Behind the Door

Every screen in the world lit up at once. A single line of text and two buttons: "The Gods' Game has begun. Do you wish to enter?" There was no explanation, no warning. Those who pressed "Yes" were thrown into mission worlds: a town sealed by dense fog, a train that never stopped, a haunted city with no way out, a battleground where nations slaughtered one another. Survive, return, and be scored by seven gods. Earn points that could be exchanged for money, life, or anything else you wanted. If you died, you were really dead. Veteran soldier Chen Mo entered the game to pay for his father's dialysis, and discovered that his hands didn't shake. Genius girl Lin Xi did the math between data and human lives, and she calculated it all with perfect clarity. Laid-off worker Wang Fugui was terrified out of his wits, but somehow survived every time. His luck was too good to be normal. Streamer Su Ye treated everything as content, until the people in front of his camera stopped waking up. Retired teacher Zhao Guilan was gentle and considerate, handing out candy to everyone. She remembered each person's allergies and how useful they could be. No one was the protagonist. Anyone could die. The seven gods watched from above, placing bets and handing out scores, cheering or sighing at mortals' struggles. But what they hadn't said was this: This was already the seventh round. The first six had ended in total annihilation. The door was about to open again.