Plop. Plop. Plop!
This sound kept echoing around Charlotte. What was once an empty area now teemed with 'people'. The quiet fishing village was drowned in dripping rain and the hoarse, sharp throat noises from those 'things'.
Charlotte’s lovely face had turned deathly pale.
The beings surrounding her could no longer be called human.
Their skin was a dull green, bellies white. Most of their bodies were slick and smooth, but spiny ridges lined their backs. They had vaguely human shapes, yet fish-like heads.
Worst were the huge, bulging eyes that never closed and the gills trembling on their necks.
They stepped closer to Charlotte. Their bulky frames starkly contrasted her slender form.
She gripped her long sword tightly. But to these Monsters, it looked like a toy—and Charlotte holding it seemed like a joke.
The hissing grated on her ears.
Her bright emerald eyes had lost their luster. Her pale face froze in a heartbreaking expression. Her small hands trembled slightly, making the sword feel ready to slip away.
Was I wrong? Should I really not have come here?
This question echoed in her mind. Only the Monsters’ hoarse throat noises answered.
“Help… help me.”
............
“Work? Is it okay?”
Aester tapped the nearby table lightly. The lovesick girl sitting there snapped out of her daze, hurriedly hiding her phone screen.
“Huh? Y-yes! President.”
“Where’s Lin Zhong? Has he come?”
Aester scanned the student council office seats. All were filled except her own—and one dusty corner spot.
“Why do you care about him, President? That scumbag should just die,” the secretary muttered, pushing up his glasses with disgust. Dust coated the empty seat.
Still not here?
Aester raised an eyebrow. “Where’s Lin Zhong? Has he come?”—this was her daily first question after school. Yet the answer never changed.
Not here. Still not here.
“No matter how you see him, he’s still a council member. Try to notify him.”
She placed her bag on her seat and flipped through piled-up files. The secretary stopped writing.
“President! What right does that good-for-nothing, living off women, have here? We’re last year’s champions!”
“He’ll only disgrace our—”
“Enough!”
Aester slammed her pen down, locking eyes with him. “The champion is Joker—not you. Is your work done?”
“I… I understand…”
The secretary swallowed his words and bent over his papers. Aester stared blankly at the empty seat.
“Is he really… beyond saving?”
............
[Dungeon Instance ‘Terror Habitat’ completed. Calculating mission rewards.]
Inside, Lin Zhong glanced at the mutilated corpses around him. The War Spear he’d gripped had vanished.
Click. Click!
He removed his mask, revealing his true face—a stark contrast to this gloomy place. Silver-white hair, snow-white skin, and crimson eyes burning like flames.
[Terror Habitat, Solo Dungeon Instance, Difficulty B]
[Mission Rating: S. Credits earned: 5,000. Total credits: 9,705,827]
[Bounty: 50 million credits—50 million credits]
[Student ID: Lin Zhong. Use alias or title?]
“Yes.”
[Select your alias or title.]
Lin Zhong pulled his hood up, shadowing most of his face.
“Joker.”
[Confirmation complete. Title ‘Joker’ activated. Returning to town.]
The Monsters’ corpses dissolved into data fragments. The dark ruins shifted into a room with black walls and red patterns.
“Meow!”
The zipper on a shoulder bag perched on a stone chair yanked open. A gray head popped out, meowing at Lin Zhong, who stood texting.
“Hungry…?”
He turned to the cat.
“Meow!”
The little gray cat waved its paws excitedly, scratching toward him. But it couldn’t climb out—Lin Zhong stuffed it back inside.
“Mm. Let’s go.”
He pushed the door open. The corridor was empty. Few lingered this late; no one wasted time grinding credits in Dungeon Instances after school.
But while the Instances were quiet, the halls outside weren’t.
The stone door slid open. Lin Zhong stepped out. Students noticed his odd clothes—and shot him looks of pure disdain.
“Another escapee, huh.”
“Escapee? No. He probably didn’t even enter. Last time, I saw him standing like an idiot outside a dungeon for an hour. A whole hour!”
“A scumbag squandering credits his woman risked her life to earn.”
Whispers followed him. Lin Zhong kept his head down, hood shadowing his face.
He walked toward the school gate. Boys and girls alike watched him leave, sneering.
No one blocked his path. No one followed.
His dorm was ordinary. Students passing by either glared or ignored him.
Click!
Lin Zhong’s hand touched the doorknob—but the door swung open first. A warm, soft body with a faint floral scent rushed into his arms.
“Back?”
