Survive!

Grumble. Gurgle, gurgle— His stomach rumbled incessantly. Hunger—he was ravenous! Ye Huan felt dizzy, his vision dimming, the sensation reminiscent of hypoglycemia. Releasing those flames earlier had taken far too heavy a toll! There were over twenty pieces of assorted fruit in the gift basket, and without any hesitation, Ye Huan devoured every single one. Was there anything else to eat? Panting heavily and enduring the searing pangs of hunger, he grabbed his phone and rushed out of the hospital room. To the cafeteria! The hospital cafeteria was right across from the surgical building. It was mealtime. Ye Huan immediately bought a meal and devoured it like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds. Still not enough! "Please pack these to go—we have two caretakers and three patients. Please make it five boxed meals." Ye Huan took out his phone and paid for the order. —In the process, he glanced at his bank balance. This fellow was truly broke, with only a little over a hundred credits left to his name. All his extra credits had been poured into online games. Penniless? Ye Huan frowned inward in dismay. However... There was no helping it now. Eating his fill took priority over anything else. "Just a moment, coming right up!" The cafeteria worker was deft and experienced, packing up five boxed meals in no time. Ye Huan took the bags and left. Returning to the surgical building, he bypassed his room and went straight to the emergency stairwell. Shutting the door behind him, he sat on the steps and dug in. Each boxed meal contained four dishes—two meat, two vegetable—along with a container of rice. It was breakfast time, so few people were using the elevators, let alone the emergency stairs. Ye Huan sat alone on the staircase. Like a starving ghost reincarnated, he dumped the dishes over the rice, uncaring of the taste, and shoveled mouthful after mouthful with his chopsticks. He polished off an entire boxed meal in just a few bites. Then he opened another. Only after devouring all five boxed meals did the hollow, gnawing sensation in his stomach begin to recede. "If I keep eating like this, I'll run through all my credits in no time." Ye Huan rubbed his belly, worries lingering. The original host had merely been a mine security guard who idled through his days without saving a single coin. How could he afford to eat like this every day? As he was pondering this, he suddenly noticed something amiss. He had entered the fire stairwell from the ground floor side door of the surgical building and crouched on the stairs to eat. He had not paid attention before. Why was there another flight of stairs turning downward at the corner? In a surgical building, having a basement level was perfectly normal. Except— When he came in just moments ago, he clearly remembered there had been no staircase going down! Ye Huan peered downward. It was pitch-black. In the middle of the stairs stood tall black iron railings, the gate firmly locked. A doctor in a white coat, supporting a young woman with hair draped over her shoulders, walked past Ye Huan. "Your condition can actually be treated," the doctor said, nodding at Ye Huan with a gentle smile. Condition? Me— Do you mean my concussion and amnesia? "How can it be treated?" Ye Huan asked reflexively. "The old man in Bed 15 on the sixth floor is dying. I cannot go up there. Bring me his soul, and I will cure you," the male doctor said. With that, he supported the woman through the black iron railings and walked deeper down the stairs, vanishing around the bend. Ye Huan fell silent. Those iron railings had clearly been locked, yet they had walked straight through them. What kind of trick was this? Was the hospital hosting a magic contest? Along the walls flanking the descending stairs, human faces quietly surfaced—men, women, old, young—all staring at him, speaking in unison: "Do you need to register?" "Register to see the doctor." "You are seriously ill; you must see a doctor quickly." "Go pay the fee. Bringing that soul will cover it." Bang! The sound of the door being pushed open came from behind. Ye Huan jolted and looked back, only to see a uniformed cleaning lady holding a broom, her face full of disdain. "Why are you eating in the stairwell? Don't leave your trash lying around, understand?" "Don't worry, ma'am. I've already packed it up and will throw it away in a moment," Ye Huan said hastily. "Mm, at least you have some manners." The woman headed upstairs. Ye Huan let out a breath of relief and looked toward the basement level again. ...There was no staircase. No descending stairs, no black iron gate, and no human faces on the walls. The first floor was just the first floor—flat ground! Ye Huan stood silent for several seconds before backing out of the stairwell, pressing the elevator button, and heading straight to the sixth floor, Neurosurgery. Bed 15... As he checked the numbers beside each room door, he suddenly heard weeping. Two nurses brushed past him in a hurry, whispering in hushed tones: "The patient in Bed 15 passed away." "Yeah, he could barely hold on last night anyway." Ye Huan slowed his pace, following the sound of crying to the doorway of that room. From a distance, he looked at the corpse lying on the hospital bed. Whoosh. Wisp-like threads of flame flickered from his fingertips. —Like a stress reflex, or perhaps having encountered something worthy of incineration. A soul. To bring a soul underground! The corner of Ye Huan's mouth twitched, and he tiptoed backward from the doorway. Once he had retreated seven or eight meters, the flames between his fingers quietly extinguished. ...Just what kind of mechanism was this? Ye Huan stood in the corridor for a minute, then abruptly turned and walked away. Taking the elevator back up to his room, he picked up a cup and began gulping down water. He had eaten too fast that morning, leaving his throat parched. —As for the previous host's concussion or whatever, what did that have to do with him? All he needed was to survive until tomorrow. That was it. Surviving until tomorrow would trigger the daily settlement! After finishing his water, he lay in bed for a while, but soon felt that doing nothing wouldn't do. He got up, washed his hair and face, and was just using the hair dryer to style his hair when he froze, staring at himself in the mirror. —The reflection had changed. When he had looked in the mirror earlier, the body and face could only be described as delicate. Now, after receiving that projection, it was as if he had undergone years of rigorous training alongside the Black Tide Cultist. His frame had grown sturdier, his muscles firm, his gaze sharp, and he had even gained several centimeters in height out of nowhere! Everything in that projected illusion had seemingly happened for real! Ye Huan could not help exhaling softly. Moving his limbs at random, his entire body produced crackling pops, and an endless surge of power coursed through him. Mastery of a martial art, bones and sinews resounding in harmony, blood and qi surging vigorously—this was reaching "In-Rank"! According to the original host's memories, he had successfully attained In-Rank status and was now a true martial artist! A martial artist... In this world, martial strength reigned supreme. Beyond the cities lurked all manner of yaomo, many of which could not be dealt with using firearms. A sudden downpour in the wilderness might be the magical working of a demonic creature. Those yaomo even possessed their own cities. And even nations. Humans were by no means the sole masters of this world. Martial artists were the final line of defense preserving the spark of human civilization. While he was sifting through the original host's memories, the ward door abruptly opened. A doctor in a white coat walked in, looked at Ye Huan, and smiled. "The Bureau of Investigation just called. They want you downstairs immediately." "Doctor, it's so early in the morning—could we wait a bit?" Ye Huan asked hastily. "Look, they've sent a car to pick you up." The doctor glanced out the window, his gaze landing on a sedan that had just pulled to a stop. Ye Huan followed his gaze. Two burly men in uniform were striding toward the surgical building. The Bureau of Investigation... reputedly a formidable department... There was no running away. In that case— "Doctor, could you write me a discharge certificate and summary? My head still hurts a little, and I'd like follow-up appointments later." "Are you sure your head still hurts?" the doctor asked, somewhat amused. "I'm sure. I even have amnesia, so please don't laugh." Ye Huan rubbed his head. It didn't actually hurt anymore. Yet every aspect of this world exceeded his imagination. If he truly had to report for duty, he needed a legitimate excuse to slack off. ... Bureau of Investigation. Inside an office. Ye Huan sat in a chair, gazing nervously and timidly at the attractive woman in uniform across the desk. "Name?" "Ye Huan." "So you're Ye Huan! The director personally gave instructions regarding you. Come, look at the camera—verification successful. I'll process your onboarding right away," the woman said warmly. Her hair fell in loose waves, her eyes shaped like almonds, appearing about twenty-three or twenty-four years old. Her hands clattered rapidly across the keyboard, and her words never ceased for a second: "Nanshan Mining Company awarded you a commendation bonus in recognition of your diligence and courage in protecting company property. The funds have already been deposited into your personal account." "Thank you." Ye Huan instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. "Why thank me? Oh, and your personnel file has been transferred as well." "Let me see which department you've been assigned to—" Without waiting for Ye Huan to speak, she tapped the Enter key and waited for the computer's response. "Sorry, the network is running a bit slow today," she said with a chuckle. Ye Huan remained silent. Above the woman's head floated a job title: "Director of the General Affairs Office." Generally, the director of an administrative office had the best access to information. In any organization, leadership directives, requests from lower ranks, and the division of tasks among departments were all coordinated through her. —She was not someone to be taken lightly! Yet it was rather strange— She was remarkably young, only a few years older than him. Could someone of her age handle being the head of the office? Doubts arose in Ye Huan's mind. Unfortunately, he had no coins left. Only by surviving until tomorrow could he obtain a new daily settlement. Wait. Yesterday and today were different situations. Would the settlement rewards also vary? In that case, he might not necessarily receive copper coins, nor would he necessarily be able to use that "mimicry." Otherwise, he would have loved to project this woman to see what intelligence she had that might help him survive today. While Ye Huan was lost in thought, the woman suddenly spoke: "The result is out. You've been assigned to Investigation Section One." "Has that already been decided?" Ye Huan probed. "Of course!" The woman glanced at him with a smile. "Investigation Section One is our bureau's premier division. Work hard, young man!" I don't care about being premier; I just want to live to see tomorrow... Ye Huan sighed inwardly. According to the previous host's memories, the Bureau of Investigation was considered a high-level workplace in this city. Mysterious and powerful. For a lowly mine guard to be transferred here was a stroke of tremendous fortune. There was no room for him to voice even half a word of refusal. "Take this voucher, go collect your supplies, and then report to Section One." A stamped voucher was handed across the desk. A bright smile appeared on Ye Huan's face as he said, "Thank you for your help. May I know how I should address you?" "Xia Li. Formally, call me Director Xia, but day to day, Sister Li is fine." The woman smiled at him. "Sister Li—I'm new here. Is there anything I should keep in mind? Please give me some pointers," Ye Huan whispered. Xia Li gave him a surprised look, observing the youth's clean features, which held a touch of bashfulness and unease. Handsome and youthful. Only eighteen. Tsk, it truly brightened one's mood. Very well, then. "Xiao Ye, have you reached In-Rank in martial arts?" Xia Li asked. "I reached In-Rank not long ago," Ye Huan replied. According to the original host's memories, in this world where martial prowess ruled, reaching In-Rank was the bare minimum requirement to rise above ordinary people. —Entering the Bureau of Investigation as a trainee investigator without knowing how to fight? With the director's orders in place, no one would say anything in the short term. Over the long run, however, it wouldn't hold up. In truth... Standard martial artists were divided into three ranks: In-Rank, Shidu, and Jiuyao. Igniting ten vital energy nodes across the body, allowing one's martial arts to exhibit power beyond ordinary limits—that marked a Shidu martial artist. Shidu martial artists enjoyed specialized allowances and could pick and choose their employment. —Because in this world, any production or labor required the protection of martial artists at every turn. Building upon the foundation of Shidu, gaining the favor of at least one element and unleashing elemental-level power with boundless might— —That was the higher rank of Jiuyao. Jiuyao martial artists were even more sought after, enjoying privileges entirely distinct from ordinary people. Further above... Advanced martial artists encompassed two ranks: Eight Extremes of the Dao Treasury and Demon-Tempering Seven Po. Those were already unfathomable experts. Beyond them were martial artists of Six Senses Spirit Mastery, hailed as Martial Grandmasters. It was said that Martial Grandmasters could reverse aging and extend their lifespans. Ye Huan had only heard rumors and did not know whether they were true. After all, the original host was merely a mine guard. And the city he lived in imposed strict controls on information. Thoughts flashing through his mind, Ye Huan simply threw a casual punch right there in the office, his fist tearing through the air with a hissing whistle. One's martial realm was clear for all to see the moment it was demonstrated; there was no faking it. "Eighteen, and already In-Rank so early. Not bad." Xia Li's eyes sparkled. —This was the exemplary figure the director wanted to promote, young and already an In-Rank martial artist. He had good looks, too. With that thought, she said, "Once you're done reporting, come back to my office." "Understood. Thank you, Sister Li," Ye Huan said gratefully. He had no idea why she wanted him to return. Yet Ye Huan acted as though she had already decided to bestow some favor upon him. Xia Li chuckled, motioning toward the door with her chin. "All right, off you go." "Understood."