C5 Welcome to Liyang City

"Take a look at this description," Xie Yu said, retrieving a sheet of paper from beneath the mirror. The paper was unnaturally adhered to the mirror's edge, clearly the work of the system.

"Welcome to Liyang City."

"One day, a colossal mirror materialized in Liyang City, ensnaring everyone in its reflected world."

"Since then, the city has been engulfed in hellish chaos—flames, collapsing skies, icy blades—all within the mirror's domain."

"Trapped within, people's primal instincts surged. They cast aside all laws, unleashing their fury until their sanity shattered."

"Nobody belongs here, neither you nor us."

"The code dictates that redemption requires the ultimate sacrifice—death."

"Leave this place, resolve the crisis, and liberate Liyang City."

After Xie Yu finished reading the dungeon's backstory, he waited for Jing Zhe and the Equinox to do the same before speaking up. "It seems we're caught in the mirror's world too. Our first order of business is to escape, then we can focus on destroying that mirror."

He lifted the kitchen knife, his face breaking into a grin. "Looks like the first step is pretty straightforward."

"What are you planning to do?"

Jing Zhe was taken aback by his movements. She hadn't expected this seemingly artistic young man to be so astute.

"So, what's our immediate move?" The Equinox asked, tiptoeing to a new spot, the sticky ground beneath him reigniting his almost forgotten need for cleanliness.

"End it all," Xie Yu stated, brandishing the kitchen knife at his neck, as if plotting the perfect angle for a swift end.

The Equinox's face blanched with fear. They had only just entered the dungeon, and now suicide?

He had considered himself faint-hearted, but this person's endurance seemed even lower. Was he really giving up so soon?

"We need to get out of here first. To break free from this nightmare, we must face pain and even death," Xie Yu explained, readying himself to strike. But suddenly, a flash of white light caught his eye. A slender sword had thrust straight into the Equinox's heart, its blade likely protruding from the back.

This sword was unmistakably his cousin's, and Equinox knew it all too well. Given that his cousin had taken action, it appeared that suicide was indeed a viable option.

He trusted no one except his cousin.

Jing Zhe unsheathed the sword, just as Equinox's eyes rolled back and his body slackened. His head lolled to the side as he collapsed.

As he hit the ground, his form quickly grew fainter until it vanished altogether.

"I had assumed you'd be like my brother, but I see now that I judged you by appearances. My apologies." Jing Zhe flicked the blood droplets from his slender sword and glanced at Xie Yu. Xie Yu offered a faint smile, remaining silent. Gripping the kitchen knife, he slashed his own throat and crumpled to the ground.

In his final moments, Jing Zhe's blade likewise severed its owner's neck, and he fell almost in sync with Xie Yu.

Both of them dissipated simultaneously, their fragments mingling and fading into nothingness.

The sunlight was radiant, the sky a sea-blue, and the clouds drifted lazily. Everything was so serene.

The clouds' spoon-like shape caught Xie Yu's attention, prompting him to take a longer look.

If one could overlook the eerie silence and absence of people on the street...

"To save Liyang City... If I'm not mistaken, this scenario must be a blend of sci-fi and fantasy," Xie Yu commented, "Only in a game could a colossal mirror suddenly appear, sucking everyone into its inner world and driving them to madness and murder."

"It's merely a game, not to be taken as reality," Jing Zhe remarked coolly, his hand resting on the hilt of his thin sword.

"Let's survey the area for any clues first."

Xie Yu scanned their surroundings. They stood at the roadside, encircled by the city's commonplace streets, dotted with small eateries, convenience stores, hardware shops, and an assortment of other businesses. At a glance, it almost felt like a step back in time for Xie Yu.

Yet the vivid blue of the sky told him otherwise.

"It's been ages since I've seen a sky this blue..."

With a soft laugh, Xie Yu turned to Jing Zhe and Equinox, who stood beside him.

He had an epiphany: Jing Zhe was the true gamer among them. As for the Equinox, he was clearly just riding on someone's coattails.

Ironically, he had the same strategy in mind.

Gaming wasn't his primary objective; he was on a mission to uncover vulnerabilities in the data system and didn't have the luxury of time to master the gameplay.

With a flourish of his kitchen knife, Xie Yu sidled up to Jing Zhe and murmured,

"Let's start by looking for some clues. Just so you know, I'm not great at slaying monsters, and I'm not exactly in peak physical condition. If things get dicey, I might need you to bail me out."

Before Jing Zhe could respond, Equinox cast a scornful glance their way and sneered, "You're already asking for my sister's help and we haven't even encountered any monsters?"

Xie Yu bristled at the comment. This guy was clearly nothing more than a hanger-on, wasn't he?

"It's just a precaution," Xie Yu retorted. "And for the record, I'd do the same for you if you were in trouble."

Jing Zhe, intent on completing the level, hadn't noticed Xie Yu's attention was firmly on her.

The trio ambled down the road, the surroundings mundane and deserted, a typical city street with no anomalies.

Abruptly, Xie Yu halted, his gaze locking onto something.

"What is it?" Jing Zhe's eyelashes flickered, her hand instinctively gripping the sword hilt tighter.

In this game, the cap was level 50, and she was already at level 35, with her cousin at level 12. By all logic, she shouldn't have crossed paths with a mere level 3 like Xie Yu.

Unless... Jing Zhe's gaze grew intense, her eyes narrowing as she considered Xie Yu.

Unless the system assessed this level 3 newcomer to possess a strength comparable to their average.

In any other game, when a pro teams up with an average player and they're joined by a newbie, it's either a glitch in the system or the newbie's level is just a façade.

Reveler World's system wouldn't likely glitch over something so trivial. That left only one other explanation.

Jing Zhe withdrew his attention, well aware that with such a vast number of players, encountering hidden dragons and crouching tigers was hardly unusual.

"At this bus stop, there's a complete map of the city. Liyang City doesn't seem too large, and there's a square right at the center," Xie Yu said, pointing upward at the map overhead. A pristine area marked the city's landmark, Sun Square.

"Let's head over and check it out," Jing Zhe suggested after a brief glance at the map.

"If we use Sun Square as the center and draw a circle around it, we can encompass the whole of Liyang City."

Xie Yu narrowed one eye, traced a circle in the air with his finger, and then dusted off his hands. Turning to Jing Zhe with a grin, he said, "Not a bad strategy, right? But if we run into trouble along the way, I'm counting on you."

Jing Zhe gave a nod of acknowledgment. As the strongest among the trio, it was only natural that he wouldn't let the others take the lead in a dangerous situation.

With the map etched in his memory, Xie Yu subtly quickened his pace, stepping half a stride ahead to lead the way. As they rounded a corner, he suddenly came to a halt.

Jing Zhe, trailing close behind, nearly collided with him. The equinox, who was being guided by Jing Zhe, managed to sidestep just in time and came to a stop next to Xie Yu.

With a puzzled look, Jing Zhe peeked around Xie Yu, wondering what had caused the abrupt pause.

"It looks like this dungeon definitely has a magical theme," he observed.

Peering over Xie Yu's shoulder, Jing Zhe caught sight of what had made him halt so unexpectedly.