Jiangbei University.
A secluded grove.
"Senior Bai, I like you!"
Bai Ge looked at the girl in front of him, her face flushed red, and his mind briefly froze.
Wasn't he just being hunted by the Calamity Species?
Where were those disgusting Abominations?
Suddenly, Bai Ge's gaze involuntarily swept toward the girl's neck... and below.
Seeing the magnificent scale on her chest that was inconsistent with her age, a look of seriousness appeared in Bai Ge's eyes.
So huge!
Could it be... that the Abominations could now shapeshift?
But the next second, a segment of memory surged rapidly from the depths of his mind.
The memory that appeared in his mind was somewhat distant to Bai Ge, so distant that it caused him a momentary daze.
However, the information within was not unfamiliar.
It was a memory belonging to his student days!
Instantly, Bai Ge's heart began to thump uncontrollably.
He had actually been Reborn!
In his previous life, on July 1st, 2035, a game named [deep gloom] quietly began its open beta.
By the end of July that same year, [deep gloom] began to gradually reflect reality.
Until New Year's Day of 2036, the real world would be completely covered by [deep gloom], and Blue Star would become part of the Deep Gloom World.
And from the appearance of deep gloom until it completely covered reality...
The entire process only took four months!
At that time, various creatures beyond human comprehension would appear, chaos would breed evil, and the original order would completely collapse.
"Senior Bai?"
Just as Bai Ge was lost in his memories, the girl opposite him gathered her courage, raised her head, and looked at him with a hint of expectation in her eyes.
Bai Ge's thoughts were interrupted, and he immediately snapped back to reality.
Looking at the girl's expectant gaze, a strange glint flashed in Bai Ge's eyes.
He first showed a look of struggle on his face, and finally said regretfully:
"I'm sorry, I can't accept."
The girl froze upon hearing this, and then, with a trace of mist gathering in her eyes, she asked unwillingly:
"Why?"
Bai Ge, still unsatisfied, glanced slightly downward one last time before decisively turning and walking away.
He only left behind a sentence that left the girl stunned on the spot.
"Because... I have megalophobia."
Watching Bai Ge's figure gradually disappear, the girl, who had been looking stunned, slowly turned sullen, then took out her phone and dialed a number.
"That loser actually rejected me?!"
Vicious resentment flashed in Zhang Xiaoxiao's eyes; even her delicate makeup could not hide the anger in her heart.
A slightly surprised voice came from the other end of the phone: "That shouldn't be right. Last time, when that kid was drunk, he insisted on coming to confess under your building!"
Zhang Xiaoxiao also looked puzzled upon hearing this, frowning slightly, "Could he have found out?"
The person on the other end of the phone pondered for a moment before speaking again: "Highly unlikely. That kid is straightforward; if he had found out, he would have probably rushed over to confront me already."
Zhang Xiaoxiao's tone was impatient: "Then what should we do? He has already rejected me!"
The person on the other end seemed to sense Zhang Xiaoxiao's displeasure and quickly coaxed her: "Try again. That's nearly 3 million in compensation."
Zhang Xiaoxiao's expression softened slightly, and she huffed, "Hmph, if it weren't for the money, I'd find him repulsive just looking at him!"
The person on the other end smiled contentedly upon hearing this, his voice carrying a hint of flattery: "You've suffered! I'll reward you well when you come back tonight!"
---
'It's a pity he isn't an actor.'
Walking along the school's tree-lined path, Bai Ge smacked his lips slightly, savoring the memory of the scene just now.
But upon closer inspection, one would find a hint of coldness and mockery hidden deep in his eyes.
As a Reborn Person, how could he not know what Zhang Xiaoxiao wanted to do?
Thinking back to his experience in the previous life, Bai Ge sneered inwardly.
His mother passed away not long after he was born, and his father died in an accident while on duty when he was twelve.
However, his father's workplace was very humane and promised a large sum of compensation afterward.
But considering Bai Ge was still young at the time, this money would only be handed over to him when he reached adulthood and gained full legal capacity.
Besides Bai Ge himself, he had only told his 'good brother' Hu Youliang about this matter.
Unfortunately, while Bai Ge treated him like a brother, the other party treated him like a fool to be exploited.
As soon as Bai Ge entered university, Hu Youliang colluded with his girlfriend, Zhang Xiaoxiao, and began plotting for the compensation money in Bai Ge's possession.
Reaching this point in his thoughts, Bai Ge let out a cold laugh.
In his previous life, as a pure virgin, he naturally couldn't resist Zhang Xiaoxiao's "thunderous" offensive.
With a baby face and large assets, coupled with a forward confession, Bai Ge was immediately hooked.
Later, like an idiot, he used his father's compensation money to buy Zhang Xiaoxiao a car and open a shop for her.
The result was that he lost his money, and Zhang Xiaoxiao 'stopped loving' him.
Only afterward did he discover that the 'White Moonlight' he cherished had secretly slept with Hu Youliang countless times.
That pair of scumbags simply treated him like a pig ready for slaughter.
This later resulted in him being unable to afford a game pod when [deep gloom] began to reflect reality, thus missing the most crucial starting period.
It was only after Bai Ge sold his only property at a low price that he finally had the money to buy a game pod.
Although this incident was a huge blow to Bai Ge, it also shaped his later extreme personality: cautious, meticulous, and unable to trust anyone easily.
Yet, it was precisely because of this personality that he managed to survive crises repeatedly after the arrival of [deep gloom].
"You like acting, huh? Too bad this time I'll be the director."
A strange light flickered in Bai Ge's eyes.
After twelve years of struggle in the [deep gloom] World, he had long since seen through human nature.
He was not in a hurry to take revenge on that pair of scumbags.
Bai Ge wanted them to fall from heaven into hell step by step, and only after they personally experienced the pain he went through in his previous life would his hatred be appeased.
Moreover, it was still peacetime.
As an excellent former Young Pioneer, one must act according to the law, right?
However, thinking of that desperate world in his previous life, calmness returned to Bai Ge's eyes the next second.
The most pressing task was still to prepare for the subsequent arrival of [deep gloom].
As a Reborn Person, he was very clear about the future trajectory of development.
When deep gloom mapped onto reality, it meant that individual power would be liberated, the world's order and rules would undergo tremendous changes, and everything would be built upon one's own strength.
Bai Ge took out his phone from his pocket while thinking.
Looking at the calendar display showing 4:23 PM on June 17th, 2035.
A spark of brilliance appeared in Bai Ge's eyes.
July 1st was the open beta day for [deep gloom].
Currently, this game was still in its closed beta phase, with thirteen days remaining until the open beta.
As everyone knew, closed beta players were arguably the first batch of people to 'eat the crab' (i.e., benefit from the initial rewards).
Although Bai Ge was unknown in his previous life, he knew information about the players who had benefited from the game's initial closed beta period.
In the later stages of deep gloom, although some of these people had died, those who survived were all major figures.
Therefore, the closed beta held an irresistible attraction for him as a Reborn Person.
'I must get a closed beta game pod!'
With this thought, Bai Ge had made up his mind.
Since heaven had given him a chance, he definitely had to seize it.
Thinking of the world-ending scene he encountered before his death, Bai Ge unconsciously clenched his fists.
In that desperate world, to survive, one must become powerful!
*Bang!*
Suddenly, a sharp pain came from Bai Ge's forehead.
Bai Ge was in so much pain that tears nearly streamed out, and he subconsciously focused his gaze.
After seeing the scene before him clearly, the surprise in his eyes turned into helplessness.
It turned out he had been distracted and hadn't watched where he was going, accidentally running into a utility pole.
But the next second, the annoyance in Bai Ge's eyes turned into astonishment.
[Prompt: Head sustained heavy impact, Health -1]
And at that moment, a black, ethereal light screen actually appeared in his vision.
---
[Name]: Bai Ge
[Race]: Carbon-based Sapient
[Health]: 99% (Forehead contusion)
[Biological Energy Level]: 0.4 (Unranked)
[Level]: 1
[Experience]: 0 / 20
[Main Profession]: None
[Sub Profession]: None
[Personal Attributes]: Strength 5, Agility 3, Stamina 2, Intelligence 5, Charm 4, Luck 1
[Available Free Attribute Points]: 0
[Equipment]: None
[fate pillar]: ?? (Cannot view)
[Racial Talent]: Dispossess (Level 1)
[Skills]: None
[Version]: 3.4.2 Desperate World (Time until launch: 12 years, 3 months, 3 days)
---
This is... the attribute panel from the [deep gloom] World?
But looking at the line of text after the version number, Bai Ge was utterly stunned.
3.4.2 Desperate World?
Wasn't that the version from before he was Reborn?
Did the panel also follow him back twelve years?
Also, wasn't the attribute panel supposed to be dark blue in his memory?
Why had the panel in front of him become light black?