Zhou Yuan stood in the crowd at the village, watching a newlywed couple as they got married. Among the noisy people, he neither offered blessings nor looked down upon them. Instead, there was only confusion in his heart.

Originally, he was an ordinary person from Blue Star, but after waking up one day, he found himself in what seemed like a game world.

He called it a game world because everyone around him had health bars above their heads, and he himself had an attribute panel. However, it was not exactly a game world, as the villagers could not see their own health bars or attribute panels. They were normal people, living their lives with birth, aging, illness, and death, toiling away at work, and casually gossiping about the Zhao and Li families.

At first, Zhou Yuan thought that the game-like features were his own special ability, but then he heard the village elders warn that one should be cautious when venturing outside, as there were immortal and indestructible monsters.

These monsters came in various strengths, but they all shared one characteristic: they were invincible and would resurrect at midnight, no matter how much effort was put into killing them. Fortunately, these monsters had their own territories and would not venture out, or else the village would be overrun.

Zhou Yuan found this strange. How could such overwhelmingly powerful creatures exist in weak bodies? Why would they imprison themselves? What did they eat or drink? They couldn't be completely indifferent to worldly desires.

With the ability to see health bars, Zhou Yuan formed a bold theory in his mind: these monsters might actually be game creatures, not truly immortal, but instead periodically respawning. However, this didn't entirely make sense either. If this were truly a game world, the human NPCs would be too lifelike—how could their emotions and personalities be simulated?

Zhou Yuan was at a loss, unsure whether the world itself was a game or if it was just he who had been "gamified."

"Slap."

A rough hand patted Zhou Yuan's shoulder lightly. An elderly man with deep wrinkles on his face spoke up, "Shitou, what are you standing there for? Are you jealous of Er Gou getting married? Don’t blame the village for not helping you find a partner. Your father left for the army early, and your mother passed away the day you were born. Even if the village paid for you to marry, who would look after your wife and kids when you go off to war?"

"Da Huang Uncle, I have no such thoughts. I was just thinking about the recruitment order from the county."

"What's there to think about? You’re not thinking of running away, are you? That won’t do. Our village has 67 households, and we need 23 strong men. If you run, someone else will have to take your place."

"Of course not, Da Huang Uncle. We’re all considerate, and I’d never run off and harm others."

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Zhou Yuan had considered running away, but the village didn't trust him, so they had sent three married men to stay with him. He couldn’t take on all three of them, so his plan was to understand this world better before making his next move.

"All done," came a loud call. The newlyweds were pushed into the bridal chamber, and the village women brought out baskets of soft yellow cakes and bowls of rich chicken soup. All the villagers who attended the wedding contributed a gift, which entitled them to a meal of soft yellow cakes.

The 23 men who were to enlist in the army not only got soft yellow cakes but also a bowl of freshly brewed chicken soup.

The soft yellow cakes were made from millet, and they had a soft, sticky texture. They tasted okay, but they would be better if they had some sugar to enhance the flavor. The chicken soup had been simmering for a long time, and there was a layer of fragrant oil floating on top, with small pieces of chicken inside. These two foods were a bit bland, with little salt or sugar, and Zhou Yuan didn’t feel much interest in eating them, but his body was craving them desperately.

"Slurp, slurp..." Zhou Yuan drank the chicken soup and ate the soft cake. He could honestly say this was the blandest yet most delicious meal he had ever had. The blandness came from the food itself, but the deliciousness was a response from his body. His body, which had long been deprived of fat, desperately wanted to lick the ceramic bowl clean.

Looking up, he saw that there were indeed some men licking their bowls. Zhou Yuan, who didn’t lick his, instantly felt a bit more sophisticated.

"Shitou, don’t waste it. Lick the bowl clean," said Da Huang Uncle.

"Da Huang Uncle, I’ve decided to change my ways. Step one is to not lick the bowl."

"You’re getting quite clever. Don’t go thinking you’re above it all."

After filling his stomach, Zhou Yuan stood up to head home. The three village men followed behind, eating soft cakes as they went. The stark contrast in spirit, plus the three honest villagers following him, made him seem like the most respectable person in the village.

"I say, Da Huang Uncle, why are you all always following me around? Go back to your homes. If the new bride sees, she might think we’re all so rude."

"Shitou, we just can’t trust you. You’ve got no family, and if you wander into the old forest, who knows how many people you’ll harm."

"Come on, stop talking about that. If you keep it up, I might just run away."

"Alright, alright, no more talking. You’re the boss, we’ll listen to you."

Though Zhou Yuan had eaten enough to feel full, he couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned, unable to rest. Part of it was because the two men lying on the straw mat were snoring loudly, and Da Huang Uncle was staring at him vigilantly. The bigger reason was the unknowns of this new world, which made him feel insecure.

Of course, the most important thing was that his plan to gain experience through hunting chickens had failed. After killing three chickens, he didn’t get any experience or rewards, which made him question if his idea was nothing but a fantasy.

"Immortal and indestructible monsters—maybe they’re the only ones that can provide experience, since they respawn. Or maybe chickens are just too weak to give experience. Should I try killing a person instead?"

Zhou Yuan stared at the three village men. Comparing his physical build to theirs, he decided to protect the villagers.

After all, these people had families, and they had helped him survive until he was sixteen. A rabbit doesn’t eat the grass by its nest, so he decided to experiment on someone from outside the village instead.

"Shitou, why are you staring at us? Don’t do anything foolish. If the old and young of the village die in battle, it would be too embarrassing to die at the hands of our own people."

"I won’t, Da Huang Uncle. If you don’t trust me, you can sleep on my bed, and I’ll keep watch for you."

"I’m not afraid of you. Ever since that recruitment order came, you’ve been acting strange. I still want to send my son to the army. I can’t let you cause any harm."

"Da Huang, no trust among family? Forget it, I’m going to sleep now."