[Second novel of 2026]
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The infinite survival game has been open for years. Its instances are dangerous and treacherous, and few people ever make it to the stone steps at the highest level and escape the game for good.
Among the very few who clear it, almost all have their minds devoured by the instances and become madmen who can't live without killing.
To return to the instances, they make deals with newcomers and take over their accounts. They keep going until they reach the top with that account, then find another newcomer and repeat the process.
The infinite survival game turns a blind eye to this behavior. In return, to keep old players from being killed by fake newcomers, everyone's System can look up other players' real information.
That is, the real [playtime] and [win rate] of the living player behind each account.
Although everyone looks down on rich people paying others to play for them, these paid stand-ins are usually ruthless and don't talk much. They can kill one ghost after another with a single slash. Unless it's a faction-based instance, they're the dream teammates of every player.
**
Shi Yuan is a rookie idol who hasn't debuted yet, and she's a complete coward.
On the night she takes part in a talent show, she's in a car accident and ends up in the infinite survival game.
Surrounded by ghosts, she's still too stunned to recover when, to make matters worse, the guide System responsible for her malfunctions and breaks down.
Its final words are that the time conversion between the instance and reality has failed. The current rate is 1:100. Please exit the instance as soon as possible.
Shi Yuan: "..."
She doesn't understand a word.
With no System, she can't unlock NPC information or view her own stats... She spends two whole days guessing and muddling through in tears, finally escaping the instance before she's killed.
She appears in the instance transfer lobby.
Following behind her, unseen because of a System bug, are two achievement badges: [5000h+] of instance survival time and a [100%] win rate.
The lobby falls silent for one second.
Then everyone goes crazy.
**
Shi Yuan: I'm a coward, but at least I'm good at keeping a straight face. They probably won't hate me, right? T.T...
Forum post A: No wonder she's a god-tier carry! The way she looks at ghosts in the instances is exactly the way you'd look at garbage! Aaaaaah!
Shi Yuan: I can't use the points shop, and I know absolutely nothing about items. T.T
Forum post B: Sister Shi is on another level now. An old player tried to provoke her with an attack item, and she didn't even bat an eyelid!!
Forum post C: This is what makes the only god-tier carry in the instances so incredible!! She doesn't even deign to use items!!
#Hello everyone, I'm a newbie, Xiao Shi
#Wait, what do you mean, you're giving me the imperial robe and saying you'll follow me to overthrow the game's rule? O.O?
#Aaaaaah
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Theme: Face life's setbacks with a smile