Could this have something to do with the school?
Mailing a student an elaborate card printed with incomprehensible text?
Zhu Yan instinctively doubted it.
If it were true, it would be far too serious.
If the school wasn't responsible, then who had slipped this thing into the delivery bag?
He took the coin-like object out of the small envelope and examined it under the bathroom's dim white light.
It really was a metal badge, though it had no pin or anything else for attaching it to clothes.
Set into its front was a caged bird carved from obsidian. Its struggling pose was lifelike, every feather at the tips of its wings rendered in exquisite detail.
Zhu Yan's heart skipped a beat, and his sense of foreboding grew stronger.
The thing was exquisitely made and looked a lot like pure gold.
If it was a prank, would someone really go this far?
He turned the badge over and found that the back was also engraved with tiny, densely packed text.
The bathroom light was too dim, so Zhu Yan had to turn on his phone's flashlight and bring the badge close to his eyes, reading it line by line.
"Please note that, once you have accepted delivery of the package, you have two hours to consider whether to become a player and make your decision—"
"Regardless of whether you have actually opened the envelope."
Zhu Yan understood.
This was probably an unfair clause, meaning that as soon as he picked up the delivery, the countdown would begin from the moment it left the delivery station, whether or not he saw the badge and the words on its back.
"If you do not make a decision in time, I will take it that you agree to become a player."
"The Beginner Instance will open at your current location within three hours of confirmation."
"If you agree to become a player, please press and hold your left index finger against the design on the badge for three seconds."
"The badge will automatically merge with your body and become a brand."
Zhu Yan read on.
"If you refuse to become a player, please press and hold your left little finger against the text side of the badge for three seconds."
"The badge will automatically merge with your body..."
"And you will die in a fairly natural manner."
A sense of absurdity rose from the depths of Zhu Yan's heart, and intense unease made his heart race.
When he first read about players and instances, he had briefly suspected a criminal gang.
But merging with the body and dying in a fairly natural manner...
That immediately brought to mind the people in the news who had died suddenly.
Perhaps he wasn't the only one to receive such a strange badge. After all, over 200 people dying suddenly in just ten days was truly bizarre.
Zhu Yan reflexively opened his phone to check. He found all sorts of speculation online, while the police had yet to release any further investigation results.
Zhu Yan raised a hand and pressed it against his pounding heart.
With public discussion growing more and more heated, the police would surely have announced the results long ago if they could.
It had been several days since they began investigating, and the results were still not forthcoming. Either they couldn't conveniently disclose them, or they couldn't find anything.
Either way, it was enough to show how troublesome the problem was.
If those people had really died because of the badges, then...
Zhu Yan looked back at the badge. The black bird struggling in its cage looked strange no matter how he looked at it.
...didn't that mean there really was some kind of supernatural power behind the badge?
The bathroom was dark, hot, and humid, and Zhu Yan felt sweat seep out on his forehead.
He continued reading by the light of his phone's flashlight, hoping to find other clues.
"Of course, you may also press and hold your left middle finger against the front of the badge for three seconds to access the Player Forum as a visitor."
"Visitors may only browse and cannot make posts or comments."
"Please pay attention to the forum notice. This is an expression of our care for you."
A forum that gave him a visitor account right away!
This was what he needed. There were players on the forum, so he could learn at least some useful information.
Zhu Yan read on and reached the last line on the badge.
"This badge was made by [Lazybones Craft Shop]."
Lazybones Craft Shop.
That was another clue... If he found the shop, perhaps he could learn more.
Zhu Yan carefully put the card away and pressed his left middle finger against the front of the badge.
Three seconds later, a crisp, loud "beep" suddenly rang out.
Zhu Yan jumped and couldn't help cursing.
"Fuck!"
His aunt's shrill voice immediately pierced through the wooden door.
"What are you cursing for? If you dare break anything in my house, you'll come out here and kneel as punishment!"
Zhu Yan didn't answer right away, because a clear, pleasant electronic female voice had overlapped with his aunt's.
"Hello, visitor. Welcome to the [Player Forum]."
"Your visitor account will be retained for one hour and thirty minutes."
Then the scene in Zhu Yan's field of vision began to change—
Conspicuous red text suddenly appeared in the center of his vision, overlaid on the narrow shower enclosure's glass door, which was covered in grayish-white water stains.
"Forum notice: Please protect your privacy. Do not let anyone know anything about [Carnival Paradise] or your identity."
Zhu Yan froze.
He reached out and tried to touch the words, but failed.
They were neither a projection nor something physical. They were more like an image that had grown directly on his retinas.
"Zhu Yan, did you hear me?" His aunt's voice grew even shriller.
Zhu Yan put the badge in his pocket, opened the door, and looked at his aunt.
"Auntie, did you hear a strange sound just now?"
His aunt frowned.
"Are you being sarcastic? Oh, so you just curse at people for no reason and think you're in the right?"
Zhu Yan was certain now.
From his aunt's reaction, she really hadn't heard anything.
He mumbled an apology, then hurriedly turned and went into the room, saying he needed to pack his things to make space for his younger brother.
After locking the door, Zhu Yan leaned against it and slowly crouched down, panting heavily.
This was too intense.
The forum notice before his eyes had vanished, replaced by a page where he could clearly see text and pictures.
The page layout looked a lot like a certain Little Red Book. On the cover of the top post was a sentence in black text against a white background.
"Attention, newcomers, this is not your imagination! You haven't been poisoned by mushrooms!"
The black text had been made extra bold, making it very eye-catching.
Zhu Yan didn't click on it right away and slowly looked farther down.
As his gaze reached the bottom, the page began to scroll up with remarkable intuitiveness.
"Are there any veteran players here? What exactly is [Carnival Paradise]?"
"My older sister unfortunately died in the Beginner Instance. I thought she'd just died suddenly..."