks you as a Participant. Killing a powered player and taking their ability marks you as a Plagiarist. Failing to enter a game for three consecutive months marks you as a Coward. Entering the game and manifesting abilities from personal fear makes you a Stealth Walker.]
[Second: The personal status page now includes “Sanity” and “Health.” If Sanity reaches zero, you’ll assimilate with the instance and be unable to leave the game. If Health reaches zero, you die.]
[Third: All livestreams are now open to low-dimensional beings. Players must stream at least once every 30 days, or a random item will be automatically deducted.]
[Fourth: The “Game Shop” is now open. Items may be exchanged using points earned through game completion.]
[System announcement complete. Players, please continue working hard and strive to clear the game!]
Time resumed.
But the hall was still dead silent—you could hear every breath.
“…Those players—‘Wage Slave’ and ‘Holy Shit’—they’re definitely not any of us. Which means that while we were playing this game, lots of other people were in their own separate instances. And those two already cleared theirs.”
Xu Zhengyi was the first to break the silence, wracking his brain for answers. “So people in the real world must know we’ve disappeared by now. That gives us at least a bit of security.”
One of the livestreaming players latched onto the idea like a drowning man grabbing a life raft. With eyes full of desperation, he asked, “So we’re not gonna die, right? People outside will come save us?”
“They definitely will,” Xu Zhengyi declared with confidence.
Whether it was true or not, his words eased the tension in the room. The heavy sense of dread lifted, at least a little.
Even though the corpse of the dead player was still upstairs, the survivors couldn’t help but let down their guard.
This was, in truth, very bad.
Fu Changxun hadn’t forgotten that the [Ghost] was able to deceive the cat spirit into misidentifying its killer. That meant the [Ghost] wasn’t just dangerous—it was cunning.
And now… if he spoke up, not only would he risk letting the exposed [Ghost] escape, he’d also end up the target of suspicion himself.
His gaze drifted lightly across the crowd and settled on the high school girl. She still looked deeply shaken, her body trembling slightly. Not even the system announcement had been enough to snap her out of her fear.
He’d already figured out earlier that the girl, just like himself, was a Stealth Walker.
Her ability was likely what she’d mentioned before—Yin-Yang Eyes. That explained why she could see the tortured spirit of the cat. But it also meant her Sanity had taken a major hit, leaving her in a dazed and fragile state.
Fu Changxun calmly glanced at his personal stats page. Sure enough, two new indicators had appeared.
Sanity: 89 (Mild Terror)
Health: 100 (Healthy)
So the game had quietly shaved off 11 points of his Sanity without him even realizing.
The others were checking their stats too. Fu Changxun opened the newly unlocked Game Shop with a sigh as he saw his balance displayed plainly: Points: 0.
There were indeed plenty of items that could restrain vengeful spirits… but with no points earned from the first round, no one could buy a thing. They’d have to rely on themselves.
Dong Zi, after hearing the system announcement, had also pulled up his stats.
Before Fu Changxun could ask, he volunteered the info: “My Sanity hasn’t dropped. Health’s the same.”
Fu Changxun: “…”
Wow. That was a bit too cooperative.
He nodded in acknowledgment but didn’t share his own numbers in return.
Dong Zi looked a little disappointed but didn’t show it.
Time ticked on. No one dared leave the hall. With no movement, there were no deaths. “Lu Qi” began pacing the room, visibly agitated.
If the [Ghost] had been paying attention, they might have noticed— the black cat’s pupils had never once left him.
Suddenly, it sprang out of Fu Changxun’s arms and landed silently on the floor.
At that exact moment, the system’s voice chimed out:
[Ding-dong—Second Identification Phase has begun. All players, please cast your vote.]
The game had officially moved into “Day Two.”
