Chapter 20: Just Pretend I Don't Exist

"I'm done, I'm done. This game is utterly pointless. Not only does no one pay attention to the speeches, but everyone speaks with such arrogance. I'm not a foot massage parlor attendant—why should I lower myself before them?"

Frustrated, Chen Fan erupted in the middle of the game, berating each of the other eleven players one by one, nearly rolling up his sleeves to start a fight. Yet the others showed not the slightest reaction.

"Are you all robots? Say something! You're a wolf, you're a wolf, you're a wolf too, all of you are wolves."

In the end, Chen Fan was banned from the club for a month for disrupting the game. During this period, no matter how well he played, none of his results would be recorded in the rankings.

"Did none of you watch the replay? Did any of those eleven players show me any respect? Did a single one listen to my speech?" Discontented with the decision, Chen Fan stormed into the lounge to argue his case.

The man who received him was Zhou Kaide, a middle-aged gentleman with a receding hairline so exaggerated it seemed almost deliberate. He was also a seasoned master of the Werewolf game.

"Don't be upset, don't be upset. I just looked over the situation. Honestly, I'm puzzled too. You, number six, weren't mentioned even once in three rounds. That's not right, but it's their way of playing, and we ought to respect it. Still, your loud disruptions did break the order, and we must act according to the rules."

Zhou Kaide spoke sincerely, but the penalty remained unavoidable.

Chen Fan turned his head and sighed, unable to understand. He asked, "Is there a rule about ruining other players' gaming experience?"

Zhou Kaide flipped through the club's regulations and replied, "There is, but in your case, we can't penalize them for it. I sympathize with what happened to you; to be honest, I've never seen anyone get through three rounds without being mentioned even once."

He opened the drawer beside him and placed several vouchers on the table. "There's a hundred yuan in vouchers here. You can use them for anything in the club. We can't interfere in normal player behavior, but on behalf of those players, I apologize to you."

Zhou Kaide stood and made a deep, respectful bow, leaving Chen Fan a bit embarrassed.

"I really don't know what went wrong today. Might as well head home early," Chen Fan said, reluctantly accepting the vouchers. Before leaving, he bought some snacks in the club's snack area, spending the entire amount.

Chen Fan felt no compunction, considering the bag of snacks as compensation for his emotional distress.

"Elder, is it time for work yet?"

Chen Fan slipped back to his room and pulled the Elder card from the drawer. If the entity had been a young maiden, perhaps Chen Fan would have pestered the system daily. But it was an old man—an eccentric, flamboyant old man at that—and Chen Fan found little interest.

The Elder card was still a vast curtain of black. Suddenly, a hand emerged from behind, lifting a corner of the drape.

Soon after, a groggy head poked out, muttering, "What is it? I'm still napping."

His tone was tinged with annoyance, punctuated by several yawns.

Chen Fan leaned in and asked, "I don't know how to use the Villager card's 'Heart of the Ordinary.' I tried reciting spells and sensing with my mind, but nothing worked. Are there prerequisites?"

"Oh, that. It's a handy passive skill. You got banned today thanks to it," the Elder said, slowly putting on his reading glasses and recalling the details.

Chen Fan exclaimed, "How did you know I was banned today? Is it because of 'Heart of the Ordinary'? Does this ability make me just another face in the crowd?"

The Elder paused, still waking up, his thoughts lagging behind. "I'm inside your body, you know. Every card fused with you is a part of me. The ability works pretty much as you said, but its range varies."

With a snap of his fingers, a glass of juice appeared in the Elder's sturdy hand. "Let me catch my breath. You young people love to keep us old bones busy. 'Heart of the Ordinary'—outside its range, people can sense your existence, but those within it remain entirely oblivious to you."

"No wonder none of them mentioned me. I used to think the Villager card was useless, but now it seems invaluable. Does that mean I won't be noticed even if I hide in a car?" Chen Fan clutched his chest, his heart thumping excitedly.

The Elder took out a cane and tapped it lightly above his head. Though the cane remained on the card, Chen Fan felt as if he'd been struck on the head, and it hurt.

"Wow, that's incredible. Is this an illusion, or is it real?" Chen Fan rubbed his forehead, where a faint bruise had formed.

The Elder blew his fringe aside and leaned on his cane. "Young man, your ideas are dangerous. This ability depends on your surroundings—the harsher the environment, the more likely it is to fail. So don't think about hiding in a car; you'd better crawl under it instead."

"Tomorrow I have to go to school. Shouldn't you start packing?" The Elder suddenly grew serious, tapping his cane again as a reminder.

"Alright, got it. That's your cue." Chen Fan turned the card face down, letting the Elder have an intimate rendezvous with the tabletop.

Packing was quick for Chen Fan; boys didn't have much luggage, and most things could be bought at school. Unlike girls, who came with bags upon bags, as if moving house.

In less than an hour, Chen Fan had all his luggage ready. He stood proudly, hands on hips, surveying his work: one large suitcase, one backpack, and one small satchel, all stuffed to the brim.

Checking the time, he saw a while remained before dinner, so he dug into his snacks for afternoon tea.

As for the Werewolf cards in the drawer, Chen Fan wasn't sure whether to take them to university. He wouldn't return home until the weekend at the earliest, and if something happened, it would be inconvenient to consult the Elder.

Since the old man had said he was inside Chen Fan's body, Chen Fan decided to try summoning him directly.

"Elder, are you there? Your host is calling you," Chen Fan said, placing a hand over his chest and murmuring softly.

"Is this a ritual for sending off departed souls? I'm alive and well," came a plaintive voice.

Chen Fan was delighted—so he could get answers even without the Elder card. But his joy quickly faded, for the voice still emerged from the Elder card.

He held the card up and complained, "Your system's design is flawed. Other systems let the host communicate telepathically, but yours needs to attach to a card to talk."

Unhurried, the Elder conjured a beach chair, lounging back with abandon. "You think this is a novel? Heaven and earth at your command? I don't have those abilities, but I can still make you self-destruct."

He raised his hand, preparing to snap his fingers with exaggerated intent.

"No, no, let's talk this out. You're the boss; whatever you say goes," Chen Fan pleaded in terror, nearly falling to his knees.

"That's more like it. A young man must know when to bend," the Elder said, withdrawing his hand. The card's background shifted to a sun-drenched beach, though it lacked any bikini-clad beauties.

Left with no choice, Chen Fan decided to bring the cards to school after all.

He checked the time again and realized he'd let dinner slip by unnoticed.

"Mom, what's for dinner?"

"Eh? Son, we've already eaten. Didn't you?"

Chen Fan: "???"