Does this game have a beginner’s village? (laughs)

Ranen turned off the video.

Thinking about his own psychological reactions after the player’s death—being moved by the light of humanity, questioning how someone could so easily give up their life…

Ranen silently covered his face.

Ahhh, why is it so embarrassing! 

The expression of indifference he had put on in the face of failure instantly crumbled. Ranen looked around desperately for a place to hide, wanting to bury himself.

Why didn’t you just say you were a player earlier.jpg

Especially seeing the forum’s various praises and speculations about his identity, Ranen felt both awkward and like sighing. He was really just a failure who had given up; if he were truly the so-called Dark God, he wouldn’t have fallen to this state!

He was just an ordinary person who happened to be transported into the game, or rather, an unlucky one.

Why did he end up in such a dangerously extreme world…

At this time, the night in the hospital was dispelled by the dawn light, bringing a new day.

Strangely, as the sunlight streamed into the ward, the monster corpses and the damage to the walls disappeared, as if everything from last night had been a dream.

But Ranen knew it wasn’t a dream; at least the forum that appeared in his mind was real.

He had really been transported into the game “Wheel of Fate,” and not just at any time, but at the very early stage, before even the public or internal tests had begun.

After the awkward period passed, Ranen stared blankly at the bed for a long time, until someone knocked on his hospital room door.

“Good morning, Mr. Ranen,” a blonde nurse appeared at his door. She was so thin, almost unnaturally so, that she did not look like an adult woman. Her collarbone was clearly visible through the deliberately wide neckline.

“Good morning, Anita,” Ranen’s smile was forced as he quickly averted his gaze. The blonde nurse, however, seemed to misunderstand, and her smile became more seductive as she bent over and said, “I’m here to change your dressing.”

Ranen jolted, his mind uncontrollably recalling the monstrous figure from last night. “Anita, I thought you were in charge of the front desk?”

“Yes, but today Nurse Mary is on leave,” the blonde nurse blinked, “So I’ll be the one to administer your medication. Don’t worry, I’ll be very gentle.”

Ranen thought about the red-haired nurse from last night.

The hospital was starkly different by day and night. He had noticed this early on—like now, this seemingly frail blonde girl who would turn into a monstrous figure by night and enjoyed treating patients as snacks.

The red-haired head nurse was the same. By day, she was the dream girl of all the doctors in the hospital. But by night, she transformed into the spider woman from last night. The strange thing was that, no matter what happened in the hospital at night, everything would return to normal as soon as it was day.

The sound of the blonde nurse closing the door interrupted Ranen’s thoughts. She fixed her gaze on Ranen’s face, a blush spreading across her cheeks. “I’m here to change your bandages first.”

Ranen: …

The image of the monstrous nurse from the night before, dragging the neighboring patient into her mouth while chewing on bones, flashed across Ranen’s mind again.

He shivered and tried to figure out how to politely decline, when a knock at the door interrupted him.

*Knock, knock, knock.

The knocking was slow but heavy. The blonde nurse, unwilling to miss the opportunity, spoke impatiently, “We’re still changing the bandages. If you need something, please wait.”

The knocking outside paused briefly, then resumed persistently. The blonde nurse, annoyed, turned and opened the door. “I told you we’re administering medication—”

The door opened to reveal a figure almost filling the doorway, with long, disheveled hair covering their face. Just standing there created an overwhelming sense of pressure.

The blonde nurse instantly swallowed her remaining words.

Ranen stretched his neck to see the newcomer and promptly said, “Good morning, Ogre.”

The newcomer lowered his head as he entered; the doorframe wasn’t short, but he had to bend down to get inside the room. When he straightened up, he revealed an exaggerated height of nearly two meters one, like a small giant. His long, disheveled hair reached his shoulders, making him look somewhat unkempt. Most of his face was obscured by his wild hair, and the occasional glimpse of his eyes, mostly white, made him seem fierce and unapproachable.

But Ranen knew that despite Ogre’s appearance, he was actually a caring “male mother.”

During his hospitalization, aside from being startled on the first day by the exaggeratedly large man who came to visit him, the only thing Ranen looked forward to each day was Ogre’s presence.

Not for any other reason, but because Ogre was incredibly attentive! When Ranen first arrived in this world, bewildered and confused, Ogre had quietly taken care of him for a whole week.

When Ranen was at his most confused and helpless, what healed him was the food brought by Ogre! Despite Ogre being quiet and rarely speaking, he was incredibly reliable and attentive. If Ranen mentioned a cuisine he wanted, he would find it served the next day. Compared to the disappointing roommates from his past life, Ogre was like the perfect roommate!

Without Ogre’s unwavering care, Ranen might not have lasted these few days, given his own defeated mindset.

In this cold world, the meals brought by his roommate were the only source of warmth.

Moreover, considering the nighttime horrors of the hospital, Ogre’s minor flaw in appearance was trivial compared to the terrifying monsters.

“Good morning, Ranen.” Ogre’s voice was hoarse and deep. He spoke slowly, as if not used to interacting with people, but this manner of speaking combined with his size was quite intimidating. “Were you discussing something just now?”

“Oh, Mr. Ranen hasn’t had his bandages changed yet.” The blonde nurse smiled awkwardly, about to say something when Ranen interrupted, “Ogre, could you help me change the bandages?”

Both people in the room turned to Ranen, who smiled with a hint of embarrassment, saying, “It’s not appropriate for men and women to handle this.”

The blonde nurse looked momentarily flustered. “But that doesn’t follow the regulations…”

She looked at Ogre’s silent but imposing face, and her voice gradually faded away.

Ogre took the ointment from the blonde nurse’s hands, and the previously persistent nurse, now intimidated by Ogre, quietly moved to the side and stood by the door.

Ranen sometimes envied Ogre’s commanding presence, which conveyed authority without him needing to do anything.

“Where is the wound…”

Ogre’s words brought Ranen’s attention back. He unfastened his hospital gown and lay face down on the bed, exposing a small burn on his lower back. “Sorry to trouble you.”

The burn was located on his lower back, and to make it easier for Ogre to apply the ointment, Ranen removed the outer layer of his hospital gown and lay on the clean white sheets, revealing his well-defined back and narrow waist.

The charm of a person isn’t just in their face, but also in their body.

Every part of him was beautiful, not with a rugged, muscular adult physique but rather the kind of beauty revered by the Greeks—a youthful stage transitioning into manhood, with supple limbs and skin glowing with a healthy, pale sheen. In the sunlight, his body resembled fine jade, radiating youth and vitality.

The most striking feature was the small dimples on his lower back, which added a hint of provocative allure to a body that should have been depicted in temple murals. Even the mild burn marks nearby seemed like traces left by the god of love.

The blonde nurse’s previously displeased expression was instantly replaced by one of fascination, her gaze almost glued to the sight.

Suddenly, Ogre seemed to sense someone watching and looked up, turning his attention towards her.

Under his disheveled hair, the nurse glimpsed a pair of blood-red eyes. Her head throbbed with a sudden pain, and she shook her head, dazedly averting her gaze.

Ranen remained oblivious to what was happening behind him and thought his roommate’s touch was very gentle. If it weren’t for his upcoming discharge, he might have almost fallen asleep.

Soon, the ointment application was finished. Ogre worked with great care but didn’t drag out the process like some other nurses did. Ranen turned to see Ogre standing up to wash his hands. He maintained his usual silent but reliable demeanor. Oddly, after applying the medicine, Ogre touched Ranen’s forehead with his finger, seemingly drawing a symbol.

“This is…” Ogre explained slowly, “a blessing ritual from my hometown. Congratulations on your discharge, and I wish you good health.”

Ranen touched his forehead and smiled. “Thank you.”

Looking up, he noticed the blonde nurse still silently standing at the door. He smiled at her and said, “Excuse me, Miss Nurse, I’d like to go through the discharge procedures today.”

The blonde nurse snapped out of her daze and answered reflexively, “Okay, I’ll handle it right away.”

A few meters away from the ward, she fully realized what Ranen had said: discharge… discharge…

Does that mean she won’t see him again?

The blonde nurse’s steps slowed.

Despite the complexity of the discharge procedures and the slow pace of the nurses, and despite the reluctance in their eyes, he completed all the paperwork by the afternoon. When Ranen left, not only were the nurses present, but even the doctors, who weren’t as busy, and patients from the ward gathered to see him off.

A boy with a below-the-knee amputation clumsily supported himself with crutches and threw himself into Ranen’s arms, his eyes brimming with tears. “Ranen, are you really leaving?”

“Yes,” Ranen crouched down and patted the boy’s head. “You should listen to the doctors and nurses, and you’ll be able to leave soon too.”

“Wuwu, okay qwq.”

Not only did the children from the ward come out, but many patients also stood nearby, their gazes full of reluctance.

This extraordinarily beautiful young man had become a standout presence in the hospital. Now that he was about to be discharged, many people felt they would miss him.

The doctor handling Ranen’s discharge joked, “Your charm is too great; you have enchanted everyone. You wouldn’t believe it, but with you around, the nurses and doctors have been much more motivated. How about you stay and be the hospital’s mascot?”

Ranen immediately gave an awkward yet polite smile. “You flatter me.”

He was well aware of his own charm, and he had even been pleased by it at first. However, after discovering the truth about the hospital’s nights, his once-enviable charm had turned into a curse.

Who in their right mind wants to be a heartthrob in a world of evil gods?

He had to leave today. He had previously tried various methods to leave the hospital, but they had all failed due to various restrictions. Now, having finally managed to hold on until his wounds had healed, he knew he had to leave this time or he wouldn’t get another chance.

Despite the repeated attempts of doctors and nurses to persuade him to stay, Ranen resolutely left with Ogre. As soon as they were out of the hospital grounds, he visibly relaxed.

Although Arkham City wasn’t exactly safe, and there was no place truly secure for players, at least it felt like a starting zone. It couldn’t be that dangerous, could it?

Ranen had no experience of the Arkham period from his previous life. He only remembered seeing posts on forums criticizing the early promotions of the game. Although it was a cosmic horror game, it didn’t seem to have the eerie elements that were advertised; instead, it felt more like an open-world real-life simulation.

Many players complained that the game was misleading, noting that most games prominently feature their selling points, while this one seemed to hide them.

Other posts echoed similar sentiments. Essentially, as long as they didn’t encounter special events, the cosmic horror and weirdness were completely irrelevant to them, and ordinary people could lead an ordinary life.

Keywords: Calm, Everyday, Newbie Village.

When combined, it should be very reassuring…

Emmm, reassuring?

Ranen stared at the world before him in silence, feeling lost.

In the bustling steel forest, people moved through streets and roads as usual, but there were now some bizarre things added to the familiar scene.

At the street corner ahead to the left, a group of young people with exaggeratedly colored hair gathered around a phone screen, laughing loudly from time to time. Behind them, a monster with a neck about two meters long joined in their laughter.

By the sidewalk, a withered tree was home to a human-faced crow that sang loudly.

A red light suddenly turned on. A red sedan slammed on its brakes, passing by a horse-drawn carriage. The breeze lifted the carriage curtain, revealing not cargo, but rows of human heads.

Demons and monsters, the weirdness was rampant.

Wasn’t Arkham supposed to be just a newbie village?

Is this what you call a newbie village?

Ranen felt utterly dismayed.

Hello? Customer service? There’s a big problem here.