Chapter One: One Tester Remains

The shutdown alarm sounded as Lin Zhou died for the seventy-third time. A black spear punched through his chest and pinned him to the stone wall of Ascension Tower's ninth floor. His testing privileges had reduced simulated pain to ten percent, but it still felt like a heated iron bar lodged between his ribs. He watched his health hit zero and raised a hand, ready to check *delayed death feedback* on the floating bug-report panel. The panel turned scarlet first. 【GLOBAL SHUTDOWN NOTICE】 【Ascension will suspend all services in thirty seconds. All trainees will be forcibly logged out.】 【No restoration time is currently scheduled.】