"Chapter 3: How Shall I Live Without a Phone?!"

"The crowd looked at the young man in front of them, unsure whether to respond with a polite good day or remain silent."

"The atmosphere now was so incongruent with the young man's demeanor; everyone had been cast into the land of exile and swallowed by monsters, how could he still look as happy as if he had hit the jackpot!"

"Moreover, didn't he just blow up that ferocious big-eyed monster with a single gesture? Unless there's a god of luck in the team, randomly matched with a real powerhouse, this guy seems more like a disguised NPC than a companion!"

"The silence was too profound."

Fortunately, a new prompt soon sounded in everyone's ears.

"Welcome to the Devouring World – The City of Phones."

"Announcing a world mission."

"Survival Task: Within five days, find and check-in at five designated spots within the City of Phones, and take photos as instructed and on time."

"The reward for this task: Gain a protective barrier, immune to being devoured by this world, and survive successfully."

"[World Task: The City of Phones has been invaded by an unknown virus, resulting in a large number of mutated monsters. Exiles, please find and eliminate the source of the virus to restore peace to the world."

"Task Reward: The gratitude of the City of Phones. Core of the Devourer ×1.]"

"[Countdown begins. All exiles, please act swiftly, and may you not become a delicacy for the devoured.]"

"As soon as this announcement was made, everyone stopped observing and suspecting Chen Shijin. All newcomers to this place looked slightly anxious, contemplating the 'Survival Task' and 'World Task'."

"Are these two tasks the key to their survival here? What’s the difference between the Survival and World Tasks, and are both mandatory?"

"While the newcomers were pondering, the elder who initially called everyone to this side, Wang Baojie, spoke in a steady voice."

"'Ladies and gentlemen, let's get straight to the point. You must have heard the tasks just announced by the system. Remember, in all devouring worlds, the 'Survival Task' is always the first and most important priority.'"

"'Only by completing the Survival Task can you live on in this devouring world; otherwise, once the stipulated time is up, you will become nourishment for this world and be completely devoured and digested.'"

"'So, the 'Survival Task' is mandatory.'"

"'Next is the 'World Task'."

"The World Task is an advanced task based on the completion of the Survival Task. Generally, only very strong exiles can complete the World Task. Completing the World Task is like finding and destroying the core of the 'Devouring World', essentially counter-killing the monsters that are devouring us.'"

"The reward for completing the world task is quite substantial, offering a high amount of energy points. It can be said that completing just one world task can give you the strength to live well in the land of exile."

"But high returns also mean great risks. Before becoming a 'senior traveler,' I advise you not to attempt the world task."

"Wang Baojie's words cleared up everyone's confusion about the tasks, but then new questions arose."

"'So, do we go do the survival task now? How do we find the check-in points? It's getting dark; is it dangerous to move at night, or should we wait until tomorrow?'"

"The one who spoke was a competent-looking woman. Chen Shijin remembered her ability seemed to be 'Let's Negotiate.' She kept shouting at the monster chasing her, 'Big brother, let's talk this over! Can you not chase me?' And the monster actually stopped to think for a moment, though it quickly resumed the chase."

"But, she managed to escape by negotiating back and forth."

"As she spoke, she naturally took out her phone from her small backpack, wanting to check the time."

"But as soon as she lifted the phone to her face, Wang Baojie sternly snatched it away, under everyone's surprised gaze, and said seriously, 'In this world, do not look at your phones unless absolutely necessary!'"

"'Why is that?' Lyu Jun asked in a soft, tea-like voice at this moment. 'Earlier, big brother, you also told us not to look at our phones or like anything. Is looking at phones and liking dangerous?'"

"Liu Dakai, who had been forced to like, glanced at Lyu Jun and turned his head to listen intently to the experienced elder's explanation."

"Wang Baojie didn't hide anything, his expression a mix of helplessness and frustration."

"'Of course, it's dangerous."

"'The City of Phones is one of the 'Least Wanted Devouring Worlds' on the Omnipotent Eye leaderboard. Although this devouring world is only mid to high-level in terms of energy, its tasks are quite difficult to complete and it's easy to fall into an unsolvable addiction.'"

"'This unsolvable addiction occurs when you look at your phone and can't stop yourself from continuously staring at it, ultimately losing self-control. This kind of invasion is very hard to resist.'"

"'Plus, every time a Devourer evolves a world, it changes, so we can't know the tasks and coping methods within the devouring world. But one thing all survivors from the City of Phones agree on is — don't look at your phone!'"

"So not looking at phones is the most reliable tip in this world."

Everyone fell silent at once.

"But the task requires us to use our phones for check-ins and photos," the man with the 'Double Holiday 3+7' ability spoke wearily. "Besides, this place is called the City of Phones. Surely many things here require a phone to complete, right?"

"Not to mention, just checking the time on my phone happens over thirty times a day, plus ordering takeout, watching stress-relief videos, responding to group messages... If getting absorbed in phone use leads to addiction, I'm afraid I'd be addicted to death."

Wang Baojie, clearly aware of this, sighed, "Anyway, if it's not necessary, don't—"

Suddenly, a ghostly voice came from behind.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you have been idling at the entrance of my hotel for ten minutes now."

"May I politely ask: do you wish to check into our hotel? If not, please close the door from the outside."

Startled by the voice, Wang Baojie turned around defensively, only to see a male waiter in a black tailcoat who had appeared behind them unnoticed.

The slender and tall waiter had an ordinary face and wore a standard service smile. Even under the suspicious and astonished gazes of a dozen people, his smile didn’t falter.

"A friendly reminder."

"It's now 5:45 PM, and nightfall is in 15 minutes."

"To prevent infected mutants from blending into crowds, the City of Phones has implemented citywide real-name authentication since yesterday."

"Without a verified safety code, you won't be able to check into any hotel, dine in any restaurant, or access any public service point tonight."

"In that case, you'll have to roam the streets tonight."

As the waiter in the tailcoat spoke, he pointed outside the glass door. Everyone looked where he indicated, gasping in unison—

Unbeknownst to them, a whole line of big-eyed people had gathered outside the hotel's glass door. They varied in height, size, and shape, firmly surrounding the hotel entrance. Each held a phone in one hand and a weapon in the other, their protruding eyes fixed on everyone inside.

Chen Shijin could even hear their earnest calls through the door:

"Like, like! Or, kill you?"

Everyone: ……

Is there even a choice here?!!

Wang Baojie wiped his face on the spot: “We'll check in. Can we do the real-name authentication inside the hotel?”

The waiter in the tailcoat smiled even more professionally: “Certainly. Our hotel is one of the designated registration points for real-name authentication.”

“However, there are only 10 minutes left until 6:00 PM. Please hasten to the front desk to avoid being forcibly expelled from the hotel for failing to complete the registration.”

Instantly, everyone's expression changed, and they turned to rush to the front desk as quickly as possible.

Chen Shijin walked at the back.

Forced to silence for twenty-three years, he had long become a calm emperor, unshaken even by the collapse of Mount Tai.

After all, one slip, and he could potentially silence a whole family, turn someone into a fool, or cause an ethical disaster. Over time, elegance and silence became masks he couldn't easily put aside.

Although both Lv Jun and Liu Dakai thought he was just showing off his indifference, they had to admit that this mute was always as steady as an old dog; they had never seen him panicked or afraid.

Look.

Now he's putting on airs again!

Lv Jun was third in line and kept glancing back at Chen Shijin, who was last, with a dismissive smirk.

Keep pretending, let's see how long you can keep it up.

There were thirteen people in total, and less than ten minutes remained for registration. Even if it took only a minute per person, Chen Shijin, being last in line, would definitely not complete registration before 6 PM.

So what if you have an impressive special ability? In the end, you'll still be thrown out, minced into pulp by those big-eyed creatures!

Thinking this, Lv Jun slightly curled his lips, anticipating the moment Chen Shijin’s arrogance would be sliced down by a blade.

Then, he subconsciously shifted his buttocks, feeling a secret pain and itch in that unspeakable area.

Tsk, better get registered quickly. He was drenched in rain and hadn't dealt with some... earlier matters, and was eager to take a shower.

At this moment, his cousin, enveloped in the aroma of tea, was still oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

……

The real-name authentication registration was not difficult; it simply required opening the phone, locating oneself in the [City of Phones] new app, taking a photo, and then interfacing with the hotel's computer to complete the authentication.

"Since this method could pre-locate and photograph, those queued behind could prepare in advance. Hence, aside from the first girl with cloven hooves and the second delivery guy taking about two minutes, starting from the third, Lyu Jun, the faster individuals could complete the verification in just ten to twenty seconds."

"Lyu Jun considered delaying on purpose during his verification, but standing right behind him was the stern-faced Wang Baojie."

"This made him wary of any mischief, opting instead to slightly slow down, taking thirty seconds to complete the verification."

"Even so, by the time the verification reached the ninth person, seven and a half minutes had already elapsed, leaving only the last two minutes and thirty seconds for registration."

"And there were still four people unregistered."

"One hundred and fifty seconds for four people meant each had only thirty-seven seconds."

"Even though those behind had already completed the location and photography, needing only to interface with the hotel's computer for authentication, the pressure made their foreheads bead with fine sweat."

"'Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!'"

"'Come on, there's no time left!'"

"The two individuals standing third and second to last anxiously urged the one fourth from the last."

"The middle-aged man counting fourth from the last wiped sweat off his brow while his hands trembled trying to connect to the front desk computer. But the more frantic he became, the less he was able to connect the data cable."

"Hurry up! It's already 5:58!"

"Shut up! What's the rush! Don't you know that hurrying only makes things worse?" The fourth-to-last man harshly shoved the third-to-last girl because his awakened ability was [Great Strength]. He pushed her several meters away.

"Keep pushing and see if I don't drag this out until the very end and kill you with the delay?!"

The girl screamed on the spot and then, looking at Chen Sijin and the second-to-last burly man, quickly rushed back to her third-to-last position, trembling and bowing her head. This time, she dared not say a word.

The [Great Strength] man snorted coldly, turned around triumphantly, and connected his phone to the front desk computer.

He took a minute and a half just to complete the verification.

At this moment, only the last thirty seconds remained until 6:00 PM. Everyone's gaze was fixed on the golden clock in the middle of the hall's wall, silently watching the longest second hand tick forward.

Lv Jun and Liu Dakai exchanged glances, a secretive schadenfreude in their eyes.

Meanwhile, Wang Baojie sharply noticed that many people engrossed in their phones had gathered outside the hotel lobby without anyone realizing.

Standing behind those big-eyed monsters, each of them was intently staring at their phones, further intensifying the ominous fear and oppression of the approaching night.

Indeed, the city of phones is very unsafe at night.

With these thoughts, Wang Baojie looked worriedly at Chen Sijin. Unfortunately, this newcomer, who might have awakened a powerful ability, seemed destined to perish in this initial deadly situation.

Wang Baojie sighed, realizing that even the strongest of the unlucky can't stand against the luck of the favored.

Chen Sijin subtly sensed Wang Baojie's pitying gaze, as well as the malice from Lv Jun and Liu Dakai from afar.

The burly man with bear paws in front of him was sweating profusely and trembling slightly, while outside the hotel's glass doors, the big-eyed monsters grew even more excited and restless.

The tuxedo-clad waiter, who had appeared beside him at some point, was smiling wider and wider, his grin almost reaching his ears, as if he was about to grab Chen Sijin and throw him out of the hotel at any moment.

It seemed like Chen Sijin was walking into the worst possible outcome, with everyone waiting for time to pass judgment on him.

Chen Sijin looked at the golden clock and chuckled.

Ah, there's no need for such drama.

17:59:42。

Only 18 seconds remained until 6:00 PM.

The third-to-last girl completed her real-name verification registration.

The burly man with bear paws strode forward, his hands trembling as he tried to connect his phone to the computer. But he was so nervous that his hand slipped, and the phone fell to the ground.

！！

The man with bear paws turned deathly pale on the spot. Although he quickly bent down to pick up his phone, another 3 seconds had already passed.

Only 15 seconds remained.

The smile on the tuxedo-clad waiter's face had become quite sinister and terrifying, with the big-eyed people outside the hotel door pressing their eyeballs against the glass.

"Oh dear, it seems this gentleman won't have time to register," said the waiter with a tone of perverse delight.

The tuxedo-clad waiter spoke with an extremely cheerful intonation.

Chen Sijin didn’t respond to him, but instead looked at the golden clock: "Is the registration time based on this clock in the lobby?"

Hearing this, the tuxedo-clad waiter narrowed his eyes, realizing this human wanted to struggle a bit.

"Of course. Our hotel's royal clock is the oldest timepiece in Mobile City. All the time in Mobile City is synchronized with our hotel's clock!"

So any struggle is futile. Look! The second hand is about to hit zero!

You're about to die—

"Oh."

Chen Sijin nodded his head.

Chen Sijin revealed a composed and elegant smile: "So, if the clock in your hotel breaks, the registration time won't count, right?"

The waiter in the tuxedo laughed out loud: "Haha! Sir, you really have a wild imagination!"

"Our hotel's royal clock has never broken in a hundred years! If it ever does break, I'll stand on my head to register you and offer you a stay in the presidential suite for free!"

After saying this, the waiter in the tuxedo grinned, closed his eyes, and tilted his ear, ready to listen to the melodious and terrifying chime of the royal clock at the exact hour.

At the same time, he prepared to toss this absurd human out the door the moment the clock chimed, leaving him to the mercy of the mutated monsters outside.

Huh?

What's happening?

Why hasn't the clock chimed yet?

As the waiter in the tuxedo looked up in confusion, he suddenly heard a faint, almost imperceptible hum. The next second, the century-old royal clock burst with a loud bang, shattering in front of everyone!

It exploded!

And even emitted a bit of smoke.

Everyone in the hotel lobby: !!

Waiter in the tuxedo: ?!?!

Then the waiter in the tuxedo heard the sound he disliked the most in his life:

"Wow. One shouldn't brag too much, see? Your century-old royal clock that 'never breaks' has just broken, hasn't it?"

Waiter in the tuxedo: ...

The waiter in the tuxedo stared intently at the grand, antique, century-old golden royal clock of their hotel... and its massive crack, observing the second hand stuck at 17:59:59, in deafening silence.

To add insult to injury, the golden monster that was supposed to roar at the exact hour also suddenly popped out and fell to the ground with a click, unable to roar ever again.

Waiter in the tuxedo: .............

Chen Sijin: "The presidential suite, upside-down registration, a promise is a promise, right?"

Waiter in the tuxedo: ....................

Oh my gosh! Did you hear that! Oh my gosh!!!