Chapter 2 Main Quest

On the public display above, the prompt changed:

[You have selected 5 targets simultaneously. The player must complete 5 main and side quests. If you fail to win over any target, this trial will be considered a failure. If you succeed, you will accumulate experience for all 5. Do you confirm these targets?]

Five relationships at once, with quintuple experience points?

Nice!

Wen Nan hit confirm without hesitation.

[The new player trial officially begins! Good luck, contestant!]

In the dormitory, the remaining three new players stared at Wen Nan, as if regarding him as either a genius or a madman.

Did he really know what he was doing?

Was there something wrong with his head?

Not only was he not trying to avoid the female ghost boss, but he had just picked five female ghosts at once? Was he in a hurry to die?

“A real expert,” the bespectacled guy muttered, opening the [Community] tab on his player panel.

Since they had yet to pass the new player trial, most features in [Community] were locked. Only four windows were lit up.

Those were the four of their live broadcast rooms.

Just as the trial began, an alert had sounded, and their broadcast rooms opened.

In [Nightly Nine-Times’ Broadcast Room], barrages of comments streamed in:

[Here we go!]
[Let’s see which unlucky newbie drew the classic map.]
[Holy—did I see that right? Maxed-out charm?]
[Whoa! Impressive!]
[Maxed charm? Is he planning to seduce the female ghosts?]
[Let’s keep it civil, please.]
…
[Look at his choices!]
[Five? All female ghosts!]
[Unbelievable!]
[I’ve seen people pick the wrong target, but never someone who picks every wrong option!]
[Are streamers nowadays risking their lives for views?]
[I’m following. I love this kind of reckless play.]
[This’ll be a speedrun.]
[Nightly Nine-Times, I’ll remember you—see you in the audience.]
…

Players inside the trial couldn’t see the live chat, only the broadcast footage and real-time statistics.

From the statistics, the moment Wen Nan picked five targets, his broadcast room’s popularity skyrocketed.

It updated every minute, converting directly to coins deposited in the player’s account.

In just a few short minutes, Wen Nan’s account had gained 20 coins already.

And his popularity was still soaring, meaning his coin income would only accelerate.

At this rate, in less than an hour, he could buy the most expensive gear in the new player trial area—

The [Safety Bubble], priced at 1000 coins.

With that, he might just turn the tables.

“A real expert, truly,” the athlete sighed, watching Wen Nan’s stats. “Maybe he’s a top player smurfing in the newbie zone?”

But the chubby guy wondered aloud, “Isn’t this too risky? What if he dies before he gets to 1000 coins…”

The bespectacled guy, now convinced Wen Nan was a hidden expert, shook his head dismissively. “Don’t question it. Just learn from the best.”

Wen Nan was still standing on the desk, unable to hear what the trio was discussing, but he saw their expressions change from disdain to admiration, leaving him a bit puzzled.

Could his maxed-out charm also affect other players?

[Ding!]

[New player task delivered—please check!]

[Main Quest 1: Attend the Date]

[Description: Your target has invited you out. Go spend a pleasant evening together!]

All four players found a new item in hand—

The athlete had a basketball; his buddy was inviting him to play.

The bespectacled guy got a bar of soap; his friend wanted to meet at the bathhouse.

The chubby one received a marked test paper; the homeroom teacher wanted him in the office.

Wen Nan, meanwhile, held a pink envelope. Inside, in delicate handwriting:

[8:00 p.m., see you by the flowerbed next to the track.]

It was 7:55 now.

Pocketing the envelope, Wen Nan rushed out of the dorm.

A cold night breeze hit him, tinged with the faint scent of blood.

From the dorm to the track, he passed no one. The world was dead silent—Wen Nan could hear his own heartbeat.

A lone streetlamp sizzled, flickering on and off.

Suddenly, beneath the lamp, a figure with long hair appeared.

Wen Nan paused.

He squinted, but the figure vanished.

“Meow—”

A black cat shot out of the bushes, bumping into his leg and making him stumble back.

Regaining balance, Wen Nan shook his head in exasperation.

A dating sim with such a spooky aesthetic—it felt more like a horror game.

Maybe the developers wanted to use the bridge effect for a more authentic romantic experience?

If so, they’d certainly gone the extra mile.

With that thought, Wen Nan quickened his pace.

From a distance, he spotted a girl sitting alone by the flowerbed at the field’s edge.

She was petite, with a short bob, a small upturned nose, big round eyes, and thick lashes that cast twin shadows on her cheeks.

Her slender legs were folded beneath her, hugging a backpack nearly bigger than herself, absentmindedly fiddling with the zipper.

She must be his sweet, innocent desk mate.

Wen Nan made the connection at once.

Sure enough, the system’s voice rang in his mind:

[Name: Liu Qi (Qiqi)]
[Identity: Innocent Desk Mate]
[Background: Qiqi is your desk mate and childhood neighbor. You’ve grown up together, often walking to and from school. During your final year, you chose to board at school to focus on studies, and the two of you drifted apart. Tonight, Qiqi has mustered her courage to invite you out.]
[Difficulty: ★★★☆]

Sensing someone approach, Qiqi looked up. The moment she saw Wen Nan, her once-dull eyes lit up.

Her gaze curved like crescent moons as she sprang to her feet, clutching her heavy backpack, and hopped over to him like a little rabbit.

“Bro! You came! I thought… you wouldn’t show up.”

Wen Nan smiled at her. “You invited me. How could I not come?”

Qiqi lowered her head without replying.

She’d sent out so many letters, waiting night after night by the flowerbed, but never once had he come. She had long given up hope. Yet tonight, against all odds, he’d come.

“Did you wait long?” Wen Nan asked softly when she stayed silent.

Qiqi quickly gathered herself, lifted her face, and smiled, shaking her head. “No, not really.”

She shouldered her bag and started for the track. “Let’s go.”

Wen Nan reached for her bag. “What’s in there? It’s so heavy.”

Qiqi sidestepped, hugging it to her chest like a puppy guarding its food. “It’s not heavy! I can carry it myself.”

Seeing this, Wen Nan let her be.

They walked to the bleachers and sat side by side.

Qiqi unzipped her backpack. Wen Nan saw it was stuffed with bottled sodas—same brand, all different flavors, bright and colorful.

He couldn’t help but wonder—did she really love this particular soda? Did she have to carry a full set with her?

Qiqi rifled through the bottles, fingers hesitating between green and yellow.

She reached for the yellow first, paused, blushed at some thought, then shook her head and handed him the green instead.

“Here, bro, have a drink.”

Wen Nan eyed the neon-green drink, a hint of reluctance in his gaze.

He wasn’t usually a fan of that color.

But faced with Qiqi’s expectant, shining eyes, he took the bottle anyway.

Qiqi lowered her head, smiling happily to herself.

Just as Wen Nan was about to open it, he caught sight of a cheesy slogan on the label:

[Under the moonlight, perfect for holding hands.]

He paused.

So she’d bought every flavor just to collect all the corny pickup lines on the labels?

While he was distracted, Qiqi glanced at the dark, moonless sky, her expression dimming.

“Ah, there’s no moon tonight.”

She edged closer, inching her hand toward his.

Just as their hands were about to touch, Wen Nan opened his bottle and took a sip.

His hand missed hers. Qiqi looked at him, crestfallen, and asked softly:

“Do you… like it?”

“Like what?”

“That.” She pointed at the soda bottle, though whether she meant the flavor or the slogan was unclear.

Wen Nan glanced at the star-speckled, moonless sky and shook his head. “There’s no moon. It doesn’t fit.”

“Oh…”

Qiqi withdrew her hand and wrapped her arms around her knees, as if wishing she could curl up and disappear.

Her lips trembled, and her eyes reddened.

Meanwhile, in Nightly Nine-Times’ broadcast room, the chat was ablaze:

[Is this really a ghost? She’s so cute!]
[Dude, are you a first-rounder? Don’t you know the more charming a ghost is, the more dangerous? Three-and-a-half stars—this is normal.]
[I see. I never got past my first map—my highest was a one-star. This is way tougher.]
[Hold her hand!]
[Do it!]
[Nightly Nine-Times, are you chicken?]

Then a few urgent red messages flashed by:

[Don’t touch her! Don’t touch her! Don’t touch her!!!]
[Repeating for emphasis!]
[My friend’s trial target was Qiqi. He touched her. The grass on his grave is three meters tall now!]
[Seriously? What happens if you touch her?]
[You don’t want to know.]
[Maybe he really isn’t a newbie?]
[Such restraint—he didn’t hold her hand. He must have played similar routes.]
[Is he actually a veteran smurfing for fun?]

As the chat debated, Wen Nan leaned toward Qiqi, lifting his arm to encircle her shoulders in a half-embrace.

The sudden gesture startled Qiqi. She tensed, her cheek brushing against the back of Wen Nan’s hand.

He froze, registering the sensation—her skin was icy, delicate, smooth, and soft.

[?]
[??]
[He touched her!]
…

But it was only a fleeting touch. Wen Nan immediately withdrew his arm, now holding a yellow soda.

Only then did Qiqi realize he hadn’t meant to hug her—he’d just reached for her bag to grab the yellow bottle.

She turned, staring straight at him.

Her once-fair skin now crawled with purplish veins; her large eyes were emptied of pupils, leaving only hollow whites.

Thick, inky blood streamed from her eyes.

[It’s over.]
[She’s showing her true form.]
[gg]
…

Wen Nan stared at her, momentarily stunned.

9527: [Ding!]
9527: [Dear Nightly Nine-Times, congratulations! Your account has surpassed 1000 coins! If you wish to purchase any items, just let me know.]

Before the message even finished, the system helpfully popped up the shop interface, displaying a purchasable item:

[Safety Bubble: For 30 minutes after equipping, the player is immune to all attacks. (Valid only for targets rated four stars or below.)]

9527: [Would you like to use your coins now?]
Wen Nan: [Use them.]
9527: [Very well, now purchasing—]
Wen Nan: [—No, don’t buy equipment.]
9527: […]
Wen Nan: [Instead, open a betting pool for me. I want to wager all my current coins.]
9527: […Understood.]

The betting pool opened, odds instantly skyrocketing to 86.37.

Wen Nan looked back at the girl before him.

He reached out and gently wiped the blood from the corner of her eye, murmuring, “It’s just that I didn’t hold your hand. Why are you crying?”

Then he handed her the yellow soda.

On it was another cheesy pickup line:

[Starry skies, perfect for a kiss.]

“I think green doesn’t suit me. I’m more suited to do yellow things.”

With that, Wen Nan leaned in and kissed Qiqi on the lips.