**Midnight, Twelve O'Clock.**
Qin Nan received a private message containing an unknown link.
He moved the mouse, hovering over the “×” in the upper right corner, and clicked the left button. Instead of closing the page, it automatically redirected him to a video.
The title flashed in the top left corner: *Death Crew*.
The film opened with a dramatic scene of a high-altitude fall, accompanied by a loud “bang.” A bloody, mangled corpse filled the screen.
“Holy crap!” Qin Nan was caught off guard, startled by the gruesome image on his computer.
The body on the screen had a head that was a bloody mess, yet the eyes remained intact, staring directly at him. Qin Nan could even see his own reflection in those wide-open eyes.
Reflection?
He must be seeing things. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to focus on the scene before him.
When he opened his eyes again, the image had changed. The bloody corpse was replaced by a black background with a line of ominous red text:
*Welcome to the Realm of Death.*
What the hell? Qin Nan’s mind was a whirlwind of confusion.
“Last player has arrived.”
He heard someone speak and instinctively looked up. At that moment, a blinding white light flashed, forcing him to shut his eyes. When he opened them again, everything had changed.
In an instant, life and death were at stake.
The dimly lit room had transformed into a brilliantly lit space. The sights around him became clear, causing his pupils to constrict in disbelief as he froze in place.
Qin Nan took a moment to gather himself, but his body remained stiff, only his eyes scanning the surroundings to confirm his new environment.
He was on a bus.
In the blink of an eye, he had gone from his study to this unknown bus.
“Newbie?” The same voice spoke again, tinged with surprise.
Qin Nan instinctively followed the voice, landing on a young man in his thirties sitting directly in front of him, turned halfway around with one arm resting on the back of the bus seat. Beside him was a young woman in her twenties, their posture intimate, like a couple.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
He had never seen these two before.
Before Qin Nan could react, the bus that had been stationary suddenly lurched forward. Strangely, the driver's seat was empty.
The man turned his gaze back, his tone casual: “Let’s roll.”
Qin Nan cursed under his breath.
All these bizarre, unexplainable phenomena made him suspect he was just dreaming.
“This is all real.” A cold male voice interrupted his thoughts.
Turning to look, he saw a man sitting across from him, dressed in a white shirt and simple jeans. He was thin, with an unnaturally pale complexion that made him look somewhat sickly. Yet his expression was icy, radiating an aura that screamed "stay away." His gaze was fixed on the earlier speaker, eyes unreadable.
His words made the first man turn back, a smirk playing on his lips. “You’re as charming as ever, but too bad, newbies always drag you down. I bet he won’t make it past this round.”
He then turned his attention back to Qin Nan. “Welcome to the Realm of Death. You’re lucky to be a new player here.” His tone dripped with malice, raising Qin Nan’s alertness.
The Realm of Death.
Qin Nan recalled the ominous phrase he had seen on his computer screen.
“A prank?” he blurted out, the most logical explanation given the circumstances.
The man chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “This is a deadly prank.” He made a slashing motion across his throat as he spoke.
“Newbie, be careful. If you die here, your life in the real world will be erased too. I think you’ll need a guide.” The man continued.
Qin Nan glanced between the two, then stood up and moved to sit next to the cold, sickly-looking guy. “I’m Qin Nan.”
The man didn’t show any kindness in response, merely giving him a cold glance. The first man, seeing Qin Nan’s choice, chuckled and turned away.
Qin Nan was naturally outgoing, and faced with the unknown, he urgently needed information. Even if the man beside him seemed distant, he felt safer than dealing with the sarcastic guy.
“What’s your name?” Qin Nan asked, putting on his friendliest smile.
“Jian Fan.” The other man stared ahead, his tone indifferent, but he answered.
Not deterred by his coldness, Qin Nan pressed on. “What’s this Realm of Death?”
“No one knows what the Realm of Death is. You just need to follow its rules. Survive each death game, accumulate enough points, and return to the real world.”
“Points?” Qin Nan was puzzled. Why didn’t he have any? Was there some sort of discrimination?
“You need to pass the first level to trigger the points system.” Jian Fan’s tone grew impatient; he clearly wasn’t interested in helping the newbie.
Qin Nan nodded, pressing further. “So, what’s the first level?”
“Shut up.” Jian Fan interrupted coldly, shooting him a warning glance before closing his eyes to feign sleep.
Feeling a bit frustrated, Qin Nan realized this opening scenario was not in his favor.
Still in a fog, he saw that Jian Fan had no intention of answering more questions. Despite the absurdity of it all, he held onto the belief that in a lawful society, how bad could things get?
With that thought, he suddenly felt a sense of acceptance wash over him and closed his eyes, attempting to rest.
Time passed, and the bus came to a halt.
“Get off.”
Qin Nan opened his eyes at Jian Fan’s voice, noticing the bus doors had swung open. The passengers in front began to exit, and the man who had spoken to him earlier turned to glance back, smirking. “You’re the most optimistic newbie I’ve ever seen. I hope you can keep that attitude.”
As he spoke, he made a shooting gesture towards Qin Nan, his lips forming a silent “bang.”
“Who is he?” Qin Nan thought poorly of the man.
Jian Fan had already moved past him, but paused slightly at the question. “Xia Zeqin. He has the highest points among us.”
Qin Nan nodded, understanding the implication. The two clearly had a history, and if Xia Zeqin was first, then Jian Fan must be second. What confidence did a low-scoring player have to challenge someone like that?
---