The real world isn’t as satisfying as a game instance. It seems that those who threw their children into the Infant Tower didn’t face any consequences at all.
Li Zhi never sought out information about her biological parents. From the moment she climbed out of the Infant Tower, she severed all ties with that part of her life. She died in the Infant Tower and was reborn there.
It wasn’t until she was six years old that she met her real family.
From the moment she stepped into the Li family home, they never treated her like an adopted daughter. Her brother always shielded her, her sister clung to her side, and her parents gave her everything they could as parents, except for the blood connection.
When she was younger, Li Zhi might have cared about it. She used to burrow into her blankets at night, feeling sad and wondering, “Why am I not my parents’ biological child?”
But over time, the anxieties and uncertainties were filled with love.
Later, Li Zhi no longer had nightmares about being thrown into the Infant Tower.
Whether the [Ghost] system placed her in an Infant Tower-themed instance by accident or on purpose, she didn’t know. If it thought it could awaken her inner fears and destabilize her emotions and mental state, it was sorely mistaken.
The three people closely observed Li Zhi’s expression, and when they saw that she was indeed unaffected, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Shang Jinru ruffled her daughter’s hair and put the pillow she had brought for her back in the bedroom. When she came out, she looked refreshed. “Zhi Zhi, what do you want to eat? Tonight, Mom will make a big meal to celebrate your completion of the instance!”
Li Shuang shouted, “I want sweet and sour braised carp! And garlic crystal shrimp!”
Shang Jinru glared at her. “You wait your turn. Let your sister speak first!”
Li Shuang pouted and clung to Li Zhi’s arm. “Sister~~~”
Li Zhi said, “I want sweet and sour braised carp and garlic crystal shrimp.”
Shang Jinru pointed helplessly at her younger daughter. “You’re just relying on your sister spoiling you!”
Li Shuang stuck out her tongue playfully. “Heh heh heh!”
Shang Jinru put on her apron, her energetic voice floating from the kitchen. “Zhi Zhi, do you want to eat spicy crabs? I heard from the community group that the market got some big crabs in this morning. If you want, I can ask your brother to go buy some.”
Li Zhi replied, “Sure, I’ll go with him.”
She went to her room to change clothes, and while taking off her jacket, she got pricked again by the thorny rose.
Li Zhi: “…”
Ridiculous.
Li Shuang sneakily stood at the door. “Sis, who gave you that rose?”
Li Zhi answered, “The system did.”
Li Shuang was confused for a moment, her mind filling with strange thoughts. “Sis! Could it be that the system has fallen for you? Did it invade our world to choose a bride for itself, and now you’re going to become the [Ghost] bride, ruling humanity with it?!”
Li Zhi finished changing clothes, walked over, and affectionately patted her sister’s little head. “You’ve got a rich imagination, very good. Since you can’t find an internship, why not try writing novels?”
Li Shuang pouted. “The world’s ending anyway, what’s the point of finding a job? A few of my classmates have already started live-streaming and debuting online. They say it’s better to take a gamble in the instance world than work like an ox in the real world for three thousand yuan a month. I saw online that a streamer won thirty million yuan after completing an instance!”
She became excited again as she spoke. “Sis, why don’t you try asking for money in your next completion? With your performance, the reward has to be at least three billion! We’d be rich overnight! By the way, what was your reward for this instance?”
Li Zhi pointed to the bedside table. “A rose.”
Li Shuang was stunned. “Huh? What use is this thing? Sis, what did you ask for? How did you end up with a rose?”
Li Feng overheard their conversation and walked over. Li Zhi glanced at her eldest brother’s cold, stern face and sighed.
“At the time, I was thinking about wanting a tool or method to make the [Ghost] system leave our world. But then it said I broke the rules and casually gave me a rose as a reward.”
Li Shuang angrily said, “That’s just playing dirty!”
Li Zhi nodded in agreement.
Of course, it was playing dirty. A rose, and a thorny one at that—it pricked her every time she touched it!
Li Feng said in a low voice, “From now on, always choose tools that help you survive the instances. Staying alive is more important than anything else.”
Li Shuang quickly nodded in agreement. “Yeah, yeah, I was just joking earlier. Money isn’t everything. Sis, don’t ask for it—your safety is the most important thing.”
She stood on tiptoes to hug Li Zhi. “We can’t afford to lose you.”
Li Zhi smiled at her older brother. “Got it.”
“Shuang Shuang, stay home with Mom. Your sister and I are heading out, and don’t open the door for anyone until we get back,” Li Feng instructed. “The world is chaotic right now. No matter where you are, don’t be alone.”
Their home was actually one of the safest places, thanks to the Black Tortoise Shell tool Li Zhi had brought back from an instance. But they couldn’t stay cooped up indoors all the time. They had to minimize trips outside, as even the official announcements suggested.
It had been almost a month since the global launch of Horror Variety Show. After the initial panic, society seemed to have settled back into normalcy. There were fewer people on the streets than before, but not drastically so. Most shops remained open because, after all, people had to live.
For families without celebrities involved, the show wasn’t much different from the reality shows they’d watched on TV before.
Li Zhi and Li Feng passed by the convenience store downstairs, where the curly-haired store owner rushed out. “Zhi Zhi! Our whole family is voting for you!”
Li Zhi smiled. “Thanks, Aunt Liu.”
She used to come to the store often, buying things and even getting an autograph from a celebrity for Aunt Liu’s daughter once.
Aunt Liu gave her an odd look, then sighed worriedly. “I don’t know how the world ended up like this. My daughter says a lot of people have already died. Zhi Zhi, you must stay safe.”
Li Zhi nodded earnestly. “I will, Aunt Liu.”
Aunt Liu glanced around cautiously and lowered her voice. “There’s still a lot of people saying not to vote for that show. They claim it’s evil, and those who die because of it will go to hell! None of them are voting, and they’re boycotting the show. I heard the old man who lives upstairs smashed all the electronics in his house.”
She patted her chest. “But don’t worry, I’ll make sure everyone around me votes for you. My daughter says you’re doing amazingly in there!”
Li Zhi chuckled and replied gently, “Aunt Liu, you all need to stay safe too. Keep some self-defense items in the shop. Society…”
Before she could finish, a scream suddenly rang out from across the street, followed by someone shouting, “Murderer—! Help!”
Li Feng reacted the fastest, sprinting toward the commotion. Li Zhi shielded a startled Aunt Liu behind her and saw a young man on the other side of the street, wearing something strange on his head and wielding two fruit knives. He slashed at anyone in sight. Two innocent passersby had already been cut down, their blood splattering everywhere, while the man laughed maniacally like a deranged killer.
Panicked pedestrians scattered in all directions. Li Feng had already crossed the road, and Li Zhi gave Aunt Liu a push. “Go back inside and lock the door!”
With that, she ran after Li Feng.
Aunt Liu, pale with fear, rushed back into her store, shakily locking the door before fumbling to call the police.
Li Feng had already approached the man, dodging his slashes and kicking his wrist, sending one of the fruit knives flying. He then swiftly subdued the man, twisting his arms behind his back and pinning him to the ground. As a former soldier, his skills were impeccable.
Li Zhi ran over and kicked the two knives far away. Then, she checked on the fallen victims, only to find that they were already dead.
The culprit continued to struggle and shout under Li Feng’s grip, and Li Zhi finally understood what he was yelling: “I’m famous! I’m finally famous! I can enter the instance now! Hahaha, I can finally get into the instance! Hey, livestream viewers, did you all see that? I killed just like I said I would! You all saw it, right?”
Li Zhi noticed that he was wearing a head-mounted phone holder, and the screen of the phone displayed a livestream. The title of the stream was “Streamer Wang Xiang Livestreams Street Murder,” and the viewer count had already reached 100,000.
When Li Zhi appeared in the frame, the livestream viewers were momentarily stunned, and the comments started flooding in even faster:
[“Oh my god! It’s Li Zhi! I can’t believe I’m seeing Li Zhi here! Screenshot!”]
[“Li Zhi, call the police! This streamer has lost his mind for fame!”]
[“The streamer’s been subdued, right? But with his stream blowing up like this, the attention he’s getting is off the charts. Will he really get into an instance?”]
[“If he clears an instance, even going to jail won’t matter. He’ll probably get an escape-from-prison item for sure.”]
[“This world is broken beyond repair!!!”]
[“This streamer is no different from the guy who ran naked through the streets the other day. They’re both just doing it for fame, to qualify for the instance.”]
[“If they’re starting with street murders, what will they do next for attention? The thought is terrifying.”]
[“This is a goldmine for antisocial criminals.”]
Li Zhi glanced at the comments for a few moments before shutting down the livestream.
The breakdown of social order was just as she had feared, happening step by step. The [Ghost] system was amplifying the worst parts of human nature. This was only the beginning.
The world would gradually fall into chaos. It aimed to drag everyone into this twisted game, turning humanity’s reality into a playground for the [Ghost].
The police and ambulance arrived soon after. After thanking Li Feng and Li Zhi for their brave actions, the man was taken away, showing no fear whatsoever. He was still laughing hysterically even as he was put into the police car.
The video of this street murder was bound to go viral, and the more people who watched it, the more attention he would get. Eventually, he would earn the right to enter an instance, transforming from an ordinary person into a player, ready to embark on a new life.
He had no fear, only excitement and anticipation.
Li Zhi pulled a pack of tissues from her pocket and wiped the blood off Li Feng’s hands. “Brother, are you hurt?”
Li Feng shook his head. “It’s his blood.”
Li Zhi grabbed his wrist. “Let’s go buy the crabs from the neighborhood center. Mom is waiting for us at home.”
Li Feng allowed his sister to pull him along, his stern brow furrowed into a small knot. After a while, he suddenly said, “Zhi Zhi, take me into the instance with you.”
Li Zhi stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him calmly. “No. I don’t agree.”