Chapter 108: Surrounded

After bidding farewell to his two friends, Li Cheng returned home, opened his mission log, and rubbed his temples in frustration.

【Mission Type: Scripted Mission (Multiplayer Deathmatch)】

【Mission Name: Oh No! I’m Surrounded by Beauties!】

【Mission Objective: By midnight tonight, apply a high-attractiveness makeup, sit in front of a turned-on TV screen, and wait for teleportation】

【Reward: Revealed upon receiving the next mission prompt】

【Failure Penalty: Erasure】

Unlike team missions, multiplayer deathmatches have no concept of “teammates” and no “friendly fire penalty” system.

The mission has not officially begun; a semi-transparent barrier surrounds everyone, and players can still use friend communication.

【The increasing depletion of oil resources finally triggered a great war: tens of thousands of nuclear bombs crisscrossed the atmosphere, planting artificial suns; radiation clouds blotted out the sky. Over four billion died on the first day of conflict. The remaining four billion humans, facing radioactive dust, food shortages, and government collapse, marched toward extinction】

It would be best to add some cryptically profound status messages—“Finally became a coward who whines without cause, no longer daring to question the truth of love.” “The most sour vinegar is the kind you have no right to taste.” “Put on your pants before your shoes; be a grandson before you become a master.”

Although aesthetics are subjective and vary from person to person, when scaled to humanity as a whole, there still exists such a thing as aesthetic commonality.

Little Red Riding Hood blinked in surprise, her tense expression easing slightly. Meeting someone familiar in a deathmatch was always good—especially since Li Cheng had left a strong impression on her last time. Though the Ant Lord was a bit odd, he seemed reliable enough, right?

The two exchanged silent glances; the others also observed one another.

Four young men, four young women—all with beauty ratings above seven out of ten, dressed in trendy, fashionable attire, each holding weapons and watching each other warily.

In the mirror was a freshly forged handsome face: sharp eyebrows, starlike eyes, defined features, eyes carrying three parts depth, three parts melancholy, three parts gentleness—the kind of face suitable for a social media profile picture.

『Isn’t that Little Red Riding Hood?』

“So this is… a post-apocalyptic dating reality show!”

“I can’t help but feel this mission, from its name to its objective, oozes pure malice.”

【Reward 2: 600 Game Coins】

【Reward 3: One Random Item, Quality Based on Completion Rating】

“This should be about right.”

【Just as all seemed irredeemable, a genius scientist emerged—he invented automated medical pods, freshwater purifiers, carbon dioxide-to-starch synthesizers, restarted nuclear power plants and fertilizer factories, nearly solving every problem except mutants, and pulled the dying Earth civilization back from the brink. All tribes and city-states on the wasteland hailed him as the Messiah and Savior】

They were a white man and woman, a black man and woman, an Indian man, and two East Asian women. One of the women—wearing a suit and tie, holding a fruit knife—was especially familiar.

Li Cheng muttered to himself, pulled out his makeup tools, and adjusted his facial features using worm gene manipulation.

【The only challenge: how to sustain human civilization】

【Order was restored, cities revived; even starships were built at spaceports, launching plans for extraterrestrial colonization】

Wait, what does this mission name have to do with the war? If it’s a post-nuclear wasteland setting, why is there a luxury villa? Are you kidding me?

【Failure Penalty: Next mission becomes a Punishment Mission】

【Time Limit: 72 Hours】

【Mission Briefing Sent】

Besides Li Cheng, seven other figures stood in the living room.

A passionate, emotionally charged voice suddenly blared from a speaker in the ceiling corner, like a reality show’s background narrator.

“Four men, four women—eight total. They will meet, learn about each other, confront their emotions honestly, and strive to find the most compatible partner to walk to the end. A model of healthy romance for post-apocalyptic youth.”

“This program uses live broadcasting. Multiple game segments will be set; the contestant with the fewest viewer votes and lowest popularity in each segment will be exiled to the wasteland.”

【Mission Objective: Follow the game rules and survive until the end】

The so-called “high-end face” and “high-end aesthetics” are all artificial constructs manufactured by capital. If you don’t believe it, check the big data of some unnamed yellow-black website—mouths lie, but biological instincts don’t.

The first paragraph of the briefing nearly broke everyone’s composure.

“Welcome to ‘Oh No! I’m Surrounded by Beauties/Sexy Guys!’—a reality show co-produced by Eden TV and the New Humanity Consortium, the latest and hottest post-apocalyptic dating show following ‘That Corpse Made Me Fall in Love,’ ‘50c Half-ripe Lovers,’ and ‘Which Twin Mutant Sister Should I Choose?’”

Li Cheng sent a message to Little Red Riding Hood and gave an almost imperceptible hand gesture to signal his identity: 【It’s me, the Ant Lord. Asian male with glasses.】

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, darkness stretched endlessly, with no light visible.

【Hey?! Mr. Ant Lord? We meet again…】

Little Red Riding Hood from the Ridao Special Affairs Investigation Bureau hadn't changed much since their last encounter in 【Curse of the Dead】—still timid and nervous, with noticeable makeup on her face.

【The earth lay barren; mutants, savage tribes, bandits, mutants, slave traders, and corpses wandered the wastelands. Order had all but vanished; only a few cities still struggled to keep the flame of civilization alive】

【Reward 1: 600 Experience Points】

The only anomalies were the rows of tracks embedded in the ceiling (each track held mechanical arms connected to professional digital cameras),

The clock’s hands ticked steadily—when they reached exactly midnight, the scene abruptly shifted to a villa?

The villa’s interior was elegantly and freshly decorated: light wool carpets, green velvet armchairs, beige leather sofas, a crystal-clear LCD TV—all silently proclaiming “quiet luxury.”

【Reward 4: One Emergency Escape Card】

This meant multiplayer deathmatches were typically zero-sum games.

【This mission is a Deathmatch; Summoners may attack each other】

Players may attack one another; killing an opponent grants direct access to their dropped equipment and items (items stored in a dead player’s inventory vanish).

“If viewership drops below a certain threshold, the show will be canceled outright, and all contestants will be executed—just like in ‘Love Radiation Apartment.’ May they rest in peace.”

“Now, let us witness sweet, sour, and deadly romance~”

(End of Chapter)