Underworld Player-Novel

Bai Zhi had been wondering just what measures the Concerning Department would take in response to an online threat, but their solution turned out to be surprisingly simple and brutally effective.

It was unexpected, but made complete sense in hindsight. After all, it would take an exorbitant amount of resources to track down and eliminate the entity for good, so the smart thing to do was simply to disable their means of reaching an audience.

There were so many supernatural entities in the world, and every day, that number grew. Even if one were to go around eliminating them one by one, how many could one even get through?

Sometimes, in the absence of a permanent solution to a problem, eliminating that which enables the problem is the next best thing.

Now that Draw the Dead Studio was no longer a concern, at least for the moment, Bai Zhi, having saved a life, was only too happy to leave well alone. On the contrary, it was Su Long who would not stop badgering him to impart the secrets behind his awesome strength...

Of course, Bai Zhi already had plenty on his plate.

Finding out who Lin He was, for starters, so he could find his sister and hand over the box Lin He had entrusted to him. Then there was physical training, to raise his physical attributes up to the average, at least. Not to mention hunting for neutral creeps... Well, that last one was up to chance.

After all, not every Player had Temperance Gentleheart's obscene levels of luck. Imagine, simply waking up and finding two Minecraft chickens ripe for the plucking in your bedroom...

Jealousy scrambled Bai Zhi's brain, and for a moment he felt like his very name was scrambled too, more Ibizah than Bai Zhi.

With little in the way of Coins and nothing in the way of goods or equipment he was willing to sell, Bai Zhi quickly rejected the idea of returning to the trading post. Instead, he browsed the available lots at the Auction House, though the hope of picking up something undervalued was exceedingly slim.

Most people who survived the tests to earn the status of Player were no fools, and considering the National Forces also had dedicated personnel watching the Auction 24/7, as soon as a promising Skill card or piece of equipment was listed, it would quickly be snapped up by those organizations.

There were two places where Players could auction off their goods. The first was the Auction operated by the System, which all Players had access to automatically upon reaching the appropriate level. Prices of items listed were determined by the System, though Players could adjust them higher or lower by 10%. In general, it was incredibly rare to find any powerful items or equipment listed here.

The second was the Player-operated Auction, which was located in the center of the town found within the "lost haven", which was accessible by using Passes sold at the System Auction. Once there, Players were free to set their own prices on any listing, but needed to account for the Auction taking a higher percentage of their sale in fees.

Finally, there was the courtyard around this Player Auction, which was also known as the Black Market. It arose as a result of some OG Players who banded together, united by their common resentment of how the Auction siphoned off such a large share of their sale.

However, while the Black Market didn't charge exorbitant fees, it abounded with swindlers, and most Players gathered here tended to be around Level 10. Lower-leveled Players sometimes made it here courtesy of Chu Tsi's Passes, or through Doorways that randomly appeared in the world

The unique supernatural phenomena known as Doorways were highly unpredictable—not only did they manifest in a variety of distinct colors, such as black, white, red, and more, but the probability of encountering one was impossible to calculate. One could walk into a restroom stall and, upon trying to leave, discover that the very normal door that they had walked through and closed behind them earlier, had turned into a Doorway that opened up onto bizarre vistas unimaginable.

Doorways usually appeared for three minutes, and if nobody opened one within three minutes of one appearing, it would promptly disappear. They were, in themselves, harmless, but whatever it was that created Doorways, its power was not limited to a certain region, as Doorways could appear anywhere in the world at any time.

All this was information Bai Zhi had learnt from the Newbie brochure he had been given during his first visit to the Black Market

Perhaps Players were slightly more likely to encounter supernatural phenomena compared to normies, which explained why Bai Zhi had already encountered a Doorway himself.

It was after class one day, when he was just about to open the door to his apartment, when it was suddenly transformed into an unmistakably scarlet-tinged portal. Knowing that even high-levelled Players had been known to step into such Doorways, only to never return, Bai Zhi was resolute in his refusal to open it without knowing what lay beyond.

However, in the three minutes it took for the Doorway to disappear, Bai Zhi did not wait idly, but found that he could write on the Doorway using a felt-tip pen. In the spirit of extending a helping hand to his fellow man, he decided to leave a friendly message.

For the most part, the message conveyed in simple terms what made a Doorway so dangerous. After that, feeling inspired, he put down the first line of a couplet, and promised a great reward for whoever cleverly completed it.

[ No zuo no die why you try? ]*

[ ]

Finally, he left a stern warning—"Do not vandalize the Doorway."

As the three minutes ran out, the door to his apartment reverted to its original state, and the Doorway disappeared along with the important messages he had left on it.

"It seems I will soon need a team of my own, but good teammates are hard to find..."

With his phone gripped loosely in one hand, Bai Zhi lay on the couch and let his mind wander.

As a lone wolf Player, he was sorely lacking in resources, be it Levels, equipment, Coins, skills and much more besides.

He was absolutely positive that the Players in official organizations, like Mustachio, Nine-Tailed Fox, and Iron Blood, had all the equipment and neutral creeps they needed to succeed at every Level. After all, who could be better than the National Forces at locking down neutral creeps?

Bai Zhi mused, his brows gathering together.

As these thoughts floated through his mind, Bai Zhi received a QQ notification on his phone. He glanced at it, and after some thought, began typing a response.

[ Black&White ]

Forget it, games are a waste of my time and money, how about something else instead? By the way, I did a good deed today.

[ Infinite Divine Wing ]

Didja meet another cutie and spend several nights at the hospital with her? ????

[ Black&White ]

Nah, I just woke my roommate up from a deep sleep to remind them not to go to bed late after pulling an all-nighter.

[ Infinite Divine Wing ]

...It's pretty amazing that you haven't been murdered by your roommate yet. You should thank them for sparing your life.

[ Black&White ]

Light of Justice! Shine upon this land! Let all that is in darkness be illuminated! Not bad! That's the spirit!

[ Infinite Divine Wing ]

...Log in, dammit. You've been offline for so long that my rank will soon drop back down to Bronze V.

[ Black&White ]

Playing games will only dull my blade. Death follows me like a breeze, after all.

[ Infinite Divine Wing ]

...

I think someone might have hacked your account.