The old streetlights had not yet flickered on by evening. Most shops on either side had rolled down their shutters. As the long shadows of the dim, hazy sunlight receded from the street corner, the entire street was left in darkness.
Bleak and silent.
As if a terrifying mouth was about to swallow everything whole.
Fang You pulled his collar higher, walking with hurried steps. Like the one or two occasional pedestrians he encountered on the street, he maintained a distance as they passed by.
He soon returned to his residence.
A three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment in an old building over twenty years old.
He clicked the switch, and the stark white light finally dispelled the unsettling darkness.
Fang You took a couple of breaths, tossed his bag aside, and slumped onto the sofa. He deftly pulled out his phone from his pocket and swiped with his thumb.
*Beep—*
Fingerprint scan.
The screen unlocked, and several push notifications popped up rapidly.
#Black clouds shroud a city in Peacock Country for three days, with prophecies of an apocalyptic spectacle.#
#Bodies mysteriously disappear from the morgue, numbering as high as......#
#Buy Amulets on Pinduoduo, group deals starting from 10% off.#
#Recommended to keep essential household supplies readily available.#
#White fog phenomenon appears in Beijiang City, visibility less than five meters.#
#Unseen Dangers.#
These notifications were a mix of news and trashy ads, but without exception...
"It seems to be getting more tense. There are also rumors online about strange occurrences."
"On my way home earlier, I even saw a residential compound sealed off with police tape."
"Could it be... that something is really happening?"
Fang You frowned.
He had occasionally stumbled upon peculiar videos or images before.
But he hadn't paid them any mind, thinking of them as just for entertainment.
He didn't believe they were real.
However, recently, the increasing number of reports about disappearances, strange figures, and lockdowns had made him start to suspect that a crisis was indeed approaching, sending a chill down his spine.
"Worrying blindly is no use."
"If the sky falls, taller people will catch it."
"I'll just stay home more and stock up on some daily necessities. The rest is for me to eat and drink as usual. It's better than panicking myself to death when nothing is actually happening."
Staying home.
Or not going out at all. As long as he had the internet, a computer, or a phone, it was not a problem for Fang You.
He was a struggling writer. He didn't earn much but spent little. With this house left by his parents, his life was at least passable.
The only annoyance was that it had become increasingly difficult to order food delivery lately.
Fang You had to cook for himself, which was a苦恼 (kǔnǎo - distress) due to his poor culinary skills.
As for eating out?
Going out was out of the question. There might be unseen dangers outside now, so he could only stay at home and manage to get by.
It had nothing to do with his laziness in not wanting to go downstairs.
Fang You put the ingredients into the refrigerator and then glanced at the three and a half boxes of instant noodles remaining.
There were also other rice, flour, toothpaste, toilet paper, and so on.
Well, the stock was considerable.
No big problem.
Dark clouds obscured the moon.
The bleak, old urban area became even more desolate and dim. Only a few windows in the opposite residential building were lit, the last stubborn glimmers of light in the darkness.
*"Dung!"*
A soft sound came from outside the tightly shut security door.
Fang You made a sound of surprise.
*"Dung! Dung! Dung!"*
Here they come!
But I don't think I ordered any takeout? And deliveries are only to the nearby pickup point.
He reluctantly got out of bed, mumbling, while the knocking outside continued.
Dung! Dung! Dung! Dung!.......
As rhythmic as a machine.
Fang You suddenly froze. The hand that was about to turn on the living room light stopped an inch away from the switch.
He was stiff.
The dark door not far away grew even blacker, swallowing all light. The rhythmic knocking seemed like a death knell.
He had a doorbell, in a very conspicuous spot!
Besides, could normal people knock like this, with such consistent rhythm and tone!
Thinking of the rumors on the internet lately, Fang You's heart began to pound.
His face looked grim as he stared at the door.
He wanted to retreat to his bedroom, but his legs seemed unresponsive.
The *dong dong dong* knocking continued mechanically.
It grew louder and louder, like the mournful tolling of a dusk bell, and his heart beat violently with the ringing, as if it were about to jump out!
*Hiss!*
Like a sudden stop to a downpour.
The *dong dong dong* sound ceased, and between the door and outside, an absolute silence fell.
Only his heart was still pounding.
As if waking from a daze,
Fang You realized his forehead and palms were covered in sweat.
He paused for a long moment, kicked off his slippers, and tiptoed forward.
He listened carefully.
He looked at the peephole on the security door before him, intending to peer through it, but hesitated, still unable to make up his mind.
He was still... a little scared.
The hesitant Fang You ultimately did not approach, but retreated to his bedroom, lay on the bed, and played with his phone, his mind not on it.
"Perhaps it was a prank by some mischievous kid?"
"Am I overthinking things?"
"What unseen dangers could there be!"
Fang You admitted he was a bit of a coward.
No, this couldn't be called cowardice; it was prioritizing safety. If it were a courier or someone he knew, they would have called if I didn't open the door.
If...
In any case, not opening the door was the right thing to do!
He stopped thinking about it and prepared to find a heartwarming anime to cheer himself up.
Just then, he noticed his phone suddenly entering an installation interface.
"Installing game..."
"Identity bound, data loaded, game starting."
An exquisite CG animation appeared.
Dark clouds covered the sky, a giant shadow emerged from beneath the sea, and ruined buildings shrouded in gray mist looked as if they had been dried for a thousand years.
Darkness, decay, eternal silence.
A burst of fire suddenly bloomed.
Roar! The flames roared! A fearless figure, illuminated by the flames, lunged towards the darkness.
The screen froze.
"Savior, are you ready?"
Fang You was taken aback.
When did he download this game? Did he accidentally tap it while distracted just now?
He took a quick look.
It seemed to be a gacha-style idle game, with a rather cliché gameplay setting.
However,
"The art style seems alright?"
For this type of mobile game, it's good if it appeals to you.
Since he had nothing else to do, Fang You didn't delete it immediately but tapped to enter.
A simple yet refined game interface appeared before Fang You.
"Fate Draw"
"Apostle List"
"Item Inventory"
Only these three options, with others marked as locked.
There were no dazzling VIP features, no "first recharge $6" prompts, and no endlessly clickable red dots... which Fang You found quite comfortable.
It was just... perhaps a bit too streamlined.
There were no explanations, no beginner tutorials, and the playability seemed very low.
Wait,
This game doesn't even have a recharge portal, is it that generous?
It must be hidden somewhere.
Fang You tapped on the item inventory. It was empty, which was reasonable, but there was no recharge portal either.
He then tapped on the apostle interface, and as expected, it was also empty...
Hold on!
There's actually one character, is it the starter gift?
Fang You's gaze fell, and he sank into thought.
How come this apostle...
Looks a little too familiar.
A black jacket, gray trousers.
The jacket's zipper was partially open, revealing a white undershirt.
This attire,
Fang You silently got up and went to the mirror to examine himself.
As handsome as the esteemed readers.
That's not the point.
The point is,
Fang You stared expressionlessly at himself in the mirror, then looked down at the character in the game.
After a moment of silence,
"This is me, damn it!"
......
PS: New author publishing, please vote and follow up. I beg you with a 360-degree spinning split! ~~~(*❦w❦)