Return to Reality

Xu Tong left. The moment he silently recited the words "Return," he vanished right before Old Man Li's eyes amid the old man's anguished roar.

A tremendous pulling force descended, and the night's experiences flashed before his eyes like scenes on a movie screen.

Then the image suddenly went black, and everything before him plunged into boundless silence...

"Where is this?"

"No idea. Where's that old man? Didn't he say he was taking us out for drinks? Why did he bring us to this dump?"

"There seems to be someone here. Let's go in and take a look."

"Bzz... creak, creak, creak..."

As the door was pushed open, a ray of sunlight illuminated the darkness. Two travelers cautiously poked their heads in from outside, their faces full of confusion at the sight of the cluttered room.

Suddenly, the man in front's eyelids twitched. "Gold!!"

Several gleaming gold bars lay on the table, shimmering with an alluring luster beneath the sunlight.

"Mine!"

The two immediately lunged forward and began fighting over them. The dazzling gold bars drove them into a tangled brawl.

During the struggle, someone shut the door. The room instantly went dark.

A soft rustling sounded in the darkness. It was not particularly harsh, yet it made their skin crawl. The two men who had just been fighting over the gold could not help growing suspicious.

One of them pulled out a firestarter from his clothes and gently blew on it a few times.

As the flame gradually lit up the room, the two followed the sound and raised the firestarter in their hands.

Hanging from the beam was an old man. His face was twisted, his mouth stretched wide open, his eyes seemed ready to burst from their sockets, and his long tongue hung out. A sheet of white paper dangled from his chest, with the character [Hate] scrawled crookedly across it in blood.

"Whoosh~~"

A gust of cold wind blew, and darkness swallowed everything once more.

At the same time, an icy prompt sounded beside Xu Tong's ear.

[This Script World has ended. Calculating mission rewards...]

"Script main quest 1 [Find the Real Murderer] completed. You have received 60 Script Points."

"Script main quest 2 [Release] completed. You have received 60 Script Points."

"You killed the controlled Paper Bride Zhou Lan and received a special reward: one Script Copper Badge."

"You killed Li Zhongnan and received a special reward: two Script Copper Badges."

"You obtained the plot item [Paper Craftsman Manual]. Please appraise it yourself."

"You obtained the special achievement title [Retributor] in this script murder game. Please inspect it yourself."

"Congratulations. You have completed the beginner assessment by successfully completing one Script World. You have received an Item Collection Manual. Please check it. Recite 'Prop Catalog' to summon it."

As the voice faded, Xu Tong kept his eyes closed and silently processed the information.

Yet red and blue lights kept flashing against his eyelids, while chaotic rumbling and police sirens filled his ears.

The disorderly noise forced him to open his eyes and take a look.

He found himself still standing on the road. The guardrail before him had been smashed apart, and traffic police had already put up caution tape and begun directing traffic.

The scene was a complete mess. The wrecked motorcycle had been tossed onto a lane to await a tow truck, while its rider was already lying beneath a body bag.

Xu Tong raised his brow and looked across the street. The sign that should have belonged to the Script Murder Experience Hall had become a beef noodle shop.

"Interesting!"

The inexplicable sight before him did not confuse him. Instead, it made him look forward to the Script Murder Experience Hall even more.

At least, based on the information he had received, this might have been his first time, but it definitely would not be his last.

With that thought, he turned and left the accident scene. Before he knew it, dawn was nearly breaking, and more and more cars filled the streets.

After staying awake all night, he stopped at a breakfast shop, took out ten yuan from his pocket, ordered a bowl of tofu pudding and three fried dough sticks, and began eating contentedly.

The food was simple, but cheap. The fresh, silky tofu pudding was sprinkled with crisp pickled vegetables and water celery, paired with fried dough sticks fresh from the fryer. In the cool morning air, it was no feast of mountain and sea delicacies, yet it was enough to soothe his restless soul.

As he ate, he went through the information he had just received one item at a time.

Clearly, after completing the Script World, not only had all his injuries vanished, but he had also received some rewards.

Although he still did not know what Script Points and the so-called Copper Badges were for, rewards for main quests could not be anything bad.

At the same time, he noticed there was something wrong with Zhou Yu's name. The prompt had identified her as Zhou Lan, so Zhou Yu had most likely not told them the truth and had deliberately hidden her real name.

Finally, there was the most important point.

What exactly was the Prop Catalog?

With that thought, he spread out his hand and tried silently reciting "Prop Catalog" in his heart.

Soon, a strange sensation flooded his mind. As he continued reciting it, a thick manual floated above his hand.

He had no idea what material its cover was made of, but it felt metallic to the touch.

Faint, mysterious glimmers radiated from its surface.

He glanced at the passersby still eating breakfast around him. No one seemed to notice the manual in his hand, so he simply opened it and began reading while he ate.

It was like looking at your phone while eating, except the manual was even more convenient. It floated before him, and he did not even need to hold it.

On the first page were two cards.

One was a yellowed ancient book. Wasn't it the [Paper Craftsman Manual] he had obtained? Looking closer, he found an annotation beneath it.

[Paper Craftsman Manual] (Pending Appraisal)

(It can undergo a basic appraisal at the script murder counter, or you can find an expert in the same trade within a Script World for a thorough appraisal. After appraisal, you may obtain some of its skills.)

At this, the fried dough stick he had brought to his mouth stopped halfway. His eyes locked onto those last few words: may obtain some of its skills!

Could he control Paper Dolls too??

As that thought arose, Xu Tong's eyes narrowed into slits.

Then he turned his attention to the other card.

This card was completely different from the [Paper Craftsman Manual]. Its pale-red edges carried an indescribable sinister aura, and its face bore the image of a ferocious-looking Paper Doll.

[Retributor] Special Title. Cannot be discarded, destroyed, or traded.

The bearer may choose whether to activate it.

After activation, you temporarily gain a mental shield, becoming immune to 80% of mental damage and 30% of physical damage.

However, within twenty-four hours after activation, you will suffer a curse backlash. Please experience the specific backlash process yourself.

This title was clearly a double-edged sword.

But it was worth it for him. The ability to negate 80% of mental damage alone was absolutely a life-saving trump card at critical moments.

Xu Tong pondered it. Zhou Yu had most likely been bewitched by some kind of sinister technique used by the old man, which was why she had stumbled into the trap in a daze. If they had possessed this ability, Old Man Li might not necessarily have been her match.

At that moment, he noticed a string of numbers and three bronze-colored badges in the upper-left corner of his manual. They were likely the rewards he had received for completing the missions.

Just as he was wondering what these things were for,

a news report playing on the breakfast shop's television caught his attention.

"A serious traffic accident occurred on West Ring Road this morning. A vehicle driven by Ms. Zhou suddenly lost control. After colliding with student Mr. Wang, who was riding in the non-motorized vehicle lane, the car smashed through the guardrail and fell into the river beneath the bridge. The vehicle is currently being recovered, and the cause of the accident remains under investigation."

There were not many people in the restaurant, but after seeing the news, they all looked up at the television. When they saw the college student's body lying on the ground with clothing covering his head, they could not help sighing in regret.

Someone even muttered, "Damn, that female driver really got someone killed."

But a young man eating nearby retorted, "Not necessarily the female driver's fault. Some cars can't brake. Who are you supposed to blame for that?"

"Bullshit. How can a car fail to brake? If it can't brake, can you still call it a car?"

While the group continued arguing, Xu Tong had already gotten up and left.

After eating and drinking his fill, he boarded a morning bus packed with old men and women and disappeared into the crowd.

Outside Xichun Garden Residential Complex.

Li Bo swung his thick gold chain as he strolled out leisurely, his mood better than words could describe.

His fleshy face was unusually piled with smiles.

Even neighbors normally shouted at and ordered around by this fat man received a rare greeting from him today, leaving them looking baffled. For a moment, they even wondered whether he had gotten drunk the previous night and urinated outside their doors again.

He walked into the guard booth. "Who sent the package? Why do I have to pick it up myself?" As he spoke, Li Bo pushed open the door and looked inside. The smile on his face instantly froze. His eyes widened, and he instinctively tried to run.

Xu Tong was sitting in the guard booth's chair, squinting at him. He raised the empty box in his hand. "Hello. Your package. Please sign for it."