Chapter 10: First Encounter with the 'Angel'

"Independence!" Ye Chen barely needed to think before the thought emerged in his mind. Ye Xing shared the same idea. Back when they were still Ye Xingchen, they didn't interact with many people; up to now, their only friends were C.C. and Little White, one person and one fox. They were long accustomed to independence. Even though C.C. wasn't around, wasn't Little White still there?

"System, I choose..." Ye Chen was about to say his answer when two melodious voices interrupted him: "Wait a moment!"

"What's the matter?" From their voices, Ye Chen could tell it was the sisters Ruo Xing and Ruo Chen, who had saved them. He patiently asked them.

"Don't choose independence. Don't you think this is a good beginning? You always keep to yourself, but if you pick one of the factions, you'll get to know many people—maybe even make some new friends..."

"That's unnecessary!" Ye Chen cut Ruo Chen off before she could finish, his mild smile unchanged. "Little White and C.C. are enough for me! Of course, you and Ruo Xing are my friends too..."

"Woof, woof..." Little White, who had been sleeping to recover from its injuries, woke up at that moment, licked Ye Chen's face, and whimpered weakly.

"You want me to get to know others too?" Though they couldn't speak the same language, nothing hindered the communication between Ye Chen and Little White. While Ye Chen didn't heed the suggestions of his two new ordinary friends, Ruo Xing and Ruo Chen, he couldn't ignore Little White's opinion.

"Woof, woof, woof..." Little White nodded its little head, trying to express something.

A complex expression flickered in Ye Chen's eyes. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Fine! I choose the Afterlife Battlefront!"

This wasn't Ye Chen's decision alone. With the information the system provided, he and Little White had learned that the Afterlife Battlefront had far more members, while the Student Council had very few. If he was to learn to get along with others, it made sense to be where there were more people. Little White had quickly stamped her paw and made the choice for Ye Chen.

"Faction selection successful. Host has joined the Afterlife Battlefront. Reward has been stored in the system space and can be retrieved freely!"

"Alright! I'll join you!" To the slightly impatient Yuri Nakamura, Ye Chen offered a faint smile and agreed. At that moment, the clouds that had been obscuring the moonlight were blown away by the wind.

For the first time, Yuri saw the new recruit's face clearly. What struck her immediately were Ye Chen's star-filled eyes, captivating to the point that one could lose themselves in their depths. In her heart, she couldn't help but think: "How could anyone have such beautiful eyes?"

Seeing that Yuri was dazed, Ye Chen walked over and waved his hand in front of her face, his manner gentle as he asked, "Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine! Welcome to the Afterlife Battlefront!" Yuri, snapped out of her trance by Ye Chen, blushed slightly. She truly hadn't expected the first to agree to be this handsome, if rather unusual, newcomer. Smiling amiably, she shook his hand.

Now that one had agreed, Yuri turned to the other boy. Her gaze, sharp as a wolf eyeing its prey, made him uncomfortable all over. Ye Chen began to wonder if joining them was a mistake, but he sighed and resigned himself. Sooner or later, he'd have to interact with them anyway.

"Can I go to the other side?" the boy asked, glancing down at the silver-haired, doll-like girl below, then at Yuri, who was aiming a sniper rifle at the girl and ranting in words he couldn't understand. It wasn't a hard choice. Scratching his head, he asked.

"Why! What nonsense is this? Are you an idiot? Why don't you try dying once? Though it's a joke in this world where you can't die, do you find it funny?" Yuri's outburst scared the boy so much that he fell to the ground.

"I won't comment on your joke, but compared to someone who points a gun at a girl, I think I'll have a more normal conversation with that one over there!" Unlike Ye Chen, this boy's worldview was already shaken by the absurdity of the situation. He decisively chose to speak with the more normal person.

"We're comrades! If you don't want me aiming at her, then I won't! Trust me!" To prove herself, Yuri relented.

"Hey, Yuriko! How's the newbie recruitment going? We're short on hands, so use whatever underhanded tactics necessary..." Just as the boy was softening under Yuri's sincerity, a blue-haired girl wielding a Russian RPK-74 light machine gun came over, clenching her fist and then suddenly noticing the boy and Ye Chen. Yuri immediately facepalmed. A teammate as foolish as a pig!

"I think I'll go over there! Say, why don't you join me?" The boy started down the stairs, inviting Ye Chen as he went. After all, Ye Chen had arrived here with him and was more trustworthy than Yuri or Hinata.

"I'm interested to see whether this so-called 'Angel' matches my impression," Ye Chen replied, eyes alight with curiosity, and followed him.

"Ahh! Recruitment failed!" Watching the two of them leave, Yuri clutched her head in frustration. A moment later, a flying kick and a scream rang out for both Ye Chen and the boy to hear.

"Those people are totally ridiculous. What are they even doing?" the boy muttered to Ye Chen as they walked.

"You really don't remember anything?" Ye Chen, intrigued, realized the boy still hadn't understood he was dead.

"Nothing. I can't recall a thing." The boy shook his head helplessly.

"Why not ask this so-called 'Angel'? You might find out." Seeing his reaction, Ye Chen didn't bother to explain; he knew the boy wouldn't believe him anyway. Only after experiencing it firsthand would anyone accept such a reality. That's just human nature.

Utterly bewildered by Ye Chen and Yuri, the boy pinned his hopes on the girl standing on the field. He approached the 'Angel,' who was scanning her surroundings, and said, "Excuse me!"

The 'Angel' turned, her gaze settling on the two before her.

"Ah, good evening! Just now, someone was aiming a gun at you, calling you an angel or something!" Faced with her delicate, adorable appearance, the boy didn't know what to say and inadvertently sold out Yuri and Hinata.

"I'm not an angel," the girl replied with a slight tilt of her head, seemingly unconcerned about someone pointing a gun at her—she must have been used to it by now.

"Exactly, so then..." The boy looked relieved—how could such a cute girl be an angel?

"Student Council President!"