Lin Ye, a senior in the Computer Science Department at Huaxing University, had spent a week working intensely on his graduation project. His roommate dragged him out at midnight to unwind with Delta Force, but while waiting to be matched into a game, he died suddenly.
When he woke up, he was in an underground NPC cage at Zero Dam, a Hafk experiment subject with the number X-0041.
In this world, he met Mila, the person who fought alongside him, only for Hafk to remotely destroy her consciousness and kill her right before his eyes. He met Pasha, who sacrificed himself to cover Lin Ye's entry into the shelter, clutching his hand as he died and saying, "Get them out." He met Sayid, the administrator in the red mask, who seemed to spend all his time hunting Lin Ye, but secretly became a ghost who helped him, right up until Lin Ye personally drove a blade into his chest and ended his life in captivity.
It turned out that every pursuit had been a guide, and every log had been a clue. He couldn't get out on his own. But he believed Lin Ye could.
"Kill me and take my clearance. Then get them out."
That was the last log Sayid left Lin Ye. By the time Lin Ye read it, Sayid was already dead by his hand.
In the end, Lin Ye succeeded. He joined forces with players in the real world to destroy Hafk's Lazarus Project and rescue thousands of imprisoned experiment subjects.
But he didn't return to the real world.
He stayed at Zero Dam, using the consciousness-repair technology Sayid had left behind to bring the fallen back to life, one by one.
Then he put on that red mask.
Zero Dam's new boss, number X-0041, codename "Sayid"
