novelraw Chapter 1 Lin Dong is dead
Chapter 1 Lin Dong is dead
[End of this instance]
[Lin Dong, the contestant from the Dragon Kingdom, is dead; the challenge has failed!]
[A new dungeon is about to begin; dungeon draws are in progress...]
As those few lines of blood-red text appeared on the live stream screen, the entire Dragon Kingdom instantly fell into a deathly silence.
The barrage of bullets in the sky was like a death knell, hanging over the heads of every Chinese person.
Next time!
Just one more failure!
The entire Dragon Kingdom will be completely swallowed up by endless strangeness, and this land will be transformed into a paradise for demons and monsters to revel in.
In the live stream room, the chat was filled with apocalyptic hostility.
"It's over! It's all over! Lin Dong is dead too! Is there any hope left for us?"
"Next time, next time we will face national extinction and annihilation!"
"Why is it always our Dragon Kingdom that's so unlucky! Three consecutive failures, is this fucking intentional?!"
"Damn it, I don't want to die! Is there any way to immigrate? Is it too late to go to the UK now?"
"Come on! The Eagle Nation still has 60% of its national fortune left, why would they want you? Look at our neighbor, the Little Japan, they still have 45% of their national fortune left. Go there now and work like a slave, maybe you can still survive!"
......
at the same time--
Inside a small rented room, Jiang Xiu stared blankly at the information in the live stream.
A strange tale of rules?
Thirty percent of the nation's destiny?
The Dragon Kingdom was destroyed?
Where the hell did I end up? Is this still the world I know?
In an instant, countless memories flooded his mind—had he transmigrated?!
Two and a half years ago, the game of rule-based horror descended upon this world without warning.
Every so often, one chosen person from nearly two hundred countries around the world is randomly selected and forcibly sent to a strange world full of unknowns and twisted rules.
The actions of the chosen ones in ghost stories are directly related to the fate of their respective countries.
Successfully completing the challenge will elevate the nation's fortunes, unleash abundant resources, and even grant unimaginable rewards.
If they fail, the chosen one dies.
The country it represents will suffer the punishment of its national destiny, with resources dwindling and natural disasters occurring frequently.
Even more terrifying is that the "weirdness" in the world of ghost stories can originate from the point of failure, manifest and spread in the real world, and erode reality.
Two and a half years is enough time to change the world order.
Some countries have made great strides and prospered thanks to powerful chosen ones.
Meanwhile, many more countries declined with each defeat, their territories swallowed by a strange gray fog, and they disappeared completely from the map.
Dragon Kingdom—the former giant dragon of the East.
After experiencing several critical failures, the company was in a precarious situation and had reached the edge of a precipice.
Once Jiang Xiu understood this, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily—
Don't create a new account!
"I've only been here for less than ten minutes!"
Just then.
The system notification sounded once again in the minds of every human being around the world.
[The Ghost Story instance has been confirmed—Silent Bikini Bottom!]
[Instance Description: This is a bustling underwater town, inhabited by various marine creatures such as sponges, starfish, crabs, and squirrels... They live together in harmony.]
[Dungeon Difficulty: S]
[Currently selecting chosen ones from various countries to participate in the dungeon...]
Along with this subtitle appeared a moving image that seemed to be composed of distorted light and eerie colors—
A seabed town that should have been vibrant and lively, but was now shrouded in a deathly atmosphere.
The buildings were crooked, the streets were empty, and even the seawater seemed to have solidified into a viscous gel.
The lettering on the sign was blurry and illegible.
"hiss--"
People all over the world who saw this live broadcast gasped in shock.
A chill ran from the soles of my feet straight up to the top of my head!
An S-rank dungeon! This is the first time the highest difficulty rating has appeared since the strange tales of rules descended upon Earth two and a half years ago!
In the past, the highest level of dungeons was only A, yet it had already destroyed countless renowned Chosen Ones and their nations.
The survival rate for A-level dungeons is less than one percent, so the unprecedented S-level dungeon... its danger is simply unimaginable!
"It's over...it's really over this time..."
"S-rank... Hah, you might as well just sentence us to death..."
"The Dragon Kingdom... is going to be gone..."
......
Inside the Dragon Kingdom's live stream room, despairing comments filled the screen like snowflakes, making it almost impossible to see a glimmer of light.
Panic, like a real dark cloud, loomed over the hearts of every Chinese person.
However, in stark contrast to the global audience's terrified and alarmed reaction—
Jiang Xiu stared blankly at the Bikini Bottom promotional image playing on the screen in front of him!
Jiang Xiu felt that his CPU was overheating.
What? Did the entire Bikini Bottom travel through time with me?
Or is it that this bizarre world of strange rules has transformed the cartoons from his childhood memories into a death game?
Jiang Xiu's lips twitched!
Isn't this the story of SpongeBob and Patrick? I've been watching it since I was a kid!
Jiang Xiu doesn't even know what he should be afraid of!
Are you afraid of a talking yellow sponge?
Or are you afraid of a silly pink starfish?
Or perhaps it's that money-grubbing red crab?
Or... that planktonic creature that's always trying to steal the secret formula?
In an instant—
Jiang Xiu's initial fear was instantly replaced by a sense of absurdity and... a familiar headache.
This feeling is like your boss coming to inspect, specifically asking to see you, and you go there full of anxiety, only to find out that your boss is the same person who forces you to work overtime every day without paying you... This is the worst kind of exploitation by someone you know!
But before Jiang Xiu could fully savor these subtle feelings, the cold system notification sounded once again across the globe, clearly echoing in Jiang Xiu's ears:
[The Chosen One has been drawn!]
[The Chosen One of the Dragon Kingdom: Jiang Xiu!]
[Loading the S-rank ghost story instance—Silent Bikini Bottom!]
"Holy crap?! You actually chose..." Jiang Xiu didn't even have time to finish his rant (especially about possibly having to work overtime at the Krusty Krab for free) before everything suddenly went black.
After a brief period of dizziness and darkness, a voice, unlike any global announcement, seemed to resonate directly within the depths of his mind, carrying a strange rhythm, slowly broadcasting:
[Congratulations to the chosen one, Jiang Xiu, for successfully loading into the S-rank ghost story instance—Silent Bikini Bottom.]
[Identifying your current identity... Identity confirmed: Squidward.]
You are a resident of Bikini Bottom, a cashier at the Krusty Krab. Please do your best to play your role well and integrate into Bikini Bottom life. Remember, the logic of your character's behavior is crucial for your survival in the world of ghost stories.
We wish you a pleasant experience.
The atmosphere at the Dragon Kingdom Ghost Stories Research Institute was extremely heavy.
Jiang Xiu's figure, with a slightly... lifeless expression, was projected onto the screen on the conference room wall, and was exceptionally clear.
Quiet.
Silence so profound you could hear a pin drop.
The artist's despair overflowed from the screen.
No one spoke first in the spacious conference room, but everyone's eyes were filled with resentment and sorrow.
The middle-aged man sitting at the head of the table coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention. He was Zheng Peng, the head of the Strange Tales Research Institute.
"Everyone, please share your thoughts."
Zheng Peng spoke calmly, his gaze slowly sweeping across the entire room.