Chapter Summaries

Zhu Yan woke from a strange dream about closed-beta players and found an ability card hidden in a courier bag. The card identified his ability as Roleplay and warned that an instance would begin within three hours, leaving him alarmed that the dream was real.

• Zhu Yan heard that sudden deaths had surged in Bailu City and wondered if they were connected to the voice in his dream.
• Zhu Yan obeyed his aunt's chores while planning to leave for a university far away rather than work at an electronics factory for her.
• Zhu Yan collected his university admission letter and hid it inside a bucket in the apartment hallway.
• Zhu Yan found a black envelope in the courier bag and opened it in the bathroom.
• Zhu Yan read that his Roleplay ability was level 3 and that the instance would begin within three hours.

Zhu Yan examined a strange badge that gave him a choice to become a player, access the Player Forum, or refuse and die. He entered the forum as a visitor and began reading posts, while the badge’s warning told him to protect his identity and keep Carnival Paradise secret.

• Zhu Yan read the badge’s instructions and learned that refusing to become a player would cause his death, while failing to choose in time would count as agreement.
• Zhu Yan pressed his left middle finger against the badge to access the Player Forum as a visitor.
• Zhu Yan heard the forum’s electronic greeting and saw a notice warning him not to reveal Carnival Paradise or his identity, though his aunt heard nothing.
• Zhu Yan returned to his room, locked the door, and opened the forum page in his vision.
• Zhu Yan saw posts asking about Carnival Paradise and mourning a player who had died in the Beginner Instance.

Zhu Yan accepted the player badge and fused with his level 3 [Roleplay] ability, then discovered that his aunt had received a player card too. He learned that his newbie instance would begin in two hours at his aunt’s home, leaving him wondering which family member the Pseudo-human had replaced.

• Zhu Yan read forum posts confirming that the game and its dangers were real, and learned that choosing to become a player early could help him fuse with his ability sooner.
• Zhu Yan pressed his finger to the badge, fused with it and his ability card, and received [Roleplay] lv.3, which let him imitate low-level horror creatures and alter his aura.
• Zhu Yan found an envelope in his aunt’s grocery bag and read that her ability was [Complaining] at level 2.
• The game announced that Zhu Yan’s newbie instance, [Who Is the Crown Prince], would start in two hours at Apartment 601, Building 3, Anyuan Village Residential Complex, and that he had to survive for two hours.
• Zhu Yan realized his aunt might be in the same instance and wondered whether the Pseudo-human had replaced his uncle or younger brother.

Zhu Yan prepared for the horror instance and discovered that his ability let him copy his younger cousin’s appearance. When the instance began, a monstrous impostor posing as his uncle had entered their home, and Zhu Yan transformed into his cousin’s exact double.

• Zhu Yan hid his Ability Card and badge from his aunt, tested his ability by copying his younger cousin, and packed his belongings for the instance.
• Zhu Yan’s younger cousin came home terrified, and a Pseudo-human resembling his uncle entered the apartment.
• Zhu Yan’s younger cousin revealed that he had received a game card and recognized that they were in a horror instance, while his aunt dismissed his claims.
• Zhu Yan’s younger cousin accused him of causing the situation just before the instance began, and Zhu Yan retained the Pseudo-human’s bearing while copying his cousin.

Zhu Yan used his [Roleplay] talent to pose as his aunt’s son and convince her that his younger brother was the impostor. The Pseudo-human uncle accepted Zhu Yan as one of its kind and restrained the younger brother, but he broke free and lunged at Zhu Yan.

• Zhu Yan stepped in as his aunt’s darling son, while his younger brother realized that Zhu Yan looked exactly like the Pseudo-human at the table.
• Zhu Yan told the Pseudo-human uncle that his younger brother was pretending to be him and had bullied their mother.
• His younger brother revealed his mission was to kill the false crown prince and attacked Zhu Yan with a stool, but the Pseudo-human uncle grabbed him and stopped the blow.
• Zhu Yan continued acting like his younger brother, and the Pseudo-human uncle backed his story while reassuring the confused aunt that Zhu Yan was his son.
• The younger brother stomped on the Pseudo-human uncle’s foot to escape his grip, then lunged at Zhu Yan again.

Zhu Yan used Auntie’s [Complaining] ability to weaken his younger brother, who was killed by the Pseudo-human during dinner. He hid with Auntie in the bedroom and waited out the instance, which was nearly over when the Pseudo-human politely invited him to leave together.

• Zhu Yan called for Auntie’s help, and her [Complaining] ability left his younger brother too weak to fight back.
• The Pseudo-human uncle restrained Zhu Yan’s younger brother and asked Zhu Yan for permission to eat, treating him with unusual deference.
• Zhu Yan agreed to eat in the bedroom, and the Pseudo-human killed his younger brother while Auntie watched and fainted.
• Zhu Yan carried Auntie into the bedroom, locked the door, and endured the remaining time without revealing his distress.
• With two minutes left, the Pseudo-human stopped eating, thanked Zhu Yan as an Advanced Imposter, and asked whether he wanted to leave the instance together.

Zhu Yan escaped the beginner instance and learned that his cousin had failed it and had only minutes left to live. After receiving his rewards, Zhu Yan headed toward Anwu City, where his university was, and listened as the game began explaining how to exchange his balance for horror currency.

• Zhu Yan left the apartment while his cousin remained unconscious, then cleared the beginner instance and returned to the real world.
• Zhu Yan's cousin woke to the announcement that the Pseudo-human had devoured his life energy, and he attacked his aunt while blaming her for his death.
• Zhu Yan hid outside, called a taxi, and bought a ticket to Anwu City, deciding he no longer wanted ties with his aunt.
• The game announced that two of the three players had cleared [Who Is the Crown Prince] and one had died, confirming Zhu Yan had placed first.
• Zhu Yan received ten days off and a 50,000-yuan beginner bonus, then heard the game explain how to exchange his balance for horror currency.

After the Beginner Instance, Zhu Yan received new abilities and used his disguise skill to pass a police checkpoint while fleeing to Anwu City. His aunt reported him for killing her son, but Zhu Yan was already on the train and finally relaxed.

• The broadcast explained the game’s currencies, player center, and Zhu Yan’s rewards, including the chance to take abilities from lower-ranked players.
• Zhu Yan chose to take the abilities [Complaining] and [Humiliation] from his aunt.
• Zhu Yan hid his player mark, passed a left-palm inspection at the city checkpoint, and reached South Station in time for his train to Anwu City.
• After finding her son dead, Zhu Yan’s aunt told the police that Zhu Yan had killed him and could change his appearance.
• The police learned Zhu Yan’s name, but he had already left the city, and he relaxed aboard the train.

Zhu Yan explored his player profile and abilities while traveling by train, learning that his hidden player mark had no time limit outside instances. The authorities identified him as a dangerous player and planned to intercept him, just as the system announced that he would enter a new instance aboard the train in six hours.

• Zhu Yan changed his nickname to "User Account Deleted" and set a black photo as his profile picture.
• Zhu Yan confirmed that he could keep his player mark hidden outside an instance for more than an hour.
• At the police station, Guan En learned that Zhu Yan had collected a black envelope and that his younger brother had likely fused with an ability card.
• The police decided to intercept Zhu Yan in Anwu City, and Guan En was ordered to help receive him.
• On the train, Zhu Yan read his upgraded [Roleplay] and [Complaining] ability descriptions.
• The system announced that Zhu Yan would be pursued by human authorities and invited him to join the [Cat-and-Mouse Game] instance aboard the G3075 Train in six hours.

Zhu Yan accepted the [Cat-and-Mouse Game] instance and investigated how Pseudo-humans behaved, eventually forming a plan to test his theory during the train journey. Meanwhile, Guan En fell asleep aboard another train and appeared to be becoming a player as well.

• Zhu Yan chose to enter [Cat-and-Mouse Game], whose mission was to leave Anwu North Station without being caught by the police.
• Zhu Yan searched the Player Forum and found an account describing how Pseudo-humans followed a hierarchy based on their levels.
• Zhu Yan recalled that a Pseudo-human's attitude changed after he transformed into his younger brother, and he suspected that taking on different appearances attracted Pseudo-humans.
• Guan En grew suspicious of his boss's strange behavior, then fell asleep before he could check on him.
• Aboard the G3075 Train, Zhu Yan decided to find a way to be alone with the Pseudo-human and test his theory before falling asleep.

Zhu Yan disguised himself as attendant Zhang Li to evade the police and entered the [Cat-and-Mouse Game] instance, where he tried to win Guan En’s trust. The chapter ended with Guan En questioning the disguised Zhu Yan after he claimed to be hearing a brainwashing voice.

• Zhu Yan questioned attendant Zhang Li about her duties and learned that night-shift attendants rested at six, then copied her appearance and uniform.
• Guan En woke from a dream about abilities loading and realized that his superior had been replaced by a hungry pseudo-human.
• At five, [Cat-and-Mouse Game] began as the train arrived at the station, where officers gathered to search for Zhu Yan.
• Guan En boarded the train and ordered the passengers to stay while the police investigated, and Zhu Yan helped calm the crowd in his attendant disguise.
• Zhu Yan approached Guan En as Zhang Li and claimed that he was tired, hearing a brainwashing voice, and felt like throwing up.

Zhu Yan pretended to be a frightened female attendant to learn Guan En’s mission and misdirect him while avoiding detection. He revealed his true face to the Pseudo-human and tried to lead it away by offering to show it surveillance footage.

• Zhu Yan gave Guan En a gold coin and claimed his mission was to help the police catch the mouse, while hiding his aunt’s Ability Card.
• Guan En told Zhu Yan that his mission was to assist a teammate and stay alive, and explained that the police were searching for a long-haired young man.
• Zhu Yan described speaking with the man at four in the morning and claimed he had gone toward carriage fifteen.
• Guan En headed for carriage fifteen while Zhu Yan hurried toward the Pseudo-human and tugged its sleeve to get its attention.
• Zhu Yan changed back into his original appearance behind the Pseudo-human and asked whether he was in charge, offering to show him the surveillance footage.

Zhu Yan manipulated a Pseudo-human into helping him evade the police and learned that Anwu City operation chief Liu Mingli had stayed at the scene. After arranging for the creature to distract Guan En, Zhu Yan left the restroom disguised as a police officer.

• Zhu Yan convinced the Pseudo-human that he was a fellow creature with a higher level, and it ordered Guan En to take the others to car fifteen.
• Zhu Yan led the Pseudo-human to an empty restroom and weakened it with his [Complaining] talent while questioning it.
• The Pseudo-human told Zhu Yan that Liu Mingli was the operation's chief, had stayed in the city, and had not come to the scene.
• Zhu Yan took the Pseudo-human's work ID and phone, then instructed it to impersonate its superior and lure Guan En toward the surveillance room.
• The Pseudo-human agreed to take Guan En to check the footage and eat him, while Zhu Yan left the restroom disguised as a uniformed police officer.

Zhu Yan escaped the train by impersonating a superior officer, while Guan En mistook the real Zhang Li for Zhu Yan and restrained her. Zhu Yan raced through an eerie, lengthened station passage as Zhang Li pleaded for Guan En to check her identity.

• Zhu Yan showed his work ID to two officers and claimed Director Liu Mingli was coming, persuading them to let him leave the train.
• Zhu Yan walked calmly onto the platform, then sprinted through the empty station toward the exit.
• Guan En arrived at car 15 and used [Precise Suppression] on the real Zhang Li, believing she was Zhu Yan in disguise.
• Guan En handcuffed Zhang Li and prepared to take her to check surveillance footage, while she insisted she was innocent and offered her ID.

Guan En realized that the Zhang Li he had trusted was Zhu Yan in disguise and rushed to the surveillance room, while Zhu Yan struggled through the station toward the exit. Guan En ran into the Pseudo-human, whose attempt to lure him away left the guard confused about which officer was which.

• Guan En examined Zhang Li's genuine ID and realized that Zhu Yan had impersonated him, then ordered his colleague to bring Zhang Li to the surveillance room.
• Zhu Yan crawled through the ticket gates and continued toward North Station's main entrance despite his exhaustion.
• Guan En warned that Zhu Yan might have tampered with surveillance and could disguise himself as anyone, then hurried toward the front of the train.
• Guan En collided with the Pseudo-human and learned that the female attendant was in the surveillance room, so he ran ahead without his colleague or Zhang Li.
• The Pseudo-human watched Guan En leave, then the guard mistook it for the returning boss and asked where Director Liu was.

Zhu Yan reached the station exit just ahead of Guan En, then revealed that helping Guan En survive had been part of his plan. The instance ended with Guan En clearing his mission and both men safely returned to the train.

• The mimic left the carriage searching for Guan En, while the officers realized Zhu Yan had impersonated the boss and one officer was bitten by the starving creature.
• Guan En reviewed the surveillance footage, understood Zhu Yan’s deception, and raced after him toward the station exit.
• Zhu Yan crossed the exit before Guan En could catch him, and an invisible barrier kept Guan En from reaching him.
• The instance announced that Guan En had completed his mission and cleared the beginner instance, returning him to train G3075.
• Zhu Yan heard the same announcement, and the instance’s effects healed his exhausted body.

Zhu Yan returned to the real world after clearing the [Cat-and-Mouse Game], while Guan En faced the consequences of misunderstanding the task and losing his colleague. Zhu Yan learned that civilians had died or disappeared in the instance and received a single-use special item as a reward.

• Zhu Yan returned to a busy train station, recovered his backpack, and headed away from the police while wondering whether the civilians in the instance had been real people.
• Guan En realized he had mistaken the Cat and Mouse sides, and his colleague remained dead after the instance ended.
• Zhu Yan disguised himself as an old man and took a taxi toward a district with fewer surveillance cameras.
• The results announcement revealed that two players had cleared the instance, one civilian had died, and several people had disappeared during the police station's evacuation.
• Zhu Yan received ten days off, a 40,000-yuan clearance bonus, and the single-use item [Concealed but Unreleased].

Zhu Yan received the [Concealed but Unreleased] app, which could delay investigations by concealing two pieces of information and diverting attention to a larger event. After it identified the police pursuit tied to his escape and the officer’s death in [Cat-and-Mouse Game], Zhu Yan considered what information to hide and realized he could only conceal himself.

• Zhu Yan learned that [Concealed but Unreleased] could conceal two key pieces of information for up to two years and arrived on his phone as an app.
• The female voice announced Zhu Yan’s level and abilities: his player level was Lv.2, [Roleplay] was Lv.5, [Complaining] was Lv.4, and [Humiliation] was Lv.2.
• Zhu Yan opened the app and saw that event [Unauthorized Flight] concerned the police pursuing him for leaving an eroded city against official orders.
• The app reported that event [Death of the Officer], in which a Pseudo-human ate half of a non-player police officer during [Cat-and-Mouse Game], had attracted enough attention to overshadow [Unauthorized Flight].
• Zhu Yan realized that investigating the officer’s death could reveal why Guan En had traveled and expose his escape, so he concluded he could only conceal himself.

Zhu Yan used [Concealed but Unreleased] to hide his name and appearance, preventing the police from identifying him as the investigation into the horror instance continued. He found a place to sleep, while police records and his aunt’s memories began losing all trace of his identity.

• Zhu Yan confirmed that [Concealed but Unreleased] would conceal his name and appearance, and the item took effect for its maximum duration of two years.
• Guan En told officers that he could not remember the name of the person he had come to arrest, while officers searched for the missing suspect.
• Zhu Yan checked into a homestay, changed his appearance in a surveillance blind spot, and fell asleep.
• Police discovered that the suspect’s name and photo had vanished from their records, and searches using his ID number found no person.
• Zhu Yan’s aunt could not remember his name and found that his name and photo were missing from her household registration certificate.

Zhu Yan explored the thriller map, discovered the Hall of Mourning’s location and passphrase, and set off to visit it. Meanwhile, police investigators found that records and surveillance footage of him had become unrecognizable, and they treated him as a serious threat.

• Zhu Yan’s aunt confirmed his identification and phone numbers to the police, but searches returned no records, prompting the senior officer to report the case and suspect Zhu Yan could conceal his information or be connected to outside forces.
• Zhu Yan woke in the evening, ate at a restaurant, and opened the thriller map, which showed the real world and Carnival Paradise as layered maps linked by red threads.
• Zhu Yan found the Hall of Mourning at the junction of the two worlds and learned its entrance was through the WE Café basement, with the passphrase “Silence is the way home.”
• Zhu Yan checked the time, called a taxi, and headed for Myriad Forms Plaza to reach the Hall of Mourning before closing time.
• Guan En and the special task force reviewed surveillance footage showing Zhu Yan only as a nearly indistinguishable dark silhouette, while an officer presented their conclusions.