I don’t remember… 

How could this be? 

Jian Xingyi realized there was absolutely no trace of this person in his mind—not even a name, let alone a concrete image. Then how did he start playing this game? 

Seeing Jian Xingyi’s face growing paler by the second, Shanhai gently squeezed his shoulder and said, “Xingxing.” 

Jian Xingyi was still in a daze.

“Xingxing.” Shanhai rubbed the back of Jian Xingyi’s head again. 

Jian Xingyi finally snapped out of it. 

Shanhai said softly, “If you can’t remember, don’t force it. Maybe you’re just too tired and forgot?”

Jian Xingyi looked down. “Oh…” 

But how could he possibly forget something like that? 

Jian Xingyi shook his head and murmured, “It’s fine… there’s no point in dwelling on it.” 

The two continued on, and sure enough, they soon discovered the mailbox and the giant carnivorous flower beside it. 

That giant carnivorous plant was essentially the dungeon boss; if players wanted to drop the scroll to complete the quest, they had to kill this unavoidable carnivorous plant. 

Jian Xingyi didn’t forget to activate his skill.

【Harvest Successful, Absorbed 【Essence】 x500】

It’s so much…?! 

Huh? 

Could it be that, since it’s the first flower in the scroll, its essence value is exceptionally high? 

300 from the Skeleton, 500 from the Man-Eating Flower, and quite a few other plants and creatures as well—Jian Xingyi had already gained nearly 1,000 units of essence on this trip. 

Jian Xingyi felt elated. 

Shanhai hunted down the carnivorous flower and collected its heart. 

Once they combined this flower heart with Yu Shen’s other plants, they would be able to unlock the secret described in the scroll! After the carnivorous flower was dead, they dropped the quest scroll into the mailbox. 

【Ding!】 

Quest Complete! 

【Congratulations to the player for clearing the Rainforest Mountain dungeon—【Whispers of the Jungle】 S-rank route!】

【Player 【Xinghe】 has successfully claimed the Wish Points reward: 3,000 Essence Points!】

Yay! 

Jian Xingyi felt even more elated—that adds up to 4,000 points! Now his Essence Points… 

6,455/7,500 

Just a little bit left—only 1,045 points! The progress bar suddenly shot up almost to the top! And that’s not all… 

【Player has unlocked the special achievement 【The True Protagonist of the Dungeon Story】, and received a reward of 66,666 dawn coins and 1 special item 【Rainforest Sacred Tree Fragment】】 

Although he didn’t know what this fragment could be used for, the more items, the better. 

Jian Xingyi put the items away. 

After leaving the dungeon with Shanhai and returning to the guild, it had started raining again outside. That evening, Yu Shen returned. With the clues from Jian Xingyi’s scroll, he had successfully found the other two plants. Jian Xingyi was speechless: “While we were in the dungeon, you managed to find both plants?”

After all, the plants Yu Shen was looking for weren’t as easy to pinpoint as theirs; he had to search through the jungle. Yet he found them quickly. 

Yu Shen chuckled, “For one thing, I’m familiar with the rainforest. For another… I don’t know how it happened, but maybe Lady Luck suddenly smiled upon me, but my sixth sense always seems to guide me to the exact spot where the plants are.” 

“Oh…” 

In any case, all six plants… were finally gathered!! 

Yu Shen opened the crafting station and crafted a “key.” 

Jian Xingyi saw that the key was a leaf, with a simple design, just like a leaf you could pluck off the side of the road. Yu Shen said that according to the instructions on the scroll, all they had to do was go to the base of the Sacred Tree and hand the leaf over to the Tree Spirit to open the gate to the real world. However, the question remained: who would go through it?

If the gateway to reality opened and spots were limited, with everyone wanting to go out, then this would be a secret that could not be made public for the time being. 

Currently, the only people who know about this are the cadres of the Human Liberation Project, Yu Shen, and Canglang. So, which of these people should go in? 

Yu Shen said he wouldn’t go in; he was afraid he might not be able to return, and his work here was not yet finished. 

Canglang and Shanhai are also unwilling to go in; they, too, fear they might not return. If they don’t come back, what will happen to Yu Shen and Jian Xingyi? They have people they can’t leave behind. 

Jian Xingyi scratched his head and asked, “If I go in, will it be okay if I don’t come back?” 

Although Jian Xingyi was essentially someone who didn’t dwell on the future or the bigger picture—his mindset was simple, focused only on ensuring a good life for himself and those around him, and helping others whenever possible— 

But after going through so much and seeing so much, he had come to realize a certain sense of responsibility. He still had the Savior System and the Granary; he could list food for sale to help others, like how he’d helped so many sick people in the rainforest this time. If he were to just leave the game like this… would that really be okay? 

Yu Shen: “If you don’t come back… that’s a huge problem.” 

Shanhai: “I actually think it’s fine to send Xingxing instead.” 

“Hm?” 

Shanhai looked at Jian Xingyi. “You move freely through the air walls that no one else can enter, and the ‘Doctor’ said you could go to the Forbidden Mountain. So maybe… You can do the same here.” 

That made sense. 

But really, even if we take a step back, getting out is hard—but isn’t coming back just as easy?

It just depends on whether I have the will to return. 

After finishing their discussion, it was still raining outside, and the night was deep, so everyone decided to rest first and set out the next morning. After crawling into bed, Jian Xingyi was just about to fall asleep when she noticed Shanhai staring intently at him. 

Hmm…? 

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” 

But Shanhai still hadn’t closed his eyes. 

Jian Xingyi chuckled softly, “What’s up?” 

Shanhai reached out and gently traced his finger along Jian Xingyi’s cheek. “I’m afraid you’ll go and never come back.” 

But if he didn’t come back, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing—on the contrary, it would mean Jian Xingyi was safe. 

It would just be hard to let him go. 

Jian Xingyi laughed, “Who was it just a moment ago who swore up and down that I’d come back?” 

Shanhai remained silent. 

His rational mind told him it would be fine, but emotionally… 

To be honest, Jian Xingyi wasn’t sure about any of this either, so he simply reached out and hugged Shanhai. But their builds were so different that it looked more like Jian Xingyi had squeezed himself into a tiny ball and stuffed himself into Shanhai’s embrace. 

Jian Xingyi asked, “So… if I don’t come back, will you be sad?” 

“Mm.” 

Shanhai’s answer was so direct and natural that Jian Xingyi was momentarily taken aback. Ah… 

Is he… that honest? 

Shanhai asked, “What about you? Would you be sad?” 

“……” Jian Xingyi fell deep in thought. 

Jian Xingyi began to seriously put himself in his shoes and think it through. After thinking for a moment, he looked up, a hint of sadness in his expression. “I will…” 

Jian Xingyi felt increasingly sad the more he thought about it. 

He didn’t have many friends or family to begin with, and now that he’d finally found someone… If they parted ways, would he be all alone again? Jian Xingyi leaned against Shanhai, saying nothing.

Shanhai gently patted Jian Xingyi on the back. “Don’t worry about it. Go to sleep.” 

“Okay.” 

That night, Jian Xingyi had a dream. He dreamed of a handsome, fair-haired, blue-eyed youth smiling at him. His smile was radiant, showing more teeth than eyes. “Thank you. You found me.” 

“I hope the rest of your journey goes smoothly.” 

The next morning, after packing up, Jian Xingyi set off with the other two. 

Just in case, Jian Xingyi granted Shanhai access to his fields and farming areas. That way, if he really couldn’t return for a while, everything would be fine. 

The group arrived at the Sacred Tree, and Yu Shen placed the leaf at its base. 

Only when the leaf was placed there would the “gate” activate; if the leaf were removed, the “gate” would vanish as well. Therefore, this small, unremarkable leaf was a very important item. 

【Emergency procedure activated.】 

【10%, 20%, 30%…】 

【Emergency procedure activation complete!】

Once the progress bar reached 100%, a blinding flash of light flashed before their eyes, and Jian Xingyi instinctively shielded his eyes with his hand. 

When he opened his eyes again, a magic circle had appeared on the tree trunk—similar to the one Jian Xingyi had seen earlier on Peace Mountain, though the patterns and script were different. 

Jian Xingyi took a deep breath. “So… I go in?”

As everyone watched, Jian Xingyi reached out and touched the magic circle. Whoosh— 

Jian Xingyi’s figure vanished before their eyes. 

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Jian Xingyi opened his eyes, and his first reaction was to start coughing uncontrollably. He felt so miserable that he could barely keep his eyes open, kneeling on the ground as he coughed continuously. 

“Ugh…” 

Jian Xingyi saw dust swirling all around him. He was in… a sandstorm?! Jian Xingyi instinctively reached for his backpack, only to discover… it wasn’t there! 

No backpack, no support system, and no game account. His whole body ached, and his combat power had vanished completely. He had truly returned to reality! 

Jian Xingyi struggled to make his way through the sandstorm. Once he finally emerged, he froze in place. 

He finally felt the sunlight for the first time in ages. Since entering the game, none of them had seen the sun for a long time. Now, suddenly exposed to the sunlight, Jian Xingyi found it somewhat unaccustomed; he felt his skin stinging from the UV rays, and his eyes were almost too bright to keep open. 

But he didn’t feel happy about it; instead, a chill crept up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. The city before him looked exactly like the one he’d seen inside the air wall: completely abandoned. Moss and greenery had overgrown the surroundings, and the streets were deserted… yet there were zombies moving about. 

He was back in reality… how could there be zombies? 

The city here was even more desolate than the one behind the air wall; it felt as though it had endured some kind of catastrophe. The stench of rotting flesh and blood was bad enough, but the buildings had been corroded to the point of near-collapse, leaving walls streaked with rainwater and shattered glass scattered everywhere. The streets were littered with nothing but plastic. 

What’s going on… 

A zombie spotted Jian Xingyi and came charging toward him, growling. 

More and more zombies were drawn to him, and Jian Xingyi had no choice but to take off running. As he ran, however, Jian Xingyi began to feel as if he were suffocating. 

Coughing, he curled up and crouched in a corner. The air… something was wrong with the air!

Jian Xingyi noticed a rash breaking out on his hands, and his nose felt unbearably stuffy. 

What should I do… 

He had no weapons to fight the zombies, and the anchor point and all his items were gone. He had to get back… This place was even more dangerous than the game! 

But how could he get back? 

Jian Xingyi recalled the method he’d used the last time he’d seemingly ended up in the real world: he’d met the Doctor, then lain down in a hibernation pod in the Doctor’s lab, and upon waking, he’d returned to the game. 

But how was he supposed to know where the Doctor’s lab was? They might not even be in the same area anymore… Jian Xingyi covered his mouth and nose and staggered forward. 

He couldn’t just sit here and wait to die! 

As Jian Xingyi walked in a daze, he noticed something not far ahead… a point of light? A point of light!! 

It was something like a signal tower, its glowing spire soaring high into the sky, as if guiding others to its location. 

Keep in mind that this city is currently without power and has nothing left—the presence of a light means that’s a place still receiving supplies from the outside. There might be hope! 

Jian Xingyi hurried over. When he finally arrived, he saw a manhole cover at the base of the tower. It looked like a basement! 

Jian Xingyi remembered that the Doctor’s base had also been underground. 

Back then, he had wondered why, while inside, he could hear thumping sounds coming from the surrounding walls and ceiling. Now he understood—it was the sound of the storm and the zombies pounding against the exterior. 

Jian Xingyi’s hair stood on end, and he quickly opened the manhole cover and jumped inside. At this point, he didn’t care about safety anymore; he was on the verge of suffocating.

Only after he’d climbed in and closed the lid did Jian Xingyi feel as if he’d been granted a reprieve, finally able to breathe deeply. 

Now that he’d relaxed, Jian Xingyi felt pain all over his body. Once he’d recovered, he finally had the energy to look around. 

This place was similar to where the Doctor had been earlier: there was very little light, mostly coming from generators and batteries. The room was filled with computer screens and supply crates, and on the wall was a bulletin board covered with documents and a whiteboard. 

Jian Xingyi stepped forward to take a closer 

look. A few lines were written on the whiteboard. 

【Underground Shelter No. 8891】

It seemed this was a shelter… 

【Day 100 of the Apocalypse: I can’t wait any longer. We’ve run out of food. It’s been 100 days. Maybe there’s no point in living at all… Rather than die in this basement without ever seeing the light of day, I’d rather go outside and take my chances. Today is probably the last time I’ll write in my diary.】 

Jian Xingyi froze. 

The apocalypse…? 

The bulletin board nearby was plastered with photos of various disasters. Floods, sandstorms, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions… 

There were also analyses of zombie activity zones and air quality charts—all marked in red, indicating the air was now lethal. After reviewing them, Jian Xingyi pieced the information together. 

The world had entered its final days. Natural disasters and zombies had erupted simultaneously, forcing everyone to hide in basements, never seeing the light of day.

Jian Xingyi was momentarily dazed. 

Had he not yet left the game? Was this merely a part of the game—a world called “reality,” much like the existence of an “air wall”—or… 

Or had reality actually already fallen? Jian Xingyi didn’t know. 

This was too unbelievable.

Everyone was thinking about how to return to the safety of reality, but little did they know that reality had already fallen, becoming even more dangerous than the game? 

Because if reality had already fallen—with no more sleep pods or power supply, and no living people left—was that why everyone was trapped inside the game, unable to escape? 

This meant that everyone’s hopes had been shattered. 

They had been struggling so hard to survive in the hope that one day they could return to reality and escape the apocalypse. 

“So now… if this really is reality, then it seems like we no longer have a reason to keep trying?” Jian Xingyi slumped down, completely drained. 

Or perhaps all of this is just a memory bubble? 

When he wakes up, he’ll see his familiar bedroom again, never to see the blood-red sky of the Dawn, the game world, and ……Shanhai？ 

Shanhai. 

Jian Xingyi forced himself to stay calm. He had to go back. 

Shanhai and everyone were still waiting for him. 

Jian Xingyi took a deep breath, regulated his breathing, and let his stiff, cold limbs slowly warm up. 

All things considered, he was lucky. According to the information posted on this bulletin board, disasters of varying severity could strike at any moment outside. He hadn’t encountered a zombie horde or some other terrifying natural disaster—like the thunderstorms mentioned in the information that could flood cities and sweep people away. Getting caught in a small sandstorm was a stroke of luck in the midst of misfortune. 

In any case, he had to get back first. 

Jian Xingyi took a deep breath, stood up, and walked around the basement before spotting the hibernation pod in the corner. 

“……!” 

There’s hope! 

But this was actually quite strange—just like the hibernation pod in the doctor’s basement earlier. With the apocalypse already upon us, why would anyone still be moving hibernation pods into basements?

Could it be… 

Jian Xingyi suddenly had a wild hunch. 

Could it be that these people, unable to bear reality in the apocalypse, wanted to escape into the game? After all, no matter how bad the game is, at least you can survive. 

Jian Xingyi spotted a manual next to the cryogenic chamber. 

【Adjust the hibernation pod to the correct frequency, enter *Dawnbreaker* to complete the evacuation and human migration, and survive!】

Jian Xingyi got goosebumps all over. 

So… 

So the game really is a refuge? 

Jian Xingyi began to wonder: why didn’t he have any memories of this? 

Or did the people who stayed behind start doing this after they entered the game? Jian Xingyi was confused, but he couldn’t find an answer yet.

Jian Xingyi glanced at the hibernation pod. So this meant there was a chance this pod could send him back into the game! If he couldn’t return… 

Just thinking about that possibility made Jian Xingyi tremble. 

If he couldn’t return, he’d be left here all alone, waiting to die. Jian Xingyi lay down in the stasis pod and began to pray. 

Please let me go back… 

…

…

Jian Xingyi opened his eyes. The familiar ceiling. Jian Xingyi turned his head. A familiar room. Outside the window was the familiar blood-red sky.

……I’m back. 

He was back in his home. 

Jian Xingyi opened his terminal and sent a message to Yu Shen, asking him to give him a nominal Guild Administrator position at 【Rain Never Stops】. Once he received it, Jian Xingyi immediately teleported to 【Rain Never Stops】. 

Yu Shen rushed forward, looking somewhat anxious. “You’re back! How did you get here so fast? So, did you find a way to bring everyone back to reality? What’s the situation over there?”

Canglang was also curious. “Is the game company working on fixing our bug? Do they even know about this?” 

Jian Xingyi remained silent. 

He saw Shanhai standing nearby, staring intently at him. 

Jian Xingyi said hoarsely, “I’m sorry…” 

But he couldn’t speak just yet; he needed a hug. Jian Xingyi stepped forward and embraced Shanhai. 

Phew… 

Only after feeling the warmth of his body did Jian Xingyi truly feel at ease. Thank goodness I’m back. 

…

…

Half an hour later, the four of them sat in the conference room. After hearing Jian Xingyi’s account, the other three were left speechless for a long time. Shanhai pulled Jian Xingyi’s wrist over to examine it. 

Jian Xingyi’s entire arm was covered in faint red rashes. 

Only then did Jian Xingyi remember. As he drank the ginseng to make the red spots fade, he said, “I don’t know if it was real…”

Jian Xingyi scratched his head. “Maybe it wasn’t real?” 

“……” 

No one spoke. 

After a moment, Yu Shen let out a heavy sigh. “I’ll write a report on this and send it to the cadre group chat. Let’s see what others have to say.”

“Okay,” Jian Xingyi said wearily. “I’m going back to rest now.” 

Yu Shen looked just as glum. 

After all that effort, this was the result. 

The next day, Cangshui and Wu Yun also posted a report in the group chat. 

This was what Bai Jie had mentioned earlier—Cangshui and Wu Yun’s discovery regarding how to escape the game. They said they had found a skeleton and a manual inside the temple, but the manual had become worn and faded over time, and it took them a long time to decipher it. 

Based on the fragmented information in the manual, the skeleton belonged to one of the game’s programmers. The manual was filled with code regarding the game’s operations and records of the emergency evacuation procedure— specifically, the six plants found on the snow-capped mountain—as well as some of his personal diary entries. 

【I hesitated about whether to delete the door—after all, people no longer had any need to return to reality—but in the end, I chose to leave it as a memento. Since it serves as a safety lock, let it continue to function as one.】 

The two men’s discovery, combined with the progress made by Yu Shen and Jian Xingyi, was proof enough… Reality has already fallen. 

This game has become everyone’s refuge. 

Yu Shen: 【Everyone, there’s another thing I’m worried about. Do you all remember the opening lines of the Rainforest dungeon—Forest Whispers?】 

【The rainforest is honest.】 

【Trees, soil, and grass do not lie. Born of the heavens and earth, they naturally sense the world around them. If disaster strikes, the rainforest will be the first to respond. This forest will tell you everything.】 

Le Ke: 【Whoa! So does that mean the rain in the rainforest right now is just the opening? And the disasters Xinghe mentioned—the ones he saw in real life—will they appear in the game too?】 

Yu Shen: 【I’m not sure…】

Le Ke: 【Come to think of it, something doesn’t feel right to me either. The system hasn’t announced the next zombie wave yet, but would the system really be that kind? Plus, we haven’t officially received the “Ark Qualification” that the system mentioned earlier, have we? So logically speaking, there should still be a test ahead!】 

Xinghe: 【Everyone, wait for me to reach Peaceful Mountain! Maybe we’ll have more answers by then.】 

Jian Xingyi thought to himself that he needed to speed up his journey to Peaceful Mountain and open the letter from the Doctor. After all, it was now confirmed that the Doctor had been real back then—he must know more! 

The next day, Jian Xingyi and Shanhai bid farewell to Yu Shen and everyone from the guild, setting off for their next destination—Wave Mountain. 

Once they passed through Wave Mountain, they would reach Peaceful Mountain; their destination… was just a stone’s throw away! 

Before they left, 【Rain Never Stops】 gave Jian Xingyi plenty of upgrade materials and items needed for Wave Mountain, such as… seasickness medicine. 

Jian Xingyi: “?” 

Jian Xingyi hoped he wouldn’t have to use it. 

As the name suggests, Wave Mountain is a range of mountains surrounded by the sea. 

Shanhai explained, “The terrain changes drastically after leaving Rainforest Mountain. We’ll board a boat on a river there. Once the river flows into the sea, we’ll officially enter the Wave Mountain region. At the entrance dock, we’ll switch to a larger vessel before continuing our journey.” 

That’s right—the Wave Mountains region is entirely covered by seawater. The guild bases are scattered across the islands, and most people travel by boat to gather resources from the sea. 

And Peaceful Mountain is precisely where the sea ends—which means reaching Peaceful Mountain also requires a boat. When Jian Xingyi and Shanhai arrived at the pier, Jian Xingyi gazed at the endless, boundless sea in the distance, feeling a surge of excitement. 

The sound of the waves echoed faintly in his ears, and the sea breeze carried a hint of saltiness—a sight that was truly refreshing to the soul. 

However, the conversation that followed quickly changed Jian Xingyi’s mood. 

A few players were resting at the pier. Upon seeing the two of them, their eyes widened.

“Huh? New players? Why are you here at a time like this ……Shanhai？” 

The one next to Shanhai must be… “Xinghe?!”

【Xinghe】 was now a household name in the game. The players immediately asked with concern, “Are you heading to Wave Mountain to gather resources? We suggest you don’t go there right now!” 

“Why?” 

One of the players said, “Don’t you know? Since yesterday, Wave Mountain has been hit by frequent tsunamis and storms—lots of people have died!” 

Huh…? 

At the same time, members of the Human Liberation Project’s leadership group began sending out updates one after another. 

For example, the temperature at Lava Volcano is rising, drought conditions are setting in, the ground is cracking in many places, and plants are withering; the blizzards on Snow Mountain and the tornadoes on Flag Mountain haven’t stopped. 

With the exception of Peace Mountain and Peaceful Mountain, natural disasters are occurring across the entire map. Although the situation isn’t that severe yet, the rain on Rainforest Mountain… was indeed just a harbinger. 

A real-world disaster is about to strike.