My eyes hurt, my body ached, and I struggled to breathe. I could not feel my thighs or arms. A heavy weight pressed on my back—it was the collapsed structure of my office. When I opened my eyes, I saw a pool of blood and my colleagues lying lifeless on the wrecked ground of Beijing.
I strained under the weight of the rock, scratching my fingers on the destroyed ground in a desperate attempt to free myself while panting loudly. It was a miracle to be alive after being crushed by such a large skyscraper. My once-black garments were dirty and dusty, and my white shirt had ripped. My palm brushed against broken glass, making me flinch. "OUCH!"
The tiny shards punctured my palms, and crimson blood oozed out. After numerous futile attempts, I realized I would not get out alive without help.
I closed my eyes, feeling perspiration and blood mixing on my face, and chuckled sadly as I spoke, " live well Rong Rong, gege will no longer be here with you"
However, I could no longer feel the building on my body. It was as if it had been torn off. When I opened my eyes and turned around, the construction rocks sailed into the air with a blue gleam. I was shocked. My eyes widened at this sight. "Will you get up right away, or should I bury you under it?" a frigid yet deep voice asked, drawing my attention. However, I was too weak at the moment. Too feeble to discern who was speaking to me. All I saw was a fuzzy human form.
I crawled near that individual, and he dropped the rocks again. He went down to my level, gripped the back of my neck, and gave me some water to drink. I still could not see his face. He then draped me onto his shoulder and walked away with me. My body was in excruciating pain, and I could not handle it any longer, so I passed out on his shoulder.
When I regained consciousness, I found myself in a small, dimly lit room. The walls were made of rough stone, and there was a faint smell of dampness in the air. I tried to sit up, but my body protested with sharp pangs of pain. Groaning, I lay back down, staring at the cracked ceiling.
Footsteps echoed from a nearby corridor, growing louder as they approached. The door creaked open, and the same figure from before entered, carrying a tray with some food and bandages. He placed the tray on a rickety table beside the makeshift bed I was on and turned to me.
"You've been unconscious for a while. I thought you were dead so i was thinking of letting those monsters devoured your flesh," he said, his voice still carrying that cold, detached tone
"Eat and regain your strength. You'll need it to clear the upcoming scenerios"
I could see him clearly now. He was a young man with moonlike facial characteristics. His blue eyes glistened like a river. His lips were pink, like a rose petal, and his hair was black, with some strands hanging down his face. His dark clothing displayed his icy demeanor, perfectly complementing the cold aura he emanated.
"Scenarios?" I asked, staring at him blankly.
"You don't know?" he inquired, furrowing his brow.
Of course, I didn't know. After all, a few days ago, I was simply a typical 24-year-old rookie journalist working in my office. I was sipping my coffee happily while writing an article about the recent scandal involving the President of the Starstruck Firm when I felt the ground tremble beneath my chair. I soon noticed fractures in the walls and heard the shouts of people, and after a few hours, I was trapped beneath the building structure for at least a week.
"Who are you? What's your name?" I asked, trying to gather my thoughts.
"Han Yihong " the man said bluntly glancing directly into my eyes.
" You?"
"I'm Yu Zhiyuan," i said, my voice steady. "And I currently don't know what is happening in this world."
The man smirked and grabbed onto my bleeding hand, slowly pricking off the glass shards. "I'm not the kind of heroic person who saves people. I kind of hate individuals who are weak and pathetic."
"Of course, I saved you because of some 'particular' reasons. Perhaps you are different from others."
"And you will soon know what is happening in this world," he finished as he bandaged my wounded hand. With a final glance, he took the tray and left, slamming the door behind him.
[It seems that you are already awake, Participant Yu Zhiyuan.]
A voice startled me when I was lost in my thoughts, wondering what the person meant. I looked around the dimly lit room, but couldn't see anyone. The voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.
A small egg appeared in the air. I reached out to grab the white egg, but it sent a jolt of electricity through me.
[Don't touch me!]
"Is that voice coming from the egg?" I wondered aloud.
Suddenly, two eyes appeared on the egg's surface.
[Of course it's me speaking, you imbecilic human.]
"I must be hallucinating from the shock," I thought, rubbing my eyes and trying to clear the disorientation. I sank back onto the bed, hoping to resume my rest.
[How dare you ignore me, you insolent fool!]
However, I did not open my eyes but instead kept on sleeping, thinking that it was a mere illusion and I need to sleep in order to recover soon.
[Wake up, you insolent fool!]
the egg's voice demanded, growing increasingly agitated.
[This is not a nap time! People outside are struggling for their survival and this fool here is sleeping]
Suddenly, a strange sensation jolted me awake—a light but unmistakable slap across my face. I blinked groggily, only to see the egg floating right in front of me, its eyes narrowed in irritation.
[How dare you ignore me!]
[I'll have to resort to more drastic measures.]
The slap stung my face, and I jolted upright, grabbing my aching cheeks. My eyes flew open in shock as I processed the pain.
"This was not a hallucination?" I muttered, still feeling the sharp sting of the slap.
"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?" I Shouted , the frustration evident in my voice.
[Don't scream, you idiot! I'm not deaf. You were so foolish to ignore me,] the egg retorted.
[That's why I'm here—to explain what is happening.]
The egg cleared its voice, which surprisingly had a baby-like tone.
[I am Momo! Your guide throughout the numerous scenarios you will face. If you manage to survive—though I can barely imagine that you will—consider me your support. Right now, I appear as an egg, but with each scenario you clear, I will level up. Currently, I'm at level 0, the lowest rank, because my foolish master hasn't started clearing any scenarios. As I level up, I will become more powerful and eventually hatch into a living being.]
[Look at your hand!] Momo instructed.
I glanced down and saw a sleek, smart watch that hadn't been there before. Curious, I clicked on the watch, and a blue holographic window materialized like a huge screen infront of me, displaying the following information:
Name: Yu Zhiyuan
Age: 24 years old
Arbiter: ????
IQ Level: ????
Status: Alive
Relationship: ?????
Magical Prowess: Four golden demonic eyes
Spirit Bond with Zeyu.
Skills: unknown
"What does all this mean?" I muttered, more to myself than to Momo.
[The watch provides essential details about you and your status in this world,] Momo explained.
[More information will be revealed as you progress through the scenarios upgrading your skills like those stupid games humans used to play]
"Was I transmigrated into a game?" I asked Momo, trying to wrap my mind around the situation.
[It's not a game,] Momo replied, its voice tinged with frustration.
[Scenarios and dungeons started appearing out of nowhere a few weeks ago, and they have since begun affecting the entire world. This is a new reality that has emerged, and you are now a part of it.]