Chapter 589: Novice Tutorial

    Gu Luoxin stirred awake, his mind groggy as if shrouded in a layer of haze.

    He had no idea how long he had been unconscious for, but this feeling of dizziness and disorientation was just so damn familiar, reminding him of the time when he entered the Glass Slipper Town only to wake up and discover that he had become a mouse. Although it was just a one-time experience, the impression and psychological trauma it left behind was just so profound that Gu Luoxin snapped awake in an instant, his mind wary and alert.

    The first thing he did was pat himself all over and check his limbs.

    Oh thank God, I’m still a human this time... he let out a huge sigh of relief, only for his thoughts to catch up in the next second. Wait, why am I feeling glad? Shouldn’t it be humans who have the least advantage in this Cycle?!

    Gu Luoxin’s mind was in disarray.

    He wanted to review the background of the Cycle told by the officer in his mind to ensure that he had not missed anything, but his instinct screamed at him to assess his surroundings first and foremost to confirm his safety.

    And Gu Luoxin’s worry wasn’t unfounded, for he was currently stuck inside a cramped space, curled up with his knees close to his chest. It was dark all around, and he didn’t have the slightest idea what the hell was going on.

    He was quite familiar with role-playing Cycles and knew that he was now occupying someone else’s identity. However, players were required to explore the storyline on their own then reacted accordingly to the development.

    And so, Gu Luoxin knew absolutely nothing about who he was and how he should proceed from now on.

    Still, all the training in the low and mid-level Cycles for the past few months were not for nothing. Although Gu Luoxin remained clueless, he did not panic nor did he carelessly try to break free. Taking a deep breath, he began probing around with his hands, trying to gather some clues from the box he was currently in while keeping his ears open to any sounds outside.

    The box was made of solid wood, and the height was barely enough for him to straighten up. But the most surprising thing was, he discovered a thin gap on the wall before him, which he could actually push open.

    The box – or to be exact, the small cupboard – was not locked.

    Gu Luoxin fell silent while hugging his knees.

    Under what circumstances would someone find themselves inside a cupboard? The answer came to Gu Luoxin almost immediately: he had crawled in himself, most likely hiding from something... or someone?

    As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Gu Luoxin’s breath hitched and he swiftly pulled the cupboard once more, closing the tiny gap he had just opened and returning it to its original position.

    Great, what a horrible start. He wanted to cry but had no tears. Why am I always so unlucky??

    Gu Luoxin was thinking about how to gauge the situation outside and whether he should take a risk to climb out when all of a sudden, his sharp ears caught a flurry of chaotic footsteps rushing from afar, followed by distant calls, "Young Master!"

    "Young Master, where are you?"

    "Don’t make us worried ah!"

    The voices carried a hint of panic and nervousness, and Gu Luoxin’s mind easily conjured up the image of a bunch of servants scouring through the house, their foreheads soaked in sweat. As for the Young Master they were searching for, could it be... him?

    Gu Luoxin pursed his lips tight, hesitant.

    Was this the plot development or a trap? Should he come out or not?

    If it was the former and he stayed motionless here, he could have missed the prime opportunity to find out more about this world and his own identity. But if it was the latter, and the ones calling out for him were a horde of nightmare creatures waiting to pounce on him... just the mere notion was enough to give Gu Luoxin goosebumps.

    Arggh, this was all the fault of that shitty rule! Gu Luoxin tugged on his bangs in frustration.

    If only he could access his props and skill card, he wouldn’t have been caught in such a dilemma and could have strode out confidently!

    Alas, right now he only had on himself a life-saving prop and a healing prop. Although the healing prop could be used three times before it lost its effectiveness, Gu Luoxin just couldn’t bear to. Wasn’t he going to spend the next three days here? What if the danger only came on the last day?

    Wait, Gu Luoxin suddenly recalled an important matter he had heard before. Didn’t the bus officer mention something about a novice tutorial and protection...? That’s right, players won’t die and won’t sustain any injuries for the first eight hours!

    Just as this thought crossed his mind, before Gu Luoxin’s eyes could even brighten, a transparent screen suddenly popped up right in front of his eyes. Gu Luoxin was so shocked that his eyes nearly popped out of the sockets. Fortunately, he had trained his mental fortitude these past few months or else he would have cried out in surprise!

    The screen was holographic, dominating almost half of Gu Luoxin’s field of vision, reminding him of a simulator game he had played before where players were required to choose a certain action or dialogue to continue with the storyline.

    And indeed, this looked just like a game, for in front of him was a few options he could choose from:

    [Continue to hide and don’t make a sound]

    [Push open the cupboard]

    Below the two brackets of options was a string of text: [Novice tutorial hint: select option 1]

    S-So high-tech?! Gu Luoxin sucked in sharp air, utterly mind blown. He tried waving away the floating screen, but it persistently remained in his line of sight. Gu Luoxin reckoned it wouldn’t disappear until he made an option. Similarly, it would only appear when he was in a critical juncture which would decide his fate in the future.

    Of course, Gu Luoxin wasn’t about to be rebellious at a time like this and challenged the novice tutorial’s advice just for the sake of fleeting curiosity.

    It’s just that, he had no idea whether his defiant teammate Da Shen could do the same...