This is a cruel world dominated by "cognitive exploitation". "Self" is never an innate talent, but an illusion that needs to be maintained by robbing the lives of others. Every creature is born blank. Only by robbing others of their "moments of self-recognition" - either the highlight of glory or the sinking of losing a loved one, can a stable personality be pieced together. Otherwise, it will eventually disappear like smoke and be completely annihilated in the world.
Ling Jin is the only alien in this "self-graveyard". He cannot plunder, he can only "devour" - completely digesting other people's knowledge and reducing it to nothingness, in exchange for the ultimate hollow purity and power. Wherever he went, all traces of other people's existence were erased, becoming a nightmare for all predators. Throughout his life, he wandered in the abyss of endless loneliness and being feared by everyone.
The price of strength is a confusion that goes deep into the bones: Ling Jin can't remember who the first object he devoured was, and he has no way of knowing whether the existence he completely erased was his original self that was untainted and retained its authenticity.
A mysterious fragment of the empty ruins and a incomplete guardian's diary unexpectedly revealed the origin of the traceless people and the secrets of the empty ruins. In order to explore his own origin and find out the truth about his life experience, Ling Jin bid farewell to his wandering and stepped into the crisis-ridden Black Rock City, dealing with the greedy strong, struggling weak and hidden guardians. In the repeated choices of devouring and persevering, he is approaching the truth step by step, and what awaits him may be his own salvation, or it may be another prison that will never be restored.
