Chapter 1: A Fresh Start
The sky was filled with dark clouds and a light drizzle fell.
Amidst the pitch-black main road, only the school library remained brightly illuminated.
The heavy rainfall in the midnight hours resulted in a deserted building, enveloped in an eerie silence due to the absence of many people.
Bai Yan returned the history book to its place on the shelf, located on the third floor of the library.
The abundance of bright lights created an illusion of daytime within the library. He made his way back to the seat beside the window and leisurely stretched his arms.
"That's sufficient for today. It's time to take a break."
Bai Yan settled into the vibrant yellow chair and pulled out his cell phone to check the time.
It's five minutes to ten.
With the library still open for a while, Bai Yan didn't feel rushed to leave.
Regardless, there was nobody waiting for him.
Bai Yan, in his original form, was just an ordinary orphan who had lived alone since a young age.
In his previous life, the newly transformed Bai Yan had already spent thirteen years here and emerged as a top student at a prestigious university.
In this life, he began as an orphan scraping by picking up rubbish. However, he was far from resigned to his fate.
Since then, Bai Yan had been doing his best to support himself while simultaneously dedicating himself to his studies. Eventually, his hard work paid off and he secured admission to Herendor, Tatsumi City's most prestigious university. All of this was achieved thanks to his mature mindset, vast knowledge, and unwavering perseverance from his previous life.
As heavy rain poured outside the window, Bai Yan took out his cell phone and switched it to silent mode.
Overwhelmed by a sense of detachment and loneliness in the new world, he found himself yearning for excitement to combat the emptiness within.
Bai Yan had always turned to games as a means of alleviating his loneliness.
He opened the "Babel Tower" single-player game on his phone, only to be greeted by a black screen adorned with vibrant red letters.
"Congratulations!"
"Savior, you have successfully advanced to the second round."
Bai Yan had been immersed in this game for months.
The game mechanics were intricately designed and posed a challenge.
He had faced multiple failures before finally mastering the gameplay.
Bai Yan was surprised when he started the game again today and unexpectedly found himself automatically entering the second round of Babel Tower, having just cleared it.
After receiving a notification, Bai Yan became suddenly intrigued by the possibility of hidden achievements or other alterations in the second round.
"Let's aim for a Perfect Completion this time!"
Bai Yan clicked on "New Game," and the plot introduction of the game appeared once more.
Without hesitation, he pressed the screen… only to find out that skipping was not an option this time.
"Damn it!" Bai Yan shook his head softly.
In the new game, players will immerse themselves in a chilling urban fantasy world, assuming the role of the enigmatic leader of Babel Tower, a renowned organization dedicated to salvation.
"Savior."
"Players are tasked with efficiently and meticulously overseeing the organization, training prospective core operators, and capturing and researching Strange creatures, Spawns, and extraterrestrials. Furthermore, players are encouraged to cultivate enigmatic abilities and implement comprehensive global security measures in order to effectively tackle unforeseen worldwide crises."
Every decision made by the players and every action taken by the members will have a lasting, irreversible impact on the entirety of the world.
"So, are you capable of saving the world?"
"This is our final and sole opportunity."
Skipping, skipping, skipping… As Bai Yan listened to the rain outside, he impatiently rested his chin on his left hand and repeatedly tapped the screen.
After some time, a notification popped up on the dimly lit screen.
Dear Savior, as you have successfully completed the game, you are now granted the freedom to summon 10 core operators without any restrictions in "Fate."
In the game, the players are referred to as "Saviors."
Playing the second round of a game obviously entails two aspects of enjoyment: the satisfaction of achieving a Perfect Score and the excitement of exploring and discovering new content.
Bai Yan felt happy, knowing that beginning the game with 10 free gacha summons would make it significantly easier for him.
The game begins on a modern city night, with Saviors hovering in the sky, observing all creatures below. Cloaked in black robes, their faces remain hidden from view.
At the bottom of the interface, there were a few options available.
The third option was labeled as "Fate."
Bai Yan selected "Fate" and a gray fog emerged on the screen, revealing two options within it, "1 Summon" and "10 Summons."
Summoning proved to be the bane of unfortunate players, yet it also served as a glimmer of hope within their hearts.
Fortune was bestowed from the heavens, granting the fortunate ones easy access to rare cards, while rendering them utterly useless to the unlucky.
"Anyway, I didn't make any purchases."
"I desire the Queen of the Scarlet Moon! Queen of the Scarlet Moon!" Bai Yan took a deep breath, allowing his fingers to move with grace and precision.
"I'll do 10 summons!"
Images started to emerge from the gray fog.
"Operator Fragment: Queen of the Scarlet Moon"
"Entertainment: Banquet Gourmet Card"
"Relic Fragment: Blink Blade"
"Relic Fragment: Gungnir"
"Conqueror Fragment: King Hade"
"Mystical Power Fragment: Manipulation of Reality"
"Operator Fragment: Elene, the Psychic Girl"
"Operator Fragment: Perduto, the Crime Hunter"
"Operator Fragment: Rowen, the Drunken Master Panda"
"Core Operator: Nightsaber, the Crime Hunter"
After the summoning, most of the items obtained were in fragments. Following the game rules, ten fragments could be fused into a single Relic, Mystical Power, or Core Operator.
"Oh no, I only obtained a single guaranteed operator!"
Bai Yan was unsurprised by the outcome and let out a sigh. He had been hopeful of summoning the Queen of the Scarlet Moon, thinking that having one fragment would be enough this time. He sighed once more, acknowledging that the summoning result wasn't disappointing.
The core operator he initially acquired was Knight Nightsaber.
"Great! At least I can begin with Nightsaber. She's a crucial asset for clearing the game in later stages."
Bai Yan felt quite content.
At first, Nightsaber may not have seemed like the best choice, but she proved to be a valuable asset in achieving a flawless victory.
Nightsaber was the most promising core operator in the Babel Tower.
In the contemporary fantasy realm, Nightsaber belongs to a legendary family of crime-fighters and carries the esteemed title of the King of the Night.
Since birth, Nightsaber has been burdened with a dark and formidable power bestowed upon her by the Lord of Darkness-a malevolent god's nefarious scheme.
Whoever possesses the ability to master this power would have the authority to make the entire world quiver with fear!
Ultimately, the King of the Night became renowned for her immortality and invincibility.
In the later stages, Nightsaber could be considered as one of the most skilled and experienced operators.
"It's you!"
Bai Yan smiled and tapped on the phone screen once more, causing the fragments to gradually fade away. Eventually, Nightsaber appeared.
Even though she was portrayed as a simple pixel figure, one could still discern that she possessed breathtaking beauty with her flowing white hair and mesmerizing purple-red eyes.
Adorned in a hunter's helmet, a black cloak, and trousers, she gracefully advanced with a black broadsword in hand, exuding an aura that was both elegant and lethal.
The girl got down on one knee.
"I go by the name Nightsaber, and my purpose is to eliminate devils on your behalf!"
This particular sentence served as Nightsaber's unique battle phrase, which players had the option to customize manually.
Bai Yan chose "Operator" and then selected Nightsaber from the options.
Nightsaber's exclusive battle line was altered to say "Face your sins!"
--
The dark streets were drenched in thunder and rain.
The girl in the black cloak stood silently in the alley, her eyes of a purple-red hue concealed within the shadows.
She wore a black trench coat, her face exuding stunning beauty, while her silver hair glistened from the rain. A straight and slender black broadsword rested on her back.
The men dressed in black, donning gray masks, roamed the streets in search of the girl, yet failed to discover any trace of her.
As midnight approached, they began to depart one by one.
With a surge of intense pain from her chest, Mu Ling breathed a long sigh of relief, knowing that everything was finally safe.
However, that is insignificant.
Although she had managed to elude Black Star's pursuit this time, she knew deep down that there would inevitably be another encounter. The relentless pursuit would only conclude with her demise.
Several members of her clan fell victim to the atrocities committed by the Black Star Faction.
She was overwhelmed with a mix of anger and sorrow.
She stood as the sole remaining hunter in what was once a legendary lineage of hunters.
Mu Ling was acutely aware of the enemy's formidable strength, realizing that seeking revenge was merely an elusive notion. Her utmost priority was to ensure her own survival.
"Should I leave…"
This shameful thought crept into her mind.
The rain kept dripping from the blade.
With things being like this, she could only leave the city and move on with her life.
However, Mu Ling was unwilling to forget the faces of her clansmen. She couldn't suppress her hatred.
She was determined not to escape!
With heavy rain pouring down, she made the decision to leave the alley.
A shroud of black fog materialized right before Mu Ling, filling her mind with a dreadful aura that seemed capable of engulfing and crushing her.
Momentarily in a daze, she cautiously shifted her gaze towards the fog, her instinct urging her to unsheathe her sword, but to her dismay, her hand remained frozen and unresponsive.
A sudden realization dawned on Mu Ling.
"What has happened?" Mu Ling exclaimed in disbelief, realizing that struggling would be futile.
The unfamiliar sensation enveloped her as she found herself transformed into a mere spectator, detached from her own body like never before.
What has happened to me?
Did I encounter a member of the Black Star Faction with superpowers?
A strong wave of fear swept over Mu Ling's heart as the realization dawned on her. The thought of being captured by the enemy filled her with dread, well aware of the immense suffering that awaited her.
Just then, a calm, youthful voice echoed in her mind.
[Nightsaber, you have been chosen.]
