Chapter 7: Level 1—The True Beginning of a Real Player!

Just as the thought crossed his mind, a familiar notification echoed from the center of the white wheel:

【Ding—】
【Congratulations on drawing the reward: Blood-Eating Gu Swarm!】

!!!
He actually drew the Blood-Eating Gu Swarm!
It was the exact reward he had specified!!
In that instant, Jiang Yi’s adrenaline surged! He felt as if his blood were rushing straight to his brain, leaving him dizzy and floating on a cloud of pure exhilaration. He could hardly believe it. It was exactly as he had interpreted: he possessed the ability to designate the reward from the wheel!

This heaven-defying ability... just thinking about it made the future seem blindingly bright! For others, the wheel was a gamble with their very lifespan, but for him, it was like looting a store—he got whatever he wanted! This was insane! If he kept drawing, wouldn't he be invincible?!

The near-manic joy almost made him want to throw his head back and laugh, but his experience from two lifetimes helped him quickly regain his composure. *Calm down! Calm down!* His current lifespan was a mere 38 days—not even enough for a single spin of the white wheel. He had to stay steady, plan carefully, and proceed with caution.

These thoughts raced through his mind in a split second. Once calm, Jiang Yi’s gaze fell upon the Blood-Eating Gu swarm that had materialized out of thin air. In the current perception of most players, these creatures were undoubtedly a negative outcome, much like wild beasts. However, unlike beasts, the Blood-Eating Gu had almost no offensive power; even the weakest "Lifespan Tumor Worm" could easily handle them.

Before Sun Hao could even act, Jiang Yi moved with lightning speed, using his coat to cover the entire swarm. His reaction left Sun Hao stunned for a moment. But, surprised or not, Sun Hao didn't make much of it, simply saying in his routine manner, "Alright, hand in your registration forms and get lost."

Luo Shan had his form ready and handed it over immediately. Jiang Yi, while squatting to fill out his form, asked Sun Hao, "Uh, Boss Sun, can I keep the Gu I caught for myself?"

The Blood-Eating Gu looked like oversized, blood-red maggots—absolutely disgusting. Sun Hao rolled his eyes. "You aren't actually going to eat those disgusting things, are you? Do whatever you want with them; the club doesn't want that trash."

With that, the tension in Jiang Yi’s heart finally settled. He hurriedly stuffed the Gu into an empty bottle. However, when handing his form to Sun Hao, he spoke up just as he had in his past life: "Boss Sun, I only have a month of lifespan left. Staying in the basement garage as a Lifespan Tumor Worm is pointless... I was wondering, could I join the club’s Suicide Squad? I’m not afraid to die..."

Sun Hao rolled his eyes again. "If you’re really not afraid of death, or if you're looking to die, I can send you on your way right now! The Suicide Squad? Do you think just anyone who 'dares to die' can join?"

This mocking response was almost identical to his past life.

Just then, a figure walked into the lottery area. It was Gao Chang. He hadn't come to use the wheel, but to observe others and gain some insight. After all, he had once been a lowly Lifespan Tumor Worm himself and knew very little about the inner workings of this apocalyptic game.

He spotted Jiang Yi and Luo Shan. He didn't have much of an impression of Jiang Yi, but he remembered Luo Shan well. Luo Shan had tattoos and looked like trouble, and he often talked big about changing his fate while in the basement. Gao Chang, considering his own situation in the Suicide Squad, thought about recruiting Luo Shan into his team.

Meanwhile, Luo Shan was deep in thought after hearing Jiang Yi’s words. The Suicide Squad... it was a place where one could potentially change their fate, but the mortality rate was astronomically high. Many people joined one day only to become a corpse the next! It was a path paved with mountains of corpses and rivers of blood. Even though Luo Shan wanted to change his life, he didn't want to die!

But looking at Jiang Yi—his lifespan was running out, and he was going to die anyway. Luo Shan only had 11 years left, meaning he only had 11 spins on the garbage-tier white wheel. Even if he spun a thousand times, there was no guarantee of a good result. So, Jiang Yi’s present was his own future. Luo Shan gritted his teeth, his wavering resolve shifting toward joining the squad.

Noticing the change in Luo Shan, Gao Chang stepped forward. He didn't address Luo Shan directly, but instead looked at Jiang Yi and asked, "You just said you wanted to join the Suicide Squad?"

Jiang Yi nodded firmly. "Yes!"

Gao Chang pretended to ponder for a moment before saying coolly, "I happen to manage a squad. Would you like to join?"

Jiang Yi’s eyes lit up. "I would!" He sounded so enthusiastic it was as if he were walking toward a bright, open road rather than a path of slaughter. Even Luo Shan was inspired. After a moment of hesitation, he called out to Gao Chang, "Boss Gao! Does your team have room for one more? I want in too!" He added, "I’m much tougher than this kid! I was a school bully in junior high and a king of the internet cafes in high school!"

Gao Chang chuckled and agreed to let him join. Seeing as Sun Hao was still there, a man of higher status, he sought his approval. Sun Hao didn't care. "It’s your team; you’re responsible for it. I have no right to interfere."

And so, following the same trajectory as his past life, Jiang Yi and Luo Shan joined Gao Chang’s team.

The difference was that in his previous life, Jiang Yi had drawn a Longevity Pill. This time, he had drawn the Blood-Eating Gu. In addition to the Gu, he had already collected the Illusion Butterfly. Now, all he lacked was the Firefly Lamp Bug.

As Jiang Yi pondered his plan, Gao Chang led them toward a villa area. Along the way, he explained the situation: "There are 320 villas here. The core members occupy the best 20. Official members take 120. We, the Suicide Squad, occupy 180! Besides that, there are some stragglers living in makeshift sheds."

"Actually, the benefits for Suicide Squad members and official members aren't much different," Gao Chang continued. "The real difference is the danger level of the missions. Think of it like before the apocalypse: both jobs pay ten thousand a month, but the Suicide Squad is like manual labor on a construction site—exhausting—while official members work in offices with air conditioning, nice and easy."

Jiang Yi already knew all of this from his past life, but Luo Shan listened intently, nodding frequently. Seeing his interest, Gao Chang continued, "Once a Suicide Squad member reaches Level 1, they can be promoted to an official member!" He turned to Luo Shan. "Do you know the difference between Level 0 and Level 1 in this game?"

Luo Shan, being a bottom-tier worm, shook his head. Jiang Yi knew, but he kept quiet.

Gao Chang explained, "I only learned this after I drew a +1 to all attributes and interacted with official members. When players break through Level 0 and reach Level 1, they gain a 'Doomsday Fate Disk'! It starts off looking like an ordinary coin, but it can transform into anything the owner imagines. Most official players turn theirs into smartphones."

Luo Shan gasped in realization, "So that’s why I always see the big shots playing on their phones! It’s not a phone, it’s a Fate Disk?"

"Exactly!" Gao Chang nodded. "The Fate Disk has incredible functions. There’s a regional chat channel, a forum for communication, a trading channel, and even a regional leaderboard recording longevity, combat power, and level rankings. There’s even a friend system! You could say that only those who reach Level 1 and master the Fate Disk are truly participating in this apocalyptic game!"

Gao Chang spoke with passion, and Luo Shan was fired up. "So, how does a Level 0 player reach Level 1?! My data panel doesn't even have an experience bar!"

Gao Chang sighed slightly. "Upgrading in this special game isn't as simple as ordinary games. So many members are desperate to reach Level 1. That’s my goal too. According to the club’s big shots, there are currently only two ways to reach Level 1..."