Compared to the calm Young boy before her, the receptionist girl felt she'd heard something absurdly outlandish. She had to double-check:
"Y-you're sure you want to sign up for the Imperial Rank Game?"
"Yes, please register me." Xu Shi nodded faintly.
The words sent the hall into an uproar.
"Losing 13 times in a row and still daring to pick Imperial? Is this kid crazy?!"
"How does he have the guts? Must be too caught up in losing to think straight."
"To be young and reckless—he gets more fired up the more he loses. I'm over thirty and wouldn't dare touch Imperial with a ten-foot pole."
"…Is he trying to get himself killed?"
"…"
Xu Shi paid no heed, silently taking the form the receptionist handed over and starting to fill in his details.
After completing the basic information, he reached the final section at the bottom: Game Difficulty Selection.
From left to right, the options read: Divine, Imperial, Royal, King, Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount.
Without hesitation, Xu Shi checked "Imperial."
By then, the receptionist, having retrieved Xu Shi's records, placed a portrait-recording orb on the desk.
In the next moment, a green beam shot from the orb, scanning Xu Shi's body to verify his identity. A holographic screen then projected before him, displaying the final difficulty confirmation.
Divine and Imperial were dimmed—meaning Xu Shi wasn't eligible for them yet.
Also dimmed were Marquis and Viscount: Marquis was the difficulty he'd chosen last time, so it was unavailable, while Viscount, grayed out, indicated he'd participated more than five times and could no longer select the initial difficulty.
Once the final confirmation was done, Xu Shi waited for the receptionist to input his information.
In a corner of the hall, the group of high school students who'd once chattered about the boy at the roadside milk tea shop were also in the crowd.
The boy who'd scoffed at the youth in the shop now, upon hearing his words, felt as if he'd heard something utterly unbelievable.
"Has this guy lost his mind from losing so much? Even my dad wouldn't dare sign up for Imperial Rank. How's he got the nerve, after 13 straight losses?"
Xiaojin—the girl from before—had come with her friends too. At her classmate's words, her willow-like brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and she said calmly:
"Fearless courage is still courage. When a chance to survive despair is right there—if it were you, would you take the gamble?"
The moment the girl spoke, the boy beside her froze.
"That... hard to say."
He hadn't even chosen Marquis Rank yet—let alone being eligible for Imperial.
For according to the rules, below Imperial Rank, one could only sign up for a higher difficulty if they'd participated in the next lower one.
As for ranks above Imperial? No one dared to even think about them.
Once the receptionist finished registering him, someone soon came to lead Xu Shi to the adjacent Divine Mirror Hall to wait in line.
At the back of the line, Xu Shi watched as those ahead stepped up one by one to have their lifespan value assessed, saying nothing.
Once, he'd been among those tested for lifespan too—until the first results came in, and he learned he had no extra years to spare as entry fee...
After waiting three minutes, Xu Shi reached the Divine Mirror. He didn't need to do a thing—a green beam swept over him, and then the mirror, in the cool, clear voice of an AI, announced the price he'd need to pay this time.
"Honored Mr. Xu Shi, you have selected Imperial Rank difficulty. Based on your life value assessment, the price you must pay this time is... everything you are."
The result of this assessment was exactly as Xu Shi had expected. He waited quietly as the final ticket information was entered.
Little did he know, everyone behind him was eyeing him as if he were a monster.
Once the ticket details were successfully logged, a staff member nearby informed him of the Imperial Rank checkpoint number.
Xu Shi followed the number to Checkpoint A-13, pulled up a random chair in front of it, and settled in—now all he had to do was wait for the game to begin.
Unlike other checkpoints, which were packed with people, so crowded there were no seats left, his checkpoint was practically deserted. He was the only one there.
This meant he was the only one in the entire hall who'd signed up for this month's Imperial Rank Game.
Time trickled by. At 3:00 PM sharp, under everyone's gaze, Xu Shi walked toward the checkpoint with resolute steps.
The device at the entrance scanned him automatically; once his identity was verified, the two guards let him through.
In the blink of an eye, the youth stepped into the portal and vanished from sight.
Waking from a stupor, Xu Shi opened his eyes. What met his gaze was a bronze-colored ceiling.
A softness pressed against his body. He sat up slowly, realizing he was lying on a soft gray bed.
Just as he was about to get up to take in his surroundings, a virtual panel popped up before him first.
[Player Info: Xu Shi]
[Current Class: Novice Fighter; Hidden Class: Trickster]
[Stolen Abilities: Perceptive Vision, Advanced Martial Arts, Heal Thyself, Mastery of Firearms, Art of Seduction, Clarity, Weakness Insight, Agile Steps, Flash Movement, Mastery of Dou Di Zhu, Wrist Strength Mastery, Frenzy.]
[Game Rank: Imperial]
[Game Rules: 12 players have been placed in the current wooden house. The house will lift its restriction at 8:00 PM three days from now, at which point players may leave the house.]
The 12 players must, within this time, find the secret keeper hidden among them—who holds the game's clue—and submit their answer by 12 AM that night. Each person may submit only once. The day's clue resides in just one person, and resets at 12 AM.
If no player uncovers the hidden secret keeper by 12 AM, the secret keeper may choose to leave the cabin early, taking the clue with them. Conversely, the one who finds them may keep the clue for themselves but cannot leave the cabin early.
World Rule: Truth (resets at 12 AM)
Truth: Everyone under this rule shall speak the truth; they cannot tell lies.
Xu Shi sat on the bed, reading every word of the game rules on the panel meticulously, then fell into thought.
"Truth? Perfect chance to test if it's real."
"I look reall..." The words caught in his throat. Xu Shi felt a force of the rule forcibly correct his words, and the next moment, he blurted out: "I look fucking handsome!"
That simple sentence confirmed for Xu Shi that he truly couldn't lie today.
After a moment's thought, he got out of bed and stretched a little, readjusting to the fully restored body he'd regained.
Even though he was handicapped—missing limbs—in the real world, here in the game, everyone participated in their most complete form.
After doing a few quick burpees to confirm his movements hadn't retained the stilted habits from his real-world disabilities—missing limbs—Xu Shi reopened the virtual panel. He selected a set of white martial artist training clothes he'd prepared in advance, slipping them on.
Everything ready, Xu Shi glanced at the virtual clock on the wall; the hour hand pointed exactly to seven.
Twisting open the locked door, in an instant, Xu Shi felt a restriction lift from it. His Perceptive Vision range—like a wild horse broken from its reins—spiked outward from the room in a flash.
Thankfully, he'd anticipated this, quickly reining in the passive range, limiting it to five meters. This was an Imperial Rank game; if he'd used Perceptive Vision right off the bat, who knew if he might cross paths with someone of formidable mental fortitude?
"Time to go meet today's roommates."