Chapter Six: The Enigmatic Gathering

The ratio of time in the mental simulation to real-world time is 2:1.

This ratio applies not only to the game *Covenant of Sin* but also to most other similar products. While human thought and spirit cannot be fully manifested in reality, if transformed into data, it becomes possible to achieve "theoretical fast-forwarding," thereby maximizing cognitive efficiency.

However, the scope of this milestone discovery is so vast that, to avoid straying too far off-topic and finding it impossible to return, let us get back to the matter at hand.

After a simple calculation, Mo Tan roughly deduced that there seemed to be a discrepancy in the time ratio between reality and the game. In other words, following standard logic, it should be around 5:00 AM, not the 7:00 AM displayed on his phone.

"Did I experience a lapse in time, or is this device malfunctioning?" Mo Tan frowned. He was currently in his most "normal" personality, so his way of thinking was relatively orthodox.

A moment later, after pondering to no avail, Mo Tan decided to get something to eat first. He hadn't had a bite since yesterday noon and was feeling quite hungry. As for his doubts, he didn't forget them; he simply pushed the question aside for now, planning to revisit it when he had more time. Although there were few things left that could baffle him, if a problem truly lacked an immediate explanation, he wouldn't obsess over it. After all, high-intensity thinking was a hassle, and many problems remained unsolvable even with an answer. So, why bother?

Mo Tan’s home was small; it took less than a minute to walk from the living room to the kitchen. He quickly boiled a bowl of noodles for breakfast. From lighting the stove to placing the bowl by his computer, it took less than ten minutes.

Cooking is a mandatory skill for a bachelor living alone. Although Mo Tan’s "condition" was quite vibrant, he still fell into that category and possessed a certain level of culinary ability. While he couldn't prepare dishes costing over two hundred yuan, he had traveled far down the path of low-cost cuisine. One of his few friends once gave him this blunt assessment: "I actually tasted happiness in your rotten vegetable noodles and plain boiled porridge! Please, go get a sex change!"

He started his computer and, while slurping his noodles, opened the *Covenant of Sin* forum. Although the new game hadn't spent much effort on promotion, it had gathered a solid following on its very first day. Even Mo Tan, who had initially planned to "return the game once the 24-hour trial period expired," had abandoned that thought—the game's charm was evident.

Compared to mainstream games where high freedom allows you to slaughter gods and demons with a little bit of "pay-to-win" or "grinding," stepping on every NPC and only falling short against those who spent more money or time, *Covenant of Sin* was quite disrespectful to its players.

Aside from minor adjustments to appearance and naming, nothing—from faction, race, and birthplace to talents—was decided by the players. Furthermore, the NPCs in the game were not only highly anthropomorphic but also possessed distinct personalities. If your attitude was slightly off, being ignored was the least of your worries; there were plenty of cases where you might be beaten to a pulp or slashed with a blade.

Humans are always like this: they yearn for freedom under the constraints and rules of society, but when "freedom" actually arrives, they find themselves wishing for restrictions and limitations. *Covenant of Sin* was just such a world full of constraints, yet it offered you a different kind of "freedom." Because in this game, you don't feel like a player; you feel like you are a part of the world.

Browsing the forum while eating, Mo Tan occasionally threw out comments like, "Human nature is truly base," "If you die without being able to play *Covenant* during the day, show me!", or "Damn, the death penalty is this severe!"

Indeed, the death penalty in the game was quite severe. It wasn't as simple as running back to your corpse, dropping a coin, or waiting a few seconds to respawn on the spot.

The details of the death penalty, which the officials hadn't released earlier, had been personally verified and experienced by countless players last night. If one were to summarize their feedback, it could be captured in four words: "The experience is terrible!"

Upon death, everything except for character talents and soul-bound items was wiped and reset—all class levels, attributes, and so on. You would then be randomly resurrected somewhere in the Continent of Sin, starting over in a place where no one knew you.

"That's just deleting your account and starting over!" Mo Tan was shocked. Although he had expected "death" in this game wouldn't be simple, he hadn't anticipated it being this... exciting.

However, only in this way would players truly cherish their lives. This would reveal their true selves, for if death were merely a matter of running back to a corpse, even a cowardly person could pretend to be noble, volunteering to cover the retreat, sacrificing themselves, or acting fearless to boost their "cool factor."

Then, at 8:00 AM that day, the officials officially released a statement:

*Covenant of Sin* is a complete world, so it has no dungeon system.
*Covenant of Sin* strives for complete realism, so it has no party system.
The indigenous life of *Covenant of Sin* is intelligent, so please treat NPCs with respect.
*Covenant of Sin* is a game after all, so there are independent player spaces.
*Covenant of Sin* values economic development, so it supports a trading system.
*Covenant of Sin* hopes players will drive the story, so there are no expansion packs.
The main system of *Covenant of Sin* is very powerful, so... the programmers state they accept no additional responsibility.

A single stone stirred up a thousand ripples; the official forum exploded almost instantly.

But Mo Tan didn't continue to follow it for two reasons: First, he had finished his meal; second, he had... well, his personality had shifted.

The "Chaotic Neutral" version of himself didn't like wasting time watching others spout nonsense. He felt it would be better to wander around a place like a church during the Christmas season, perhaps find a believer to chat with and cause them some trouble.

Of course, he wouldn't actually do that, because Mo Tan was afraid that if he uncontrollably shifted personalities again, he might accidentally be converted. Although he was an atheist, he was also a kind person, and those fanatical believers were capable of insane things—like holding a knife to their own throats—just to make you believe in their Lord.

After reluctantly washing the dishes, Mo Tan checked his mental state. Confirming he wouldn't experience a drastic shift in temperament for a while (don't ask me how he did that), he picked up his phone, replied to a message, and whispered, "Five, four, three, two..."

*Buzz, buzz, buzz...*

The phone in his hand vibrated. The caller ID read: "Gay Friend A."

In fact, Mo Tan’s contact list was filled with names like: Gay Friend A, Gay Friend B, Gay Friend C, Lackey A, Lackey B, Undercover A, Classmate X, Bald Teacher, Menopausal Teacher A, Fly, and others of unknown significance.

Although Mo Tan always had the urge to fix them when he was in his more serious personality, after a certain incident involving a stolen phone, he had to admit that this was actually quite useful. At least he didn't have to spend half a month helping some idiot who had been scammed out of hundreds of thousands of yuan recover their money, while simultaneously completing an act of counter-extortion.

"Hey~ Hello, Gay Friend A~~" Mo Tan answered the phone with a chuckle.

"If you use that name again, I’ll drag you to Africa for poverty relief while you're still in your 'upstanding youth' phase!" the "gay friend" on the other end retorted irritably.

Mo Tan shrugged. "I don't mind, but when we get back, I might post your photos and personal details on various gay dating sites—bilingual, global reach."

"Tan-ge, I was wrong! Forget Gay Friend A, you can call me Gay Guy A if you want!" The man on the other end immediately backed down, because Mo Tan—at least the current Mo Tan—was absolutely capable of doing such a thing, and his execution was off the charts!

Mo Tan whistled. "Alright, Comrade Yi Dong, what do you want?"

[Yi Dong]
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Faction...
Sorry, wrong script.

Yi Dong was a friend Mo Tan had known since their time in the orphanage. He was one of the few people in the world who unfortunately knew about Mo Tan's split personality. However, unlike the latter, Mo Tan was a true orphan, while this young master was different. It seemed that for some very superstitious reason (in Mo Tan's eyes), his parents had dumped him at the orphanage when he was one, only to pick him up five years later, claiming the "bad karma" had been purged.

"Lunatics!" That was Mo Tan’s assessment of Yi Dong’s family, though there was also a sense of standing up for his friend. Yi Dong himself didn't care much, feeling that meeting a freak like Mo Tan at the orphanage wasn't a total loss. As for why the orphanage would take in a child whose parents—and even great-grandfather—were alive and wealthy, the reason was simple: money makes the world go round! Incidentally, Yi Dong and Mo Tan were also classmates—both in middle school and university.

"There's a pointless gathering tonight, come with me!" Yi Dong didn't waste time and got straight to the point.

Mo Tan asked, "Isn't there class tonight?"

"One of my aunts is a school board member," Yi Dong said nonchalantly. "A quick word is all it takes."

"Heh, rich people are different, such connections," Mo Tan mocked. "Us commoners are so scared!"

The young man on the phone flared up. "Hey! You, the bastard who only shows up for exams and gets a perfect score every time—you don't have the right to say that to me!"

"No, I do. After all, this intelligence is my own," Mo Tan replied. "Everything should be based on true talent. If you had put in the effort to seduce the principal and had her give you the green light, I wouldn't despise you."

"Brother! You’re my own brother!" Yi Dong shouted in frustration. "Our principal is nearly eighty; show the old lady some respect! Besides, I’m not that desperate!!"

He took two deep breaths and steered the conversation back. "I’ll come pick you up in the afternoon, deal?"

"No deal," Mo Tan replied lazily. "I don't want to go with you."

"Why?" Yi Dong asked. "Do you have plans?"

"First, I want to play a game, and that game can only be played at night," Mo Tan said. "Second, you said it’s a 'pointless' gathering, which means it will definitely be a hassle. While I don't mind a little trouble now, that doesn't mean I’ll be in the mood for it later, you get me?"

Yi Dong was silent for a long moment before saying, "I get the second part; your mental state is... complicated. But that game that can only be played at night... uh... brother, you know what they say about 'masturbating until the masts and oars turn to ash'..."

"If you dare to finish that sentence, I’ll find someone to 'masturbate' you tomorrow," Mo Tan threatened. "I’m just playing an online game that only supports sleep mode."

"Whoa! That’s a rarity, tell me about it later!" Yi Dong laughed, then spoke rapidly. "Look, I promise to get you home before midnight. Consider it a favor you owe me. The gathering is mostly strangers, and I’m prone to awkwardness. Having you there gives me someone to talk to. We’ll chat more when we meet this afternoon. Bye!"

*Beep, beep, beep...*

"This guy is getting more and more outrageous..." Mo Tan listened to the dial tone and couldn't help but shake his head. "He used to be such a simple, honest kid. Sigh, whatever."

Since Yi Dong had said "you owe me one," Mo Tan didn't plan on refusing anymore. Besides, he was someone who couldn't stay idle; a small social circle didn't mean he was antisocial or reclusive. He wasn't particularly resistant to attending an event with a rich kid where he could score a good meal.

However, since he decided to go, he had to prepare.

"I think it’s better if I go in my current state..." Mo Tan whispered to the mirror while washing his face. "A 'pointless' gathering, it should be quite interesting~"

Then, he deliberately triggered his other personality, changed his clothes, and went to the residential complex to do some Christmas charity work.

...

In the afternoon, when Yi Dong arrived in his SSC-13—which Mo Tan called "Capitalist Original Sin"—Mo Tan had already shifted back to his "Chaotic Neutral" personality, lounging on the sofa in a daze.

"Are you sure you don't want to change?" Yi Dong looked at Mo Tan’s cheap outfit, which cost less than a hundred yuan in total. "I remember you have a suit, right? I'm afraid it’ll be awkward; it’s my first time meeting these people too, and I don't know what kind of characters they are."

Mo Tan pointed toward the closet. "Haven't worn it in too long, it’s gone sour."

"Then..." Yi Dong tentatively asked, "How about I get you..."

"If you’re planning to buy me a designer brand that costs more than my annual food budget," Mo Tan squinted at Yi Dong, "you might as well buy me a house, a car as flashy as yours, and introduce me to a princess from the UAE—the kind whose father is dying of late-stage cancer."

Yi Dong understood the implication. Honestly, aside from the dying father part, he could handle all the rest. But he didn't doubt for a second that if he actually did that, Mo Tan would post his personal info and photos on every gay dating site on the planet, with contact information updated in real-time.

"Never mind what I said," Yi Dong sighed. "If you don't need to get ready, let's go."

...

An hour later, the two appeared on the second floor of a top-tier hotel in the city, walking toward the private room numbered [666].

...

Chapter Six: End