In 2025, the world changed.
The revival of spiritual energy was like the heavens themselves sneezing with a thunderous roar, shaking the entire globe to its core.
Then, martial arts ascended, and all sorts of demons and strange creatures appeared out of nowhere, outnumbering even shared bicycles.
Society swiftly and decisively divided into three factions: Martial Artists, Espers, and—well, the rest of us, ordinary humans.
Chen Ping, a quintessential layabout, worked a mundane job in an unremarkable company, living the so-called "happy" life of nine-to-five monotony.
Saying "happy" was a bit of an exaggeration, since in this era, no one had it easy.
Martial artists strutted down the streets, proud as peacocks, while ordinary humans kept their heads low, fearing that one misstep might turn them into mere practice targets for these powerful beings.
Chen Ping's greatest wish was to simply get by peacefully, to clock in and out every day, then collapse on the sofa to binge-watch dramas or play games, indulging in the tranquil life of a sedentary homebody.
One day, after work, Chen Ping was walking home with his colleague, Zhang Long.
Zhang Long was a straightforward guy, the kind of character you'd expect to find in an action anime as the hot-headed second lead. He constantly fantasized about awakening some incredible superpower, saving the world, marrying a rich beauty, and rising to the pinnacle of life.
Unfortunately, reality was cruel, and Zhang Long, still a Bronze-Grade Three newbie, couldn't even defeat the security guard at the entrance of his neighborhood.
As the sun set and the streets grew sparse, a strange sense of tension lingered in the air.
Suddenly, a shadow emerged from an alley, blocking Chen Ping and Zhang Long's path.
"This road is mine, this tree I planted—if you want to pass, you must pay the toll!" snarled a brutish man, shaking a rusty knife menacingly.
This was… robbery?
Chen Ping froze. In his twenty-plus years of life, he had never encountered such a thing.
He felt a wave of panic, more intense than his first blind date.
Zhang Long, pale as a ghost, trembled uncontrollably, resembling a scared rabbit.
He stammered, "B-bro, we... we don't have any money…"
The robber, named Li Guo, was a Bronze-Grade Five thug, relying on his meager strength to bully ordinary people.
He eyed Chen Ping and Zhang Long with disdain and sneered, "Stop talking nonsense! Hand over your money!"
Li Guo swung the broken knife, its blade reflecting a cold gleam under the streetlamp, making Chen Ping's heart skip a beat.
Instinctively, he checked his pocket, finding only a few crumpled bills—barely enough to buy a cup of bubble tea.
Just as Li Guo was about to strike, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in Chen Ping's mind:
"Ding! [Lazy System] Binding successful!"
"Host detected to be in danger, would you like to activate the 'Play Dead' skill?"
"Skill effect: Pretend to be dead, confuse the enemy. Upon use, gain 100 experience points and suffer brief amnesia."
What?!
A system?
Play dead?
Amnesia?
Chen Ping's mind buzzed, as though caught in a dream.
He was no stranger to web novels, but never did he imagine such an event would occur in his own life.
Top experience points in the server?
What... what was this?
Could it be that others had also bound this bizarre system?
His heart raced, excitement bubbling within him.
He glanced at the fierce-looking Li Guo and then at the 'Play Dead' skill in his mind. A bold idea formed.
"Answer me!" Chen Ping suddenly shouted at Li Guo, his voice infused with a certain unexplainable… force?
"Answer me!" His shout was so powerful, it could have shaken the heavens and made ghosts weep, leaving Li Guo stunned.
The broken knife in Li Guo's hand nearly slipped from his grasp. He stared at Chen Ping, who usually appeared timid, and was at a loss for words.
"You... you answer your own damn question!" Li Guo finally found his voice, cursing angrily.
He felt humiliated. A Bronze-Grade One novice was daring to act tough in front of him?
It was an insult that even his uncle couldn't tolerate!
However, Chen Ping ignored Li Guo's furious rant.
He had made up his mind to test the so-called "Play Dead" skill.
After all, this was an opportunity provided by the system. Who knew? Perhaps this could be his big break, a chance to rise to the top!
Chen Ping took a deep breath, then... closed his eyes and slumped, falling straight to the ground.
The sound of his fall was loud, and dust flew up.
Zhang Long was dumbstruck, staring at the motionless Chen Ping on the ground.
"Chen… Chen Ping… are you… okay?" he stammered, utterly baffled.
Li Guo was equally stunned. He never expected Chen Ping to pull a stunt like this.
What… was this? Faking an accident?
But who pretends to be dead in a robbery these days?
He cautiously approached Chen Ping and prodded his body with the tip of his shoe.
"Hey! Stop playing dead! I'm not scared of you!"
Yet, Chen Ping remained completely still, like a true corpse.
Li Guo kicked him a few more times, but seeing no response, he began to panic.
He just wanted to rob some money, not cause a fatal accident!
"I… I didn't mean it… I just wanted to scare you guys…" Li Guo's voice quivered as he tossed away the broken knife, turning and fleeing, shouting, "Murder! Murder!"
Zhang Long watched in utter disbelief as Li Guo fled.
He rushed over to Chen Ping's side, shaking him and calling his name, but Chen Ping lay there as lifeless as a corpse.
"Chen Ping! Wake up! Don't scare me like this!" Zhang Long was on the verge of tears, thinking that Chen Ping had completely lost his mind.
Just then, a series of system notifications rang in Chen Ping's mind:
"Ding! Congratulations, host, you have successfully used the 'Play Dead' skill and gained 1000 experience points!"
"Ding! Host's experience has reached the highest in the server. A mysterious gift package has been awarded!"
"Ding! Host has achieved the special achievement 'King of Laziness' for reaching first place in experience. Additional attribute bonuses awarded!"
Chen Ping lay on the ground, listening to the series of notifications, and his heart swelled with joy.
Haha!
It worked!
He had really scared off the robber by pretending to be dead!
And he even received so many rewards!
First place in experience?
King of Laziness?
This… this title was practically tailor-made for him!
Chen Ping almost wanted to jump up and celebrate right away.
But, to avoid suspicion, he held back his excitement and kept playing dead.
However, as he reveled in his success, a sudden sharp pain struck his head, as if it had been smashed by a giant hammer.
"Ah!" Chen Ping let out a cry, then… lost consciousness.
When he awoke again, he found himself still lying on the cold ground, the surroundings eerily silent.
"Where… where am I?" Chen Ping rubbed his aching head, looking around in confusion.
He felt as though he had forgotten something important, but he couldn't quite recall what it was.
"What… what just happened?" He struggled to remember, but his mind was blank.
All he remembered was that he had been leaving work with Zhang Long, and then… everything else was a blur.
"Where's Zhang Long? Where did he go?" Chen Ping struggled to get up and looked around, but saw no sign of his colleague.
Fear gripped him. Had he been kidnapped?
Or had he contracted some strange illness, causing amnesia?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt like he was caught in a vast conspiracy.
He stood up and stumbled forward, hoping to find an exit from this strange place.
But after walking for what seemed like an eternity, no recognizable landmarks appeared.
The surroundings were all the same—dark, silent, and desolate—filling him with a sense of hopelessness.
"What… what's going on?" Chen Ping crouched down, clutching his head, groaning in pain.
He felt like a lost child in a forest, unsure of where to go or what to do.
He tried to recall his identity, his address, his family and friends, but everything felt hazy, like an eraser had wiped away his memories.
All he remembered was that he was an office worker, living a nine-to-five life.
But beyond that, nothing.
"Who… who am I?" Chen Ping muttered to himself, his voice filled with confusion and fear.
It felt like he had lost the most important thing—himself.
He stood up, aimlessly walking forward, unsure of where he was headed or where he could go.
He just knew he had to find the answer, to recover the memories he had lost.
Suddenly, he saw a faint light ahead.
Desperate, he ran toward it, clinging to it like a lifeline.
He didn't know what lay behind the light, but he knew it was his only hope…
"Answer me…" he muttered as he ran, the words echoing in his mind like a chant.
Chen Ping didn't know why he said this or what it meant.
But he knew, without a doubt, that these words were incredibly important to him… incredibly important.