Chapter Eleven: Entry

He had no idea how much time had passed before Murong Xun finally regained consciousness. All he could sense was utter darkness before his eyes, with only the vaguest impression of shifting light and shadow at the edges of his vision.

The moment he tried to move, a sharp sense of restraint seized him. As he struggled, the clatter of chains echoed around him.

After a while, as his eyes adjusted to the blackness, Murong Xun could just make out that he was shackled inside a cell.

He tensed his body, attempting to break free from the chains, but quickly realized that not only were they incredibly sturdy, but they also seemed to be crafted from some special material. The more strength he exerted, the more it felt as if the chains were absorbing his power.

[You have entered the Dawn Watch world!]

[Vampires living beneath the sun, white knights watching over all secrets in the darkness—this is a world sliding into madness. Somewhere, somehow, war has begun.

The undying legions, the knights of the night, and the blood disciples beneath their crimson hymn—are you prepared to survive?]

A strange introduction echoed through his mind, leaving Murong Xun utterly bewildered.

[This world has its own unique language and script. Player has automatically mastered the common tongue and script, at no cost!]

Tap tap!

Suddenly, with the sound of footsteps, the magical lamps overhead flared to life, flooding the cell with bright light and banishing the darkness.

Murong Xun looked around and saw that he was in a vast prison cell. All around him were others, players like himself, each bound in the same way. Each was enveloped in a sheath of light. To his surprise, Qiqige was among them.

So, this hapless girl had also entered the War World? Judging by the few people gathered around her, she’d managed to find a temporary team.

A temporary team was better than nothing—at least players couldn't attack each other at will. But such alliances were fragile, and for the price of some Paradise Coins, anyone could quit at any time.

This was but one cell, and already there were dozens of people. Murong Xun couldn't help but wonder how many other cells there might be.

"Harder, just a little harder, I'm almost there, almost there!"

At that moment, a voice drifted from the next cell, sounding lewd and suggestive. Several female players in Murong Xun's cell blushed furiously, unable to help themselves—the voice was simply too obscene, and their minds wandered.

"Boss, you're amazing! So powerful! Just a bit more and you'll break free!"

Now another voice joined in, cheering him on. Only then did those listening realize their imaginations had led them astray.

"Interesting," came a sultry, teasing voice beside Murong Xun, as if a cat were toying with its prey, tickling at his nerves.

Out of the corner of his eye, Murong Xun saw that the speaker was a voluptuous, red-haired woman, her crimson locks cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall. Amidst the fiery hair, two furry ears poked out, a surprising detail. Her eyes were strange as well: even from the angle of her half-turned face, Murong Xun could see that her pupils were deep and pure black, swallowing all light around them. Even more unsettling, she seemed to have no whites to her eyes.

The woman noticed Murong Xun watching her but showed not the slightest concern.

Just as Murong Xun continued to survey his surroundings, a sudden sense of danger prickled at him—someone, or something, was approaching rapidly. His body tensed.

With a thunderous crash, a burly figure burst through the cell wall, paying no heed to anything in its path. The creature strode in and reached for the closest person.

The player, still shackled, had no chance to dodge and was seized by the giant hand. With a single wrench, the monster tore the chains clean from the wall.

"Help, help me!" the player screamed, struggling desperately in the grip of the green-skinned beast. But it was futile. Terror twisted his face as he pleaded to those around him.

But there was nothing anyone could do.

Some players turned pale, dread written clearly on their faces. Others looked away, unable to watch what was about to happen.

Crunch, crunch!

The sounds of flesh being devoured filled the air. Right before their eyes, the three-meter-tall green giant stuffed the player into its gaping maw. Blood sprayed, and the giant feasted hungrily.

Murong Xun watched the scene with cold detachment.

The giant was delighted, but consuming one person didn't seem to satisfy it.

Still hungry, it reached for another.

Retching noises echoed throughout the cell. No matter how many life-and-death trials these players had survived, no matter how much bloodshed they'd seen, watching one of their own devoured alive before them was a horror they could not endure. The suffering of one’s own kind strikes deep—who could face such a sight with calm?

Yet the beast-eared woman watched with interest, occasionally glancing at Murong Xun to gauge his reaction. She even let out a soft laugh, as if amused by some private thought.

The others glared at her in outrage, but she paid them no heed. In her eyes, it was nothing more than the wailing of the weak.

After devouring two people, the giant finally seemed satisfied. It patted its now slightly bloated belly, smashed open the cell door, and strode out.

Only after the green-skinned giant left did the others finally breathe a sigh of relief. Facing such a monstrous presence while bound and helpless, the sense of oppression had been overwhelming.

“Fellow survivors,” a bespectacled young man spoke up calmly, “let me introduce myself. I’m Nightshade. In the War World, we’re not in conflict with each other, and given our current predicament, I think we should cooperate to overcome this crisis together.”

“If it were only being restrained, that would be one thing—but now we also have man-eating monsters to contend with.”

Yet the others merely eyed him coolly, no one responding.

Nightshade was unperturbed and continued, “Our first priority is to escape these restraints. My physical abilities are average, but I specialize in mental control—support abilities. In a world at war, survival comes first. One person’s strength means little here. But a mental support specialist… I need not explain the value they bring, do I?”

His tone was even and soothing, putting those who listened at ease.

At his words, many of the players showed interest. In a world of war, survival was indeed paramount. High combat strength alone was no guarantee. Having someone with powerful mental support abilities would certainly improve their chances of living through what was to come.