In a daze, Zhang Yuanqing felt something soft and plump pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.
He opened his eyes to see a round, delicate face and a mischievous grin.
His aunt hummed playfully, "You little brat! You dared to stand me up? I'll sit on you until you're dead!"
She squatted on her nephew's back, leaned forward, and slammed her weight down.
Zhang Yuanqing groaned, nearly suffocating. Enraged, he arched his back, flipping her off.
As his aunt yelped in surprise, he noticed it was dark outside. He'd slept through the entire day, from morning until night.
"Dinner's ready!"
His aunt lay sideways on the bed, kicking his butt with a series of rapid kicks.
"Stop retaliating, okay? I respect my elders and protect the young. I won't stoop to your level."
Zhang Yuanqing slid to the edge of the bed, put on his shoes, and left the room.
The living room was filled with a rich aroma. His grandparents were already at the dining table. His grandfather, tall and lean with silver hair, sat with a stern expression, rarely smiling.
"So, what do you think of the match we arranged for you this time?"
At the dining table, Grandmother asked with a hint of anticipation, "How was the date?"
"Not bad at all! A million-yuan annual salary, a company executive—perfect!" Aunt nodded vigorously, like a chicken pecking at grain.
"You say that every time, and then you block them all!" Grandmother jabbed her daughter's forehead sharply. "Get a grip! Remember how old you are."
Exactly! Zhang Yuanqing thought gleefully, only to receive a sharp kick to the shin from Jiang Yu'er.
The two began kicking each other under the table, causing it to rattle loudly.
"If you're not eating, get out of here!" Grandmother roared, silencing them instantly. Zhang Yuanqing and Aunt immediately lowered their heads and resumed eating.
"Grandmother, when is Cousin coming back?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.
His uncle's family lived across the hall. Recently, his wealthy aunt and free-spirited uncle had gone abroad for a trip, leaving Cousin to eat dinner here every night.
"He said he's working late tonight and won't be back... That boy works himself to death—the complete opposite of his lazy father," Grandmother grumbled.
Working late? Zhang Yuanqing let out a disappointed "Oh."
After dinner, Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Yu'er returned to their respective rooms, leaving Grandmother to clean up.
Back in his room, Zhang Yuanqing locked the door and picked up his phone to call his cousin.
If I can't talk to him in person, I'll call him.
But phone calls never convey things as clearly as face-to-face conversations.
The call connected quickly, but the speaker only played an automated message in a foreign language, indicating the phone was switched off.
"In a meeting?"
Zhang Yuanqing sighed and hung up. As the Security Captain, his cousin's schedule was hectic, with irregular hours and meals. These communication gaps were common.
He was used to it.
Zhang Yuanqing lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, letting his thoughts drift.
If Bing Ge's disappearance was deliberate, and the black card was the target, I need to be careful. The safest course of action would be to hand the card over to my cousin, who can then report it to his superiors.
Given the administrative level of the Songhai City Public Security Bureau, the influence of Jiangnan Province's forces would be limited.
But the problem is, the black card is gone. That's the real headache. Zhang Yuanqing scratched his head in frustration.
A black card that can vanish into thin air... the thought alone is terrifying. Without the card, I can't hand it over to the state.
He had no choice but to confess to his cousin first, let him report it to his superiors, and then follow their instructions. He was just an ordinary college student; there was nothing else he could do.
Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing felt a sharp pain and burning sensation on his forehead. He scratched it, but the pain intensified.
Hmm? Pain and heat? What's going on?
He got out of bed in a daze and walked to the full-length mirror by the window, scrutinizing his reflection.
The mirror showed the face of a young man with delicate features and fair skin, untouched by the harsh realities of the world and unweathered by time. Only the vibrant energy of youth radiated from him.
On his forehead was a lifelike black crescent moon mark, its irregular surface clearly visible. Beneath the moon mark was a progress bar-like indicator showing 90%.
This... Zhang Yuanqing stumbled backward in shock. He rubbed his forehead vigorously, but the mark remained, as if it were a permanent tattoo.
How did this get on my forehead? When did it appear? His mind raced with chaotic thoughts, a mix of panic and confusion.
"Wait! Isn't that... isn't that the Black Moon from the card?"
He froze, then his thoughts suddenly clicked into place.
The black card hadn't been lost; it had entered his body and, in a way he couldn't comprehend, transformed into the mark on his forehead.
As he grappled with this revelation, he noticed the progress bar beneath the Black Moon mark had reached 92%. With each tick of the percentage, his forehead burned hotter.
What is this? A supernatural phenomenon? Advanced technology? A hallucination?
The words from the letter resurfaced in his mind: This is a gift that can change your life.
"The black card really is a treasure. My earlier guess was right—someone coveted it. Bing Ge didn't want them to get it, so he sent it to me. And now he's gone missing because of it."
Zhang Yuanqing worried about Bing Ge while his gaze remained fixed on the progress bar, brimming with anticipation.
What will happen when it reaches 100%? Having witnessed this miraculous event firsthand, he was burning with curiosity about the next transformation.
After several more searing pulses, the progress bar beneath the Black Moon finally completed its journey, reaching 100%.
In the next instant, a cold, emotionless voice echoed in his mind:
[ Character Card Reboot Complete ]
[ Name: Unnamed (Please name immediately) ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Class: Nightwalker ]
[ Level: 0 ]
[ Skills: None ]
[ Experience: 0% ]
[ Morality Value: 60 (Initial Value) ]
Below the Morality Value was a note:
[ Never let your Morality Value drop below 60. You may not have had a choice before, but now, please be a good person. ]
Staring at the glowing cyan character attribute panel floating before him, Zhang Yuanqing was dumbfounded. What is this thing? he wondered.
He tentatively asked, "System?"
As a seasoned internet surfer, broad knowledge and adaptability were essential skills.
The emotionless voice echoed in his ears again:
[ Please name your character immediately! ]
The attribute panel, frozen in mid-air, popped up a cyan handwritten input box.
Not a system, Zhang Yuanqing thought. The AI is too primitive; it can't even communicate properly. Deciding to play it by ear, he extended a finger and wrote his name:
[ Zhang Yuanqing ]
[ Warning: Do not use your real name. ]
Can't use my real name? Zhang Yuanqing paused, then wrote a second name:
[ Primordial Heavenly Venerable ]
[ Naming successful! The Spirit Realm will activate in ten seconds. Primordial Heavenly Venerable, may fortune favor you! ]
Hearing the voice echo in his ears, Zhang Yuanqing was momentarily stunned. What's happening? Activate the Spirit Realm? Shouldn't you explain what the Spirit Realm is first?
Before he could regain his composure, the ten-second countdown had already ended.
[ Ding! Spirit Realm map activated. Welcome to "Nightwalker—She Ling Tunnel," Spirit Realm 0079. ]
[ Difficulty Level: S ]
[ Type: Solo (Death-Type) ]
[ Main Quest One: Survive for three hours. ]
[ Main Quest Two: Explore Spirit Realm 0079. Current exploration progress: 0%. ]
[ Note: Items not originating from the Spirit Realm are prohibited. ]
[ Spirit Realm 0079 Introduction: Have you heard of the She Ling Tunnel, one of Songhai's Ten Great Urban Legends? ]
[ The She Ling Tunnel was constructed in the late 20th century. During its construction, a work crew entered the tunnel on a rainy night to continue digging, only to vanish without a trace. They were never seen again. ]
[ The Public Security Bureau organized search teams that scoured the mountains for days. They eventually found one worker who had participated in the excavation that night, but the others remained missing. ]
[ Though the survivor lived, he suffered some inexplicable trauma that drove him mad. No matter how the officers questioned him, he repeated only one phrase: ]
[ "Don't go to the temple. Don't go to the temple." ]
The voice in his ear faded to a whisper, then vanished entirely. The world before him rippled like a disturbed lake surface, distorting and blurring.
Gradually, the scene stabilized. Dim, yellowish light illuminated uneven walls, and beneath his feet lay a path paved with fine gravel.
"Where am I?"
Zhang Yuanqing looked around in bewilderment, realizing he was in an old tunnel. Vintage xenon lamps arched across the ceiling, casting a faint orange glow.