[You are a death row convict. To earn a chance at redemption, the authorities have cast your consciousness into a mysterious village. This village is unfathomable, with people mysteriously dying and disappearing every year. Your task is to uncover the village’s truth. But remember—never let the villagers discover anything unusual about you, or else…

Clear Conditions:

Meet both conditions to return to reality.]

Bai Wan skimmed the system prompt, then shifted his attention to his surroundings.

He was in a fairly lavish room. Beside him stood three men and two women—these must be his teammates for this dungeon run of Desolate Village.

“Hello everyone. I’m Wang Weiwei, official A-rank captain. Let’s all introduce ourselves—it’ll help us clear the dungeon together. Whatever you’re thinking, keep it to yourself for now. Speaking out rashly won’t do anyone any good.”

The short-haired girl spoke first, brimming with presence. Her ID, BeatingUpCriminals, fit her perfectly—she was clearly a strong-willed woman.

“Hehe… Captain Wang, I’ve long admired you. Just the other day, you captured quite a few of our Dark Organization members. I’ve no doubts about your skill. Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m He Bing—on the forum, they call me Grey. Please take care of me.”

The kind-faced man’s introduction instantly drew everyone’s attention. The Dark Organization’s third-in-command, a notorious wanted criminal.

As soon as He Bing finished, a woman beside him spoke. “I’m Lin Mei’er, but just call me Mei’er. If you run into any trouble in the dungeon, you can come to me for help.”

She looked pure and sweet, brimming with charm. But no one dared admire her beauty, she was also infamous—a wanted criminal known on the forums as Succubus.

Bai Wan gave a brief introduction too. At this point, his face was known to everyone, hiding would be pointless.

The last two also introduced themselves. One was a chubby man named Zhou Ming, the other a bespectacled man named Qin Yu. Both were quiet, their identities unknown.

After introductions were over, He Bing strolled over to Bai Wan with a smile. “Hello, Family. The Zhou Sen you killed in the last dungeon was one of our promising newcomers. Such a shame. I was even planning to introduce him to a girl. But then, poof—one simple dungeon, and he’s gone.”

As he spoke, a glint of grey flashed in his right eye.

Whoosh!

Bai Wan suddenly felt a terrifying pressure crush down on him.

But before it could take hold, a phantom of the Blood Husk Buddha flickered through his mind. Instantly, the pressure vanished and his body felt light again.

Still—Bai Wan forced himself into a pained expression and collapsed to the ground.

At once, Wang Weiwei’s killing intent flared. She stepped in front of Bai Wan and snapped at He Bing: “Didn’t I say we’re to get along, at least for now? If there’s a next time, I’ll cut you down myself!”

He Bing froze, staring at Bai Wan sprawled on the floor. His cursed right eye could indeed inflict pressure, but…was it really that effective? He had only meant to intimidate Family a little…

“Uh, no, I didn’t—really, I just…” He Bing was left speechless, staring at Bai Wan as if he were faking an injury for sympathy.

Is his body really that fragile? That’s so weak…or is he just playing the victim?

Wang Weiwei helped Bai Wan up. “Are you alright?”

Bai Wan peeked out from behind her. “That gaze was terrifying. So this is Grey, the Dark Organization’s number three?”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry, big sis is here.” Wang Weiwei gave him a comforting pat, clearly feeling a twinge of pity towards Family.

… Original content can be found at novelFirｅ.net

At that moment, a middle-aged man entered the room, interrupting their exchange.

All eyes turned to him. But no one spoke—none of them knew what role they were supposed to be playing.

The man, looking weary, scrutinized them. After a while, he said, “Not bad. You all look sharp enough. I am Wu Yong, steward of the Li family. Let me be blunt: your parents paid a hefty price, pulling strings to get you into the Li household. All so you could study the craft of the Craftsman. But remember—there are rules here you must follow.”

The players immediately understood their assigned identities.

Apprentices. So-called Parents pulled strings to get them in…

And Craftsman—the greatest opportunity in Desolate Village. To be placed into it right from the start is unexpected.

Wu Yong glanced around warily, as if checking something, then lowered his voice. “Remember this well. Outside of daily lessons, there are rules in the Li household you must obey. Listen closely…”

Bai Wan and the others nodded gravely. This was definitely key dungeon intel.

But as the rules unfolded, everyone frowned.

“First, the backyard. No matter what, you must never go there. If the master orders you to deliver something, refuse if you can. If you absolutely can’t, then when you step into the backyard—close your eyes. Place the item inside the gate, and leave immediately. During the entire process…do not open your eyes.”

At the mention of the backyard, Wu Yong’s voice trembled.

Naturally, everyone turned their attention toward the sealed courtyard outside.  And in that instant, their faces changed.

It was as if the world had been drained of color. Only a suffocating black aura seeped from within.

The entire world fell silent.

After several seconds, everything returned to normal. But everyone’s faces were pale with fear, drenched in cold sweat.

What the hell was that?! What just happened?!

Even Wang Weiwei and He Bing stared at the backyard with heavy expressions. Something far beyond imagination lay within.

Wu Yong continued, “Also, if you see Madam trying to enter the backyard, you must stop her immediately and report to Master at once.”

The players fell into thought.

The backyard again… what exactly is hidden there? Only one thing is certain—it’s incredibly dangerous. Best avoided if possible.

But just then, messages flashed in everyone’s minds. Their faces shifted.

The five blank illustrations on their system screens—one had lit up. It showed a desolate, silent backyard gate.

[Five Mysterious Locations: Location One – The Mysterious Backyard unlocked. Current information: 0. Must reach 60%.

Warning: This location is extremely dangerous. It is recommended to explore other sites first before attempting.]

Shit…

He Bing and the others all wore grim looks.

So in the end, they’d have to go into the backyard whether they wanted to or not.

I've noticed an unusually high number of characters with the surname Wang in this novel. Hopefully it's not too confusing for you readers—and hopefully, the number of Wangs doesn't keep increasing. —Translator