The sky hovered in the liminal space between dusk and dark, with a dense fog inexplicably rolling into Ella Town.
The low houses of the small town loomed faintly in the mist, their outlines wavering as if they could disappear at any moment. On the streets, only a few figures could occasionally be glimpsed, vanishing quickly around corners. In the distance, vague silhouettes—tall and grotesquely distorted—flickered in and out of sight, emanating an ominous aura.
Several figures emerged from the thick fog.
“Is this Ella Town?”
“What time is it now?”
“Are you asking about the time on my wristwatch or Ella Town’s local time?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Of course, I mean Ella Town’s time.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know. We just got here—didn’t exactly have time to adjust my watch.”
…
The group conversed in a peculiar language as they scrutinized the fog-enshrouded town.
Ella Town was small, with its houses low and the streets narrow. Whether it was because dawn had yet to break or the residents were simply in hiding, the entire place was eerily silent. The suffocating stillness made the atmosphere all the more oppressive, as if even the faintest sound could provoke some hidden danger.
Though the players seemed to chat idly, they remained on high alert, carefully scanning their surroundings.
Suddenly, a foul-smelling wind swept past, carrying the sharp tang of blood. The fog thickened, the air growing denser, and then the sound of something cutting through the air reached their ears.
In an instant, the players scattered like arrows loosed from a bowstring.
A black, insect-like appendage struck the spot where they had just been standing. The ground cracked on impact, stones flying everywhere. A few sharp shards grazed the players, but there was no time to recover. A black, whip-like tail lashed out, catching one of them off guard and sending them flying.
Horrified, the players stared at the creature emerging from the fog.
The monster resembled a humanoid, standing upright at nearly three meters tall. Its skin was an oily, pitch-black shade, and its limbs bore the segmented, jointed appearance of an insect, complete with barbs. A long, barbed tail protruded from its back, slithering like a serpent and striking at the players with frightening precision.
The player who had been struck lay sprawled on the ground. Through the torn fabric of their clothing, a deep gash was visible across their abdomen. If not for their B-rank physique, the injury would have been fatal.
“What is that thing?”
Their voices trembled with fear, but there was no time for answers. The monster lunged at them again, giving no respite.
Its limbs were frighteningly powerful, and its tail was an ever-present threat, striking when the players least expected it. The group found themselves overwhelmed, their bodies soon riddled with injuries.
Desperation began to set in.
Entering a game world usually came with a grace period—a buffer to acclimate. But this time, it was different. Not five minutes had passed since their arrival, and they were already facing a nightmarish monster whose strength was far beyond what they could handle.
One player desperately threw a fire talisman at the creature. A small flame sparked to life, only to fizzle out with a faint hiss in the mist.
This was no ordinary talisman—it was a mid-tier fire talisman, capable of summoning a roaring fire dragon. Yet the flame produced was no larger than a thumbnail and extinguished almost immediately. The talisman turned gray, its magic nullified.
“Looks like talismans are useless against it. Think of something else—quick!”
The players tried various items—mystical tools, weapons, anything they could muster. The spiritual items were swiftly knocked aside by the monster’s whip-like tail, while weapons barely scratched its skin. When one player blocked an oncoming blow from its limb, the terrifying force nearly knocked their weapon out of their hands. At most, the blade managed to scrape off a thin layer of its hide, leaving only a faint mark. The damage was negligible.
Despair began to take hold of the group.
What was this monster?
Just when the players were about to give up, a short arrow pierced through the thick fog, embedding itself deep into the monster’s back.
The creature froze, letting out an anguished roar. Its body shattered, breaking apart into fragments of black mist that quickly dissipated.
As the monster disappeared, the players collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Their wide, wary eyes were fixed on the figure approaching through the fog.
It was a tall, graceful woman, her lean figure both agile and elegant. Her outfit was practical but carried a touch of sophistication. A high ponytail revealed a face of classic beauty: arched willow-like brows, gentle and fluid eyes brimming with softness. It seemed as though her very presence calmed the oppressive air.
She was undeniably stunning.
In her hand was a small crossbow, and it was clear that the arrow had come from her.
“Are you all right?”
Gu Jiu glanced over the players, her eyes scanning for someone specific. Not seeing Lu Ji among them, a trace of disappointment crossed her face.
Since entering the game world, she had been alone, enveloped by the dense fog that limited visibility to less than a hundred meters. The eerie silence made her wonder if the town was deserted.
Hearing the commotion from this direction, she had quickly made her way over. After observing the situation for a moment, she decided to intervene.
One of the players, a woman with brown curly hair, stared at her in astonishment and asked, “Are you a player too?”
Gu Jiu was surprised. She could clearly tell the woman was speaking a different language, yet somehow, she understood every word.
A realization dawned on her.
Players in Multiverse Game hailed from various worlds, each with unique languages and cultures. However, once they became players, a built-in translator allowed them to understand one another, facilitating communication across worlds.
“Yes,” Gu Jiu replied calmly. She studied the group of players. They appeared to be Westerners, though their skin tones varied—white, black, yellow, and brown. Their deep-set features contrasted sharply with the East Asian appearance she was accustomed to.
“What did you use to kill that monster?” one player asked, still in shock.
Gu Jiu’s tone was unhurried. “An exorcism talisman, of course.”
The group: “…”
Their expressions were a mix of disbelief and amazement, as though struggling to process what they had just heard.
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow slightly, finding the reaction a bit peculiar. This was the first time she had encountered non-Asian players in the game world, but their reactions were… interesting, to say the least.
In Multiverse Game, players from different regions and cultures were typically placed into game worlds that aligned with their backgrounds. It was for this reason that Gu Jiu, having experienced many game worlds, had only ever met East Asian players with shared customs and language habits.
“So those monsters were demons?”
“No wonder none of the other tools worked—it had to be an exorcism talisman.”
“What should we do? I only bought two exorcism talismans to save points. If there are more of these demons in Ella Town, they definitely won’t be enough.”
“This is absolutely terrifying!”
“…”
The players finally understood why the main system had placed no limits on the number of items they could purchase this time. While 500 points wasn’t exorbitant, most B-rank players were perpetually broke. Few could afford to splurge on ten or more exorcism talismans.
Especially now, after seeing Gu Jiu use a talisman just to take down one monster, it became clear that if there were many more such creatures in Ella Town, their limited supply of talismans wouldn’t suffice.
When they had first entered the game world, they didn’t even consider using the talismans. They had assumed exorcism talismans were meant for dealing with the cursed witch they were supposed to encounter later.
Who would have thought they’d need them so soon?
Seeing the exaggerated, despair-filled expressions on their faces, Gu Jiu couldn’t help but find Western players quite different from their Eastern counterparts.
She glanced at the time and reminded them, “It’s currently 3:15 in the afternoon in Ella Town. We should leave immediately and find a house we can enter, or we might run into more of those monsters.”
At her words, the players wasted no time. Dragging their battered bodies, they followed her hurriedly.
“I’m Mina. What’s your name?” the brown-haired female player introduced herself.
“Gu Jiu,” she replied.
The others quickly introduced themselves as well.
The dark-skinned, burly bald man said, “I’m Alva.”
The young man with flaxen hair added, “Call me Allens.”
The yellow-skinned male player introduced himself as “Joey.”
…
Including Gu Jiu, there were six of them in total.
Mina and the others curiously observed Gu Jiu. While they had seen plenty of Eastern players in Boundless City, it was rare to encounter someone like Gu Jiu, whose classical beauty exuded an aura of mystery unique to the East. Her every movement seemed to carry an enigmatic charm, evoking the allure of a faraway and fabled Eastern empire.
In their world, the distant Eastern nations were indeed shrouded in mystique, captivating their imaginations.
“Gu, how did you know the time in Ella Town?” Mina asked, her curiosity evident.
Gu Jiu explained, “The place where I entered had a plaza with a large clock that displayed the time. It was exactly 3:00 PM when I arrived.”
The group couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. What incredible luck.
“How are you certain it’s 3:00 in the afternoon and not 3:00 in the morning?” Allens, ever meticulous, questioned. His approach to the game world was always one of careful scrutiny.
“Look at the sky,” Gu Jiu replied. “Though the fog is dense, it doesn’t seem like night. If it were nighttime, the light wouldn’t be this bright.”
The others glanced up at the sky and around the town, conceding that her reasoning made sense.
Still, the persistent heavy fog at 3:00 in the afternoon was peculiar, to say the least.
The six of them moved quickly through the fog, staying close to the eaves of buildings. As they walked, they kept an eye out for any houses that might offer shelter.
From their experience completing tasks in the game world, they knew that if monsters had appeared in the town, there had to be sanctuaries as well. The tightly locked houses could likely be ignored, but those that seemed inhabited were worth investigating.
In the dense fog, faint, distorted black shadows began to take shape, resembling the earlier monster. The sight made the players’ hearts pound as though they might explode.
Seeing the shadow solidifying, Gu Jiu made a split-second decision, darting down another street.
The other players, injured and unfamiliar with the area, had no choice but to follow her lead. As she ran, they instinctively trailed after her.
After a short distance, a strange low growl echoed from behind them. They realized it was another of those monsters, and their nerves tightened like coiled springs.
The creature seemed to be pursuing them.
“Run faster!” Gu Jiu urged. “There’s a light ahead—let’s head toward it!”
Following her gesture, Mina and the others saw a faint, flickering light in the thick fog. The warm orange glow stood out distinctly in the mist, like a guiding beacon leading them forward.
Without hesitation, the group sprinted toward the light.
The noises behind them grew louder and closer, the players’ faces taut with tension. Sweat dripped from their foreheads as they pushed their bodies to their limits, running faster than they ever had before.
As they approached the source of the light, it became clearer.
It was a small tavern.
Outside the tavern hung an old oil lamp, its glass cover smeared with grime, dimming the light it emitted.
The tavern door was wide open, as if inviting them inside.
Relief washed over the players’ faces. With the monster drawing nearer, they didn’t hesitate. Without a second thought, they rushed into the tavern.