(Dead? Am I dead?)

Zheng Cha stood there, eyes vacant and unfocused. He clearly remembered the scene from just a second ago—the nightmare-born monster had lunged forward, those massive claws already inches from his face. Just one instant was all it would take to tear him apart.

(Then... am I really dead?)

Staring blankly at his surroundings, Zheng Cha found himself standing on an immense open platform. At its center floated a colossal glowing sphere like the sun itself, casting light across the entire space while pitch-black void stretched endlessly in every direction beyond. The darkness was so absolute it devoured even shadows, and after just glancing around for a few seconds, Zheng Cha felt his head begin to pound.

"Alive! By God, that was hair-raising! We made it!"

Zhang Jie's voice suddenly cut through the void as Zheng Cha snapped out of his trance. Besides him stood Zhang Jie, Zhan Lan, and Li Xiaoyi. No, wait—an additional figure burst from a room at the platform's edge. The girl rushed toward Zhang Jie with tear-streaked cheeks, prompting the burly man to reveal an uncharacteristically tender expression as he dashed forward too. Their embrace exploded into an enthusiastic kiss right in front of everyone.

"...Any questions about rules? Just ask 'Main God.' We communicate through telepathy..."

"Besides conjuring your own woman, don't use points for anything else! Wait until tomorrow to decide what you want. Oh—and just think about any room design you desire, it'll manifest instantly..."

Zhang Jie and his new companion disappeared into the room without another word, leaving Zheng Cha's group staring at each other in stunned silence before finally collapsing onto the floor.

"Damn, how does he have energy to do that so quickly? And actually care for..."

Zhan Lan lay back with a weak mutter. "I was terrified out of my wits just now and I'm still shaking all over, yet he acts like nothing happened..."

She stopped speaking when she noticed the other two men standing motionless under the light sphere with their eyes closed. By the way their lower bodies were slightly hunched, it looked as if they were visualizing ideal female companions.

"You two imbeciles! All men are imbeciles! We barely survived that horror and now you're thinking about... That's low, even for a man!"

Zhan Lan stormed into another room with a slam of the door that startled both men from their trance. They exchanged awkward smiles before resuming their closed-eye contemplations.

The glowing sphere responded instinctively when Zheng Cha stood beneath it. Closing his eyes brought an immediate sensation of merging with its light, revealing interface panels like computer screens. Four categories were listed: Technology, Magic, Auxiliary, and Entertainment. Beneath them appeared six personal stats—Intellect, Spirit Power, Cellular Vitality, Neural Response Speed, Muscle Strength, and Immune Resilience. Additional points remained for rewards and side quest progress.

Zheng Chi's stats read 107 Intellect, 122 Spirit Power, 97 Cellular Vitality, 131 Neural Response, 112 Muscle Strength, and 103 Immune Resilience. His bonus points totaled 502—1,000 from completing a horror scenario, 5,000 for B-class side quests, another 500 unspecified bonuses, plus 2 likely earned by killing two dozen zombies.

"Create your own woman... create your own woman..."

Zheng Cha didn't plan to spend points today. After surviving his first horror film's life-or-death trials, he'd learned caution was essential. Though the points were generous, he wanted to consult Zhang Jie before deciding what upgrades or purchases might be wise. One thought consumed him now.

(Loli... can I create her?)

The light sphere sensed Zheng Cha's internal monologue instantly. The Entertainment category expanded in his mind with a rigid yet solemn voice:

"First humanoid creation is free. Subsequent ones cost 500 points each. Visualize the desired species, gender, appearance, height, age, skin tone, and race..."

Zheng Cha drifted into his memories of that year... childhood innocence, tender infatuation, faint hints of intimacy. The most vivid impressions were her flowing hair's fragrance, her smiling face, her voice—the essence he had once known as Loli.

The joyless days he'd mistaken for death had all been because she was gone. His descent into darkness had begun the moment his small hand lost hers.

"Only you by my side could keep my heart from falling."

A single tear escaped his closed eyes and vanished on the floor.

When Zheng Cha opened his eyes, a laughing girl stood before him—around fifteen or sixteen with long beautiful hair, pale smooth skin, misty dark eyes, and lips like blooming crimson. She was exactly the unforgettable shadow in his memories: Loli.

Their childhood had been filled with urban isolation. In this concrete jungle where doors slammed shut against neighbors, it felt impossible to connect beyond your own home's walls. But Zheng Cha always felt fortunate—his parents were warm-hearted, often sharing food and laughter with their equally sociable next-door neighbors. And so he'd met the younger sister who became his world.

She shone like flawless crystal, brilliant yet grounded in strength rather than fragility. Though her exterior seemed delicate, this was a girl who laughed joyfully through any challenge and loved to tease him by wrapping her arms around his neck.

He believed having her nearby would keep his heart from freezing forever.

But why were human lives so fragile? At fifteen she lay on the hospital bed with hair lost to radiation. The pink color had faded from her cheeks, yet that cheerful smile remained—just for their comfort.

Now in this endless cycle of work and decay, he'd become a ghost in crowds, drowning himself in women, bars, drugs... until now.

"Only you by my side could keep my heart from falling."

The clock on the wall read 11:00 AM when Zheng Cha finally woke. He scratched his head, reaching for cigarettes but touching something soft instead.

"Ugh, stop messing with me—let me sleep..."

A deliciously tempting voice answered from beneath the blanket as Zheng Cha froze. His hand instinctively squeezed the roundness it touched. A slight hardness formed under his palm while the voice emitted even more alluring moans.

Horror film rotation: Biohazard One. Death and Loli...

Memories flooded back—his entire night with her. When he finally tore open the blanket, a beautiful girl curled on his chest stared up at him. Her snow-white skin gleamed brighter than the sheets beneath her. Two tear streaks marked her face as he noticed bloodstains across her thighs and the bedding.

She reached for the blanket but missed it entirely, so she dragged herself closer to Zheng Cha's side while still half-asleep. Even when her hands grasped something rigid without realizing what it was...

Zheng Cha recalled creating her in his mind last night—the way she laughed, moved, spoke. He'd poured decades of repressed feelings into that creation until he dragged her to a random room and...

Now with his hardness gripped tightly by those small hands, Zheng Cha couldn't move. Her familiar yet strange face filled him with words too painful to speak as tears welled in his eyes again.

She suddenly felt the cold and tried grasping at nothing but the blanket. Opening one eye, she saw Zheng Cha staring intently—and immediately blushed furiously. Struggling to grab the cover from his hand, she wrapped herself completely in it before realizing something. A sharp pain made her cry out.

"Dead Zheng Cha! Stupid Zheng Cha! You hurt me so badly yesterday and now you're still..."

She sniffled as tears flowed again. "I even cooked breakfast for you this whole month. We promised I'd turn 18 first, then get engaged when I was 22... What kind of monster are you? I'm not even sixteen yet!"

Zheng Cha felt his entire body shudder at her words and seized her tiny hand:

"Wait—Loli... do you remember who you were before?"

She stopped crying but glanced sidelong while sniffing. "What does that mean? Are you drunk or something?" Then she scowled, "Also please put on some clothes and go get my green dress from home! You ruined all my clothes yesterday..." She added with a pout, "Thank goodness parents are at work now or I'd never live this down!"

Zheng Cha's mind reeled. Her expressions, her tone, even the way she pouted—it was exactly like Loli had been in his memories. Now he noticed they were back in the exact childhood bedroom from over a decade ago.

"Oh no! Our noises must have woken up my parents..." she moaned, sobbing anew as Zheng Cha stood frozen. Then she switched to anger with cute little punches at him while covering herself tightly.

"Wait—am I still dreaming? Was all that just a dream? Even her getting sick... everything?" He laughed wildly and hugged Loli close despite her nibbling his arms from the struggle. But soon laughter turned into sobs as he clung to her, weeping uncontrollably against her chest while she eventually returned the embrace.

(Thank goodness it was all a dream. That future I never wanted...)

A sudden knock at the front door made Loli shriek again: "It's my parents! You big pervert!"

Zheng Cha's blood ran cold—he recognized Zhang Jie's voice outside yelling his name. This wasn't a dream, and Loli was just an artificial being he'd created.

Forcing a smile, Zheng Cha said, "Wait here, I'll get your clothes."

Loli was face-down in the blanket so she didn't see his expression as he silently pulled on clothes and walked toward the hallway.

Everything remained exactly how it had been over ten years ago. When he opened the door, Zhang Jie and their two companions stood outside with the glowing sphere hovering above the courtyard beyond.

"Wait," Zheng Cha interrupted whatever they were about to say before rushing past them toward the light.

"Tell me, Main God—was she just an artificial being you created? Why does she remember who she was? How is she identical to her former self while knowing nothing of this place?"

His voice echoed in the void as he ran.