Chapter 4

When Bai Lang entered the "Cheating Phase," the real-world "Mokuroku Station" was already under martial law. The underground passage in the southeast exit direction had severely collapsed, and several engineering vehicles were conducting rescue excavations.

This attack caused a large number of casualties. The staff quickly dug out a shriveled male corpse from the buried rubble, unrecognizable, but identified by his clothing as the one who had severed Bai Lang's arm.

As for the silver-haired woman who first locked onto Bai Lang, she had long since disappeared.

"What the hell happened here?" The irritable older brother, holding his dinner, paced back and forth, asking a young man beside him.

"A contractor died. The Management Bureau just sent a message. A significant spatial fluctuation occurred at Mokuroku Station 70 minutes ago, so they sent a member to investigate the cause. After a fierce conflict with an unidentified woman, he was killed... All surveillance systems were damaged, leaving no video records. Witnesses had their memories erased, but they are under control." The young man shrugged, indifferent.

"What level of spatial fluctuation?" The older brother frowned, sensing that things were not simple.

"Parallel space."

"Tsk! How exciting." The older brother tsked, took a big bite of bread, and waved his hand. "What are you standing around for? This is none of our business. Pack up and leave."

"Oh..."

...

At the same time, on a small road in the outskirts of the city, the sun was setting, and pedestrians were sparse. The woman in black returned to her ladylike demeanor.

At this moment, she held a small phone in her right hand, dialing a number seriously, while her slender, white left hand held Bai Lang's severed arm, swinging it as she walked, leaving a trail of blood on the ground.

After the call connected, she shook her hair, placed the phone to her ear, and looked up at the distant city. Under the dim, smoggy cloud layer, a huge hemispherical energy shield covered the bustling city, like a giant city model from a distance.

"Hello... Boss, I am very sorry, my mission failed! Yes, I lost the target, and the Management Bureau's hound took him away first. But I have already killed him and obtained a sample of the target's flesh and blood. I am confident that I can quickly locate him in the space and recapture him. Please give me another chance!"

As the woman spoke, the severed arm in her hand underwent dramatic changes. The flesh swelled like a balloon, the outer layer of skin turned grayish-white, and eventually spread to the entire left arm, forming an oval-shaped grayish-white "plaster block."

With a series of "cracks," the outer shell was covered with cracks, breaking off, and a doll about the height of two palms gently landed, resembling Bai Lang's appearance but more cartoonish.

"No need, your mission is already successful, and the points will be transferred to your account. As for that lucky guy, he has lost his value, and the customer is no longer interested. You can handle him as you see fit." The voice on the other end of the phone gave an unexpected response.

"Successful? What do you mean?" The woman widened her eyes, staring at the doll on the ground. Then, she looked annoyed and kicked the doll away.

"I'm not sure either, but the customer just confirmed 'mission complete' and sent the reward." The Boss was also puzzled but quickly let it go.

"Alright, so that guy has lost his value, and the customer is no longer interested?"

"Exactly! When you open a package, do you care about the outer wrapping?"

"Oh? A beautiful package is also worth collecting. So he's mine, right? You have no objections?"

"..."

"Silence means consent! Great, I declare I'm going on vacation!"

At this moment, the Bai Lang doll, which had rolled away, got up and quickly ran back to its owner.

...

Bai Lang opened his eyes. This was a world on the brink of destruction, as if even the air was wailing.

The midnight sky was not dark. A huge, broken moon, as if carelessly glued together, hung high in the sky, emitting a dull red light, causing irritability and a desire to kill, making people fall into madness involuntarily.

The broken moon was very close to the ground, so it appeared enormous. If observed closely, one could clearly see the craters, large cracks, and planet-sized damage, as if a catastrophic battle had recently erupted on the moon, shattering it and leaving it barely held together by some external force.

Around the crimson "broken moon," irregular spatial rifts cut through the sky, dividing the night into several regions. Each rift's depths emitted a dark red glow, like molten lava, illuminating the dark night. Evil and ominous aura continuously seeped from behind the rifts, eroding the desolate planet.

Opposite the "broken moon," a super-large "Ring of Darkness" hung high in the sky, its edges slowly burning, outlining a deep black hole.

...

A cold, fierce wind howled, blowing Bai Lang's hair wildly. Wearing only a summer T-shirt, he shivered in the cold, curling into a ball.

Looking around, he found himself on the rooftop of a high-rise building, with about forty people scattered around. Some lay scattered on the ground, still unconscious; others had already woken up and gathered nearby, seemingly discussing and arguing. Occasionally, the cries of the newly awakened and the helpless sobs of women could be heard.

The people on the rooftop included men and women, students, and office workers, with no discernible pattern. From the naive and helpless female students to the obese and screaming middle-aged women, from the muscular men to the balding "Mediterranean programmers."

The bizarre sky left Bai Lang speechless. The thick, substantial evil aura in the air made him feel oppressed and agitated. Looking at the broken moon, he felt a strong urge to destroy.

He quickly turned his head and, using the red glow from the sky, looked further into the distance.

This was a dead, steel and concrete forest, a vast, desolate cemetery that had been abandoned for over a decade.

On the surface streets, there were no pedestrians or traffic, no neon lights or street lamps. Buildings stood silently in the darkness, and the empty city sky occasionally echoed with piercing screams, making one's hair stand on end.

...

Bai Lang, who had experienced many storms, quickly calmed down.

With his arm already severed and regrown, what was there to fear? He did not rush to join the crowd but focused his mind, and a panel indeed appeared before his eyes, with the content changed:

Welcome to "The Darkest City - 023 Newbie Incubation Zone," a highly polluted world.

Level: Extremely Dangerous!

Trial Difficulty: Very Easy.

Trial Task: Not Activated. (Please find the guide.)

Note: This is the first trial for newbies. Personal attributes have been enhanced, benefits increased, ability solidification threshold lowered, and activity area limited. Do not leave the newbie zone voluntarily, or you will bear the consequences. (Looking forward to it...)