The entire night, Zhuo Yun dreamt of her past life.
All the scenes were of her time with him; the passionate, intimate moments followed by the tragic separation, as if yesterday and yet a lifetime apart.
Waking up, her heart was filled with an empty longing.
She would find him again, and never felt they were truly separated. Clearly, the resentment here had influenced her, causing these dreams.
She opened her room door and stepped out. Someone was also emerging from the room next to hers.
A girl walking in the middle said dejectedly, "I had nightmares all night, couldn't sleep at all, so annoying!"
Another immediately chimed in, "Me too, I dreamt I was being chased by ghosts. The dream felt so real, it scared me to death!"
"I had nightmares too..."
"Jiang Zhuo!"
Zhuo Yun didn't react immediately, not realizing they were calling her. After they repeated her name twice, she turned around.
"Where did you go last night? When did you come back?"
Zhuo Yun looked around and replied, "I've been here all along."
The person was speechless.
Someone nudged the girl and said, "Let's go downstairs. They should announce the content today."
A group of them headed downstairs.
After a night passed, the sky outside was still hazy, as if the entire world was shrouded in darkness, looking utterly ominous.
While they were eating, a voice echoed in the space.
"Welcome, players, to the game instance 'Past Life Inn'. This game operates on a point system, with an initial score of 1. All players will be grouped by the system into teams of five. After seven days, teams where all five members possess 5 points can leave the game. The game will officially begin in ten minutes. Please prepare yourselves."
As soon as the announcement ended, everyone in the inn erupted in arguments.
"Why is it system grouping?"
"What if we encounter low-level players and get dragged down, dying unjustly?"
"Don't talk about death in this place, be careful you don't actually die."
Zhuo Yun listened to their discussions while eating breakfast.
She had no prior experience with such games, only able to glean some information from their words and the original owner's memories.
Most players entering this game were here for money, while others sought thrills. Their sole objective was to find clues, complete tasks, and leave the game within the designated time.
Those who couldn't leave within the stipulated time were called 'stayers'. Stayers could participate in the next mission, if they survived that long.
If you died in the game, you were truly dead.
Zhuo Yun speculated that this game world was actually an otherworldly realm, filled with resentment, and the resentment was continuously growing because people died in the game.
Who created this?
And what was their connection to the mastermind?
"Grouping has been issued. Please check individually. The game will begin in five minutes."
Zhuo Yun, mimicking others, looked at the item she suspected was a system interface on her hand, much smaller than usual.
It displayed the grouping information.
"Player: Jiang Zhuo"
"Team: 162"
"Teammates: Ding Xiang; Nan Jiang Zi; Song Yan; Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes"
She lightly swiped the screen, and below it appeared several dots, one green and four red.
These were her teammates' locations.
Soon, a man and a woman appeared before her.
The man, dressed in leather and with a rugged appearance, asked, "Jiang Zhuo?"
Zhuo Yun nodded.
The man, with a resonant voice, introduced, "I'm Ding Xiang, and this is Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes."
The girl wore a form-fitting outfit that accentuated her good figure. Her tanned skin gave her a wild beauty.
"Hello."
"Hello."
The three of them had arrived. Their three dots converged. Seeing this, the others would find their way here, so they sat and waited.
After about ten minutes, a pale, thin boy wearing glasses walked over. He was so pale he looked almost inhuman. His expressionless face and eyes hidden behind his glasses revealed no emotion, making him seem peculiar.
He approached them and directly said, "Nan Jiang Zi, let's go."
Ding Xiang said, "But we're still missing one person."
Nan Jiang Zi glanced at the screen, "Ta hasn't moved at all. We need to find them."
Ding Xiang and Miss Scrambled Eggs quickly checked the screen. Indeed, that one position hadn't moved.
Although the four of them had distinct personalities, none were ones to waste words. They immediately stood up, intending to find the missing person.
They were still within the inn.
This inn seemed vast, its edges unseen and unreachable. Expanding from the dining hall, it had countless floors, both above and below, and an unknown width.
Along the way, Ding Xiang took the initiative to lighten the mood and gather information.
"One point per person, and after seven days, five people with five points can leave. This means we just need to protect ourselves and safely survive these seven days."
Miss Scrambled Eggs said sternly, "But the mission won't be that simple."
Ding Xiang replied, "Right, it wouldn't be a horror game without some trouble. By the way, what are your levels?"