Post-surgery, Cyrus was wheeled out of the operating room. The gurney glided silently over the metallic floor, the corridor's soft blue lighting casting an ethereal glow. Rounding a bend, a seamless metal door slid open, and Cyrus, still on the gurney, was pushed into a capsule-shaped healing pod.

The lead surgeon, now in a white lab coat, had an ID badge that read "Huang Cunliang, Head of Medical Office." He inserted an IV into the back of Cyrus's hand, closed the pod's glass lid, and said, "Rest well. Your wounds should heal within twelve hours. If you feel discomfort, press the green call button to your right. I have another surgery to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."

Cyrus nodded silently.

Once the medical staff left the room, Cyrus lay alone in the pod, observing the built-in monitor displaying various health metrics. The persistent beeping of the equipment and the steady fluctuation of her heart rate between 80 and 110 beats per minute filled the space. The monitor indicated low blood pressure and mild anemia - all her physiological data was laid bare.

"Perfected Realm" was rooted in a cyberpunk vision, and the technology of this world was far superior to that of Cyrus's reality. The high-tech healing pod seemed beyond Earth's capabilities.

Such advanced medical technology that promised recovery from severe injuries in just twelve hours was something her own Earth had not achieved.

The game's slogan, "A Second World That Truly Exists," was no exaggeration. Entering the game was akin to opening the gates to another reality.

Cyrus pondered if the other ten thousand beta testers had also been transported to this world, each assuming a new identity and life distinct from their own.

Cyrus was adaptable, resilient like a weed, capable of taking care of herself without her parents. Now, in a strange new environment, she maintained an optimistic view. Despite the complex and dangerous identity set for her in the game, she considered her starting point relatively stable.

Her current identity was that of a patient, a rookie security officer injured on duty by a criminal.

During her recovery, she was safe, temporarily shielded from trouble. And a head injury was the perfect excuse for amnesia - cliché, but effective.

This provided Cyrus with ample time to acclimate.

The question of why she had been transported to this world was too profound for her to unravel. What mattered now was survival.

The six pieces of advice were etched into her mind:

"First, treat the game world as if it were real."

"Second, never reveal your player identity to anyone."

"Third, keep the game content secret."

"Fourth, you have only one life; death is final."

"Fifth, once you start the game, there are only two paths: 'game completion' or 'character death.'"

"Sixth, everything has its price."

The fourth and fifth points highlighted the consequences of death. The statement that life only happens once was likely no joke.

If the game world was considered the second world, then the reality where the players came from could be called the first world. If one died in the second world, would they also perish in the first?

The price of death was too great for anyone to bear, and Cyrus felt the pressure - the pressure to survive.

She had twelve hours to recover.

After that, she would step out of the healing pod and interact with the inhabitants of the second world.

Based on her tangled identity, she would likely need to engage frequently with an organization known as Mechanism Dawn, work hard to gain trust within the Enforcement Department, and serve as a competent double agent, transmitting intelligence for the organization...

Cyrus had been granted a buffer period but was dealt a hand full of aces.

Every move had to be calculated and cautious, for one wrong step could lead to a bad ending (BE).

Were there any other players as unlucky as her?

The healing pod operated smoothly, its blue light scanning her body, infusing her with regenerative drugs. Cyrus felt a tingling sensation on her scalp as her wounds rapidly healed.

"Check, check the panel?" Cyrus tentatively thought.

The game system responded, and the familiar screen unfolded before her again.

She skipped over the basic identity settings, which she had reviewed several times before, and examined another section.

【Basic Attributes】

Name: Cyrus

Occupation: Dispossessor

Supernatural Ability: 【Not Acquired】

Inherent Talents: 【Performance Persona】You possess exceptional acting skills, capable of deceiving most people.

【Tenacious Life】You have a resilience comparable to a cockroach.

【Danger Avoidance】You have a keen sense of danger and can avoid it effectively.

【Quick Learner】You learn any skill with twice the efficiency.

Occupation as a Dispossessor? What exactly did that mean?

The system promptly explained, "Dispossessor, a profession that relies on hunting special ability users to steal their supernatural powers for strength."

Kill someone with supernatural abilities and inherit their powers? The thought sent a jolt through Cyrus, and her heart rate spiked on the pod's monitor.

"Heart rate anomaly, heart rate anomaly..." the pod beeped its warning.

Cyrus quickly took several deep breaths to stabilize her heart rate, and after a few seconds, the pod's alarm ceased.

Just as she was about to ponder the disturbing nature of her Dispossessor occupation, the lights in her room went out.

The metal door opened, and someone entered her room.

Cyrus turned her head to peer through the transparent glass at the door.

Doctor Huang, wiping his glasses, approached slowly and tapped on the pod, smiling at Cyrus. "How are you feeling?"

Cyrus was about to say, "I think I have amnesia."

However, Doctor Huang's next action interrupted her.

He lifted the pod's lid, pulled a blue chip from his wristwatch, and handed it to Cyrus in a hushed tone. "This is from the organization for you."

Cyrus: What? What organization? Which organization? Be clear!

She sensed something was off; the affable Doctor Huang before her was also an undercover agent like her?

Doctor Huang nodded at Cyrus. "I don't have high enough clearance to be privy to your missions. If you need assistance with future operations, let me know, and I'll do my best to cooperate."

Cyrus didn't know how to react and simply looked at him expressionlessly.

The less said, the better. She decided to remain silent.

"Sigh, you've made quite the sacrifice." Doctor Huang sighed. "To fake an injury, you actually had a mechanical implant surgery... But don't worry, the person you're replacing has been dealt with by the organization. Her genetic info and life trajectory have been modified. From now on, you are the Field Team Seven's patrol security officer 'Cyrus.'"

After hearing this, Cyrus's mind pieced together a clearer picture.

The intern security officer at the Enforcement Department was also named "Cyrus," but that "Officer Cyrus" had been unlucky, replaced and dispatched by an undercover agent from Mechanism Dawn. And now, Cyrus herself had become that undercover agent... it was a head-spinning twist!

"There's more than one awakened individual in the Enforcement Department. Many team leaders and department heads have supernatural abilities." Doctor Huang continued, "There's a rumor within the Enforcement Department that the head of the Criminal Investigation Division has the ability to 'detect lies.' Please be very careful."

Cyrus responded tersely, "Understood."

"Everything for the dawn," Doctor Huang said with a meaningful look.

That phrase... it sounded like a revolutionary slogan.

Cyrus was quick to catch on and echoed, "Everything for the dawn."

Doctor Huang nodded, his expression wistful. "Take care of yourself. I'm off to the next surgery... When I first joined, I never thought I'd be working this hard."

Cyrus watched his retreating figure until he was gone.

A strong will to survive occupied her mind; danger was close at hand.

What kind of organization was Mechanism Dawn? They seemed ruthless, disposing of someone and taking their place without hesitation. What was their goal within the Enforcement Department? What was the ultimate aim of the Resistance?

Most importantly, Cyrus wasn't sure if she could ever leave the second world to return to the first. What would she do if she were trapped here forever?

Cyrus took deep breaths to lower her heart rate, preventing further alarms from the healing pod.

Her gaze settled on the words "Dispossessor."

If she had anything to rely on, it was undoubtedly the abilities that came with being a Dispossessor. This frightening power might be her only hope.

Her unique identity meant walking a tightrope, with abysses on either side and the risk of falling off the cliff in every direction. Cyrus's concern was that she had no chance to exit.

No undercover agent ever retired with ease. If she betrayed Mechanism Dawn, would she fare any better? And if she turned against the Enforcement Department, especially with her status as a top fugitive, the outcome would be even worse.

The price of death made Cyrus exceedingly cautious. Her solitary past had taught her to protect and arm herself.

After much contemplation, she resolved to treat this time-traveling adventure as a game—a real game, one she could not afford to lose, a game of life and death.

She intended to complete this game, reach the end, avoid all bad endings (BE), and strive for a happy ending (HE)... by any means necessary.