Lord Ghost Messenger, didn't you promise I'd live a life of wealth, glory, and good luck?
Ye Zhao stood at the train station, looking utterly bewildered...
In her previous life, she'd died in an accident just after receiving her college acceptance letter. Only after her death did she learn that her soul had been mistakenly taken. To make it up to her, Lord Ghost Messenger had sent her to another world to start a new life.
Her new identity was the real daughter who'd been switched at birth. The moment she arrived, she was handed two million and thrown out of the house. Her adoptive parents, biological parents, and brothers all wanted to cut ties with the original owner.
When the original owner faced the rejection of everyone around her, she broke down and swallowed a bottle of pills to kill herself.
And just like that, Ye Zhao inherited the original owner's body and two million, and ended up homeless for good measure.
Yes, her biological older brother had sent over a few bodyguards in black, who'd escorted her straight to the train station. She could go wherever she wanted, as long as she left the Imperial Capital.
Ye Zhao: ...
With two million, she could enjoy life anywhere. She bought a ticket for the next train out of the Imperial Capital, but just as she got it, the world began to spin. Shouts erupted all around her as people rushed to escape. Ye Zhao hadn't expected an earthquake either, and the crowd swept her along as they ran. The bright sky had already darkened. She looked up and saw a gigantic black hole covering half the sky!
Her eyes widened in shock. What was that thing? Were aliens invading Earth? Lord Ghost Messenger hadn't said anything about this!
At that moment, everyone stared in astonishment at the strange black hole in the sky!
[ Ding! Congratulations, ID-M33-4602151, on successfully loading into Black Hole Game. ]
A mechanical child's voice rang across the land.
What was that?!
Ye Zhao swallowed and frantically called out to Lord Ghost Messenger in her mind. What was going on? What happened to the life of luxury she'd been promised?
Amid her shock, a line of text appeared before her eyes:
[Survival Game countdown: 10, 9, 8... 3, 2, 1.]
Ye Zhao: ???!!
She'd always thought she'd gotten the script of a cannon-fodder female supporting character. Who knew it came mixed with an apocalypse script?
Did Lord Ghost Messenger offer after-sales service?
Was it too late to switch worlds?
[Congratulations on successfully entering the Survival Game.] [Starting items: Backpack *1, Cell Phone *1, ID Card *1.] [Current mission: Survive for ten days.] [Current survivors: 10000.] [Initial Trial: You have three chances to draw a prize. Would you like to draw now: Yes, No.]
Inside the dark space, Ye Zhao confirmed her choice in her mind: Yes.
[Congratulations, you have obtained a 1-cubic-meter Personal Space.] [Congratulations, you have obtained an SSS Talent: Creation, Level 1 (Upgradeable. Survival time is directly converted into Creation Points, 1 min ≈ 1 point); scanning items can increase the talent level.] [The game begins. We look forward to seeing you again.]
Ye Zhao's vision blurred. The feeling of being in an empty space changed in an instant, and a cacophony of noise rushed into her ears.
She looked around and realized she was standing in a huge sports field. A backpack hung from her shoulders. Most of the people around her were young men and women in their twenties, carrying books and backpacks. It looked like a university campus.
"Wow, this is the game world? It looks so real! Just like the real world!"
"Did you draw a prize? What did you get?"
"Hahaha, this is great! I drew an Elemental Card that can shoot a hundred fireballs!"
"What's an Elemental Card?" One player had put on a silver ring he'd drawn from the game. [Speed +1 Ring, Durability 100.] The ring was obviously not as valuable as an Elemental Card. He looked at the player laughing loudly and held out his hand. "What kind of Elemental Card is that? Let me see."
Fireball Man immediately realized he'd said too much. Clutching the card, he eyed the others warily. "Why should I show you? No! This is my card! You're not trying to steal it, are you?"
"We're all friends here. Why would we steal from you?" The player laughed and moved closer to Fireball Man.
Ye Zhao heard the voices behind her and glanced back. Sure enough, four players were standing together, eyeing one another warily.
She didn't approach them right away. Instead, she opened her backpack. Inside were two books, a wallet, a thermos, a cell phone, a pack of tissues, and two face masks.
A line of text appeared over each item: [Scannable]. Ye Zhao selected Scan.
[Scan successful: Create Wallet *1, requires 1 Creation Point.] [Scan successful: Create Thermos *1, requires 1 Creation Point.] [Scan successful: Create Cell Phone *1, requires 1 Creation Point.]
The [Creation] skill was so unbelievably powerful. If she scanned other players' items, wouldn't she be able to get an unlimited supply of game items?
As expected of an SSS Talent skill.
She planned to test it on the players nearby, but they suddenly started fighting. Two male players teamed up, trying to snatch the Fireball Elemental Card from another male player.
The fight was so noisy that a crowd soon gathered, even attracting the attention of the school's security guards and academic adviser.
Ye Zhao: ...
Teaming up with them was too risky. Never mind.
Fortunately, the [Scan] skill didn't require her to touch an item to activate. As long as she was within a meter of it, it could automatically detect and scan it.
As the three men fought, several students nearby tried to break it up. Ye Zhao hurried closer, while another female player, realizing things were going badly, ran off at top speed.
The two men pinned Fireball Man to the ground and fought over the Elemental Card in his hand. In anger, Fireball Man hurled two fireballs at them. Flames erupted, and the two men forgot all about the card as they rolled across the ground, frantically patting out the flames on their clothes. The people around them cried out in shock.
"Holy crap, h-he's Superman or something! How can he throw fireballs?"
"Oh my god! Is that a superpower?"
"That's amazing!!!"
"He's killed someone! He's killed someone—"
"Quick, catch him! He's crazy!"
Fireball Man panicked. The burning, curious gazes around him made him excited and nervous. He scrambled to his feet and ran off as fast as he could.
No one dared stop him.
Meanwhile, hidden in the crowd, Ye Zhao heard the system notification.
[Scan successful: Create Fire Elemental Card *1, requires 100 Creation Points.] [Scan successful: Create Constitution +1 Attribute Page *1, requires 100 Creation Points.] [Scan successful: Create Strength +1 Attribute Page *1, requires 100 Creation Points.] [Scan successful: Create Speed +1 Ring *1, requires 10 Creation Points.]
She'd made a nice haul. Satisfied, Ye Zhao slipped away quietly.
Since she didn't know what would happen next, Ye Zhao walked over to a flower bed and sat down, pretending to look at her phone. In reality, she activated the [Prophet] skill.
[Prophet Skill activated. Current level: 1. Skill duration: 10 seconds.]
The scene before her changed.
Amid the noise and chaos, she seemed to be in a temporary shelter. Many vehicles and people were gathered around it. She also saw a tall, thick iron wall topped with a metal fence, and beyond it, rows of grim-faced soldiers in Epidemic Prevention Suits, holding guns.
The crowd was in chaos, with people crying and screaming.
"Why won't you let us through? We're not infected!"
"Let us through! Please, let us through!"
"I don't have to go through, but please save my child. She's still so young. I'm begging you..."
"I'm a streamer with ten million followers. If I die, it'll cause a huge uproar!"
Some people charged toward the fence, only to be knocked to the ground by an electric shock. Others suddenly mutated, opening their blood-filled mouths to bite the people beside them. Bullets came from who knew where, blowing their heads apart—
A man's voice rang out from a loudspeaker. "Unfortunately, we've already taken in a group of asymptomatic survivors, but they all began to mutate for reasons we still don't understand. We haven't yet developed an effective virus test. You're all potential carriers. Even if you're uninjured, you don't know when the virus might erupt. For the safety of all humanity, we can't let you out..."
System: [Prophet Skill use ended.] [Prophet] skill turned gray.
``` [Cooldown: 24 h]