Chapter 4: Midnight Convenience Store 1

Fortunately, the forum's design was user-friendly, likely because such incidents were common. After logging in, there was a double verification step.

Xie Sheng pondered for a moment and clicked "No."

Camera Wraith was C-rank, and he hadn't even completed his beginner's tutorial yet. There was no point in overreaching, and he certainly didn't want to wake up to find he'd spent the night with "himself."

He skimmed through several other cases, growing increasingly convinced that his apartment was quite lively.

Xie Sheng returned to the case list and decided to accept the Midnight Convenience Store mission. First, the Xenogeneic was low-rank. Second, he was very familiar with convenience stores—when Fu Hanhai was too busy to pick him up after school as a child, he'd often made him wait at one. Third, the long description seemed to contain clues hidden between the lines. Fourth, it resembled a mental contamination type, and Xie Sheng felt his mental state was exceptionally good.

Most importantly, what harm could a Xenogeneic solely focused on working do?

Still, Xie Sheng found something odd about the Witness Description. It wasn't just the garbled text at the end that tanked his Sanity Value; when he tried to pinpoint it, he couldn't.

Must be too tired.

I'll sleep after finishing this.

After passing the double verification and facial login, Xie Sheng landed on the Midnight Convenience Store case details page.

Some new content had been added to the original Witness Description.

______________________________________

Anomaly Fluctuation Index: 26.8 μλ (Mid-frequency Solidified Residual)

Interference Range: Within 15 meters of the convenience store (stronger at night than during the day). The area is currently cordoned off with police tape, prohibiting public entry.

Potentially Related Cases (Ordered by Relevance):

1. February 2, 2025, early morning: Construction accident at a site on Beiyan Street, Xihe District, Yicheng. A 23-year-old female university student died instantly after being struck in the face by a falling brick... Link

2. February 3, 2025, early morning: Collapse accident in the same construction area, resulting in the deaths of four night shift workers... Link

3. February 5, 2025, early morning: Power outage at Metro Station B on Beiyan Street, Yicheng. Two subway lines were delayed; no casualties... Link

4. February 7, 2025, 10:00 PM: Sudden fire in an old residential complex on East Riverside Street, Xihe District, Yicheng. One death, two injuries... Link

Inferred Xenogeneic Domain Type: Survival, Pattern-Based, Mission-Based

Recommended Ability Attributes: Energy Purification, Mental Stability, Space Seal, Environment Reset, etc.

Ability User Rank Requirement for Mission Deployment: C-rank and above

Ability User Team Requirements: Minimum two-person team, must include one Attack/Control type and one Special/Defense/Healing type.

______________________________________

______________________________________

What department was Fu Hanhai in?

Computer Science?

Oh, wait. Xie Sheng remembered that GEMA had only divided Ability Users into five major categories.

Since neither of them was an attack-type, they'd probably need to bring Ji Anping along.

He'd ask tomorrow.

No rush.

Xie Sheng put down his phone, ready to charge his Apple Watch and go to bed.

He stood up.

As soon as he placed the watch on the charging ring, Xie Sheng's gaze froze.

Something felt wrong.

Xie Sheng had lived with Fu Hanhai since he could remember. Though Fu Hanhai was sometimes unreliable, he had always acted like a proper father. Because of this, Xie Sheng had never been curious about his real parents' appearance or tried to find out who they were.

He'd asked once in elementary school for a homework assignment, but Fu Hanhai had been completely clueless.

—Xie Sheng realized what was wrong.

His Apple Watch had never had a lock screen wallpaper.

He didn't even know what his real parents looked like, and he couldn't recall the appearance of the "parents' memorial portrait" he'd seen earlier.

He only remembered they were a handsome couple, completely different from his "living father."

Xie Sheng stared silently at the darkened watch screen for a long time before returning to the sofa.

That "parents' memorial portrait" had indirectly saved his life.

Otherwise, he'd probably be just another bald spot on the Lizardman's forehead.

But how had it appeared on his watch?

And who knew information about his parents, information that even Fu Hanhai was unaware of?

______________________________________

Exhausted from the past few days, Xie Sheng drifted off to sleep while lost in thought. He slept through the night and into the afternoon, waking up at one o'clock the next day.

If Ji Anping hadn't woken up mid-sleep to use the restroom, report their continued rest to Fu Hanhai, and then go back to sleep, Fu Hanhai would have been about to call the police.

Xie Sheng opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

He glanced at the wounds on his face and legs, which had nearly healed.

Is this the power of an Ability User?

However, the edges of the scars were still stained with mud, water, and dried blood. His germophobia kicked in, and he got up and walked into the bathroom.

As he finished showering, he ran into Ji Anping, who had just returned.

The two went to the GEMA employee cafeteria for lunch. After eating, Xie Sheng received a message from Fu Hanhai and went to his office.

"How are you feeling today?" Fu Hanhai asked, looking up from his computer screen. "Any mental or physical discomfort?"

"No," Xie Sheng replied. "Better than yesterday."

"Good," Fu Hanhai said. "The meeting's over. The General Bureau is currently preoccupied with another major matter. We'll wait for instructions. We'll need to travel to the Capital soon."

"Oh," Xie Sheng said.

Fu Hanhai said, "Little M mentioned you accepted a mission last night. I don't have permission to view it, but as your guardian, I could forcibly access it. However, I want to respect your privacy and will always seek your consent first."

"—So, which one did you accept?"

Xie Sheng, accustomed to Fu Hanhai's need to maintain his image as the perfect father, replied indifferently, "Midnight Convenience Store."

"Huh?"

Fu Hanhai said, "I recall a C-rank Ability User died in this E-rank Exotic Domain."

"Mm-hmm."

Xie Sheng said, "I was just curious why a C-rank Ability User would die in an E-rank Exotic Domain. How does GEMA determine these rankings?"

Fu Hanhai: "......"

Fu Hanhai said, "When Ability Users use their Abilities, they generate an Ability Fluctuation Index. Similarly, when Xenogeneics use their abilities or activate Xenogeneic Domains, we can measure their Anomaly Fluctuation Index. Our rankings for both Ability Users and Xenogeneics are based on these fluctuation indices."

Xie Sheng: "Oh."

Fu Hanhai pulled up the description for "Midnight Convenience Store" and activated his Analyze Ability.

"This is a rare mental-type Xenogeneic Domain, with a 22% chance of being Lovecraftian."

He continued, "That C-rank Ability User was an attack-type, so they died from mental contamination."

Xie Sheng: "Oh."

"Not a big deal."

Fu Hanhai asked, "When can you finish your final project?"

Xie Sheng: "Two or three hours."

"Good."

Fu Hanhai said, "GEMA holds new Ability User training sessions on the first of every month. Next week is the next session, and Yin Lanxing has already registered you. Once you've completed it and have a basic understanding of the theory, we'll go out on that mission."

Xie Sheng nodded.

Fu Hanhai continued, "I'm busy today. Here's your work pass. Feel free to explore. You can access all floors of GEMA—16 above ground and 1 below—except for the Command Department on the top floor. You should focus on the Operations Department on floors 13 and 14."

Xie Sheng: "Alright."

Although Fu Hanhai gave him the work pass, Xie Sheng had no interest in touring GEMA. Instead, he bought an iced Americano and went to watch Ji Anping scratch his head and wrestle with the code.

Xie Sheng was in his second year of graduate studies, and Ji Anping was in his first. Both were under the same advisor, so they were assigned to the same project.

At six in the afternoon, Ji Anping finally finished refactoring the mountain of messy code.

"My mom's calling me home for dinner," Ji Anping said to Xie Sheng as he packed his backpack. "Xie Sheng, could you let Uncle Fu know? I should be able to use his card to get into the more advanced cafeteria at GEMA."

"Sure," Xie Sheng replied.

They returned to the Ability Analysis Department together. Ji Anping clocked out and left, while Xie Sheng knocked on Fu Hanhai's door.

Little M's voice came through the electronic lock: "Director Fu is in a meeting. He's expected back after 8:30 PM. Please leave a message if it's urgent."

Xie Sheng: "..."

Damn it. Even as a leader, he's just a workhorse eating better feed.

Xie Sheng sent Fu Hanhai a message saying he was going to dinner, then left the GEMA Building.

Xie Sheng was a bit of a princess when it came to food, and he was picky. After struggling to choose between two crowded restaurants, he refused to share a table or wait in line and continued wandering.

There was a convenience store at the street corner.

Having spent so much time waiting for Fu Hanhai after school, Xie Sheng had developed a strange fondness for the store's simple meals.

Since he'd just picked up a task from the convenience store, he decided to check it out again.

Xie Sheng confirmed that this wasn't in Xihe District, Beiyan Street, or the Happy Convenience Store. The GEMA Case files had also stated that this particular store was under police cordon, so he entered with peace of mind.

"Beep—Welcome!"

The automatic doors closed, and a synthesized female voice announced.

The store had everything imaginable, and Xie Sheng was dazzled by the sheer variety. Finally, at the clerk's recommendation, he chose a cheese bread, along with his usual favorites: pork floss rice balls, a vegetable salad, and pure milk.

After paying, Xie Sheng sat at the long table by the window, watching the street scene as he ate.

It was nearly dusk. The setting sun stained the azure sky a pale pink, and the street was rimmed with golden light.

Cars bustled along the main road, thin smoke rose from roadside food stalls, and pedestrians moved in small groups. Some stared down at their phones, while others hurried home from work, creating a lively, bustling tableau.

Taking a bite of his rice ball, Xie Sheng gazed absently at the figures hurrying across the crosswalk, reminded of countless after-school scenes from elementary through high school.

After finishing his meal, Xie Sheng stepped out of the convenience store, the lingering glow of the sunset still visible outside. He held his half-finished glass of milk.

"Beep—Thank you for shopping!"

"Beep—Welcome!"

Xie Sheng took a sip of milk and suddenly stopped.

His gaze fell upon the convenience store shelves.

Huh?

Didn't I just leave this store? How am I still inside?

Xie Sheng turned around.

The automatic door was right in front of him, but something felt wrong.

It was still daylight when I finished eating. When I walked toward the door earlier, I saw the bright sky through the glass. Why are the door and the street-facing windows now completely dark?

Xie Sheng glanced back. Inside, everything looked normal: a few scattered customers browsing the aisles. The shelves and layout were the same, but there was no cashier at the checkout counter.

Does it get dark this quickly in winter?

Maintaining a calm expression, Xie Sheng turned back and walked straight toward the automatic door.

"Beep—Thank you for shopping!"

"Beep—Welcome!"

The door slid open, then closed.

Xie Sheng found himself back in the convenience store where he'd bought his dinner. The scent of oden and grilled sausages lingered in the air. Outside the automatic door, the lively street scene from sunset was still vibrant.

Xie Sheng: "?"

He turned around and walked towards the automatic door.

Beep—Thank you for shopping!

Beep—Welcome!

The door opened and closed.

Xie Sheng found himself in a convenience store with a pitch-black midnight scene outside and no staff.

Xie Sheng: "??"

He turned around again.

This time, he didn't immediately leave. Instead, he caught his reflection in the glass door and saw that he was wearing the exact same uniform as the store clerk.

A name tag was pinned to his left chest: Happy Convenience Store, Xie Sheng .

Xie Sheng's mind went completely blank.

After a moment of stunned silence, a voice from the counter called out to him: "Clerk, check out."

Xie Sheng: "???"

Do I look like an idiot?

With a blank expression, he walked straight out the door.

Beep—Thank you for shopping!

Beep—Welcome!

Xie Sheng returned to a normal convenience store, his clothes now back to their original casual wear.

He pulled out his phone, only to find it had no service and no network connection.

He walked straight to the counter and said to the clerk, "Excuse me, could I borrow your phone?"

The clerk seemed not to hear him, showing no reaction.

"Hello?" Xie Sheng said.

The store clerk still didn't react.

"Checkout, two bottles of yogurt."

Nearby, an elite female office worker approached. The clerk immediately responded and scanned her code.

Then Xie Sheng watched in disbelief as the woman walked right through his body.

"Huh?" he exclaimed.

He reached out to grab the clerk's arm, only to find his hand passing straight through it.

Realizing something was wrong, Xie Sheng walked to a nearby shelf and picked up a carton of pure milk.

This time, he lifted it effortlessly, and no clerks or customers paid him any attention.

Well, well.

So what's my current state? Ethereal? Unselectable?

That means I'm invincible!

But when Xie Sheng, milk in hand, approached the entrance, the automatic doors refused to open.

He set the milk down and stepped forward, and the doors slid open.

He went to the self-checkout machine, scanned the milk, and paid via WeChat. The doors slid open again.

I see.

Even if no one stops me from taking goods, I still have to pay.

This Xenogeneic Domain is surprisingly strict about rules.

Even a fool could tell he had entered a Xenogeneic Domain.

Happy Convenience Store.

— E-rank Exotic Domain: "Midnight Convenience Store"

Xie Sheng carried his milk back to the window and opened the GEMA Forum.

Upon entering the Xenogeneic Domain, the forum's network functions automatically disconnected—both because of the Xenogeneic energy waves and to protect the forum's information.

This left Xie Sheng with only cached content.

He reopened the detail page for "Midnight Convenience Store" and reread it carefully.

Only now did Xie Sheng understand why he had felt something was off when he first read the Witness Description in "Midnight Convenience Store."

The witness had worked night shifts for a week, encountering strange workers, discovering system malfunctions, and growing increasingly mentally unstable. Yet he never reported it, never quit, and never even left the convenience store.

—Because he couldn't leave at all.

Entering this Xenogeneic Domain, the glass door only connected the Daytime Convenience Store to the Midnight Convenience Store.

Xie Sheng looked up.

The aroma of cooked food wafted to his nostrils, while outside, traffic still flowed. The sunset had dyed the entire street a soft, rosy-orange.

People hurried home, their faces weary but their steps brisk, a hint of happiness on their lips.

Watching them through the glass, Xie Sheng suddenly felt a sense of detachment, as if he were observing a dream.

The people were only a few meters away, yet it felt like they were separated by the entire world.

Is this the Xenogeneic Domain?

Xie Sheng fell silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled.

Interesting.

Remembering something, he activated his Ability.

The familiar pale blue HUD frame still surrounded his vision, the cursor blinking in the input box at the top. Below it, the virtual keyboard, which had previously only displayed the `Ctrl`, `S`, and `B` keys, now also had a `T` key illuminated in a lighter shade.

Xie Sheng froze.

Fu Hanhai was right—he could indeed obtain more letter keys.

He just couldn't figure out why the `T` key was lighter than the `S` and `B` keys.

Moreover, in the real world, `Ctrl+T` had various uses depending on the software, most commonly in Excel, where it could instantly format tables, auto-fill formulas with data, and more.

But these were all unrelated to the Ability world. Xie Sheng couldn't imagine what kind of power this key could grant him.

He focused his mental intent on the `T` key.

The skill description appeared above it: Who says Xenogeneics have no right to pursue beauty?

Xie Sheng: "?"

From one-click table formatting to one-click Xenogeneic beautification?

I may be a sucker for good looks, but who the hell wants to make Xenogeneics pretty?

Should I just switch careers and become an undertaker?

Xie Sheng stared at the small text for two full minutes before snapping back to reality.

Whatever.

If everything's already this messed up, what's left to be surprised by?

He closed the pale blue screen and slowly took a sip of his new milk, his gaze returning to his phone.

In the Announcement Information section, only the pinned post titled Newcomers Must Read remained highlighted; other files were grayed out.

To prevent Xenogeneic invasion or tampering.

So professional, GEMA.

This is a lifesaver.

Xie Sheng clicked on it, jumping from the Ability descriptions he'd reviewed yesterday to Three Scenarios for Ability Users Entering the Xenogeneic Domain.

He was certain he hadn't met any of those conditions, yet here he was, in this E-rank Xenogeneic Domain.

Xie Sheng was genuinely curious about how he'd ended up here.

1. Energy Depletion and Forced Entry Rule

As explained in the Ability Description, when an Ability User gains an Ability, they also acquire an Energy Capacity Value. Each use of an Ability consumes a portion of this energy.

When an Ability User's Energy Capacity Value reaches zero, their Ability enters an Unstable state. In this state, the next use of an Ability has a very high probability of forcibly pulling the user into the Xenogeneic Domain.

2. Xenogeneic Marking Mechanism

Some Xenogeneics can Mark Ability Users in advance. When a Xenogeneic activates its Domain, Marked individuals are guaranteed to be pulled into the corresponding Domain, with no way to avoid it.

Note: If a Marked individual is in a public space, a temporary magnetic field will form around them, potentially pulling others within the affected area into the Xenogeneic Domain as well.

GEMA advises Ability Users to avoid lingering in densely populated areas after noticing signs of potential Marking.

3. Active Entry Mechanism

Some Abilities and Empowering Items provide opportunities for active entry, including official GEMA missions and guild members risking their lives for upgrades.

That makes sense.

Abilities can't be used without cost or limit, or it would cause chaos. Unlike many novels where the side effects are physical exhaustion or mental breakdown, here the consequence is being forcibly pulled into a Xenogeneic Domain if you use them too much.

Xie Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly.

But I've never felt this "Energy Capacity Value." Neither mechanism 1 nor 3 seem to apply to me. Could I have been Marked?

He suddenly recalled that the Poker Killer had slashed his face with a playing card the day before, and the card had then revealed his silhouette.

Was this some kind of Mark?

But the Midnight Convenience Store was listed in the GEMA Forum's task list, clearly not the Poker Killer's Xenogeneic Domain.

Moreover, in the GEMA Case, the Poker Killer seemed to be an Ability User, not a Xenogeneic.

So how did I even get in here?

Xie Sheng fell silent.

Let's just bully this E-rank Xenogeneic convenience store. Who cares if I can't figure it out? I'll stop thinking about it.

He continued reading.

Three Ways for Ability Users to Leave a Xenogeneic Domain

1. Completion

An Ability User can trigger the exit mechanism by completing the domain's set objectives.

The conditions for completion vary depending on the domain type, commonly including: Task-based / Rule-based / Survival-based / Rule-based Horror / Battle Royale / Multiple-Choice. (Jump to: The Six Categories of Xenogeneic Domains and Details)

Multiple-Choice?

Xie Sheng was curious. What kind of thing was this?

Don't tell me I just have to pick C?

2. Purification

Xenogeneics primarily originate from the mutation of living beings and objects caused by emotions. If an Ability User successfully resolves, compensates for, or purifies the core obsession, dying wish, or unresolved emotional node that caused the Xenogeneic's mutation, the Domain will naturally terminate, and the Xenogeneic will completely dissipate.

Note: When a Xenogeneic realizes an Ability User is attempting to purify it, it may retaliate with mental contamination or emotional backlash. The difficulty and rank of the Xenogeneic Domain may increase as a result. (Jump to: Precautions for Purifying Xenogeneic Domains)

3. Elimination

By directly combatting or employing strategy to kill the Xenogeneic, its Domain will collapse, and the creature will die completely.

Note: Xenogeneics possess a Weakness. The higher the Xenogeneic's rank, the more concealed its weakness becomes, but it can be deduced from the Xenogeneic's story, traits, and rules.

(Jump to: Precautions for Eliminating Xenogeneics)

Xie Sheng's gaze fell upon the six large characters: **Pass / Purify / Eliminate** .

Having just entered, the Xenogeneic Domain provided too little information, and his own experience was too limited to determine its type or how to Pass .

As for Elimination , his current Ability lacked offensive capabilities; he only had neural screenshots and a bolding function, and the difficulty would be considerable.

For now, the best way to leave is through Purification .

Although there's a chance it will increase the level and difficulty of the Xenogeneic Domain, the Witness Description mentions that on the Fifth Day , the store clerk—the previous C-rank Ability User—became mentally unstable. Fu Hanhai also stated that he died from mental contamination.

Therefore, time is of the utmost importance in this Xenogeneic Domain.

Just as Xie Sheng was about to tap the link ( jump to: Precautions for Purifying a Xenogeneic Domain ), a plop sound came as something dripped onto his phone screen.

It was blood.

As if sensing it, Xie Sheng reached up to his philtrum.

He froze.

He was indeed bleeding from his nose, but that wasn't the most critical issue. The most alarming thing was that his entire nose was collapsing inward.

It felt as if the bones beneath his facial skin were being crushed by an invisible hand. Without support, his entire face was caving inward.

Xie Sheng looked up. The scenery outside the glass remained the same—cars still drove by, people still walked.

But his vision began to blur, and his breathing grew increasingly difficult as his nasal bridge collapsed, blocking his airway.

Witness Description

Early on the fifth day, I greeted the customer as usual: "Welcome."

One of them finally looked up.

His face was flat.

His features seemed like a photograph pressed under glass, and the dry, cracked skin around his mouth trembled as he spoke.

His own face was flattening too!

Xie Sheng suddenly realized this and immediately stood up.

His vision darkened, breathing grew increasingly difficult, and his chest felt as if something were blocking it. Every breath carried the coppery taste of blood.

The world around him began to warp—the convenience store shelves, lights, and counter all seemed to be "pressing" in on him.

Xie Sheng gripped the table and looked around.

An E-rank Xenogeneic Domain couldn't be unsolvable, especially since it was only Class E.

But with so little information and his own Ability useless, where could the solution lie?

Biting his tongue to stay alert, Xie Sheng quickly reviewed everything he had done since entering the store.

Wait.

The door!

The door connected the Daytime Convenience Store and the Midnight Convenience Store.

The reporting person was a night shift employee, and I had been wearing employee uniform when I entered the Midnight Convenience Store.

Xie Sheng understood. He bolted toward the automatic door.

Just as his head was about to split, he stepped through the door of the Midnight Convenience Store.

Beep—Thank you for shopping!

Beep—Welcome!

In the next instant, the air felt completely purified. Breathing became effortless, his nose straightened, his vision cleared.

A divine doctor, indeed.

Xie Sheng looked up.

His gaze froze.

They were all around him, a crowd of "people."

They looked like customers of the Midnight Convenience Store—some in construction jackets, some in pajamas, some in school uniforms—but every single one of them was missing part of their face.

One had no eyes, just a gaping, bloody hole where his right eye should be. Another had no nose, only two vertical cracks bleeding under the inner corners of his eyes. A third had no mouth, his jaw hanging loose, leaving only a quivering patch of wet skin.

Under the store's blindingly white fluorescent lights, dozens of disfigured faces slowly advanced toward Xie Sheng. A cacophony of distorted voices overlapped: "Clerk! Checkout! Checkout! Checkout! Check! Check! Check! Checkout! Checkout! Checkout!"

Xie Sheng: "......"

He hadn't escaped after all.

After drinking the pure milk, he had become a pure ox—a pure beast of burden.