New World

In the evening, amidst desolate hills and wild ridges, there was a remote small town. The setting sun was about to disappear beyond the horizon, and its afterglow could no longer envelop the town completely. Rows of dilapidated houses were hidden in the shadows, looking desolate and gloomy, as if they would be swallowed by darkness any second.

At the end of the town stood a three-story brick building, standing alone in its solitude.

Zoe Faye stood by the window, gazing at the increasingly darkening sky outside. After a while, she sighed deeply and said, "I wonder if they serve food here."

The short-haired girl accompanying her widened her eyes in surprise, "At this hour, you're still thinking about food?"

"Well, we've got to eat, right? Otherwise, if we stay here for days, we might starve to death," Zoe replied nonchalantly. "So, you... um, what's your name again?"

The girl replied, "...I'm Penny."

"Oh, Penny." Zoe nodded, "You've only traveled through time once, so it's normal to feel a bit out of sorts. Once you've done it more often, you'll get used to it, and your appetite will naturally improve."

Penny responded, "I don't think I'll ever adapt as well as you."

While they were chatting, a commotion erupted outside. It sounded like a group of young men and women arguing about something, with the sobbing of a girl mixed in.

"Where the heck are we? How did I end up here from school? I was just going to the cafeteria..."

A man's impatient voice interrupted, "Can you stop crying? Aren't we all suddenly here? We're trying to find our way out!"

Another voice chimed in, "Damn, this place feels so eerie. Is it haunted?"

Inside the house, Penny gave a wry smile, "Haunted? That's an understatement..."

Zoe casually closed the window, "Looks like a bunch of newcomers. Even newer than you."

Before she could finish, the group of young people pushed open the door of the brick building.

"It's weird. We couldn't knock on any other doors, but this one isn't even locked."

The girl who had been crying earlier spotted Zoe and Penny. After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously asked, "Excuse me... are you the owners of this place?"

"Nope, we just walked in like you," Zoe replied. Her sharp gaze, piercing like X-rays, quickly scanned the group.

Four men and two women. Three of the men and the crying girl seemed to have arrived separately. The couple standing together at the back were obviously together, speaking little and looking around warily.

Hmm, eight people in total. Not a bad number.

But just as she came to this conclusion, a young man in a black shirt walked in from outside, making it nine.

The moment he entered, all eyes were on him—especially the women's. Even the girl who had been crying stopped and stared at him with red-rimmed eyes.

After all, he was incredibly handsome, with refined features and a dazzling smile. He looked so perfect, like a piece of exquisite jade sculpture.

He looked around with a smile that was both gentle and slightly mischievous, utterly captivating.

Closing the door behind him, his deep, melodious voice broke the silence, though his words were a bit cheeky, "Hey, everyone's gathered here. Are we having a party?"

The crowd: "..."

He chuckled again, "You better find a room quickly. Once it gets dark, the unclean things will come out."

A blonde-haired newcomer asked nervously, "What unclean things?"

The man in black smirked, pointing at the wall. As the last rays of the setting sun disappeared, and night fell, the room was suddenly illuminated by oil lamps. The dim, flickering light added to the eerie atmosphere.

On the white wall facing them, as if someone was writing with a brush, a line of crooked blood-red characters slowly appeared: "So noisy. Don't make loud noises at night."

The words seemed fresh, with blood dripping down, staining the entire wall in a horrifying manner.

Several people shuddered, instinctively covering their mouths, afraid to make a sound.

"What... what is this?"

They looked at each other, speaking in hushed tones.

Zoe nudged Penny and whispered, "Remember this? It's the basic rule for this journey."

Penny nodded quickly, "I know, I know."

The couple standing nearby overheard and exchanged worried glances.

The atmosphere grew tense.

The man in black glanced at the wall nonchalantly, then turned and headed upstairs. As he reached the staircase's bend, he paused, leaning over the railing to glance at Zoe.

Almost simultaneously, Zoe looked up, meeting his gaze. Their eyes locked, and he gave her a deeper smile before disappearing upstairs.

"Who is he?" Penny asked, "He doesn't seem like a newcomer."

"He's definitely not," Zoe replied, "And he seems to be of a high rank."

"How can you tell? What if he's just bluffing?"

"After traveling through so many worlds, do you think I can't tell the difference between a bluffer and someone truly skilled?"

"Oh..." Penny glanced upstairs, "If even you say he's skilled, what rank could he be?"

"Maybe higher than mine. But now's not the time to discuss that," Zoe said, pulling Penny towards the stairs, "Let's pick a room to stay in and then find something to eat."

"...Are you sure you're not here on vacation?" Penny teased, noting Zoe's constant focus on food.

Before they could climb a few steps, Zoe's sleeve was tugged by the girl who had been crying earlier.

"What is it?"

The girl, still teary-eyed, whispered, "Miss, do you know what's going on here? And what about the writing on the wall..."

"Just follow the rule written on the wall," Zoe replied, "In short, you've traveled to another world. Think of this place as a survival puzzle game. You need to complete the game to go home."

"..."

"You'll probably encounter some supernatural events along the way. Just be prepared and try not to get too scared."

"..."

Without waiting for a response, Zoe, holding Penny's hand, continued upstairs.

In this ruthless world, she had no room for compassion.