Chapter 4 - The Strange Arrival
In a drowsy haze, Zhang Yuanqing felt something soft and voluptuous pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.
As he opened his eyes, he saw a plump and delicate face, paired with a mischievous smile.
His younger aunt teased in a sing-song voice:
"You little rascal, daring to stand me up. Your aunt's gonna sit on you until you're flat as a pancake."
She positioned herself to sit on her nephew like a duck, leaning forward and slamming down with her backside.
Zhang Yuanqing let out a muffled grunt, nearly losing his breath, and with an irritated thrust of his back, he flipped the woman over.
Amidst his aunt's surprised yelps, he noticed that it had turned dark outside the window; unknowingly, he had slept from morning until night.
"Time to eat!"
His younger aunt lay on the side of the bed, kicking her nephew's butt with a series of deadly blows.
"Stop getting back at me, alright? I respect my elders and love the young, I won't stoop to your level."
Zhang Yuanqing slipped to the edge of the bed, put on his shoes, and walked out of the room.
In the living room, a rich aroma wafted through the air. His grandparents sat by the dining table, eating. Grandpa's hair was silver-white, and he had a lean yet tall stature, his face stern, rarely smiling or speaking.
"So, how do you like the match we arranged for you this time?"
Grandma asked with some anticipation.
"Not bad at all, an annual salary of a million yuan, a corporate executive, very satisfying!"
The younger aunt nodded vigorously, like a pecking chicken.
"You say that every time, yet you end up blocking them after," grandma scolded as she poked her daughter's head hard with her finger.
"Be more sensible, think about your age."
"Exactly, exactly," Zhang Yuanqing gloated on the side, only to receive a harsh kick from Jiang Yuer.
The two of them started kicking each other under the table, causing a continuous clattering noise.
"If you're not going to eat, then go back to your room."
Grandma shouted, and both Zhang Yuanqing and his aunt immediately bowed their heads and focused on their rice.
"Grandma, when is cousin coming back?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.
His uncle's family lived just across from them, and recently, his affluent aunt and unrestrained uncle went abroad for a vacation. During this period, his cousin had dinner here every evening.
"He said he's working overtime tonight and won't be coming back... That man, he works himself to death, the complete opposite of his laid-back father," grandma complained.
Upon hearing about the overtime, Zhang Yuanqing couldn't hide his disappointment and let out a resigned "Oh."
After dinner, Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Yuer each returned to their rooms, leaving grandma to clean up the aftermath.
Back in his own room, Zhang Yuanqing locked the door and dialed his cousin's number on his cellphone.
Since a face-to-face conversation was out of the question, a phone call would have to suffice.
Communicating over the phone was never as clear as talking in person.
The call connected quickly, but the only thing that came through the speaker was the sound of the voicemail in a language he couldn't understand.
"In a meeting?"
Zhang Yuanqing hung up, feeling helpless. His cousin, the captain of the Public Security Bureau, had a busy schedule with irregular eating and sleeping patterns. It was not uncommon to be unable to reach him.
He was used to it.
Lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling, Zhang Yuanqing let his thoughts wander.
If Brother Bing's disappearance was orchestrated, and the black card was the target, then I need to be cautious. The safest course of action would be to hand over the black card to my cousin and let him relay the information to his superiors.
Given the administrative level of the Songhai City Public Security Bureau, the influence of the powers in Jiangnan Province was limited.
But the problem is, the black card is missing, and that's the most troubling part. Zhang Yuanqing scratched his head in frustration.
A black card that could vanish into thin air was a terrifying thought. Without the card, the plan to turn it over to the authorities was impossible.
The only option was to be honest with his cousin and let him report to his superiors. After that, he would follow their instructions. As an ordinary college student, there was nothing more he could do.
Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing felt a pain on his forehead, followed by a burning sensation. He scratched it, only to intensify the pain.
Hmm? Painful and hot, what's going on?
Zhang Yuanqing stood in front of the full-length mirror by the window, a puzzled expression on his face as he inspected his reflection.
The mirror cast back the image of a youthful face, with delicate features and pale skin untouched by the harshness of society or the ravages of time, exuding the vibrant energy of youth.
On his forehead was an intricate Black-Moon Mark, lifelike and vivid, with its irregular patches clearly visible.
Beneath the mark, something resembling a progress bar was displayed, showing: 90%
Zhang Yuanqing stumbled back in shock, vigorously rubbing his forehead in a vain attempt to erase the mark, but it might as well have been tattooed, immovable under his touch.
"Why do I have this on my forehead? When did it appear?" his mind reeled with confusion, panic, and bewilderment intertwining.
"Wait a minute! Isn't this pattern the same Black-Moon from the card?"
He paused, his thoughts suddenly connecting the dots.
The Black Card hadn't been lost; rather, it had entered his body in an incomprehensible way, manifesting as the mark on his forehead.
While he was still perplexed, he noticed the progress bar beneath the Black-Moon Mark jump to 92%, with the numbers ticking up, his forehead burning with each increment.
What was this? A supernatural phenomenon? Advanced technology? A hallucination?
At that moment, the contents of the letter resurfaced in his mind: This is a gift that can change your life.
"The Black Card really is a treasure, so my previous guess was right. Someone coveted this card, and Brother Bing didn't want them to have it, so he sent it to me, and now he's missing because of it."
While worrying about Brother Bing, Zhang Yuanqing watched the progress bar with anticipation.
What happens when the progress bar reaches 100%? Having witnessed the marvel before him, he was full of curiosity about the changes yet to come.
After several more instances of searing pain, the progress bar beneath the Black-Moon finally completed its journey, reaching 100%.
The next moment, a dispassionate, unemotional voice sounded in his ears:
[Character card reboot complete]
[Name: To-be-Named (Please name immediately)]
[Race: Human]
[Profession or Class: Nighthaunt]
[Level: 0]
[Skills: None]
[Experience Points: 0%]
[Morality Points: 60 (Initial value)]
Below the Morality Points, there was a note:
[Do not let your Morality Points fall below 60. In the past, you may not have had a choice, but now, please be a good person.]
Staring at the character attributes panel that appeared in front of him, glowing a soft blue, Zhang Yuanqing was dumbstruck for a moment, wondering what on earth this was.
He ventured, "System?"
As a proficient internet surfer, broad knowledge was part of his skill set.
The emotionless voice echoed in his ears once again:
[Please name your character immediately!]
The attributes panel, frozen mid-air, spawned a glowing blue handwriting box.
This wasn't a system; if it was, it was incredibly low-tech, almost incapable of communication. With a 'one step at a time' mindset, Zhang Yuanqing extended a finger and wrote down his own name:
Zhang Yuanqing
[Warning, do not use your real name.]
Not use his real name? Zhang Yuanqing paused, then wrote down a second name:
Yuanshi Tianzun
[Naming successful! Spirit Realm will open in ten seconds, Yuanshi Tianzun. Good luck!]
Listening to the voice echoing in his ears, Zhang Yuanqing was momentarily stunned. What was happening? What was this Spirit Realm? Shouldn't it explain what the Spirit Realm is first?
Before he could regain his composure, the ten-second countdown had already ended.
[Ding, Spirit Realm Map activation complete. Welcome to "Nighthaunt --- Sheling Tunnel," Serial Number: 0079.]
[Difficulty Level: S]
[Type: Solo (Death-type)]
[Main Quest One: Survive for three hours.]
[Main Quest Two: Explore Spirit Realm number 0079, current exploration: 0%]
Note: Non-Spirit Realm items are not permitted to be brought in.
Introduction to Spirit Realm #0079: Have you heard of one of the top ten eerie tales of Songhai, the Sheling Tunnel?
The Sheling Tunnel was constructed at the end of the last century. During its construction, a team of workers entered the tunnel on a rainy night to dig, and they vanished within it, never to be seen again.
The Public Security Bureau organized search parties for several days, and in the mountains, they found one of the workers who had been digging that fateful night. The others, however, left no trace.
The sole survivor, though alive, had suffered some inexplicable trauma. His mind was troubled, and he ranted nonsensically no matter how the Public Security Officers questioned him. There was only one phrase he kept repeating:
"Do not enter the temple, do not enter the temple."
The voices around grew fainter and eventually inaudible, as the scene before my eyes began to ripple like a wrinkled lake surface, distorting and blurring.
After a moment, the vision stabilized, and the dim yellow light illuminated the uneven walls, while underfoot was a path laid with fine pebbles.
"Where am I?"
Zhang Yuanqing looked around in astonishment, finding himself in an old, dilapidated tunnel. The arching dome above was fitted with old-fashioned xenon lamps, casting a weak orange glow.