Hell Game: Starting from Metropolis

A roar rolled in.

"Have."

Liu Zheng gave the same answer.

I hate that others have it, and I hate that I don't.

Given the difficulties he faced in his birth, if it weren't for welfare guarantees and his good talent, he would have basically spent his life as a beast of burden.

Even after he got into university and found a decent job, a happy life was still a long way off for him.

After all, how can one person's ten years of hard study compare to the efforts of several generations?

"Then why aren't you angry?!"

"Then why aren't you angry?!"

"Then why aren't you angry?!"

The roar grew closer and louder, eventually transforming into a whirlwind that swept towards Liu Zheng.

"Because it's numb."

He said calmly.

I originally planned to be a hardworking, honest person, save up for a down payment over ten years and take out a thirty-year loan, and live a simple, ordinary life in my two-bedroom apartment.

The result was a direct diagnosis of ALS, and I could only afford a compact cemetery plot.

If that's all there is to it, then so be it.

Anyway, Liu Zheng always harbored a resentment in his heart, but he was restrained by the shackles of society and his instinct for survival.

Now that I'm about to die, it's the perfect time to let loose and be myself.

For example, he really enjoyed beating up that idiot editor-in-chief, and he had an even more exciting plan.

But just as Liu was about to achieve his goal of appearing on Toutiao (a Chinese news and information platform), he was chosen by some kind of hellish game.

The bad news is that this lousy game will kill him faster than the progression of ALS.

The good news is that this lousy game might actually cure his ALS.

If that's all there is to it, then so be it.

Liu Zheng had also read infinite flow novels, and was even quite addicted to them at one point. He even changed his signature to something like "Do you yearn to truly live?" which was considered a cringeworthy, chuunibyou (delusional) statement.

To forge a path to survival in a life-or-death crisis, and then transcend oneself and break free from constraints, is also a kind of romance for men.

As it turned out, the first dungeon he encountered was a heavyweight one.

Liu Zheng also had a reason to say that what kind of beginner dungeon was that? It was the Animal Prison.

What dungeon was he playing? Bloody Restaurant.

What level is Hell Game at now?

With so many newbies, and someone with ALS or something, delivering food, how can he possibly deliver?

I can't deliver it, I don't have the capability, you know?

If I keep delivering, it will exceed the time limit. If it exceeds the time limit, I'll deliver it to the wrong person, and it will be rejected. In the end, I'll be the one who gets delivered.

You haven't even laid a solid foundation for a hellish game like this. How can you guarantee that he'll win in a crucial moment like the Great War of the Main Gods?

To be practical, he advised the system to first understand its own selection criteria and the concept of duplication.

The principle of gradual progress is quite good. Why would you change it? Tell him.

Now that he's a newbie player and he's about to become a Metropolitan Succubus, how are you going to explain that to him?

The face is gone.

Since even such a superior being has no shame, then he, a mere mortal, can only accept it.

Why aren't you angry???

The roar ignored Liu Zheng's answer, or perhaps it didn't agree with it, and asked again.

This time, the sound came from above his head, like a mountain collapsing and peaks crumbling.

"Not getting angry means not getting angry. You've been asking me for so long, now it's your turn to ask me."

Liu Zheng straightened his back and said calmly.

Is there anything to regret in life?

He tilted his head back and asked loudly.

His shouts were nothing compared to the roar that sounded like divine punishment.

But as soon as the shout came out, the mountain formed by the sound waves actually stopped the falling rocks.

"Have."

After a brief silence, a roar erupted.

Is there anything to complain about in life?

Liu Zheng continued to ask.

"Have."

Is there anything to hate in life?

"Have."

"Then why aren't you angry?"

He spoke softly, but the roar above his head shattered instantly, and the space fell into a deathly silence.

In the midst of this deathly silence, heavy, slow footsteps suddenly broke the silence.

A humanoid silhouette emerged from the darkness and slowly walked towards Liu Zheng from a distance.

With each step he took, his form became more solid.

When he walked up to Liu Zheng, even the texture of his clothes was clearly visible.

"In the second year of Yuanhe, a samurai sought lodging. At night, he broke into a group of bandits, escorted his master into the house, and stood firm despite being cut a hundred times. The bandits were moved and knelt down to worship him before leaving."

"A meal and a lodging, a heartfelt act of loyalty and dedication—this is a fine story. We should find an artist to depict the chivalrous journey and pass it down to future generations."

"However, the master secretly practiced the art of corpse refining, turning the warriors into walking corpses, so that neither their bodies nor their souls could find peace."

"Afterwards, in order to fight for the family property, all the brothers of the master family used the method of controlling corpses, which caused the walking corpses to go out of control and slaughter all the men, women, and children of the master family."

"After that, the samurai's wife and daughter came looking for him, but were killed by the zombies. The zombies absorbed the blood of their closest relatives and the souls of their beloved, and finally reached the pinnacle of their power, becoming fully sane and able to roam freely in broad daylight."

"Yet the person I saved was killed by me, the person I loved died for me, leaving only a corpse to walk alone in the world."

How can one not feel regret? How can one not feel resentment? How can one not feel hatred?

How could I not be angry!

The shadowy figure's voice grew louder and louder, until finally its roar transformed into a raging storm that swept through the space.

The seemingly bottomless darkness was stirred up by the gale, revealing the underlying colors hidden beneath. Blood-red light spread across the sky, yet remained intermittently visible, like pulsating blood vessels.

"The samurai you're talking about, you wouldn't happen to be yourself, would you?"

Liu Zheng asked casually.

The shadowy figure did not answer, but silence meant consent.

"Given the average moral level in the metropolis, isn't repaying kindness with enmity a basic occurrence? I, a lone individual, have to be extremely careful when doing good deeds, while you, with a family to support, dare to help others without conducting background checks. Don't you deserve to be scammed?"

He continued.

"Crack!"

The shadowy figure remained silent, but several cracks appeared in its dark outer shell, revealing red skin beneath.

"Furthermore, I'm not good at discussing these theoretical things. I prefer studying how to do things to studying why and what they are."

"Since you can be resurrected from the dead, your wife and children should be able to as well, right?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"The souls of my wife and children have been digested by me."

The shadowy figure finally spoke.

"As long as they haven't been excreted, we can find a way to separate their souls and bring them back to life. I know a doctor who is very experienced in resurrecting the dead."

"I also know the cemetery manager, who should be quite knowledgeable about soul separation."

"If all else fails, I know an old man who can reincarnate the dead into crickets. Although it's a bit difficult to cultivate back into human form, isn't it better for the three of you to live a good life?"

He counted on his fingers as he spoke.

These thoughts were just fleeting ideas, but he just wanted to relive the feeling of having fingers.

"What about those who repay kindness with enmity?"

The shadowy figure remained silent for a long time before speaking.

"Just revive them and kill them again. Just pretend you never saved them. They were all killed by the bandits. There's no need to pass on this kind of bloodline."

Liu Zheng said casually.

"Will that make you less angry?"

The shadowy figure said, somewhat bewildered.

"Angry? Why aren't you angry?"

He asked rhetorically.

"If grudges are avenged and favors are repaid, what is there to be angry about?"

The shadowy figure asked in confusion.

"Why you're angry is a different matter from what you do. I also have an irritability disorder; when it's time to eat shit for others, I still have to eat shit."

"You're a samurai, don't you understand the saying that clothes make the man?"

Liu Zheng gave him a disdainful look.

"I will remember your words, sir. May I ask if you would be willing to do me this favor?"

The shadowy figure bowed slightly to him, and the black shell on its body fell off like rain, revealing a warrior covered in blood and with a long sword at his waist.

What's in it for me to help you?

Liu Zheng asked.

"If you are willing to help, as long as I am still the spirit of the elevator, I will not make things difficult for you."

"The Blood Warrior said."

Being an elevator doorman means you have some authority.

As long as he's willing to pay a certain price, he can let someone ride his elevator safely without having to worry about the rules or encounter any trouble.

"You think you can make things difficult for me? It's not that easy."

Liu Zheng took out the express delivery slip that had led to his death.

He hasn't used the item he won from the postman yet, but its life-saving value in the metropolis is undeniable.

"Sir, you actually possess such a divine object?"

The Blood Warrior exclaimed in shock.

It didn't know what this was, but that didn't stop it from knowing the purpose of the delivery slip, and it knew that it couldn't stop it, not even if three elevators joined forces.

"This is nothing more than a small collection from my lifetime."

Liu Zheng said it casually.

“Then I can help you resolve the hidden danger in your hands, sir.”

The Blood Warrior was intimidated by his imposing aura and pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Ok?"

He frowned slightly.