Zheng Zha couldn't, dared not, imagine the reaction of the little girl, Lori, when she learned how he had spent those years. She was so pure, like flawless crystal; his filth was utterly reflected before her, illuminated so clearly and vividly that even the darkest, dirtiest corners were laid bare without concealment.

Zheng Zha was prepared for the worst. He sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and was about to tell Lori, in meticulous detail, everything that had happened over the years, when she suddenly stood up and scoffed, "Enough, enough! Humph. Just look at your wretched expression; I can guess what kind of life you’ve been living all these years. I don't want to hear it. It will only make me angry anyway."

Lori pressed her face close to Zheng Zha’s: "You big pervert, now listen carefully. Miss is back. So from now on, forget every single messy memory in your head—all those women, all those other girls, wives—forget all of it! Standing before you is Lori. Only Lori. The one and only Lori. Got it?" As the little girl spoke, she suddenly began to weep softly. She hugged Zheng Zha tightly, crying into his chest: "I'm sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn't keep our promise. We said we'd live to a ripe old age together, then sit around reminiscing about our childhood like in the songs. I would rather forget you and forget the memories than forget that promise... You must have been so heartbroken all these years, haven't you? I was so selfish, leaving you alone to bear everything. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry..." Zheng Zha said nothing, pulling her back into a fierce embrace. The only sound left in the room was the girl's weeping, which lingered for a long time, yet both of them knew that the sadness poured out left behind only aspiration. The past was past; they faced an infinite future full of possibilities, and the hope that both of them desired.

Times of happiness always passed too quickly. During the day, Zheng Zha desperately trained in various survival skills, especially control and recovery of his internal energy. Then, he would check the items available for exchange at the 'Main God' facility. At night, he held Lori while they watched horror movies... Yes, horror movies. Zheng Zha learned that even horror films could be exchanged through the 'Main God'; any film imaginable could be acquired for a relatively small price—a handful of Reward Points could get fifty discs. For people like them who had to experience the horrors firsthand, familiarity with the plot was more important than anything! After watching the films, Zheng Zha always found a way to carry Lori back to their room. Although the little girl would loudly refuse every time, in the end, she would meekly be carried inside, followed by laborious conquest that lasted half the night. It was only thanks to the rapid physical recovery provided by his internal energy that Zheng Zha could manage to wake up at seven every morning.

This routine lasted for nine days. Today was the last day the four of them would spend in this space. They had agreed not to train today, but to rest well until dusk, when they would be transported into the next horror movie. Before then, they had one final opportunity to confirm their preparations were complete.

Around eleven in the morning, Zheng Zha was still holding Lori in bed, chatting. In truth, both of them had woken up much earlier, but after a session of intimate entanglement in the sheets, they felt too languid to get up, so they kept talking until noon.

"...So, you're leaving today?" Lori murmured from his chest, her voice so faint Zheng Zha could only vaguely make out the words.

Zheng Zha's mood was also heavy. He had no idea what kind of horror they would face next—perhaps a virus, perhaps a monster, perhaps some high-tech biological entity, or maybe an alien invasion. Once transported into the horror scenario, his survival was entirely uncertain. Thus, he offered no response to her question, simply tightening his hold on the woman in his arms.

"Our promise... We must make it to old age together, sitting side-by-side slowly recalling our childhood. You’ll tell me stories while holding me. We’ll travel in the outside world; you must go with me to see the Aurora Borealis at the poles, you must lie with me on a deck watching the stars over the Pacific, you must go with me to see the Moai on Easter Island, you must stand with me in Pigeon Square chasing swarms of birds, and stand beneath the ruins of ancient Greek architecture imagining the myths of old... There are so many promises. Tell me, you will come back, won't you? You will fulfill these promises with me?" Lori raised her head, looking seriously into Zheng Zha's eyes. Only when he nodded firmly did she settle back down onto his chest.

"...A relationship between two people is like building a sandcastle on the beach. You build it up bit by bit, constantly worrying about the tide washing it away. It's difficult and tiring, but only once the castle is fully constructed do we realize how beautiful it is—so beautiful that you must protect it with everything you have..." Zheng Zha hadn't heard this phrase in ten years. She used to say it all the time, looking at him with a certain hopeful gaze. Back then, he hadn't taken it seriously, but hearing it again after losing her for a decade sent a profound shock through him.

"Then... please, you must finish building the castle. This time, we will both honor the promise."

Zheng Zha closed his eyes. When he opened them again, only absolute resolve remained in his gaze—he had to survive, no matter what! "Basically, that’s it. Everyone is equipped with three grenades, one bottle of hemostatic first-aid spray, one bottle of oral antidote, one roll of high-efficiency bandage, plus one disposable malicious protection charm. Haha, thank goodness for Zheng Zha; this alone cost over a hundred Reward Points. If we had to buy this ourselves, we truly couldn't afford it."

In the center of the plaza, Zheng Zha used his remaining one thousand Reward Points to exchange for over a dozen disposable grenades, along with some medications and high-efficiency bandages. Beyond that, he specifically purchased several disposable malicious protection charms. Their effect was to burn with a warning signal before an attack by a malevolent spirit, rendering the holder immune to harm until the charm completely disintegrated.

Zheng Zha checked his remaining Reward Points with a wry smile. He started with 502 points and now only had 27 left, which pained him deeply. However, looking at the abundance of auxiliary items stored in his storage ring, he finally felt somewhat better.

Zhang Jie finished organizing his items and tucked them into the inner pockets of his clothing. He then stated, "Although we only had a few days, we managed to cover the necessary training. Remember this in the horror scenario: anything can happen. We have absolutely no guaranteed safety, so we must be careful, more careful than ever. Also... try to assist other teammates, but if a teammate jeopardizes the safety of the entire group, kill him!" Zhan Lan and Li Xiaoyi visibly hesitated, but Zheng Zha nodded silently before asking, "How do we get to the horror scenario? Do we just suddenly vanish?" Zhang Jie shook his head. "No. When the time comes, twenty light pillars will descend from the 'Main God.' You just need to find one and step inside. The transfer usually happens around this time."

As the four spoke, they all sank down onto the plaza floor. A strange circumstance was that Lori and the other two girls refused to come out to see them off. Perhaps the anxieties of lovers are universally the same; the girls dared not come, as such a farewell felt too agonizingly sad.

About ten minutes later, the luminous sphere of the 'Main God' in the plaza grew increasingly dazzling, its intense light becoming as scorching and bright as the sun. Twenty pillars of light then shot down onto the plaza, and all four of them heard the same voice in their minds.

"Enter a light pillar within thirty seconds. Target lock transfer initiated... Alien starting teleportation..." Jump to