Chapter 1: The Beginning — Thrown into Prison.

Which kid is playing pranks again?

Upon opening her eyes to an unfamiliar place, Yu Huan’s first thought was that some child had created an illusion to challenge her.

Yu Huan slowly got up and drew the curtains.

Outside the window were towering skyscrapers shrouded in thick fog. The glaring neon signs pierced through the mist, and despite the unfamiliar script, she instantly grasped their meaning. Above the haze, trains sped by, stirring waves of fog.

It was completely different from the lush, forested Hengchen Realm.

Yu Huan pinched the inside of her thigh out of habit—no pain.

Judging by the details and realism of the objects, environment, and sensory systems, this was neither an illusion nor a dream.

There was only one possibility left.

A game test.

And one she had agreed to.

Yu Huan glanced at the dismal scenery outside, ran a hand over her fuzzy buzz cut, sighed in resignation, and finally accepted her fate, ready to begin the game.

The unfamiliar room was sparse, containing only the bed she had risen from and a white wardrobe embedded in the wall.

The wardrobe was packed with white shirts and black pants, identical to what she was wearing.

Yu Huan briefly inspected the layout and furnishings of the starting point, searching for any hidden clues typically found in such locations.

As she explored, the Chip embedded in her body continuously provided background information and world settings.

The Chip’s function was to assist Federation Citizens—the game characters in this world—in accessing Federation Information and ordering services anytime, anywhere.

It seamlessly integrated into the game system, a clever design indeed.

While pondering which game developer could be this ingenious, Yu Huan discovered a set of blood-stained clothes in the starting area.

In this home with almost no signs of habitation, the bloodied garments found in the washing machine on the balcony were an obvious clue.

The bloodstains were concentrated on the back, as if the wearer had once lain in a pool of blood.

Yu Huan went to the bathroom and checked her back in the mirror but found no suspicious marks.

[Please note, there are twenty minutes left until the scheduled work clock-in time. You should depart now.]

Text suddenly appeared before her eyes—another function of the Chip.

The words vanished quickly, replaced by a countdown in the upper right corner of her vision.

Yu Huan interpreted this as a main quest prompt, but the Chip’s explanation of the work concept left her with no interest in completing the task.

What if she didn’t go?

As a game tester, avoiding the main storyline to assess the game’s flexibility was perfectly reasonable.

Yu Huan placed the blood-stained clothes in the washing machine, started the cycle, and prepared to go out for a stroll.

As she reached the front door and was about to open it, a prompt appeared:

[Please note, you must wear a helmet when going out!]

An arrow pointed to a silver sphere on the cabinet by the door.

The Chip reminded her that the dust and mist floating in the air were harmful to the body.

Yu Huan picked up the silver sphere. It felt cool to the touch. When she pressed the fingernail-sized golden triangular area, it instantly unfolded into a helmet.

The helmet was seamless, incredibly lightweight, and produced a dull thud when tapped.

[A Bulletproof Helmet equipped by Wei An Corporation for its employees.]

Yu Huan put on the helmet. It automatically adjusted to fit her head, with a slight squeezing sensation as it settled into place, but soon she could no longer feel it.

The moment it was worn, the front of the helmet turned transparent, offering no obstruction to her vision—so clear it was as if it weren’t there.

[Welcome back, Ms. Yu.]

Blue text appeared on the transparent panel in front of her.

Yu Huan prepared to head out.

[You are far from the company and will be late. Please depart as soon as possible…]

The helmet connected to the Wei An Intelligent System reminded Yu Huan of her impending tardiness.

It pointed out that to attend university, Yu Huan owed Wei An approximately 5.68 million Federation Credits, requiring 75 years of work to repay the loan.

Negligent work constituted illegal evasion of repayment, and Wei An could report her to the Public Security Bureau for confinement in the Forest Prison.

It also linked to an entry about the Forest Prison, where a glance revealed numerous news reports of inmates injured in internal conflicts.

Ignoring its intimidation, Yu Huan removed the helmet, placed the silver sphere back on the shelf, and retrieved an ordinary helmet from the cabinet as prompted.

This one couldn’t shrink to palm-sized like the sphere, was less comfortable to wear, and offered slightly blurred vision, but at least it wouldn’t incessantly remind her to go to work.

Yu Huan exited her room, followed arrow indicators to the elevator, and descended to the lobby.

Passing through the double-layered doors composed of multiple glass panels, she stood before the skyscraper.

Across from her stood a building whose top was lost to sight. To the left, right, and along roads vanishing into gray mist, towering structures pierced the clouds in silent vigil.

People glided on hoverboards at low altitudes, weaving through the fog. Everyone wore long sleeves, pants, and helmets—repetitive elements forming this ceaseless, cyclical tableau.

After glancing at the Centrifugal City map provided by her Chip, Yu Huan pivoted and headed toward the central tower.

Dust haze permeated the streets, fine particles streaking across her helmet and blurring her vision further.

Checking her balance, Yu Huan navigated to a budget store, spending 10 Federation Credits on a new helmet.

Learning that hoverboards were available for rent, she paid a 10-Credit deposit and rented one costing 20 Credits per hour.

Having often ridden wind-blown leaves stirred by the Wind Spirit with Heng Chen, Yu Huan found hoverboarding similar. She quickly mastered the controls.

The hoverboard carried her through district after district, with her Chip filling knowledge gaps whenever she encountered unfamiliar sights.

[The dense dust haze in Centrifugal City originates from nuclear fallout residues dating back two centuries, recent industrial pollution, and desertification of surrounding areas.]

[Among the four cities of Rainbow Ruins, Centrifugal City suffers the most severe environmental pollution, hosting 81% of the Federation’s factories.]

Within a short time, Yu Huan grasped the fundamentals of the local technology—a system entirely distinct from Heng Chen’s.

Its creators must have drawn inspiration from dreamlike otherworlds.

Fifteen minutes later, her destination loomed ahead.

She tilted her head back to gaze at the cloud-piercing structure.

The round tower’s surface mimicked tree bark with wood-grain textures, resembling a colossal brown tree supporting the heavens.

This was Centrifugal City’s tallest structure—the Returning Spiral Tree.

Dismounting the hoverboard, Yu Huan hugged its shrunken form and entered through the main doors.

The tower’s interior was starkly simple: a central elevator shaft reaching the top floor, encircled by spiral staircases clinging to the walls.

Taking the elevator to the circular rooftop restaurant, Yu Huan stepped onto annular-patterned flooring, passed wall-mounted green leaves and red blossoms, and reached the branch-like observation deck extending from the main trunk.

From here, she could overlook Centrifugal City, but thick fog shrouded the view below, allowing only glimpses of serpentine trains winding through the city’s upper levels.

Wei An Corporation has sent a warning email: You have been absent from work without reason and will be listed as wanted. To reform yourself, contact us as soon as possible…

Yu Huan ignored the warning message and continued browsing through various documents.

A minute later, Yu Huan grabbed her hoverboard, vaulted over the railing, and leaped into the air.

Holy shit!

Someone exclaimed behind her, but Yu Huan didn’t look back. She adjusted her posture and stepped onto the hoverboard.

Wind swept past her body, particles scraped against her helmet, and the dusty city sprawled beneath her feet.

Warning: Civilian vehicles are not permitted to exceed 20 cm above ground without authorization! You are in violation of the law!

Yu Huan weaved through the air on her hoverboard, getting accustomed to high-altitude flight, completely disregarding the Chip’s alerts.

After growing familiar with the wind currents at height, Yu Huan followed the map and steered her hoverboard toward the coast.

Soon, the ocean came into view.

A dark, nearly ink-blue sea swirled with haze, waves crashing against shoreline rocks—it looked capable of swallowing everything without a sound.

The pollution’s severe. Yu Huan descended slightly, wanting to observe the ocean up close, when a deafening noise erupted behind her:

Yu Huan! You’re surrounded! Surrender now, and we’ll show leniency!

Attention: You have been designated as a Class B wanted criminal in Centrifugal City. Smart system functions will be temporarily disabled.

Please behave appropriately.

The Chip went offline, and all notifications vanished.

Ignoring the commotion behind her, Yu Huan descended directly toward the ocean, dipping half her left hand into the seawater.

Within half a second, she withdrew her hand, but the surface skin had already begun dissolving and sloughing off.

Staring at her left hand, Yu Huan wondered whether to lament the water pollution or admire the game’s realism.

Blood dripped steadily into the water, and a faint dark shadow quickly emerged in the murky depths.

Watch out! A speeding vehicle shouted through the thick fog.

With a splash, a massive monstrous fish appeared before Yu Huan. She glanced up at the spotted interior of its gaping mouth and instantly reversed her hoverboard.

The fish snapped at empty air and plunged back into the water with a loud splash.

Seawater sprayed everywhere. Yu Huan’s new helmet visor blurred, her clothes hung in tatters, and blood cascaded down like a waterfall.

Feeling no pain, she ignored the wounds and looked toward the shore.

Security Bureau hovercars sat parked along the coastline, carefully maintaining their distance.

Afraid of the seawater?

Yu Huan glanced down at the ocean, then suddenly removed her upper garment and soaked it in the sea.

Unlike her skin, the fabric didn’t dissolve—it merely grew heavy with absorbed water.

Carefully holding the garment to avoid contact with her hoverboard, she looked up at the security officers on shore.

The officers reacted as if facing a grave threat, raising their weapons warily toward her.

Yu Huan suddenly accelerated toward the shore, releasing the seawater-soaked clothing toward the security officers.

God damn it!

Evade!

The officers scrambled to dodge, none willing to be touched by the contaminated water.

The garment hit the ground, instantly sending up plumes of white vapor.

No officers were injured, but they all stared at the culprit with lingering fear and anger.

The culprit smiled, raised both hands, and landed on the shore. I surrender.

Not a single officer moved closer.

Her upper body exposed to the air, the bleeding wounds began changing color. Uncertain how the game’s death mechanics would be judged, Yu Huan said earnestly, I really surrender.

She kicked away the hoverboard, emptied her pockets to show she carried no weapons, and extended her hands forward.

The security officer cautiously sent a robot to handcuff Yu Huan, only approaching to briefly treat her wounds and drape his personal coat over her after confirming she was unarmed and restrained.

He then shoved Yu Huan into the backseat of the hovercar, securing her cuffed hands to the seat, before taking the front passenger seat himself.

Yu Huan said, Thanks.

The officer glanced at her through the rearview mirror, puzzled:

Why did you attack us? Assaulting government employees will add to your charges.

Now, even the most lenient judge won’t be able to shield you from Wei’an’s jurisdiction. You’ll have to go to the Forest Prison.

Yu Huan replied offhandedly, I went crazy from work.

The officer fell silent, but seeing the smile tugging at Yu Huan’s lips, he figured there was no other explanation.

Indeed, any ordinary person facing confinement in the Forest Prison—filled with Class A fugitives—would likely go mad.

With the mission accomplished, the security bureau’s vehicle triumphantly transported the criminal back, its siren warbling cheerfully.

In a dark alley not far from the sea, a figure in a black cloak looked up at the hovercar passing overhead and spoke into their communicator:

Boss, the substitute for Yu Huan is highly skilled. She evaded all our ambushes and went straight to jail.Xuan is pronounced like Quan or Quan.

Finally starting this story!

Reading Guide:

1. Both worlds (Heng Chen’s and the Rainbow Ruins) feature all-female settings in present tense, with feminine terminology and invented terms.

2. Worldview explanations won’t be provided in comments to avoid spoilers.

3. The setting results in protagonists and side characters having unconventional values—do not expect high moral standards from them.

4. No CP shipping allowed; CB relationships are acceptable.

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