"Haha, heaven has eyes! After preparing for three years, I finally snagged a spot in the freebie game."
What's that sound... So noisy...
"It's just a lousy game that never changes. To use one of your China expressions, aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill?" A contemptuous snort reached everyone's ears.
A game that never changes?
The person on the receiving end couldn't let the insult stand. "Hey, Guixu's been around for years. Do you know how hard it is to snag one of these wild spots? What's wrong with me being happy?"
Guixu!
At the familiar word, the man standing in the shadows opened his eyes. His mind was still a little hazy. He pressed a hand to his forehead and shook his head to clear away the clamorous babble, then calmed himself and took stock of his surroundings.
Three people stood before him: a young man whose face was full of joy mixed with anger at being mocked; a fairly burly man in his thirties, his brows knitted as though he were thinking about something; and a blond, blue-eyed fellow whose expression was full of arrogance and disdain.
The blond, blue-eyed fellow spoke without a shred of courtesy. "If you can't walk, don't blame the road for being rough. Only newbies like you would take a garbage game like this seriously."
Having just woken from slumber, he still didn't know exactly what was going on. But he caught the key points and got the gist. Hey, you're insulting my game, aren't you?
A bamboo cane whipped toward the speaker's waist. Then he emptied his mind and put on an innocent face.
"Sorry, did I poke someone?"
Only when the apology rang out did they notice the young man who had been standing in the shadows all along.
He wore a frost-colored shirt underneath, simple and elegant. His outer robe was dark azure silk, with a straight front, frog closures, and embroidered summer bamboo. Auspicious clouds and flying geese were embroidered on his dark trousers; tassels hung from his ears, and he held a long, jointed bamboo cane.
His clothes were mostly black and white, the two colors harmonizing with each other. Leaning on his cane and dressed in the loose, casual outfit, he looked rather languid.
The young man stood there with his cane, his face looking a little pale.
Drawn by his words, they looked over and met his eyes, only to find them hollow and lightless.
"Fuck, you blind bastard!" Enraged by the blow, the blond foreigner swung a fist at the young man.
The young man stood still. He felt a rush of air from the punch, and just as the fist neared his face, the man who looked to be in his thirties stopped it.
The young man glanced down at him with a trace of regret. That tuft of blond hair should have died.
"You're only here to break the speedrun record. This isn't your country; making enemies won't do you any good."
The blond man angrily pulled his hand back, glared viciously at Fan Daoyi, and kicked the invisible wall in a rage.
"Hey, little brother, I'm Chen Wu. What's your name?" The man stepped forward and introduced himself.
The young man smiled modestly and warmly. "My name is Dao Yi, Fan Daoyi."
Chen Wu put an arm around the young man's shoulders and secretly gave him a thumbs-up. "Haha, Brother Dao Yi, nice move back there," he said softly.
He spat. "He's just some blond foreigner. Look at him, acting like everyone else is beneath him."
"You're joking. I was only feeling my way around. I didn't know someone was standing nearby," Fan Daoyi replied with a lie.
"Ah, never mind. I came to break a record too, but my ability mainly concerns my eyes. I probably can't beat that blond guy."
"Your eyes?" Fan Daoyi was briefly taken aback, then smiled and nodded. "I really do envy you."
Their whispered conversation caught the attention of the newbie from earlier.
Seeing that Chen Wu was experienced, the newbie came over to talk to him.
After they turned away, the eyes no one was watching briefly cleared for an instant.
The cane tapped lightly against the floor, and a burst of noise mingled with their conversation.
No one paid it any mind.
After a short chat, the new player had already become well acquainted with Chen Wu.
Chen Wu patted his chest and assured him, "All right, you and Brother Dao Yi can follow me when the time comes. These dungeon Anomalies are just the sort who stick scallions in a pig's snout and wave brooms and mops around to scare people. There's no need to be too afraid."
"Hehe, sorry for the trouble, Brother Chen."
After a few more words, Chen Wu noticed something amiss.
They had been in the dungeon for quite a while. Why hadn't the safety barrier disappeared yet?
The blond guy noticed it too, but instead of growing wary, he simply mocked them. "Are these Anomalies scared? Are they hiding at home, too afraid to open the door?"
Perhaps his words had provoked the Anomalies. The safety barrier vanished, and the surrounding temperature plummeted.
The dungeon timer started at that moment.
The blond guy wanted to break the dungeon record, so he didn't linger. He took a few strides and disappeared from view.
"Brother Chen, if you're not in a hurry to clear the dungeon, could I ask you about a few things?" Fan Daoyi approached them with his cane.
"Hey, no need to be so polite. Ask whatever you want."
They exchanged information along the way.
"You mean these games haven't changed since they first appeared, and as long as you memorize the guides, they aren't hard to clear?"
"And the monsters just scare people at random, then clock off when their shift ends?"
Chen Wu surveyed the surroundings as he led the way. "That's right. They don't call it the freebie game for nothing. Clear certain levels and you can have a wish granted. You won't find anything more generous than that."
The newbie rubbed the goosebumps on his arms and asked Chen Wu, "Brother Chen, doesn't it feel colder than it did just now?"
Fan Daoyi walked in the middle of the group, tapping his cane against the floor again and again.
Chen Wu glanced at him, a little puzzled. "Speaking of which, Brother Dao Yi, how come you know so little about the freebie game?"
Fan Daoyi replied at once, speaking vaguely. "My impaired vision is a big problem. I came to try my luck and see if I could have that wish granted."
Chen Wu suddenly stopped, frowning at the scene ahead.
The beginner level was simple: find a way out of this maze-like enclosed space.
There were no monsters in the enclosed space, only a serial killer.
Follow the route in the guide, and it was easy to clear.
Yet after walking for a long time, they had returned to a familiar place.
"Brother Chen Wu, what happened?" Fan Daoyi stopped as well and asked.
"Oh, nothing. Stay close."
Chen Wu calmed himself, assuming he had mixed up the guide. He sorted out his thoughts and led them through again.
As they walked, they heard the wind, sounding like someone weeping.
They shuddered and couldn't help quickening their pace.
Drip.
The sound of water dripping echoed through the corridor.
Drip.
The sound grew clearer as they moved forward.
"B-Brother Chen, this isn't right. I think we've been here before." The newbie hunched his neck and moved from the back of the group to Chen Wu's side.
They had taken different paths, yet returned to the familiar place where they had started.
Fan Daoyi had kept a fixed distance from them the whole time, following behind.
"Could it be that the places just look alike?" he said. "Why don't we leave a mark?"
Chen Wu agreed. He had read the beginner's guide dozens of times; things shouldn't have been this strange.
They left a mark on the wall and followed it to the right.
This time, what they heard was no longer dripping water, but the sound of meat being chopped on a cutting board.
The newbie player's pupils contracted sharply. He saw a sight he would never forget.
Through a door left slightly ajar up ahead, a towering figure raised a bone cleaver and chopped downward.
Dim light flickered, casting the fellow's shadow.
Blood splattered onto the wall, accompanied by coarse, raspy, maniacal laughter.
Chen Wu brought him back to his senses, lowering his voice for fear of alerting the figure in the room. "If you want to die, don't drag us down with you. Hurry."
They sped up again.
As a man with impaired vision, it would be impolite for Fan Daoyi to keep following them at an unhurried pace.
Chen Wu looked back and saw that Fan Daoyi had fallen dozens of paces behind. He wanted to go back and give him a hand.
But just then, the door that had been left ajar opened. The towering fellow poked out only his head and stared fixedly at Chen Wu.
He walked out of the room, holding the bone cleaver he had just used to butcher his prey.
"Look what I found. Incredibly fresh food."
Chen Wu hesitated no longer. He turned and ran, shouting as he went, "Sorry, Brother Dao Yi! Sorry for the trouble, but hold him off for a bit. I'll burn paper money for you once I get out!"
Fan Daoyi stopped and stood still, shaking his head slightly. He seemed unconcerned that Chen Wu had abandoned him and fled alone.
He watched Chen Wu disappear into the distance, then held his cane in one hand, placed the other over his chest, and bowed his head with an utterly sincere, gentlemanly smile.
"Have a safe journey."