Volume One: Entering the City Chapter Eight: Strange

“I’ll stay,” Lu Yi said calmly, and everyone looked at him in surprise. Yet, they were all happy to see a competitor drop out; if Lu Yi ended up facing danger for them, even better.

A girl suddenly shouted, “He’s trying to get ahead with the protagonist!”

Many of the newcomers glanced at her awkwardly. Deng Zhi caught on and cried out, “This guy’s cunning, waiting for us to go back to Anvalo so he can cozy up to the protagonist alone.”

He shot Lu Yi a dark look, thinking, I asked you to work with me before, but you didn’t get it. Whether you’re truly after the protagonist, or have some other motive, I’ll make sure you’re uncomfortable. If someone else foolishly stays behind too, all the better.

As Deng Zhi’s accusation rang out, others started following suit, criticizing Lu Yi. Stimulated by the situation, Li Xinran stepped forward to reaffirm she would stay as well.

“Captain, what do we do now? If suddenly half the group stays, what about our plan?” Xia Rong asked worriedly in the team channel.

The Emperor frowned, clearly displeased, but after scanning the group, he chuckled lightly in the channel, “Don’t worry. They’re loud, but none actually said they’ll stay. Let’s wait and see.”

But before the Emperor could continue observing, Wild Blade strode up to Lu Yi, looked him up and down, and asked with interest, “Why do you want to stay?”

Though Wild Blade merely stood before him and asked, Lu Yi could feel a sharp aura emanating from him, making even breathing feel oppressive.

Lu Yi took a deep breath and looked at Wild Blade with determination. “Did you get your legacy by following experienced challengers?”

Wild Blade narrowed his eyes, stared at Lu Yi for a few seconds, then gave a strange smile and uttered a single word, “Good.”

He turned to the other newcomers. “So, all that shouting—who else really wants to stay? We don’t have time to waste.” He banged the lamppost a few times for emphasis.

No one replied.

Wild Blade shrugged, looking at the Emperor. “See? Settled.”

The Emperor nodded at Lu Yi and Li Xinran, clearly satisfied with just them staying. After all, they had guided newcomers before; moderation was key.

Fang Hao seemed less pleased with the result, tapping his fingers in the air as if plotting something. He rustled his snack bag loudly, chewing chili strips and showing an expression of enjoyment.

Sure enough, a rumbling stomach sounded from the crowd.

Xu Yuanbin cursed, grumbling, “We’re all stuck at the door, scrambling to get a head start with the protagonist, but in the end we go back to Anvalo, and I’m left hungry.”

Many newcomers nodded in agreement.

Fang Hao seized the moment. “Why don’t I go check out nearby shops and find the best food? We eat well before setting out.”

He scanned the surrounding stores as he spoke, and when he said “check out,” his gaze landed on Lu Yi—who was deep in thought and didn’t notice.

Fang Hao’s gaze lingered, and when Lu Yi sensed it and looked up, Fang Hao only managed a subtle gesture before looking away.

Lu Yi paused, not sure what Fang Hao meant, but recalling their previous conversation, he didn’t dwell on it.

“No, we’re pressed for time—eat on the bus,” the Emperor said, swiping his hand through the air and instantly producing several bags of food.

“Just a storage space,” he explained calmly, seeing the shocked faces around him. After a chorus of surprise, the newcomers decided to return to Anvalo, boarding the bus and roaring away.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and before they knew it, Lu Yi and Li Xinran had waited another hour at the gate.

“Ugh, so annoying,” Li Xinran complained again. Lu Yi glanced over and walked toward her, who stood at the other side of the entrance.

She was waving her arms to drive off mosquitoes, and upon hearing him approach, she looked at him warily. Still, she eased a bit, mindful of their surroundings. “What is it?”

“Here,” Lu Yi handed her the mosquito repellent he’d bought earlier.

She hesitated, then took it, thanked him, and quickly sprayed herself.

Lu Yi looked at the brightly lit Security Bureau—still no one emerged. He continued, “You’re so guarded; we don’t have any quarrel, do we?”

Li Xinran smiled awkwardly. Indeed, after everyone else left, they’d stood on opposite sides of the gate in silence.

Seeing she didn’t want to talk, Lu Yi dropped it, shaking his head in resignation. Just then, Li Xinran suddenly bent over and swayed before collapsing sideways.

Lu Yi instinctively grabbed her arm and pulled her close, but she offered no resistance, leaning directly against him.

He immediately regretted the gesture, worried it might be Death’s doing. But hearing her breathing, he relaxed.

Then he noticed her arm trembling, and saw sweat beads rolling down her forehead—even for summer, this was excessive.

A hint of doubt crossed his face; he’d experienced this himself and concluded it was low blood sugar.

After entering the city, Lu Yi felt he’d been strengthened and repaired; his vision, ruined by years of staring at screens, was now far above average.

But Li Xinran, despite entering the city too, was unwell due to her health.

“Sugar,” she said weakly.

Lu Yi nodded, took out the candy he’d prepared for the trip, and fed her one, then helped her inside the Security Bureau to ask for water.

After a while, her symptoms eased. She sipped water, noticing Lu Yi staring at her, and asked, a bit embarrassed, “Thanks for before. But why are you staring?”

“Oh, sorry,” Lu Yi looked away and, after a moment’s thought, asked, “What happened to you just now? Didn’t the city repair you?”

Li Xinran drank some water. “I’ve always had low blood sugar. It hit because I skipped dinner. What do you mean by city repair?”

“The city didn’t cure your illnesses?” Lu Yi was incredulous.

“No. Like my classmate—bad eyesight—she hasn’t tossed her glasses,” Li Xinran replied thoughtfully.

Lu Yi paused; indeed, some newcomers wore glasses and hadn’t taken them off. “Could it be because of that Magic Eye?” he wondered.

“Did the city cure you?” Li Xinran asked curiously.

“No, not really,” Lu Yi replied, unexpectedly flustered, “I just read it in books.”

“Books? What books? Did the authors have experiences like ours? What did they do? Did they escape?” Li Xinran looked at him with hopeful eyes.

Lu Yi nearly blurted out that those were just fantasy works, unreliable and untrustworthy. But seeing her hopeful gaze, he couldn’t bear to say it. Perhaps she wasn’t unaware; she just sought comfort.

How should he put it? He couldn’t say they relied on cheat codes, plot armor, and became unstoppable.

After a brief silence, Lu Yi looked into her eyes. “They found trustworthy companions, formed a team, and after enduring many trials together, left the cycle in an unstoppable fashion.”

“A trustworthy team,” Li Xinran murmured, fingers interlaced, pressing slightly.

Knock, knock, knock—a middle-aged security officer entered, looking at Li Xinran with concern. “How are you feeling now?”

“I’m fine now, thank you,” Li Xinran replied politely.

“Excuse me, may I ask about Xie Ruida, who was with us earlier today?” Lu Yi seized the chance to ask.

The officer’s smile faded quickly. He looked at Li Xinran and resumed a polite smile. “Are you sure you’re alright? Should I call a hospital for further examination?”

“No need, really,” Li Xinran waved her hands.

“Alright. I have paperwork to handle. If there’s nothing else, you can go.” He turned and left.

“What? Was I just ignored?” Lu Yi raged silently.

“These people are strange. We came in before and asked; as soon as we mentioned Xie Ruida, they clammed up,” Li Xinran said, sensing Lu Yi’s embarrassment.

“You asked too?” Lu Yi looked at her, and after her confirmation, couldn’t help but be puzzled.

He shook his head. “Forget it. I haven’t eaten either. Let’s grab a bite.”

Li Xinran looked tempted, then hesitated, embarrassed. “What about Xie Ruida? And I was pulled off the bus, so my wallet’s still on it,” she said, patting her clothes.

“No problem, I brought mine. As for the first point, don’t worry—I’ve checked: there’s a 24-hour convenience store diagonally across from the Security Bureau, with tables in front of the window where we can watch the entrance. Let’s go,” Lu Yi said, taking her hand and heading out.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Li Xinran protested, pulling her hand away.

They crossed the sidewalk to the other side of the road, approaching the convenience store. Then Lu Yi felt something was off. He turned to look at the shops they’d passed—door and window store, clothing store, door and window store, pharmacy.

His gaze settled beside the convenience store—yet another door and window store. Glass is fragile, but surely there aren’t enough replacements to warrant three such stores in a few hundred meters. But what exactly was wrong, he couldn’t say.

Catching Lu Yi’s gaze, the shop owner put down his book. “Here so late? We charge extra for late work. How big is your window?”

“Huh?” Li Xinran looked back, puzzled.

“Aren’t you here to replace your windows?” the owner glanced at them, muttered, and carried his chair inside.

Lu Yi shook his head and entered the convenience store with Li Xinran. Immediately, he sensed a lingering scent—the place had been recently cleaned.

“Hello, what can I get you?” the clerk greeted warmly.

“Do you still have hot food?” Lu Yi asked, then froze.

He noticed, right by the entrance, a display of earplugs—where, in his experience, chewing gum should be, and cigarettes below.

Such a strange item in such a prominent place—why? Was it merely a quirk of the city?