Wen Shichun took a moment to steady his breathing.
Outwardly, he still appeared composed.
Just as he was about to ask the system what was going on, the world around him suddenly spun violently.
When the dizziness finally subsided, the distorted scene before him reassembled itself.
He was no longer on the train. Instead, he stood before towering black iron gates, tightly shut, their bars adorned with intricate engravings. Six others had appeared alongside him—the same passengers from the train.
Wen Shichun scanned his surroundings. Beyond the prison-like gates, the private estate sprawled across a vast area. Through the sparse, skeletal trees, he could just make out a winding path leading to one corner of the mansion. The three-story building itself stood in an oddly positioned spot. Their current vantage point was elevated, with nothing but barren wasteland behind them. In the distance, dense clusters of tree trunks loomed like ghostly sentinels, encircling the high ground.
A cold wind brushed past him, carrying with it the faint sense that the estate’s rear might drop off into a cliffside.
This place was… unsettling.
The others had fallen silent upon arrival, their earlier complaints from the train gone—either having regained their composure or resigned themselves to the situation. Only one man, clad in a black hoodie, couldn’t quite stifle a muttered curse.
For nearly two minutes, the group stood there in the biting wind. Wen Shichun observed both the environment and his companions discreetly, unsure what they were waiting for—until a bespectacled man finally spoke up.
"Everyone knows the task, right?"
A few murmured in response.
The bespectacled man seemed to be taking the lead.
Wen Shichun had planned to blend in and quietly figure out how this "game" worked. But as the others nodded along knowingly at the mention of the "task," his calm expression belied a flicker of uncertainty.
[System?] he called inwardly. [What are they talking about? What task?]
Had he missed something crucial?
Two full seconds passed before the system replied:
[Apologies.]
Then, in its flat mechanical tone, it continued:
[Current Dungeon: The Invisible Lover.]
[Dungeon Background: The seven of you are special investigators assigned to a missing persons case. The victim, Lin Zhe, is a 19-year-old university student. The case was officially filed two weeks ago, though investigations reveal he disappeared approximately three months prior. The local High Investigation Bureau took over a week ago. According to existing leads, this private estate is the last place Lin Zhe was seen.]
[Main Objective: Uncover the truth behind the case.]
[Task progress: 0%]
[Clear condition: Catch the killer]
[Instance duration: 7 days]
...
After listening to the system explain the instance details, Wen Shichun considered this investigation-style mission and casually asked: [Are you still inexperienced at this?]
A system that forgets to provide such basic yet crucial information...
Could it actually be a newbie system?
Though its occasional attitude didn’t quite match that impression.
The system replied: [...It won’t happen next time.]
Hearing this response and its tone, Wen Shichun’s gaze shifted slightly.
So it really had forgotten?
Meanwhile, the bespectacled man had already begun analyzing: "A mystery-solving instance... and we have to catch the killer."
After speaking, he looked up at the group:
"Let me introduce myself—I’m Xun Yi from the District 2."
Having extended this offer of cooperation, Xun Yi glanced at the empty air in front of him. Several others did the same.
As if learning from its mistake, the system proactively explained:
[They’re checking their game interfaces. Each player’s interface is private unless shared. It displays this instance’s details and teammate information... I really should have explained the instance’s background and objectives when we loaded in. The system is responsible for guiding players through each phase, though you can review these details on your interface anytime afterward.]
While the system spoke, Wen Shichun had already summoned his personal interface through mental command. Admittedly, this made him reevaluate the game once more.
The interface clearly showed player info:
Xun Yi (District 2), Rating: B+
Nearby, a man around thirty wearing only a thin gray sweater spoke up: "Also District 2—Chang Zhao."
As Chang Zhao spoke, he noticeably moved closer to Xun Yi.
Wen Shichun checked Chang Zhao’s rating: B-
It seemed there were further distinctions even among players with similar ratings.
The ice-blue eyes lifted slightly, discreetly scanning the surroundings.
It appeared that players from the same district showed a higher tendency to cooperate.
But...
Wen Shichun noticed something peculiar.
Among this column of "B+", "B", and "B-" ratings, the player with the code name "Shi" and an "E+" grade stood out glaringly.
And out of the seven player IDs, only "Shi" had District 10 displayed beside it.
Almost everyone's gaze shifted toward the tall, white-haired young man the moment they noticed the "E+" player.
Wen Shichun: "..."
That name seemed to be his, but how had these people figured it out?
His attempt to blend in had apparently failed.
The system's voice echoed in his mind, sounding somewhat indifferent yet offering an explanation: [You were the only one who boarded from District 10.]
Now, under the scrutiny of multiple gazes—some probing, some surprised, and some purely amused (like the man in the black hoodie)—Wen Shichun remained outwardly composed.
"E-rank?" Xun Yi spoke, his eyes fixed on the white-haired young man.
Wen Shichun turned his gaze toward Xun Yi but continued his silent conversation with the system: [Just because I boarded from District 10, that makes me a District 10 player? These two are District 2 players—they didn't board from the District 2, did they?]
He distinctly remembered that the train they had just taken had its final stop in District 2.
This time, the system responded promptly: [They are B-rank players. They may have stayed in other dictricts before. As for E-rank—it's the lowest player tier in this world. You don't yet have the authority to board trains in other districts.]
There were exceptions, of course—
But the system chose not to disclose that to its host for now.
However, after a brief pause, the usually cold system added helpfully: [If they ask, you can tell them you were able to enter that train carriage because you received a B-rank dungeon invitation from District 2.]
The sudden revelation from the system was slightly surprising.
Wen Shichun suppressed his growing suspicion toward the system for the moment. Their train had departed at night, yet this place was bathed in daylight. The dungeon's weather was chilly, the surroundings desolate. The dim, grayish light reflected off Xun Yi's glasses, obscuring his eyes.
Still, Wen Shichun answered calmly:
"Yes."
Before anyone else could speak, the man in the black hoodie jacket cut in: "You used a B-level dungeon invitation?"
At this point, Wen Shichun didn't even need to explain. The man spoke while giving the beautiful young man a skeptical once-over, his tone dripping with doubt: "Alone?"
As he spoke, he glanced at the other five people nearby, clearly finding it hard to believe that an E-rank player would enter a B-level dungeon solo.
And—
The man in the black hoodie stole another look at the ethereal beauty standing about three meters away.
Though the other stood there quietly,
his expression flawless,
that face was undeniably that of a fragile porcelain doll.
And still E-rank? Tch.
