The small dragon lifted a clawed hand to its snout, loudly clearing its throat.

“You humans have been living such meaningless lives, waking up every day without knowing your purpose. Isn’t it unfair to rot away while taking up so much valuable space?”

Well, that wasn’t entirely untrue, but I took great offense. Had I really written something like that? I guess fourteen-year-old me would be incredibly disappointed we ended up in pest control.

“Finally, you will join our beloved entertainment industry. You’ll now live to entertain our glorious gods. What an honor! It’s time you all did something wort—”

“Can you get out of the fucking way? Some of us are trying to get to work!” a man in a suit shouted, honking the horn and blaring his car headlights.

The small dragon looked rather taken aback at the man’s disregard. He tried to restart his speech, but a young boy’s words cut off the dragon once more.

“Mommy, is that a talking lizard?” He pointed at the dragon, his head sticking out from the back seat window of a small car.

“Huh? No!” the dragon exclaimed out of anger, though it was contrasted by its small, almost adorable blue body. “I am one of the Four Auspicious Beasts!”

He let out his most vicious roar, and a miniscule flame equivalent to a cigarette lighter puffed from its open mouth, small rows of jagged white teeth lining his bright red gums.

People shouted jeering but curious remarks from all over the freeway.

“Huh? So, does that make you the Azure Dragon?”

“Don’t belittle our culture like that! That thing is way too cute to be the Azure Dragon!”

“Hey, it kind of looks like one if I really squint.”

“This must be a hologram advertisement for that web novel. I read the first few chapters, and this is exactly how it started,” a woman chimed in, getting out of her car and standing in front of the dragon.

She’d read my novel. Did that make me a celebrity?

More people exited from their cars, infuriated by the disturbance. Those who swerved or got into accidents were now yelling at the dragon, raising angry fists into the air.

“Get this advertisement out of the way. I heard the author was total scum, but who knew they’d go as far as to block a freeway during the middle of a workday.”

Never mind. I was definitely not a celebrity.

[Channel #IS-2948 is now open.]

[Observers have been invited to watch Channel #IS-2948.]

The blue notifications popped up back-to-back. My face twisted in confusion—what the hell were “observers?”

In Surviving My First Run, gods, demons, and ghosts would watch these broadcasts as a form of entertainment, betting their money on the humans and deriving entertainment from both their suffering and victory.

Karmic restraint was the system that kept them in check—it was the law of equivalent exchange. If one abused their power to influence a challenge, they would face severe physical repercussions in the form of karma. It could only be offset if they gave up an equivalent amount of their spiritual energy—which was earned by increasing their number of believers—or through other means like contracts, prison, and banishment. Some gods would go as far as to possess disciples, taking full control of their bodies.

But observers? They definitely didn’t exist in Surviving My First Run. But, other than observers, everything was identical to my novel.

I tapped a finger on the glowing notification in hopes of revealing more details about them, but it rejected the request with a small vibration.

“A web novel?” The dragon gawked. “This is the real deal. Don’t mock me! Do you know how many planets I’ve streamed?! I’m about to be promoted!”

Yang shook me, forcing me back into my new-found reality. “They’re not talking about you, are they?”

“Of course not.”

This bickering dragon was really killing my hard-earned author reputation.

As if on cue, the dragon was finally fed up with the crowd’s shouting. “I told you… don’t mock me!”

He roared, his body growing larger and evolving. Sharp rows of dagger-like scales tore through his flesh. The flock of people in front of him seemed to freeze before their limbs and faces compressed into a ball. I could hear their bones snapping and crunching before a wet gushing sound erupted and sent a mist of red blood flying all over the freeway.

Yang and I both screamed, and I quickly clasped my hands over his gaping mouth, accidentally poking his eye. He screamed again while I repeatedly apologized, panicked.

Little blue flames filtered up through the ground and began scavenging the dead bodies, pocketing the eyes, teeth, and jewelry. These flames were the weakest ghosts, human souls that were lost in the underworld. They danced around before quickly vanishing back into the pits of the underworld.

This was insane. Utterly impossible. Still, on the off chance this was real, there was no one in the universe more qualified and knowledgeable than me. After all, this was my world, and it was following the rules I laid out.

“Isn’t this fun?” The dragon cackled, opening his arms to the sky to speak to the gods. “Come. Come and watch my show! You’ll never see a story like this!” He must have received spiritual energy from the gods if he could kill humans so easily without facing karmic backlash.

People shrieked, scrambling into their cars and attempting to drive off, yet they quickly imploded. With loud pops, car windows were suddenly splattered with blood that dripped beneath the doors and onto the light gray freeway, coloring the freeway a dark red.

At least a quarter of the people in front of me were now dead.

“W-where is the Liberation Army or the police?” a woman cried, screaming as she collapsed onto the ground, staring at the unfolding scene.

A man wearing rectangular-rimmed glasses shouted back as he stared at his phone. “The government has already been hit! Apparently, these creatures are showing up globally!”

“Where’d you read that?”

“My mother-in-law posted it on WeChat!”

“Then of course it’s not true! The government is coming to save us, I’m sure of it!”

Of course, there was no government coming to save us.

There was no government at all anymore.

Nobody was immune to the system in Surviving My First Run. Not the rich, not the powerful, and not even the gods. I’d written it that way to show the high stakes and indiscriminate slaughter—no one’s old life could save them here.

Besides, what fourteen-year-old wanted to deal with the government?

So far, the scenes were playing out as I’d written them. Even the dialogue followed a similar trajectory. There were some unknown factors like the Observers, but for now, I knew I could rely on my knowledge.

I ignored the ensuing panic, pocketed my phone, and turned to the new blue window that popped up in front of me, quickly skimming it. Whoever MolaMola was, they’d need to wait until the first arc was complete.

[CHAPTER #1 — PREREQUISITE]

Difficulty: F

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Task: Survive the ensuing onslaught of monsters, beasts, and insects. Half of the remaining human population must die within the given time frame. If more than half of the population survives, automatic death will occur until quota is met. Killing monsters, beasts, insects, or humans will provide exemption from automatic death.

Time: 20 minutes

Reward: 100 stars per slain entity

Failure: Death

This was verbatim what I had written ten years ago in Surviving My First Run. Reading the rules now, it seemed so cruel. This was the cutthroat world I had created, and it was now the world everyone must survive in.

I scanned the freeway as the timer began to tick down, preparing to drive off before I felt a sudden growth beneath my foot.

Looking down I spotted the cockroach crawling out from beneath me. Its countless legs were spasming in the air as it rolled over onto its back, growing at rapid speeds while its wings fluttered desperately.

[Observer Chat]

Socrates: It looks like Jia Li is in a bad spot. Maybe this is her karma lol

My blood ran cold when I heard my pen name mentioned. Socrates? That’s right—I knew Socrates.

Socrates was one of the readers I blocked.

“Damnit!” I cursed, another realization dawning upon me. If the car was infested with insects during this chapter, they’d grow rapidly before becoming gigantic, man-eating beasts.

“P-Peijin, this isn’t real, right? Can’t we try and talk to the dragon? It might let us go,” Yang pleaded, fully unaware of the situation playing out.

“Do you want to argue about American politics with it?”

“Well, no, but—”

I shot Yang an annoyed look before I looked out the window, checking for the dragon. I could see it in the distance, managing countless blue interfaces and excitedly commentating on the chaos.

In Surviving My First Run, the Four Auspicious Beasts, which included the Azure Dragon, streamed the suffering of humans for gods to enjoy. They typically couldn’t interfere with challenges without facing immense system backlash—the only exception was the first challenge on a new planet. The dragon however already exerted the extent of its influence in the slaughter of a few dozen people. For now, it wasn’t a concern.

I quickly slapped at the bugs. My hand made a dull sound as I desperately slapped my leg and stomped on the car floor, crushing a pregnant cockroach beneath my palm. A gross fluid oozed between my slim fingers, but I was too preoccupied by the blue notifications blocking my view.

[You are exempt from automatic death.]

[You have killed an entity.]

[You have received 100 stars.]

[You have killed an entity.]

[You have received 100 stars.]

[You have killed an entity.]

[You have received 100 stars.]

The sudden influx of money and the blue screens sent a thrill through. I shut the notifications with a mental command. There must have been at least forty eggs from that single roach. Even in such a perilous situation, my heart was beating with joy. Had I always been this kind of person?

Without warning, the entire truck lurched forward before tipping dangerously to its side. A sharp, grating buzzing could be heard from the back of the vehicle as the metal trunk thunked loudly and became marked by deep protrusions.

Yang gave out a sharp yelp as he reached up and grabbed the ceiling of the car, trying to balance himself. My gaze darted to the backseat where I grabbed multiple cans of the strongest bug spray before hopping out of the car.

“Yang, help me kill the bugs in the back before they get bigger!”

If we didn’t handle the bug infestation now, the situation would quickly escalate, and I wouldn’t even survive the first chapter.

I really should’ve quit my job.

I flung open the trunk door and covered my mouth using the inside of my shoulder, bracing myself with the open can of bug spray in my outstretched arm.

A horrific sight greeted me; cockroaches as large as my leg tumbled out of the trunk, their hooked brown arms flailing and mandibles snapping open and shut. Enlarged bed bugs crawled all over the walls as they spilled out and flailed on the ground before finally rolling over. I shook the can and sprayed wildly. Large cockroach antennae brushed against my bare skin, causing me to shiver out of horror.

I choked on the overwhelming smell of pesticides despite trying to hold my breath. A cockroach lunged from the trunk, wings flapping as it moved to clamp its horrific jaws into my arm. I smashed the bottom of the can against its back, throwing it onto the ground and ferociously stomped its head in.

“Yang, where the hell are you?” I cried out, taking steps back as the bugs continued their assault. They were growing larger and more aggressive by the second, and I could feel the spray can’s weight lightening in my hand.

In an instant, thousands of small blue portals opened all over the freeway, and grotesque green creatures stumbled out of them. With pointed noses and ugly, contorted skin, they awkwardly waddled around, small wooden sticks or rocks in their wrinkled hands. Goblins.

These creatures had always existed, but in various universes or planets. The system merely brought them all together.

Panic swelled in my chest at how overwhelming all of this was, but I turned my focus back to the cockroaches, struggling to keep my composure.

A cockroach bashed into me, sending me flying into the rocky and boiling hot pavement that tore up the soft skin on my elbows, leaving them red and raw. My weakening arms struggled to throw the cockroach off. Its jaws snapped just before my face, menacing and deadly.

Even in my own fabricated world, I was the exact same person. Still a disappointment. Still a failure.

Well, at least I gave it my best shot.

I shut my eyes, preparing to feel the cockroach dig its vile mandibles into my flesh. Suddenly, the cockroach was launched off me, and my eyes flew open in surprise. Yang stood above me, holding a large spray bottle in one hand and a crowbar in the other. His chest heaved with each labored breath, but he quickly sprayed down the bugs while bashing the larger ones with the crowbar.

“Took you long enough,” I said in a snarky tone.

[You have received your first review!]

STREELIGHT543 REVIEW: ★★☆☆☆

Very deus ex machina. Liu Peijin shouldn’t have survived, although I was very entertained by her struggle while it lasted.

Were observers leaving... ratings and reviews?

Are you kidding me?

[Observers Chat]

Socrates: Boooo, this is boring to watch. I don’t understand why you’re struggling, Jia Li, when you created this world.

Nipon23: lmao imagine how much of a loser she must have been before. i finally found another observer who knows that this girl is JiaLi1825.

Socrates: Did you get blocked before, too? For what?

Nipon23: i commented “TYFTC” instead of “thank you for the chapter”

Socrates: She was THAT petty??? She blocked me even though I was a big Paytron supporter :( Rude.

Nipon23: i was one too. maybe only subscribers recognize her idk

Socrates: Well, it’s not like she had many. Not many people would pay for content if they got blocked 80% of the time lol

Great, there were more. Were the people I blocked seriously the only observers?

My face flushed in embarrassment from their comments, and I nervously met Yang’s eyes, unaware if he could see the observers’ notifications. Based on his still glowing expression, I realized these could only be seen by me—at least for now.

I let out a shaky sigh of relief as I stood up, continuing to crush loose insects. The mixture in Yang’s hands was a combination of soap and water. Since cockroaches and bed bugs breathed through the holes in their skin, they would quickly suffocate. Surprisingly, soapy water was much more effective than some insecticides.

[You have enough stars to purchase from the Azure Dragon store! Would you like to access the tutorial?]

I flicked the notification away with my eyes, watching as Yang continued to kill the insects. For someone who was so frightened just moments ago, he was adapting to the situation far faster than I anticipated.

Yang froze for a moment as if a screen popped up in his vision. I figured he must have just gotten the notification for the store as his fingers danced across an invisible interface. His thumb was rubbing against the tip of his index finger anxiously.

Once we had killed all of the bugs in the van and dragged the couch out from the trunk, I quickly hopped back into the driver’s seat.

[Total: 2430 stars]

Yang turned to face me, noticing the blood dribbling out of my skinned arms and onto the white seat behind me. “Peijin, you’re injured,” he said in a strange tone before popping open the glove compartment and sifting through the miscellaneous items inside.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Scraped elbows were the last thing to worry about. “It’s fine. We need to get out of here first.”

“And where would we go? Everything is in shambles,” Yang replied, his voice higher from his anxiety. His brows were knitted together, and worry was clearly written in the wrinkles beside his eyes.

The Azure Dragon was still hovering in the air while the hoard of goblins waddled beneath them. They curiously explored the scene, tapping on car doors and banging their makeshift weapons together.

I ignored Yang’s question and slammed down on the gas, weaving the white truck between the parked cars and wreckages. If I really teleported into my web novel, the first thing I had to catch up with the main characters before they split off.

But the last person I’d want to run into would be Qiu Feiyu, the protagonist.

Yang trembled anxiously but nodded at my resolve, chewing on his lower lip. “Why aren’t the… goblins outside doing anything?” He paused on the word “goblins” as he couldn’t quite believe the reality before him. “Can’t we just kill them for more stars?”

“Don’t touch them. If you do, then…” I trailed off, realizing I seemed way too assertive and knowledgeable.

Although the goblins were mostly passive creatures, the moment one was attacked, they would all quickly band together to kill the assailant. This challenge was intentionally set up so people would be inclined to kill the meek goblins—to then be slaughtered themselves.

If I shared that with Yang, he would know that I truly was the author of this world, though he was probably smart enough to have put it together. Still, I didn’t want that to happen.

“This is just like one of those apocalypse survival games,” I said. “So, let’s just make it through the first round.”

[Time left: 13 minutes 13 seconds]

[Percent killed: 14%]

I doubled back, staring at the blue window. Fourteen percent? That couldn’t be possible… it shouldn’t have been that rapid of a decline. No one had even touched the goblins yet. I shrugged off the thought and focused on my goal.

Ah, there it was. The blue Toyota and the androgynous man standing beside it. He stuck out like a sore thumb; his waist length brown hair was tied up into a high ponytail, and although he wore normal clothing, one could see the white bandages wrapped around his forearm.

A phone was pressed against his ear as he tried to call the police, shouting at the people on the road to remain calm. Ushering seniors and crying children to the side of the road, his overwhelming desire to protect them was obvious to any onlookers.

I swerved the car and quickly parked, blocking two whole lanes—yet just before I could hop out, the freeway rumbled as parading footsteps and a deafening roar sounded, sending spit flying everywhere.

I glanced up to see a black bear the size of a small house charging straight toward my van.