Chapter 1

Mu Qin woke up in front of a huge European-style, carved rosewood door.

The carving was a strange symbol of a snake coiling around a cross. Colorful, diamond-shaped, multi-faceted pieces of glass were combined. They seem to be alluding to a common theme of religion and death, and Mu Qin found it a bit familiar.

Behind this door was what appears to be a large church. It was a European-style building with white walls and a red roof, like a small castle.

When Mu Qin gained consciousness, he was standing. It’s strange because he should be unconscious, lying on the ground and covered in blood. In any case, how could the unconscious him have woken up standing upright?

Before Mu Qin could figure this out, he quickly felt a cool gust of wind blowing on himself, causing his goosebumps to rise. He shivered and raised his head to look around. Glancing around, he found himself in a very rundown courtyard.

The courtyard was surrounded by towering fences and iron gates. The tops of the fences and iron gates have sharp spikes and barbed wire to create a burglar-proof setting. Not only does it prevent people outside from entering, but it also prevents people inside from leaving.

The courtyard wasn’t that large. It was about the size of two basketball courts. In the yard, there were a few withered trees of unknown species, a flowerbed overrun by weeds, and some children’s playground equipment consisting of a slide, a sandpit, and a set of swings.

However, these things were all too worn-out. They were covered in dust, leaves, and mold, emitting an unbearable rotten stench.

The courtyard seemed to have been left unattended and unvisited for a very long time.

Mu Qin looked up towards the sky. The sky was dark, but it wasn’t night yet. It is just very dark, so dark that not even a single ray of sun could be seen. It was just an expanse of dark grey, and the sky was covered by a thick layer of dark clouds. They were the kind of dark clouds that bring heavy storms. The low pressure of the clouds created an oppressive atmosphere. The pending storm would definitely be a fierce one, washing away everything dirty.

Mu Qin was unclear on how he arrived here. His memory was stuck at the moment the truck barreled towards him. Afterward, all he could feel was the freezing cold, the darkness, and the terrifying feeling of his blood slowly flowing out of his body… an unprecedented experience of death.

Mu Qin heard this and was even more confused. This situation was extremely bizarre to him. He appeared in a strange, unfamiliar place, and a strange, unfamiliar man showed up and even told him(MQ) to follow him(stranger).

“Are you the one who brought me here?” Although Mu Qin was filled with doubt, he still walked towards the other party. This place was too dark, and the surroundings were too dilapidated. It was not a safe place for exploring, and Mu Qin also did not want to explore.

Furthermore, the sky was very overcast. It seemed like it would rain at any minute, and nightfall was about to arrive. Mu Qin did not want to stay in a strange place on a cold and rainy night, so following the man in front of him appeared to be his only choice.

He asked the man a few questions in an attempt to pry more information out of him. Whether it was kidnapping or human trafficking, Mu Qin felt that he would be able to calmly face it.

But he never expected that the other party would answer him like this, “I don’t have the ability to bring you here. In fact, I also randomly opened my eyes and found myself here somehow… maybe the god of death brought us here.”

For a while, the answer made Mu Qin feel frustrated. His steps stopped for a moment before continuing and drawing closer. Mu Qin was finally able to slightly make out the man’s appearance.

This man looked to be around 30 to 40 years old, with a height of around 1.78 meters. He had a square face with down-drooping facial features. His face resembled a bitter gourd, and he definitely did not look like a good person.

“My name is Cheng Guoxu.” When the man saw Mu Qin approaching, he introduced himself to Mu Qin, “I’m a factory worker… the kind of factory that makes children’s toys.”

Cheng Guoxu’s voice was a little bit hoarse, and it sounded like the voice of someone slowly recovering from just losing their voice. Listening to it made Mu Qin uncomfortable, but Mu Qin replied politely, “My name is… Mu Qin, an ordinary company worker, the kind that analyzes sales performance. ”

After a brief introduction, the two had nothing to say to each other. Cheng Guoxu seemed to be a relatively silent and introverted person, and Mu Qin was not good at chatting with such people, especially when they were wary of each other.

He began to follow Cheng Guoxu forward. Cheng Guoxu did not bring him to open the door with the snake-coiled cross beside him, but walked through a quiet path in the courtyard along the wall, and stopped in front of an apartment building like building.

The weather was even gloomier, and the air carried a hint of dampness. The dark clouds still floated heavily above the two people’s heads. Mu Qin had thought it would start raining quickly, but the dark clouds floating in the sky weren’t in a hurry.

The surroundings were very quiet, and Mu Qin seemed to hear a faint noise from the grass. The sound made him look vigilantly at the place where it came from, but it was too dark, and he could not see anything.

“This looks to be an orphanage.” Cheng Guoxu led Mu Qin through the lobby of the apartment building, to the left corridor of the first floor, and then opened a door marked “Management Room,” signaling for Mu Qin to enter.

Mu Qin briefly hesitated before entering. After entering, he discovered the so-called management room was actually an office. It was not very big, and there were a few desks, chairs, and bookcases arranged inside. At this time, some people were standing inside.

Three complete strangers, plus Mu Qin and Cheng Guoxu, made a total of five people standing in this moderate-sized office.

Perhaps it’s because they saw Mu Qin brought by Cheng Guoxu, one of the three strangers stepped forth. The stranger was a tall man of over 1.88 meters. He looked at Mu Qin and said, “Another newcomer.”

Mu Qin was even more confused and asked in befuddlement, “Who are you guys? Were you guys the ones that brought me here?”

BunnyGod: hello world! This is the first time I’m translating, so I’m a bit scared haha 😅 I’ll appreciate your feedback 😊 anyways… on with the novel!