When Wen Shichun woke up in an unfamiliar room, his body was barely covered by a sheer, translucent gauze that had nearly slipped off.
Behind him, the tall open window rattled in the howling night wind.
As his consciousness and memories reconnected, his attempt to sit up abruptly froze.
His body...
Felt wrong.
A cold, assessing gaze swiftly swept across the room.
This was a dimly lit, classically styled bedroom, illuminated only by the soft glow of a single nightlight.
His last memory was of a mission—one assigned directly to his intelligence agency, Bureau Seven, by the highest authorities in China.
He had been investigating a series of disappearances.
But now...
Had he been ambushed and transported here during the investigation?
He had no recollection of such an event.
Yet even considering the possibility raised too many questions, especially given his current... state.
By the window, the white-haired young man reclined on a daybed, his brow furrowed in displeasure.
Whatever had happened while he was unconscious—
What was the other party’s goal? What did they want?
Lost in thought, his gaze fell upon a standing cabinet beside the bed.
Given his unique position, he had no choice but to be cautious.
Wen Shichun pushed himself up.
A few seconds later,
his silhouette finally settled onto the plush carpet beneath him—backlit by the pale moonlight.
But this also revealed an undeniable problem.
"......"
What kind of person wouldn't even leave him a single piece of clothing?
Wen Shichun forced himself to remain calm. Picking up the sheer gauze from earlier, his slender figure moved soundlessly toward the standing cabinet.
On one side of the dim bedroom stood an imposing mahogany grandfather clock. Its antique brass dial showed the hour hand pointing squarely at the Roman numeral IX.
The rhythmic swing of the pendulum cut sharply through the silence.
Tick—
Tock—
Tick—
Apart from the wind, it was the only sound in the house.
Wen Shichun lifted the photo frame displayed atop the cabinet.
Staring back into his ice-blue eyes was a photograph of himself with another man.
For a brief, disoriented moment, he simply stood there, quietly examining this image of himself entwined with a stranger.
The man beside 'him' was undeniably handsome—his posture, though naturally upright, leaned unmistakably toward Wen Shichun as if he'd pulled him into an embrace just before the shutter clicked. The entire photo radiated an unsettling warmth and intimacy that felt utterly alien.
Wen Shichun's brows knitted tightly together, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the frame.
A wave of inexplicable discomfort rose in his chest.
He was startled by his own visceral reaction.
As his gaze lingered on the man's sharp jawline, he tried desperately to recall who this could be—but his mind remained blank.
Just then,
A sycophantic voice, oozing false reverence, whispered directly into his ear:
[Esteemed Proxy of District 10, the Regional Assembly has commenced. As your Master is currently... indisposed, will you be attending in his stead?]
When the voice appeared out of nowhere, Wen Shichun's highly alert mind snapped back to attention.
In that instant, the man standing on the carpet tensed every muscle in his body.
Complete combat readiness.
Wen Shichun's gaze swept the surroundings. The voice had seemed to come from all around him, yet now he couldn't locate its source.
It was too close—as if it had spoken directly into his ear... or his mind.
What was that thing? What was it saying? Something about a "master"?
This place wasn't right.
Everything here felt slightly off.
Wen Shichun became acutely aware that something was veering off course.
His fingertips gripping the photo frame had turned white from the pressure.
He needed to leave. Immediately.
Just as he came to this decision—
[System] chose that moment to appear.
It felt like it had suddenly embedded itself into his brain.
Every alarm in Wen Shichun's mind blared in response, though his body remained perfectly still.
The System's voice was cold and detached as it notified its host: [The next game will begin shortly.]
Then it presented Wen Shichun with a choice: did he wish to enter the instance as District 10's [Proxy]—or as District 10's [Player]?
...
[Game]
[Player]
[Instance]
Hearing these terms gave Wen Shichun a momentary pause.
Yet paradoxically, his heartbeat gradually steadied to a normal rhythm.
He thought of the mission assigned by his superiors, the case he'd been investigating.
Those missing people had mentioned things like "the game," "entering another world," "horror scenarios," "endless loops," and "higher dimensions"...
So the seemingly insane ramblings in those case files were actually true?
At this moment, the figure standing by the bed grew utterly calm.
The System's voice rang out again, its words even more concise in the quiet room.
Its tone was firmer this time:
[Proxy or Player?]
It sounded like it was forcing a choice.
But even though Wen Shichun understood this might be connected to the case he was investigating, he still knew very little about the current situation.
And "Proxy"...?
Since when had he become some kind of "District 10 Proxy"?
"What was it about an assembly—? The first voice that spoke to me, yours is different."
Wen Shichun spoke to the empty air.
He wasn’t sure if this line of questioning would work.
The System’s voice responded: [Do you want to go?]
...
Hearing the voice a third time, Wen Shichun still wasn’t used to it—but—
This thing in his head really seemed capable of conversing with him.
He thought back to that other voice earlier.
The one that had notified him about the meeting, along with that obsequious [Master]... It was the kind of thing that made him want to reject it outright.
"Can I refuse?"
In the bedroom, Wen Shichun asked flatly.
Compared to this mysterious "assembly," he was far more interested in the "game" and "scenarios" the System had mentioned.
His instincts told him that if he wanted to understand his current situation, he needed to enter the game.
This time, the System answered immediately: [You can.]
[If you confirm non-participation in the assembly, I will decline on your behalf.]
[Now, I will escort you to the platform.]
Before Wen Shichun could fully grasp the meaning of these words, the scenery before him had already transformed.
***
As the gray-white mist dissipated, a pitch-black train came into view, stationed silently beside the platform. The sudden clamor of voices on the platform seemed to materialize simultaneously with the train's appearance.
Just moments ago, he had been in an unfamiliar ancient castle. Now, Wen Shichun discreetly surveyed his surroundings. Directly ahead, the train doors stood open. On the upper left corner of the doorway, a capital letter "G" was printed. Lowering his gaze, he noticed a pure white card that had appeared in his hand—on its surface, details like seat number "G76" and departure time "21:15" were gradually materializing.
As passengers began boarding their respective carriages, Wen Shichun became acutely aware of another conspicuous change:
He was now fully clothed.
A brief glance confirmed he was wearing his usual white suit—the very one he often wore when visiting the Seventh Bureau.
Then, the same voice from the castle spoke again: "Board the train."
Under the platform's bright lights, Wen Shichun's dark lashes flickered slightly. Just as he prepared to step forward, the aloof voice interrupted once more:
"Remove your brooch."
The tone was mechanical and unyielding.
Not the friendliest of directives.
Wen Shichun looked down again. His ice-blue eyes, clear as a frozen lake reflecting the sky, now captured the glimmer of a gemstone.
The jewel pinned to his chest emitted a faint azure glow, almost mirroring his own irises. Three silver wings adorned its edges, while a delicate platinum chain draped downward, its tail needle fastened to his suit's lapel.
He studied it for a moment. This wasn't his.
At least, he had no memory of ever owning such a brooch. Like the card in his hand, it had simply... appeared.
Nevertheless, he saw no reason to disregard the system's suggestion.
With practiced ease, Wen Shichun unpinned the jewel and slipped it into his suit pocket.
Without further delay, the tall figure stepped onto the train and entered Carriage G.
***
The carriage was already occupied by scattered passengers. As the newcomer entered, their gazes briefly lingered on the slender figure. Under the bright white lights of the compartment, the newcomer's white hair gleamed strikingly, framing an exceptionally handsome face.
For a moment, several passengers held their breath at the sight—but soon, wariness took over, and they averted their eyes.
Wen Shichun discreetly observed the others. Their vigilance was palpable, yet not absolute... and none of them seemed like first-time passengers on this train.
Following the aisle indicators, he made his way to the very end of the carriage, where a softly illuminated label marked his seat: G76, a window spot in the last row on the left side of the aisle.
Settling into the assigned seat, his gaze drifted naturally to the platform outside.
The station's austere, cold-toned walls bore the words "King's District", while the emblem of a crown crossed with a sword loomed behind it. Hovering foremost was the faintly glowing designation: "District 10", shrouded in an eerie luminescence.
From his seat, Wen Shichun watched the view outside until the train lurched forward, swallowed once more by rising mist. Moments later, his vision cleared—though it was night, the bright lights of an unfamiliar city spilled into the carriage windows.
The train raced through wilderness and urban sprawl alike, cutting through strange plays of light and shadow.
Minutes later, an announcement echoed through the compartment:
[This train has now departed District 10, "King's District." Next stop: District 5, "Desire District."]
[Subsequent stops include District 4, "Fable District," and District 6, "Fate District"...]
[Final destination: District 2, "Death District."]
As the voice faded, new information surfaced in the silence.
Carriage G remained hushed, every passenger rigidly attentive in their seat.
Wen Shichun withdrew his gaze.
He had been transported directly from that bedroom onto the platform—already fully dressed, no less—
Which was, admittedly, still unnerving.
And that wasn’t even accounting for the unknown entity currently residing in his head.
A moment later...
Wen Shichun picked up the white card in his hand. One side displayed his assigned seat for the current game instance, while the other bore the imprint of a golden rose at the top.
Just as he was examining the card, the voice in his head suddenly spoke up:
[This is the initial card every player receives upon entering the ‘Eleventh Dimension’—also called the ‘Main Card.’ Yours is the ‘Golden Rose.’]
Rare for it to offer an explanation unprompted, Wen Shichun listened quietly as the voice continued in his mind:
[Players who continuously clear game instances have a chance to upgrade their cards upon survival.]
[The reverse side shows the player’s personal information, as well as the train and platform they must board before each game.]
[The Main Card is bound to the player. Unless the player dies, it will never disappear or be lost.]
[Additionally, players can summon their personal interface for operations.]
Here, the system paused, as if hesitating:
[…You can now check your Main Card’s skill.]
…
Wen Shichun nodded. [Understood.]
But when the skill description appeared on the card, the usually indifferent young man froze for a split second before straightening his posture. He was beginning to understand why the system had hesitated earlier.
So that pause hadn’t been his imagination after all.
With this realization, even his gaze grew complicated.
In his hand, the white card now displayed:
[Golden Rose – Radiant and Enchanting]
[With this card, all things will feel an innate fondness for you.]
[Skill 1: Natural Allure]
…
After a brief silence.
Wen Shichun: "……"
Something wasn’t right.
At the end of the train carriage, a rare trace of confusion flashed through the captivating blue eyes of the white-haired young man.
This skill... what exactly did it mean?
A faint sense of unease rose in the heart of the man sitting at the rear of the train.
The system had just mentioned that cards could be upgraded.
Wen Shichun's expression turned serious: [Upgraded card skills surely wouldn't just be enhanced versions of this initial skill, would they?]
The card displayed "Skill 1."
Logically, there should be Skill 2, Skill 3... and so on.
Several seconds passed after his question.
Finally, the system responded: [Hard to say.]
Wen Shichun: "..."
As if reading his thoughts, the system continued: [Initial cards are generated based on the player's own attributes.]
The unspoken implication being - you can't blame anyone else for this.
Sensing the system's subtle mockery, Wen Shichun blinked slowly and asked politely: [In what way do I resemble a rose?]
A golden one at that.
Wen Shichun couldn't comprehend how the game extracted these attributes.
This "Allure" skill... Wen Shichun found it difficult to assess.
But the system chose that moment to speak up: [The game's judgments are relatively accurate and fair.]
Wen Shichun tried to focus on the key word: [Relatively?]
The system paused upon hearing this, then after some contemplation said: [Actually—]
[You do look rather like a rose.]
Truthfully.
The mechanical voice carried a barely detectable hint of amusement.
Caught off guard, Wen Shichun was left speechless: "..."
Thinking to himself: Are you actually serious?
In your perception, are humans and roses the same species or something?
Giving up on arguing with the system about skills, Wen Shichun turned his attention to the other side of the card.
After taking his seat, a new column of information had appeared on the reverse side:
"Upcoming Instance: Death Row Prison"
"Instance Origin: District 2"
"Preliminary Difficulty: B-Class"
"Participating Players: 7"
...
Wen Shichun's mind rapidly processed the available intel.
Professional instincts kicked in—during his walk through the carriage earlier, he'd memorized every passenger's position and appearance. Including himself, there were exactly seven people in this carriage.
It seemed these passengers would be his temporary teammates for this game.
As he pondered, his gaze drifted back to the window. They were still in District 5, a stark contrast to the solemn austerity of District 10. The city outside, bathed in eerie violet-blue nightlights, created a strangely disorienting visual effect.
Just then, an abrupt announcement crackled through the carriage:
[Temporary stop at District 5]
[Instance content for Carriage G has been updated]
"Upcoming Instance: The Invisible Lover"
"Instance Origin: District 5"
"Preliminary Difficulty: B-Class"
"Participating Players: 7"
As the announcement ended, a chorus of curses erupted from the front of the carriage—
"Fuck."
"You gotta be kidding me."
"Temporary stop???"
"We're stuck in District 5 now?"
"We're screwed."
...
The previously composed passengers suddenly began shouting curses.
At the end of the carriage, Wen Shichun: "..."
Still essentially a complete newcomer, he didn't quite understand what was happening, but he definitely sensed trouble.
Though his expression remained impassive.
The young man's slender fingers secretly tightened around the card in his hand.
Wen Shichun was starting to feel nervous.
