Dusk deepened, thick fog blanketing the forest. Every pitch-black cave might hide treasure or unleash grotesque monsters.

I crept slowly through shadows. My nimble dagger struck like a viper’s tongue, piercing a plague hound’s skull. After a brief daze, it roared in fury, urging its pack to surround me. But how could they catch a shadow? My slender, dark form flickered for less than a second before vanishing again. Soon, the two-headed plague hound leader howled, bleeding out with a cleave effect.

After repeating this several times, I cleared the dungeon entrance guards. Ready to explore the underground alone, my third-tier Assassin talents and Survival Instinct specialization made small same-level dungeons easy.

I rested quietly against a tree trunk, alert in fog where visibility was under two meters. Remembering Xu Lingzhu’s lesson, I wore the Trickery Veil to hide my face. Yet my black night-combat leather armor and twin daggers at my waist still screamed this profession’s terrifying, shadowy nature.

So realistic, incredibly realistic. Whether the magnificent mythological backdrop or intuitive controls, it was easy to get lost. This game felt like a real world fully presented to players—far better than the projector-like visuals of past generations.

MMORPGs, Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, dominate today’s gaming market. After VR terminals were fully adopted, virtual worlds became a digital age hallmark. The virtual industry grew increasingly valued, turning into a lucrative goldmine.

The Profane was the first global virtual MMORPG. Its open beta truly unlocked its potential.

For a gaming addict like me, this was perfect news. I could proudly call myself a professional freelancer. But my main income still relied on live stream bigwigs’ generosity.

It’d be better if they didn’t always make me make weird sounds…

As I thought this, faint footsteps sounded. Instinctively, I activated my skill and slipped into shadows.

"Huh, the plague hounds here are cleared. Saves us trouble," a slender male figure muttered, appearing at the dungeon entrance. He waved carelessly to teammates behind him. This second-tier Rogue naively exposed himself in my line of sight, oblivious that neutral zones meant nearby players—and firefights—when corpses lingered. Yet, I felt I’d seen him somewhere…

"Be careful. Corpses haven’t vanished; they’re close. Hopefully Lawful Good allies."

"Relax, Captain. They’re probably inside already, right Xiao Kui?"

Two more figures emerged from fog: a Knight in golden, heavily enchanted armor, and a Mage in a thin azure robe. The short-haired Mage, Xiao Kui, studied the slowly fading plague hound corpses. "Not a team. One person. Corpses vanish one by one, meaning deaths were spaced out—picked off individually."

An observant player. I glanced again at the petite Mage. Her cheap, off-the-shelf gear marked her a pre-second-tier newbie, yet she saw more than the others. (The Profane had no levels—only tier advancements via skills and specializations.)

The glittering Knight pondered. "I see. Only solo players use this tactic."

"One person? Impossible!" the slender Rogue grumbled.

Three newbies. Killing them would yield no loot. I crouched nearby, yawned, and prepared to leave.

Then, a spine-chilling chant echoed. Bone-deep cold seeped from the ground to my heels. Too late to dodge—the air twisted, freezing my feet. I materialized slowly.

All three startled, instantly on guard. Even the Mage who cast Frostfoot looked shocked.

*Your spell, silly thing.* I was annoyed yet amused, cursing my underestimation. Caught by a newbie’s probe! Luckily off-stream—no embarrassment.

Two seconds later, I broke the ice. They hadn’t realized what two seconds meant for a Chaotic Neutral player. Since they didn’t attack, I dusted off and turned to leave.

"Wait!"

I kept my hand on my dagger, turning to the Knight. His golden hair and sinisterly handsome face hit me—Snake Charmer Xu Xian!?

I glanced at the bewildered Rogue: Yan Qing. Damn… the thick fog hid these facial-capture characters. Was Xiao Kui… Bao Yu? A chill ran down my spine. I stepped back, speechless.

Xu Xian asked curiously, "No offense—are you Flawless Flower?"

My eyelid twitched. *Good thing I’m masked; streams show first-person view.* "No. You’re mistaken."

Yan Qing’s eyes lit up. "Impossible! Only you sneak like that! Xiao Kui almost missed you!"

The short-haired Mage looked between us, shy and confused.

I rolled my eyes. Many could avoid them—but my rare gear gave me away. "So what if I am?"

Yan Qing rubbed his hands. "Am I on TV now?"

"Off-stream long ago. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be alone here."

"R-right…"

Xu Xian studied me keenly. "I have a question."

A bad feeling rose. "Go ahead."

"Are you a guy or a girl?"

I tugged my mouth. "What do you think?"

"A girl?"

I turned and walked away, desperate to escape these lunatics. My plans and mood were ruined.

"Wait! Add me as a friend!"

Like hell.

The Profane had three factions: Lawful Good, Chaotic Evil, Neutral Chaos. Without friends, players couldn’t see each other’s info—only guess by perspective. Even in armor and a veil, they forced this fantasy on me. It was terrifying… Could I not even enjoy a virtual world in peace?