With one world ending, players could temporarily rest for a day in the virtual space.

Qin Nan found himself in the virtual space of the Death Realm. Behind each door was a bedroom, allowing players to choose freely. Once a player entered and established their identity, others were prohibited from intruding.

This meant that when Jian Fan entered his room, he severed all contact with Qin Nan.

In stark contrast to Jian Fan's indifference, Lin Junru was much more enthusiastic.

She didn’t mind Qin Nan's earlier actions at all. After seeing him struggle, she approached him again: "Qin Nan, I have two teammates. Would you like me to introduce you?"

Qin Nan immediately smiled. "Sure, thank you, Miss Junru."

Getting to know more people and gathering information about the Death Realm was extremely beneficial for him at this moment.

However, seasoned players were no fools. Although they were friendly, they wouldn’t reveal too much information during initial interactions. They exchanged pleasantries for a while, and Qin Nan only got to "know" them briefly.

Lin Junru's teammates were a girl named Mu Xin, a high school student, and a man named Zheng Jueming, who was around thirty.

As Jian Fan had guessed, the three had already experienced several worlds together. Zheng Jueming had the most experience, followed by Lin Junru, while Mu Xin seemed to have just been lucky, coasting through the challenges.

Qin Nan wasn't in a hurry. After exchanging identity information and chatting for a bit, they each returned to their rooms.

Although he had cleared one world, the road ahead was still long. Qin Nan didn’t dare to relax. To maintain a better mental state for the upcoming challenges, he lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

When Qin Nan woke up again, it was due to the system's electronic voice.

"Please prepare, players. You will be entering the next world in three minutes."

Feeling a bit annoyed, Qin Nan ran his fingers through his hair. Reluctantly, he got out of bed and opened the door.

In the once white space, a bus had appeared, and players were boarding it one after another.

Lin Junru spotted Qin Nan first and waved at him with a smile. "Qin Nan, it’s time to get ready to leave."

Qin Nan returned the smile. "Miss Junru." He then noticed Jian Fan had already boarded the bus and hurried to catch up. Although Jian Fan had been indifferent, his guidance had helped Qin Nan successfully clear the last world.

It didn’t matter if Jian Fan was cold; as long as he was reliable and helpful, he was the right teammate. In contrast, Lin Junru seemed friendly, but Qin Nan trusted Jian Fan more.

This trust stemmed not only from their previous cooperation but also from Qin Nan's own judgment of people.

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"Jian Fan." Qin Nan sat down beside him, maintaining a warm demeanor despite Jian Fan's coldness.

Jian Fan glanced at him briefly before returning his gaze forward, responding with a calm "Hmm."

When Xia Zeqin boarded the bus, he intentionally looked over at Jian Fan. Upon seeing Qin Nan, he paused slightly and then spoke with a smirk, "I didn’t expect you to actually find a teammate. Are you sure he’s reliable?" He pointed at his own head.

Qin Nan's expression darkened immediately.

What was wrong with his brain? He was the one who had led them through the last world!

Jian Fan’s lips curled into a slight smirk, and with a hint of sarcasm in his indifferent tone, he replied, "If boasting can help you regain a bit of confidence, then by all means, go ahead. After all, you lost the bet."

Xia Zeqin was unfazed by the jab, chuckling softly. "I’ll be watching."

Qin Nan grew increasingly curious about the animosity between Jian Fan and Xia Zeqin. What had happened to cause such a rift? What had Xia Zeqin done to provoke Jian Fan's sarcasm? While he was curious, he knew that Jian Fan wouldn’t divulge any answers, so he mulled it over in his mind for a minute.

Soon, all nine players were in place.

In the last world, three players had died, so they would be reassigned to three new players in this world.

They didn’t have to wait long.

Shortly after, two individuals boarded the bus: a middle-aged man in his forties and a teenage boy. They clearly knew each other, as they remained together and didn’t seem inclined to interact with the others.

Once they settled in, about ten seconds later, another individual appeared on the bus.

Seeing this familiar entrance, Qin Nan was taken aback and quickly turned to Jian Fan. "A new player?"

Jian Fan's gaze was fixed on the new player. Upon hearing Qin Nan's question, he answered flatly, "Should be. The previous old players boarded from their respective virtual spaces. She’s the second new player I’ve encountered, and her entrance is the same as yours."

"I’m a bit surprised," Qin Nan remarked. It was rare for Jian Fan to speak so much to him.

Jian Fan finally allowed his gaze to linger on Qin Nan for a moment, his expression as if to say, "Are you out of your mind?"

Qin Nan: "…"

The new player was a woman with short, clean silver hair and trendy attire. Upon opening her eyes and taking in her surroundings, her pupils widened in shock, and she exclaimed "What the hell!" multiple times.

"Interesting, another new player," Xia Zeqin said first, his gaze landing on Jian Fan.

Hearing Xia Zeqin's voice, the new player quickly turned to him, asking, "What new player? Are pranks this high-tech these days?"

"This is the Death Realm," Jian Fan suddenly spoke up.

Qin Nan was taken aback by Jian Fan's response. He didn’t like interacting with others and had a cold personality, so this wasn’t typical behavior for him. However, recalling how Jian Fan had extended a helping hand to him when he first arrived in the Death Realm, it seemed—perhaps—not so surprising after all.

The new player’s eyes widened. "That sounds familiar."

Xia Zeqin shot a knowing glance at Jian Fan before addressing the new player. "Once you die in the Death Realm, your life in the real world will also be erased. I think you might need a guide."

Qin Nan frowned slightly at the identical phrasing.

Jian Fan’s gaze shifted from the new player to Xia Zeqin, his expression calm.

The new player gasped, moving closer to Xia Zeqin, and introduced herself first. "Xu Tian, but you can call me Sweetheart. What did you mean by that? Are people really going to die?"

"Of course," Xia Zeqin replied, smirking at Jian Fan while explaining the basics of the Death Realm to Xu Tian.

As Xu Tian made her choice, Jian Fan closed his eyes and pretended to nap.

Seeing this, Qin Nan understood.

There was significant animosity between Jian Fan and Xia Zeqin. Jian Fan was alone now, needing reliable partners, while Xia Zeqin was clearly cold and indifferent, trying to recruit any players he could to isolate Jian Fan.

Jian Fan, on the other hand, would proactively reach out to new players, casting a wide net for potential allies, then deciding whether to befriend them based on their behavior.

Qin Nan didn’t know whether to be angry or amused.

He agreed with Jian Fan’s approach, but Jian Fan’s attitude…

Not to mention that he believed his gestures of goodwill were still predominantly cold, very few would choose Jian Fan over Xia Zeqin in this situation. Despite being recognized as a partner, Jian Fan treated him with such indifference.

Was he unworthy?

No, it was Jian Fan who was being unreasonable.

Qin Nan wore a polite smile.