GAMMT - Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Devour
In a ravine on a desolate plain of the X5 Garbage Star, a powerful Iron-Ridge Wasteland Wolf was sprawled atop a sharp, jutting rock. Its metallic claws and fangs dug into the stone as it stared at a two-meter-high city wall seven hundred meters away, letting out a low growl.
In its eyes, the city wall enclosed a chaotic town that held tens of thousands of choice pieces of meat.
Behind this town lay one of the fifteen mining sites on the X5 Garbage Star, already half-excavated. Thick smoke billowed daily as machinery and manual labor operated without pause. Money flowed like a hidden river into the owner's pockets, yet it was also like the gurgling sewage outside a moat, seeping into the already desolate region. The wild grass had withered; what hope was there for delicate flowers?
Looking up, low-level LV1 small airships hovered around a floating magnetic tower, replenishing their energy from its power ports. At the very top, a floating platform supported a cluster of distinct, suspended structures—the offices of the consortium that owned the X5 Garbage Star. Its managers and executives all lived there.
Below, among the dense towers of metal and mud, steam and smoke drifted everywhere, coiling upwards to form cloud-like masses.
At one-thirty in the afternoon, in the back kitchen of a tavern, every visible metal surface was rusted. A brownish-red, black-tinged grease dripped from a gurgling old range hood. Hot dishes left the stove and cold wine left the cellar. The main room was a cacophony of boisterous patrons, the stench of sweat and feet mingling with the aroma of food to create a scene brimming with earthy life.
After seventeen-year-old Fu Chuan extricated herself from the throng of patrons, tray in hand, she was about to head to the inner room to wipe her hands when a man grabbed her. He reached out and stroked her face. A shadow flickered in her eyes, but before she could react, he pulled open her collar. With a flick of his fingers, three copper coins tumbled down her front.
A glimpse of snow-white skin, tainted by the lust of coin.
Fu Chuan glanced at the tri-alloy hook-tail blade at the man's waist and the reek of blood on him, then immediately said in a shy, timid voice, "Thank you, sir. Please, go on and drink."
The man let out a loud laugh, slapped her on the rear, and pointed to the slave brand on her neck. "Little slave, come with me tonight. Why bother selling wine..."
Then he walked off, spouting nonsense with his friends.
Fu Chuan entered the inner room, only to run into her twelve-year-old brother. He was holding a game console, a crust of dried snot on his upper lip. The moment he saw her, he lunged, trying to snatch the coin pouch from her waist. Fu Chuan dodged. Annoyed, he started cursing, "They gave you money, so hand it over! Now! Or I'll tell Dad you hit me!"
Fu Chuan seemed a little afraid of him. She bit her lip and said, "Mom is supposed to collect this money. If you take it, I'll be beaten."
"As if I care!" he said fiercely, lunging to grab the pouch again. But Fu Chuan held on tight, saying, "It's true! Mom said business has been bad, and there's no money for our older brother or for us to go to school. She said we have to save every coin for tuition."
He rolled his eyes. "You idiot. It's because our brother needs to pull some strings for his exam, and that costs a lot of money. If he passes, our family will hit the jackpot. I'll definitely get to go to school, but you... maybe not. Besides," he added with a smirk, "Mom's about to get a lot of money very soon anyway, hehe."
As he said this, he glanced at the handprints soiling her clothes, his eyes full of contempt. He seemed to be scheming something, but he didn't say it outright.
Fu Chuan's heart skipped a beat. She saw him suddenly charge... She sidestepped slightly, but the boy still managed to snatch the pouch away.
Clang! The kettle boiling water next to her crashed to the floor and shattered. Hearing the noise, the proprietress, Madam Miley, rushed in from behind the counter. A flash of anger crossed her face when she saw what had happened. Her arm rose instinctively, as if to strike, but quickly fell. She muttered a few curses at her son, who just laughed and ran off.
"Are you alright? Did you burn your hand? Go take care of it! Quickly, go!"
Madam Miley didn't scold Fu Chuan, but Fu Chuan looked terrified and on the verge of tears.
"What's with that face? You make it look like I abuse you. I've made some meat soup, have some for lunch. School's starting soon, and I'm waiting to send you. Now go, go, I'm busy."
"Really? Thank you, Mom."
Madam Miley left.
The seemingly overjoyed Fu Chuan turned around, wiped the corner of her eye, her smile vanishing. She returned to her small room in the backyard storage shed, took out some ointment, and applied it to the back of her hand. While doing so, she opened a small skylight and peered out. She quickly spotted several men loitering on the street outside, smoking and pacing back and forth around the tavern.
She closed the small window and sat back down on the cold iron bed frame. After finishing with the ointment, she opened a drawer, put it away, and then moved a cabinet. In a recess in the wall behind it was a pile of bottles and jars, some leftover medicinal herbs and ore materials, and even a small charging furnace.
She squatted there, tinkering with them.
She mixed various potions in a specific order and with precise dosages. Then, she picked up a brush she had made herself from the stiff hairs of three different ferocious beasts, dipped it in the potion, and began to draw on a rough sheet of paper made from herbal fibers...
Halfway through, a bloody and cruel totem was about to take form...
Sssss... The paper suddenly burst into flames, releasing a pungent odor. She quickly doused it with a flour-and-water mixture that had counteracting properties. Her face was pale, her fingers still trembling.
She was clearly nervous and disappointed.
Looking over, she saw only a meager amount of materials remained.
All her previous attempts had failed, just like this one.
Now, she only had one last chance.
Before long, it was time for lunch, and Madam Miley called her down for some meat soup.
Droplets of fat floated in the pot. A bowl was ladled out just for her and placed in front of her. Fu Chuan accepted it obediently, almost eagerly.
She had never eaten meat in her entire life.
Why was her mother suddenly being so nice to her?
After lunch, Madam Miley was behind the counter drawing wine from a barrel when the curtain was pushed aside. A burly wilderness patron in leather boots strode in, suddenly raising a hand and bringing it down on her rear with a loud smack!
Her plump buttocks jiggled. She spun around, feigning annoyance, and playfully slapped his arm while muttering intimate curses. He felt her chest press against him as he grinned and tossed a large bag of copper coins onto the counter. From beneath a thick beard, he spoke, "Wide-hipped Miley, long time no see. You're getting sexier. I want to offer you a chance to get rich, and it concerns your daughter, Fu Chuan. Care to talk?"
Upon hearing her name, a group of drunken men from the slums, all trying to scrape by a living, began pounding their tables and shouting for Fu Chuan to come out.
"Damn that Miley, hiding Fu Chuan away."
"Oh, you guys got to touch her yesterday, but I didn't. My hands are too tired from shooting Iron-Ridge Wasteland Wolves."
"Damn it, that bastard Xie Keli even groped her chest before..."
"Damn that Xie Keli!"
"What's the use of cursing him? Go fight him if you've got the guts. He has more men than you, hehe! That bastard Xie Keli is loaded!"
A glint flashed in Madam Miley's eyes, but she put on a righteous expression, complaining that they were trying to bully her daughter. "Fu Chuan? Oh, she's not feeling well, she's sick. She'll come out another day... Whose drink is this? Damn it! Pay me first!"
While it was noisy outside, in a small room in the back, Madam Miley's husband ran a hand through his sparse hair, his eyes gleaming with greed as he counted copper coins one by one. A small pile sat before him.
Meanwhile, at the door to the storage shed in the tavern's backyard, two local thugs were drinking. Every so often, they would press their ears to the door. When they heard the muffled whimpers of a woman whose mouth was being covered, their eyes turned red. They thrust their hips, wishing they could burst through the door and take the place of the man inside.
After what felt like an eternity, the two men gave up and went back to their drinks. They had just taken a few sips when a blood-curdling scream erupted from the room, followed by a bright flash of an explosion...
The two were so startled they fell off their chairs.
The commotion was so loud that everyone in the tavern heard it, as did the vendors and shopkeepers on the nearby streets. Many people rushed over, only to find the small storage shed engulfed in flames. Suddenly, the wooden door burst open, and a disheveled boy of seventeen or eighteen stumbled out. He was barely wearing pants, his upper body bare and covered in bloody scratches. No one could mistake what that scene implied. The crowd erupted, and then someone noticed something.
"Where's Fu Chuan?!"
"Fu Chuan's inside!"
In the chaos, Xie Keli was surrounded. Some people started to fight the fire. Among the crowd that had gathered, a handsome young man shouted Fu Chuan's name as he frantically helped put out the flames.
By the time the fire was extinguished, the wooden shed was on the verge of collapse. The crowd looked at the charred female corpse, and a somber mood fell over them.
Was it a pity?
Some thought so, especially those who had lived here a long time and knew a thing or two. They glanced back and forth between the shed, Xie Keli and his cronies, and the strange expressions on the faces of Madam Miley and her husband. Some of them had their suspicions, but in the slums of the X5 Garbage Star, kindness was the last thing anyone needed.
If it was ever needed, it was only because it could bring profit.
The crowd grew larger. It's unclear who started it, but soon people were shouting for Xie Keli's death.
"Kill him!"
"This criminal, kill him!"
"He violated the rules of our X5 planet! He killed a girl!"
The crowd was incensed, seemingly ready to demand justice for Fu Chuan. Xie Keli and his two accomplices were surrounded with no hope of escape. In the chaos, someone tried to take advantage of the situation by reaching for his pocket to steal his coins, but Xie Keli suddenly grabbed the man's wrist. The man looked up and was met with Xie Keli's sharp, cold gaze. Startled, he had a strange thought: When did Xie Keli become so imposing? Had facing death changed him?
At this critical moment, Xie Keli's two accomplices dropped to their knees and begged for mercy, crying that Xie Keli had forced them to come.
Xie Keli was finished. According to the rules of the X5 sector, if he died, his property...
The crowd grew especially agitated, eager to execute Xie Keli on the spot.
"The Inspection Team is here! Make way!"
Amid the panic, several magnificent brown Beluke bears came charging from the town gate, panting heavily. Perched on the necks of the three-meter-tall beasts were several guards in military armor. They held armor-piercing guns with shark-tooth casings, the blue targeting lights from the muzzles locked onto Xie Keli's forehead and heart.
The crowd fell silent.
Xie Keli was clearly nervous, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He released the man's wrist in terror, his eyes scanning the surroundings as he thought. Just as the Inspection Team captain was about to give the order to kill, he gritted his teeth and shouted, "I'm willing..."
He was about to say he was willing to give up all his property to save himself, which was permissible according to the regulations.
But before he could finish his sentence.
"Stop!"
From the other end of the street came the sharp, thunderous pounding of iron hooves—a mighty and ferocious sound. Everyone turned to look. Through the billowing dust, on a street flanked by metal lamps and old, rust-stained buildings, several guards in black armor arrived on mechanical alloy mounts. They were incredibly fast; one moment the crowd saw them appear in the dust at the far end of the street, and the next, the mechanical horses had brought them right to the scene.
Each one wore a mask.
"Those are mechanical warhorses from the Bronze Group! Look at the dark gold metal casing on their heads—I remember the model number, it must be the JK134. My god, a single one is worth 10 green coins! That's a hundred thousand copper coins! Heavens, we couldn't earn that much in a lifetime."
"Who are these people? Did someone from the corporation upstairs come down?"
Amid the murmurs, the newcomers arrived and faced the Inspection Team. Their leader tossed a communicator to the captain. The captain, suspicious, took the call. After hearing the orders from the upper corporation, he was stunned but immediately complied.
"Since Xie Keli is an important guest with a special status, there's no need to handle this according to local regulations. He will not be executed, nor will his property be divided, even though he assaulted a woman and killed her..." Before the captain could finish, the leader of the newcomers cut him off, saying coolly, "The deceased was a slave, not the biological child of the tavern owner. Slaves have no right to life. Besides, she's dead now—who's to say she wasn't willing? Therefore, the crime itself is invalid. It has nothing to do with his status."
He didn't say who they were, or what Xie Keli's status was. He simply made his position clear with an overbearing attitude. The captain could only grit his teeth and give up the chance to divide Xie Keli's property.
The leader looked at Xie Keli, who wore a confused and terrified expression. Then he heard the leader say, "Come with us."
It was not a request.
The crowd could only watch as they departed, speculating wildly amongst themselves. A young man hidden in the crowd had a strange look on his face, but he quickly melted back into the shadows.
The riders stopped in front of the best house in town, a seven-story building that was quite old. Because it was filled with miners, it provided a steady rental income, allowing Xie Keli to become a true street loafer. He never worried about food or drink, caused trouble everywhere he went, and bullied many poor girls. He used his money to hire a gang of thugs, so ordinary people didn't dare cross him.
However, his repeated and blatant harassment of Fu Chuan, who was known as the town beauty, made him the object of jealousy and disgust for the mercenaries who lived by the blade.
They didn't dare act rashly, fearing the corporation's Inspection Team would use it as an excuse to fine them.
Now, Xie Keli nervously dismounted the JK134 warhorse and led the men into the house.
"Where are your mother's belongings?"
"Belongings? What belongings? They're all here. My lords, may I ask who you are? Why did you save me?"
Although the young man was reasonably handsome, he had a thuggish air and a shifty, weasel-like quality. The leader glanced at him but didn't answer, instead joining the others in searching the house.
Xie Keli was terrified. He didn't dare stop them and even hid in the bathroom, which had already been thoroughly ransacked.
Inside the bathroom, even the toilet lid had been pried open. The moment Xie Keli closed the door, his expression changed.
He glanced at the toilet lid, then turned to look at himself in the mirror. He couldn't help but reach up and touch the somewhat rough skin and masculine angles of his face, frowning.
Although being a man came with many worldly powers and conveniences, he was still not used to it.
If the situation hadn't been so dire—transmigrating into the body of a powerless, adopted slave girl who was already being targeted... she would have preferred to remain as Fu Chuan.
Although the identity of Fu Chuan wasn't her own, either.
"I was doing just fine as a game resource reseller. I was about to buy a sea-view apartment next year, and now this... What a terrible way to transmigrate." She felt utterly helpless, but her expression quickly changed. She lowered her head and opened her mouth.
A mouthful of blood came out.
The backlash from the Devouring Scroll had arrived.
Damn it. This modified, low-spec, half-finished product was really no good.
Just as she was about to wipe away the blood, bang!
The door was suddenly thrown open.
Startled, she turned her head and met the leader's sharp gaze.
She saw his fingers formed into a standard 'orchid' gesture, a faint green light emanating from the tips. It was pulling at the very essence of the air...
What she couldn't see, he was directly extracting. A faint green film covered his eyes, as if he were looking through a filter.
In an instant, she realized he had captured the scent of her blood.
A sudden anxiety gripped Fu Chuan: Was this game world perfectly real? From the items and equipment to the world's background and civilizations, and now even the game's main cultivation system, the Arcane, was perfectly represented.
How terrifying. Even after being here for a month, it was only now that she truly realized she had transmigrated into the game, Arcane Throne.
But... had she been exposed?
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