"Ding! Player notice: you have successfully entered the Nightmare Stage—[Elysian Shore]—using the Tarot Card [Devil]." "All qualified performers have been temporarily placed in the 'waiting room' to prepare."
As the [Guard NPC] placed a hand on Ji Yan's shoulder, Ji Yan stepped across the boundary of [Lush City], and a blinding white light swallowed his vision.
When Ji Yan opened his eyes again, everything before him was dim.
An oil lamp flickered to life, its light driving back the darkness.
Ji Yan found himself inside a shabby tiled-roof house with a damaged roof and sparse furnishings.
Waving away the sharp, musty stench beneath his nose, Ji Yan stood up, looking puzzled. "This is the waiting room?"
He took a few steps around the room, examining the cobweb-covered furnishings. The beams overhead creaked as though they might collapse at any moment, while outside, what sounded like a violent storm raged.
Ji Yan touched the precariously loose door lock, intending to leave, only to receive an immediate warning from a red panel—
"The [Elysian Shore] stage has not officially begun. The passage is not yet open—"
Ji Yan tried switching to the Game Panel to obtain other information, but got nowhere.
Clatter—
The sound of a ceramic bowl falling came from behind him. At some point, a woman had appeared at the table.
Her hair reached her shoulders, and her features had a bold edge, giving her a cold, unapproachable air.
Looking at her, Ji Yan could guess who she was. He offered a brief introduction first. "[Lush City] main quest player, Ji Yan."
The short-haired woman surveyed their surroundings and offered a sentence of her own. "[Cloud City] main quest. Codename: Black Rose."
Hearing her codename, Ji Yan finally realized that obtaining a Tarot Card allowed