364 days until the apocalypse. The System descends, forcing billions of people around the world into an endless game.
Yu Yuan, an ordinary sophomore in college, becomes one of the first players after her roommate “transfers” her a spot.
Her roommate is dead. Before dying, she left behind an unread message that Yu Yuan has never dared to open.
The first instance, “Late-Night Convenience Store”: don’t move under a red light, move freely under a green light, and don’t look any “thing” in the eye under a yellow light. The System says the rules must be obeyed, but the scratches on the walls say rules are meant to be broken. Five players, lights cycling endlessly, shadows struggling inside the walls, and faceless figures. Yu Yuan discovers that those faceless things were once players too.
She gains a mysterious pet named Gugu, a tiny glowing fluffball that can detect hidden rules. She meets Lin, an eerie man whose shoes never gather dust and who always says, “Everything that exists is reasonable.” She learns about “Kill Points”: killing other players can bring an instance to an early end.
As the instances grow more difficult, Yu Yuan goes from fighting alone to forming temporary teams, and from avoiding bloodshed to actively hunting malicious players. Gradually, she uncovers the truth behind the System: this isn’t a game, but a “harvest” that has continued for three epochs. Behind the System are beings known as the “Council of Gods.” They feed on the souls of humanity’s strongest to maintain the order of the universe. And Yu Yuan’s roommate, Ji Sisi, turns out to be the descendant of the strongest player from the previous epoch. She chose to give the “key” to Yu Yuan.
As the world awaits the end of the apocalypse in despair, Yu Yuan makes her choice: neither obey the rules nor break them blindly, but understand them
