Ch. 12 - Terminal Illness
Starting the Game with Godlike VisionThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Notes
We're on Chapter 12 yo! By now, we know that Zuo Chengan's Eye of Truth rocks!
This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
We're on Chapter 12 yo! By now, we know that Zuo Chengan's Eye of Truth rocks!
Upon reviewing the game's detailed report, Zuo Chengan realized the extent of the damage it described went far beyond the scrapes and bruises he had sustained during the battle with the Hunters.
The report also noted surgical scars, subtle misalignments in his healed bones, hidden injuries accumulated over the years, and—most shocking of all—a trace of cancer cells lurking in his system.
A chill ran through him.
Some of the listed issues were familiar, but the presence of cancer was an entirely unexpected revelation.
The game's diagnostics had detected the early stages of lung cancer—something Zuo Chengan would never have suspected, given his hearty appetite and outwardly robust health.
Without hesitation, he selected [Yes], watching his points drop to 175.
Almost immediately, a profound lightness washed over him, as though every ounce of impurity and damage in his body had been meticulously cleared away.
It felt like shedding a lifetime of burdens in an instant.
As the warmth faded, a new notification appeared: [Constitution attribute has increased by 1 point.]
Evidently, even the harmful buildup from years of consuming processed foods and synthetic additives had been purged.
Turning his attention to the 10 Attribute Points awarded post-clearance, Zuo Chengan made his decisions quickly. He allocated all 10 points to Strength, only to find the stat capped at 10. The remaining points were then split between Constitution and Speed.
His updated profile now read:
[Player: Zuo Chengan]
[Level: Unranked]
[Mind: 74/100]
[Constitution: 10]
[Strength: 10]
[Speed: 10]
[Inventory: Tetanus Serum (31%), Night Vision Spectacles, Dried Lamb (2 pieces)]
[Skills: Eye of Truth]
For the first time since entering this surreal game, Zuo Chengan felt a sense of tangible progress. Whatever lay ahead, he now had the strength and clarity to face it.
…
Initially, Zuo Chengan's Strength stat had been only 5 points, but during the previous dungeon, he earned 3 free Attribute Points from achievements, which he promptly allocated to Strength, raising it to 8.
After clearing the instance, he received 10 additional free Attribute Points.
He used 2 points to max out Strength at 10, then split the remaining 8 points equally between Constitution and Speed, bringing both to 10 as well.
To his surprise, 2 unused points remained.
When he tried to allocate those points to any of the maxed stats, the game presented a message: [To exceed physical limits, advance your rank in the Tower of Ascension.]
Physical limits, huh? Zuo Chengan smirked.
It seemed like a typical progression system—advance to the next rank before upgrading further. Nothing too complicated.
Still, he couldn't help but feel satisfied with his earlier decision to spend 25 points on healing his body. That investment had raised his Constitution by 1, indirectly saving those two unused points for future upgrades.
His thoughts briefly shifted to his Mind stat. Before entering the instant dungeon (instance), it had been a stable 97. Now, after just one dungeon, it had dropped to 74.
What exactly does this stat influence?
He filed the question away for later, as there was no time to ponder.
Gradually, the ambient sounds of the street began filtering in.
Zuo Chengan heard the sharp tones of bargaining nearby—a street vendor and a customer haggling over the price of a trumpet-shaped item.
The negotiation started at 200 points and had been whittled down to 161, though the customer was still fiercely disputing the final 1-point discrepancy.
Curiously, Zuo Chengan's sudden appearance on the street didn't draw much attention.
Passersby barely spared him a glance, muttering comments like, "Another newcomer," before hurrying on their way.
A few furtive glances from shadowy corners carried no discernible malice, so he ignored them and focused on surveying his surroundings.
The area resembled a bustling human city, but certain oddities betrayed its unreal nature.
The sky was an unnervingly uniform white, and while there were no visible light sources, every corner of the space was perfectly illuminated.
This wasn't the real world. They were still inside the game.
Occasionally, other newcomers materialized on the street, much as he had.
The spot he had landed seemed to be at the entrance to a bustling marketplace filled with vendors occupying an entire plaza.
Some vendors, shrouded in black cloth, avoided exposing themselves entirely, hinting at a strange unease.
Zuo Chengan wandered casually, inspecting the prices.
He quickly realized his 175 points were neither much nor little, depending on what he wanted to buy.
For ordinary food, his points would last him two months of feasting. For gear, however, a single White-tier item could empty his balance.
As he weighed his options, one of the covert observers stepped forward to greet him.
"Been watching you for a while," said a sharp-eyed woman, her tone overly friendly. "New here, right? Need a guide? Only 5 points! It's a steal!"
Before he could decline, the woman latched onto his wrist like a leech, her enthusiasm bordering on desperation.
Zuo Chengan thought of the prices he'd just seen: 5 points were enough to buy 10 kilos of rice, which could feed someone for a month. Clearly, this was a rip-off.
He had no qualms about hiring a guide to quickly familiarize himself with the game's layout, but not at such an outrageous price. Besides, someone so eager to scam newcomers was unlikely to provide reliable information. There was no telling what critical details she might deliberately withhold.
When the woman added a coy suggestion of "extra services" at the end of her pitch and refused to let go of his wrist, Zuo Chengan had enough.
Without a word, he tightened his grip on her wrist, gradually increasing the pressure.
His full 10 points of Strength quickly made their presence known. The woman yelped in pain and instinctively let go, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and admiration.
She didn't dare assume he had an S-rating—her guess was simpler. She concluded he must have entered the game with a naturally strong physique, earning high rewards in the dungeon as a result.
Surely, someone like that would have plenty of points to spend, perhaps even enough to splurge on her services.
But as the pain in her wrist intensified, panic overtook her greed.
"All right, all right! I'm sorry! If you don't need a guide, I'll leave you alone! Please, let me go!"
Zuo Chengan released her.
The woman's retreat sent a ripple through the crowd. Many others, who had been eyeing him with similar intentions, backed off immediately.
Finally left in peace, Zuo Chengan observed the market further. It seemed there was an entire ecosystem of people eking out a living by serving as guides.
The more opportunistic ones, like the woman, had formed a network, strategically deploying different members to approach different targets based on appearance.
Young men? Send a flirtatious woman.
Lone girls? Deploy a sympathetic child or a frail figure.
It was a well-oiled scam operation.
Honestly, it baffled Zuo Chengan. With the time and effort they spent scamming rookies for a few points, they could have cleared an instance and earned far more.
Just from his last dungeon, Night of Screams, he'd netted 200 points in just over an hour. That was a far better hourly rate.
Not my problem…
Seeing other newcomers falling prey to these schemes, Zuo Chengan had no intention of stepping in to warn them. He didn't exactly have a "helpful stranger" mentality.
Eventually, a legitimate guide found their way to him. A young boy, no more than 8 or 9, approached cautiously.
Unlike the previous woman, he didn't grab or invade Zuo Chengan's personal space. Instead, he stopped at a respectful distance of half a meter and spoke politely. "Sir, would you like a guide? I can show you around Safety Zone 7 and explain its main features for just 1 point."
The boy's words caught Zuo Chengan's attention.
Safety Zone 7? So there are at least six others.
The boy's transparency stood in stark contrast to the scammers, who hoarded every piece of information unless paid. Plus, his price was reasonable.
Finally, Zuo Chengan had found a deal worth considering.