In the year 13 of the Lingyuan Era, the world stopped breathing.
It began at midnight, when the sky cracked open like shattered glass and the first stream of Veil Fog spilled over the continents. Within hours, cities were swallowed whole—lights vanished, voices cut off, and the world map bled into grey.
Governments fell into panic. Satellites, drones, even nuclear detonations—none could pierce the fog. It devoured metal, signal, and memory alike, leaving behind only static and silence.
Some said the fog was alive. Others whispered it was judging humanity.
The nation of Xiga lost contact with its capital, Fuchuan City, within the first day. Elite squads were sent into the mist—armed with the latest spirit-resistant tech—and vanished without a trace. Three days later, every global communication device echoed a cold mechanical voice:
"The Spiritual Dungeon System has initialized.
Random Chosen Souls will represent their nations.
Clear the Dungeons to receive rewards.
Failure… will erase your homeland from existence."
At first, people treated it as a global prank or some hidden reality show. But the first dungeon—the Crimson Hospital—ended in annihilation. Not one player returned. The longest survivor lasted six hours before his signal faded into screams. When the dungeon collapsed, an entire country disappeared from the map.
In less than a year, four Dungeons had opened. Nations crumbled. Populations shrank. Only the United Federation cleared one and received its so-called "blessing": a decade added to their national lifespan, and one guaranteed reprieve from death. The rest of the world watched, terrified and helpless.
Now, the fifth Dungeon looms over the Dreamveil Belt:
S-rank — "The Manor of Mirrors."
All eyes turn to Xiga. No one knows who will be chosen this time.
In a cramped apartment on the silent outskirts of Fuchuan, a young researcher named Qi Sen sleeps through the storm.
When he opens his eyes, the human body is gone.
His reflection stares back at him—pale, translucent, and smiling.
The next Dungeon has begun.