I Sell Guides in a Nightmare Game

*Blurb to be completed

Shen Tan has been plagued by nightmares for as long as he can remember. In his dreams, he enters all kinds of terrifying, bizarre worlds, gets hunted by monsters, and is forced to complete various missions. On average, he dies eight times a night.

A small-town exam ace, Shen Tan decisively plays to his strengths: grinding through problems, analyzing them, and compiling a book of mistakes.

Until one day, he really is dragged into an infinite horror game with an extremely high death rate.

Looking at the all-too-familiar scenes and monsters, Shen Tan says, "..."

Folks, I'm home. This time, I'm really home.

*

In the infinite players' lobby, several veteran players looking to scam rookies are sizing up potential marks. Seeing that Shen Tan has the clear-eyed look of a college student, they promptly decide to fleece him.

"Without a veteran player guiding you, the odds of clearing your first instance are below ten percent. So, what do you say? Want to come with us?"

Shen Tan readily agrees, but once they enter the instance, the veterans begin to sense something is off.

"Oh, I know this monster. Its attack range is only a hundred meters, so just stay outside that distance."

"There should be a hidden treasure chest in this area... Yep, looks like I remembered right."

"This monster is the sworn enemy of the one in the room we just passed. If we lure them together, they'll kill each other."

The veterans: "..."

Wait, which one of us is the veteran player here? Does this make any sense?!

The players, sensing trouble, decide to strike first. Just then, Shen Tan turns back and smiles at them, his tone gentle and polite.

"There's one thing I forgot to mention. When that monster enters its enraged state, its attack range expands to a hundred and fifty meters. Oh, that's exactly where you're standing now."

*

A few days later, in the players' lobby, a strikingly handsome player holding a sign and still sporting a rookie title catches everyone's attention.

The sign reads: "Limited-time special! Dream Village instance guide for 500 points. Guaranteed to teach you how to clear it, with 100% completion guaranteed."

Everyone: "..."

A perfectly good-looking guy, and he goes crazy just like that.

Dream Village is a genuine A-rank instance, one of the players' worst nightmares. Even the high-level players near the top of the rankings can't guarantee a completion rate above sixty percent.

Anyone who buys this guide must be an idiot.

A few hours later, an clueless rookie buys the guide.

Twenty minutes later, the clueless rookie leaves the instance with a clear-eyed look. The System announces a successful clear with 100% completion.

Everyone: "...???"

*

Yu Fei, the player ranked first on the points leaderboard by a wide margin, is a famous lone wolf. He has no teammates and never joins any guild.

After day upon day of uninspired battles, he grows weary of it all, until one day, a young man approaches him.

"We're the ones playing the game, not the other way around."

The exquisite-featured young man holds out his hand, his voice beguiling. "Are you interested in joining me to turn this game upside down?"

*An unconventional infinite-flow story with a wildly overpowered protagonist. Later on, it includes base-building and management elements as he establishes a safe house in the infinite world. A brainless wish-fulfillment romp.

*The strongest guide-maker, an ambitious shou X a loyal attack dog and human weapon, the strongest gong

Theme: Never lose hope, no matter what.