“Dong—! Dong—!”

Yu Sen’s head felt as if it was being pounded fiercely, a kind of deep, resonant vibration that startled him awake in a daze.

Then he saw something that sent chills down his spine.

—That clock brought back from Thailand was now hanging unsupported at an angle above his line of sight, its hands pointing to midnight, with the heavy hammer swinging back and forth, emitting a dull sound.

This is truly surreal!

Yu Sen stared at the clock for five seconds before decisively closing his eyes again.

Three minutes later, his gradually blurring consciousness was suddenly jolted back to clarity.

He opened his eyes and glared at Si Nan in front of him, cursing, “Go to hell!”

Si Nan: “…Stop cursing me and wake up. Take a good look at our surroundings.”

Yu Sen quickly stood up and only then did he clearly see his surroundings. Behind Si Nan stood Si Xuanyang, who was nervously biting his fingernails. The hanging clock was still suspended in midair, but it had become very faint.

The three of them had clearly slept in a room last night, but now they found themselves in a deserted thicket on the outskirts, surrounded by thick darkness and a faint mist. In the night sky, a slender crescent moon, like a sickle, was partially obscured by clouds, casting a dim and hazy light.

Yu Sen remained silent for a moment before speaking, “Am I really not dreaming?”

Then, with lightning speed, he reached out and pinched Si Nan’s face hard.

“Ow—!!! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts… It really hurts! Why didn’t you pinch yourself!?” Si Nan grimaced in pain, jumping two steps back.

“I’m afraid of pain…” Yu Sen replied absentmindedly while surveying the surroundings.

“Then you could pinch my brother! I’m afraid of pain too!” Si Nan retorted, dissatisfied.

“No, no…” Si Xuanyang quickly waved his hands, looking serious. “I don’t want to get in between you two.”

“What do you mean by that…”

“Shut up!” Yu Sen frowned tightly, looking toward the position of the hanging clock. He had just felt some changes in the atmosphere there.

It was like… the heat waves rising from the ground in summer, appearing as rolling, distorted ripples.

“It seems like something is about to come out!”

Yu Sen quickly pulled the two back a few steps, but he still held a sliver of hope in his heart—maybe this was just a vivid dream?

However, the next second, the scene before him made him unsure.

The hanging clock in midair disappeared with a Harry Potter-style ‘shadow,’ and in the spot where it vanished, accompanied by various loud and soft sounds, three things fell from thin air.

—A crossbow bolt, a red-bladed axe, and…

A broken-down little car!

“Thud—! Squeak, squeak…”

…

There wasn’t even the sound of insects around. Watching the car door slowly sway and make an irritating creaking sound, Yu Sen and the two brothers fell silent.

No matter how much they refused to believe this wasn’t a dream, they had to accept it now.

They stared at each other in disbelief for a long time before Si Xuanyang slowly spoke, “Shit!”

“What the hell is this?” Si Nan jumped up in shock. “Am I still half asleep, seeing things? Where did these come from? The sky? Really now! Why don’t you drop a box of gold bars for me!”

“It’s probably that clock’s doing,” Yu Sen raised an eyebrow. “Si Si, looks like the gift you bought wasn’t exactly clean.”

That comment only made Si Xuanyang more agitated, exploding like a bomb aimed at Si Nan.

“I’ve told you not to buy stuff from those second-hand markets! Statues, rosaries, medieval dolls, wooden chests, boxes, leather sofas! The house is filled with them, ghosts lingering everywhere! Even the Shit bathroom isn’t spared! Never mind our mom, even I get the creeps just looking at them! You say you love the vintage style so much, why not buy some well-crafted new items with a retro feel?! Why insist on things with unknown origins?!”

Si Nan, knowing he was at fault, kept his head down and nodded furiously, but couldn’t help muttering in a low voice, “New ones don’t have that vibe…”

Si Xuanyang’s rage escalated, “Vibe! Tell me what kind of vibe! Now you’ve got your vibe alright, GAME OVER!”

“…”

Yu Sen took a couple of steps towards where the items had fallen, his gaze suddenly fixated beside the axe: “There’s a note there. It wasn’t there before.”

Si Xuanyang paused his rant against his brother and followed Yu Sen, his face dark with suspicion, looking at the palm-sized white piece of paper.

“Just now… I don’t think that was there.”

“Let’s take a look.” Yu Sen didn’t hesitate, stepping forward to pick up the note.

Si Xuanyang’s heart skipped a beat, but before he could react, Yu Sen already had the note in his hand.

“You’re being a bit reckless…” Si Xuanyang frowned. They were in such a strange place; any danger was unknown. Besides…

This guy was still his in-law!

What if something happened?

Even though this strange in-law wasn’t as petite and cute as he had imagined, and was actually a little taller than him.

“What’s so scary about a piece of paper?” Yu Sen grinned at him, his smile hidden in the night like a cunning fox.

Si Xuanyang looked away, cleared his throat, and pulled Si Nan by the collar as they walked over to Yu Sen’s side.

“Is there any writing on it?”

Si Nan, equally curious, leaned in and began reading the words on the note aloud.

“Zero Hour Game: Before you die, head to the top-floor laboratory of the Eternal Life Technology Company in the city center and find the antidote to the virus. Drink it to confirm your survival.”

“Note: Death confirmation includes two scenarios—physiological death; complete zombie transformation.”

A cold, chilly wind swept past their legs, making them shiver involuntarily.

“What does this… mean? Death and zombies and all that?” Si Xuanyang instinctively clutched his hair, a trace of irritated anger flashing in his eyes.

Yu Sen glanced at him, “Calm down. It looks like we were sucked into another space by that clock, a world… similar to a survival game, maybe. If we pass the game, we can go back.”

As for the consequences of ‘confirmed death’ in the game, perhaps only death itself could reveal the answer.

Si Nan swallowed nervously, his lips turning pale: “Could this be some enemy’s prank? There’s no way something this crazy could be real…”

Yu Sen tightly gripped his left wrist, feeling his pulse pounding wildly. He thought back to the nightmares he’d had during the day; perhaps they were a sign of things to come.

He pursed his lips, kicked the battered car door, and said, “We’re stuck here anyway, can’t go back. Whether it’s an elaborate prank or not, we’ll find out soon enough.”

————————————————

Although he guessed that the provided prop wouldn’t be a complete wreck, Yu Sen still felt his heart pound when he started the car and heard its faltering roar.

The surroundings were overgrown with weeds, making the road hard to see. The car’s headlights were dim, but after driving for a while, a narrow, muddy path appeared, seemingly carved out by someone.

At first, when they drove onto that path, the weeds on both sides were so tall they reached over the car’s roof, pressing down like vines. The road ahead stretched endlessly, with the night yet to lift, leaving an oppressive feeling that made it hard to breathe.

They couldn’t hear any insects or birds, only the sound of each other’s breathing inside the car.

Everything was unknown.

Yu Sen glanced sideways at Si Xuanyang in the passenger seat. The latter had his brows tightly furrowed, his beautiful eyes staring straight ahead.

In less than half a day of being together, Yu Sen had figured out a bit about this person’s temperament.

—Highly flammable and explosive.

Quite fitting for his name, too.

“Why don’t you take a nap? Since we’ve encountered something strange, there’s no need to dwell on other things. It’s most important to stay safe. In a place like this, mindset is crucial. You should learn from your brother.”

Si Xuanyang turned to look at Si Nan, who was sound asleep in the back seat, as comfortable as if he were at home. With a heavy sigh, he slumped back into his seat.

“Forget it. His nerves aren’t something ordinary people can emulate.”

He added, “Nor can most people tolerate it.”

“But I can!” Yu Sen’s interest was piqued. He turned his head and winked at him, his long, curly lashes fluttering in the dim light like they were coated with a thin layer of dew.

“Si Si is the best! In every way!”

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

Si Xuanyang’s face turned red. “…Ha, haha…”

Feeling a sense of satisfaction from his mischievous teasing, Yu Sen’s lips trembled as he tried to hold back his laughter when he saw Si Xuanyang’s mortified expression.

He was even worried Si Xuanyang might disagree, so he quickly added, “I’m serious!”

Si Xuanyang could no longer hold back: “Yes! Yes, you’re right! You’ve got great taste! Are you satisfied now?”

“Keep your voice down; don’t wake him up.”

Yu Sen glanced at him reproachfully and then suddenly pretended to act shy, as if he had just realized something. “Ah, so you knew? Then you must keep it a secret, okay? Don’t tell anyone, keep it low-key.”

Si Xuanyang’s eyelids twitched, and his face was filled with a look of despair. In this desolate place with just the three of them, who could he possibly tell?

The car drove through the desolate wilderness for about two hours. The weeds were not as overgrown anymore, and the view became much more open.

A small patch of light appeared on the horizon. Ahead, the scenery was no longer barren, revealing a tin building that looked like a toll station for entering a city. Beside it was an old, dilapidated factory building that seemed to have been there for years.

“Should we go inside and take a look?” Si Xuanyang asked in a low voice.

Yu Sen pinched the bridge of his nose twice, trying to drive away the sleepiness in his head. In truth, now that they had reached the end, he felt a lot more relaxed. The fear was in having no direction, driving endlessly without a destination.

But… this toll station’s exterior was covered in moss; it didn’t look like a place anyone would be.

Just as he was thinking this, his hesitant gaze suddenly froze, his pupils constricting in immediate surprise.

——”There’s someone near the factory!”