Chapter 35: Re-Entering the Instance

Chapter 35: Re-Entering the Instance

Inside the Warm Cat Climbing Frame Guild's conference room, upon noticing that Xie Fangcheng's name had lit up, Xue Kai incessantly urged, "Quick, quick, someone call Brother Xie over here. Is he lost? Should we go and pick him up?"

Qi Chanyang furrowed his brows, "Why hasn't he accepted my friend request?"

While it was true that some aloof and arrogant elites refrained from adding friends even after clearing levels, was Xie Fangcheng really someone of a snobbish disposition?

Everyone chimed in simultaneously, "Right, Brother Xie hasn't accepted my friend request either."

After pondering for a moment, Gu Shanshan realized the truth, "When Brother Qi was explaining the system operations to us, Brother Xie hadn't arrived yet... Could it be that he doesn't know how to add friends?"

Meanwhile, Xie Fangcheng, who was the subject of their discussion, had relaxed his body after destroying an instance base and watching the performance of the Book of Life and Death, letting the white light transport him back to the base.

Upon teleporting into the base hall, a series of "ding ding" sounds resonated in his mind.

【You have returned to the base hall. You can check the details of this instance at your convenience.】

Check at my convenience?

How am supposed to check it self?

Xie Fangcheng tried a combination of mental commands and verbally calling "system," but to no avail.

Standing alone at the return point, he appeared as if he was utterly stunned by the freshly cleared instance. His unmistakable newbie demeanor quickly caught the eye of a certain opportunistic individual.

"Hey there, buddy, is this your first time clearing an instance?"

As Xie Fangcheng was still earnestly attempting to summon the system interface, a friendly greeting reached him from nearby.

Xie Fangcheng turned his head to see a young man in his early twenties standing before him, dressed in a suit and resembling a life insurance salesman. The man bore a scholarly demeanor, further emphasized by the glasses perched on his nose.

Noticing his response, the businesslike man introduced himself, "Hello, I'm a representative from the Tsukuyomi Guild, specializing in assisting newcomers. Many newcomers find themselves overwhelmed upon their first visit to the base hall, clueless not only about selecting an appropriate instance but even on how to access the system menu. Guides like me are here to help new players integrate into the game more swiftly. A little bit of points is all it takes to receive guidance from a veteran player, a truly worthwhile investment!"

Unable to even open the system menu, Xie Fangcheng responded with a nonchalant "oh", followed by, "But I don't have any points."

The insurance-salesman-like man gave a slight smile, "You do. Once you clear a level one mission, you're guaranteed to have 10,000 points at a minimum. You just haven't learned how to navigate the menu to check your points yet. Come, let us not stand here chatting; let's find a restaurant outside where we can dine and converse."

In the corner of his eye, Jie Fangcheng noticed some players nearby turning their attention to them, wearing expressions that indicated they were expecting some drama. Clearly, the motives of this 'insurance salesman' weren't as straightforward as he made them out to be.

As if he hadn't noticed, he nodded, "Sure."

The 'insurance salesman' led him outward, explaining as they walked, "Our system menu appears as a red cross symbol, situated on the inner wrist, visible only to the player themselves. Can you see a cross on the inside of your wrist?"

Jie Fangcheng lifted his hand for a glance, "Indeed, it's there."

"If you press this cross, a system menu will appear before you, displaying your personal attributes, mission clearance records, system storage, friend list, and so forth; it's vital. When we enter a mission, all other functionalities of the system menu will be disabled, leaving only the system storage accessible."

Following his guidance, Jie Fangcheng activated the cross.

The man beside him inquired, "You should be able to see your personal points now, right?"

"No, I can't."

"How can that be? Didn't you just complete a mission?" The 'insurance salesman' frowned, "What does your system panel indicate?"

"It indicates," Jie Fangcheng observed the panel before him, "'Your information is being updated, please wait a moment.'"

"???"

Jie Fangcheng expressed a keen curiosity, "What does this mean? Has the system stalled?"

"Ah... it might, perhaps..." The 'insurance salesman' had never encountered this situation before, but glitches in a game seemed somewhat normal, didn't they?

As they talked, they exited the base's main hall, with Jie Fangcheng gazing around curiously upon stepping outside.

The 'insurance salesman' observed his astonished face, harboring deep scorn in his heart.

The city built around the main hall, although clean and tidy, maintained such conditions due to a consistent low player population. The annual nationwide mission further culled over half the population. Moreover, with missions varying in duration, some ending in a few days and others lasting over a month, most of the time only about one-sixth of the city's residences were occupied, lending the city a somewhat deserted appearance.

Adding to the desolation were the lack of entertainment facilities and absence of vehicles on the spacious streets... Streets closest to the main hall, jokingly referred to as the first and second rings by players, frequently had pedestrian traffic, but further out resembled quiet suburbs.

Anyone who had experienced city life wouldn't be as fascinated upon arriving here, unlike this man who appeared to be witnessing modern amenities for the first time.

"Where did this young man come from, some remote and impoverished area?"

The 'insurance salesman' scrutinized him once more.

He was rather good-looking, with delicate skin and fair, fragile complexion that bore a sense of vulnerability, as if untouched by sunlight, depicting an upbringing of indulgence. But that hair tie... a carrot on a white rabbit, something a cute little girl would wear. Why would a grown man sport such an accessory?

The 'insurance salesman's' disdain intensified.

Just then, a vendor selling Jianbing Guozi (stuffed pancakes) by the roadside called out to the pair.

"Hey, young man, would you like some Jianbing Guozi?"

Xie Fangcheng withdrew his gaze and looked at the person speaking to him, “Are you calling me?”

A woman in her fifties or sixties was standing by the crepe stall, nodding subtly and giving him a discreet hint with her eyes.

“One crepe costs 12 points, and it’s really delicious. Would you like to try one?”

“Ah.” Xie Fangcheng could indeed smell a delightful aroma, but he accessed his system panel instead.

Finally, the ongoing update of his personal information was completed.

【Name: Xie Fangcheng】

【Gender: ?】

【Age: ?】

【Intelligence: ?】

【Combat Strength: ?】

...

【Personal Points: 0】

Never mind the rest, but why is the gender marked with a question mark?

Xie Fangcheng was baffled but quickly accepted the reality.

He flared his nostrils slightly, “But I don't have any points at the moment.”

Despite the murderous gaze from the Insurance Guy, the crepe vendor bravely continued, “No worries, I can make one for you for free first, and you can pay me back when you have the points. Come on, young man...”

The Insurance Guy swiftly stepped in between them, blocking the vendor's view. He grinned sardonically, “No need, I’m about to take my buddy to a restaurant for a meal.”

He stared intently at the middle-aged woman before him, his mouth forming silent words warning her: Don’t court death.

The crepe vendor's hand trembled.

At this moment, a face with a blossoming peach blossom smile appeared over the Insurance Guy’s right shoulder.

Xie Fangcheng smiled, “No worries, I'll patronize your business once I have the points.”

Then, patting the Insurance Guy on the shoulder, Xie Fangcheng said, “Let’s go, buddy. Weren't you going to take me to a restaurant?”

The Insurance Guy, who had a frosty face while looking at the vendor, turned around with a smiling face, attempting to sling his arm around Xie Fangcheng’s shoulder. But Xie dodged gracefully.

The Insurance Guy didn’t mind, “Right, right, let's go. I’ll treat you to a meal at our special restaurant to celebrate your first successful dungeon clearance!”

The crepe vendor watched Xie Fangcheng anxiously. Without looking back, Xie Fangcheng walked boldly towards an unknown destination with the Insurance Guy.

Most of the buildings in the player's base were single-story houses, but occasionally there were one or two five to six-story buildings standing by the roadside, displaying the names of various guilds on banners hanging from their upper floors.

Seeing Xie Fangcheng studying the buildings, the insurance guy was in a good mood and was more than willing to explain, “Most players who rent houses on their own choose to rent bungalows since they are more affordable. These bungalows are originally provided by the system, while those five or six-story buildings are renovated by players skilled in that area. The expenditure is too high for one or two players to bear, which is why guilds are typically the ones renting them.”

With that, the insurance guy nudged his chin, directing him to gaze upon the trio of towering buildings, standing like fortresses adjacent to the base, each over twenty stories tall.

“Those three belong to the three major guilds: Chaoyang, Ronghua, and the Professional Players Union. Chaoyang is the premier guild, being the earliest established player guild. The Professional Players Union is a bit special, mainly consisting of players who aren’t fond of dungeons. They may not have formidable fighting abilities but boast the largest membership, harboring almost all life-skilled players. For issues like roof leaks, real estate agents, street cleaning... basically, any daily problem can be resolved by placing an order with the Union. At the moment, they hold ninety percent of the property rights, so you’ll be interacting with them quite frequently in the future.”

After a brief pause, the insurance guy continued, “As for Ronghua... you don't really need to know about them. Chances are, you won't encounter them.”

“Why?”

The insurance guy smiled, “During last year’s national dungeon, their guild leader passed away. Now they are down to a handful of members, nothing but a shell of their former selves. It won’t be long before the 'big three' become a thing of the past.”

He then looked up, “Ah, here we are.”

They arrived in front of a bungalow, which seemed more like a rough fusion of two separate houses. The area it covered was considerably large, yet the amalgamation was somewhat crude. A makeshift corridor bridged the gap between the two lawns, forcibly uniting them into one. Above the entrance, a sign read “Moon Reader Guild”.

The insurance guy spoke with a hint of pride, “Welcome to our Moon Reader Guild. Our guild leader ranks thirty-first on the player points leaderboard. Last year, we secured the twenty-ninth spot in the national dungeon.”

Xie Fangcheng looked up, a bit startled, “Didn’t you say guilds usually reside in five or six-story buildings?”

The insurance guy bristled, “Who told you it’s ‘usually’? Do you have any idea how prestigious it is to own two properties in the first ring?”

Ah, so it really was two combined into one.

Just then, the main gate swung open.

Five or six players dressed in suits emerged from the house, quickly encircling Xie Fangcheng.

The insurance guy approached the leading figure, greeting respectfully, “Brother Liu.”

Liu raised his head, smiling at Xie Fangcheng who was caught in the middle, “A newbie?”

“Yes.”

Liu scrutinized him from head to toe, “You seem quite young. Still a student?”

Xie Fangcheng shook his head, replying honestly, “I've been working for many years now.”

“Oh, even better then,” Liu gestured and the circle tightened instantly. Stepping closer, he said, “I assume Little Wang filled you in on various game-related details during your journey here, pouring out his heart and soul, didn't he? It wouldn't be nice to let their efforts go to waste, right?”

Xie Fangcheng chuckled, “Ah, you are asking for protection fees, aren't you?”

“Hey, this brother is quite sharp! We understand that it’s tough for newcomers, so we won't ask for much. Clearing a level one dungeon guarantees at least ten thousand points as a reward. We are well aware that items are hard-earned, so we won’t covet them. How about transferring ten thousand points to your Brother Wang, as a gesture of treating him to a cup of tea, what do you think?”

After hearing this, Xie Fangcheng remarked, “You guys do adhere to a certain code, huh!”

Liu laughed, “We are all players here. As long as you cooperate, there's no need for things to turn bloody, right?”

Xie Fangcheng nodded, “You’re right. But there’s something you might not be aware of.”

"What?"

"I don't have any points," Jie Fangcheng admitted sincerely.

Liu's expression suddenly darkened, "Are you fucking playing me?"

"I really don't have any, you can ask Xiao Wang."

Xiao Wang leaned over to whisper the recent events into Liu's ear, Liu scrutinized him top to bottom, "Is your system glitched?"

"Perhaps."

This was unheard of.

However, seizing such an opportunity with a potential easy target, Liu was not prepared to let it slide.

"In that case, come and sit at the guild with me, I'm not in a hurry."

Jie Fangcheng shook his head, "I am actually in a rush, I'm feeling quite hungry now."

"Damn this kid... Do you not understand the situation you're in?? You don't have points and you're thinking about having a meal??"

"Oh right," Jie Fangcheng suddenly realized, then turned to Liu, "Brother, can I borrow some points?"

"Fuck." Liu couldn't hold back a cynical laugh, cracking his knuckles, "This kid, he's really playing this card with me. Borrowing points? I think you're asking for death!"

Jie Fangcheng also grinned, "Let me phrase it differently then."

He flexed his shoulders a bit.

"Ahem, this is a robbery."

.

At the roadside pancake stall.

Ever since Jie Fangcheng left with the members of Yue Du guild, the stall owner anxiously opened her friend list and sent a message to someone on her friend list.

The person quickly responded, "I'm showing a property to someone in the sixth ring area, don't worry Auntie Li! I'm coming back immediately!"

The sixth ring.

That's quite far, the young man looked so clean-cut, hopefully nothing bad would happen to him.

The regular vendors around here were familiar with the Yue Du guild members; they were a gang of ruffians. Although they didn't dare to provoke the Players' Union, they would loiter around the main hall to prey on newcomers just exiting the dungeons, extorting protection fees from them.

Auntie Li was getting on in years, and couldn't bear to see the student-like young man being bullied by those thugs.

Normally she wouldn't interfere in these matters, but recently, she had met a formidable young lady from a guild who had just returned from a dungeon, and Auntie Li had reached out to her for help.

Seeing this, the owner of the neighboring stall advised her, "We've already entered this terrifying game, we shouldn't go out of our way to be good Samaritans."

Aunt Li shook her head.

Even in life, she had been a busybody, unable to shake off this tendency even after dying and entering this horrific game.

As someone approached to order a Jianbing Guozi, Aunt Li had no choice but to refocus her attention on preparing the pancake.

After sending off the customer she was attending to, she noticed someone else had stepped up to her stall.

As she tidied up her workstation, she asked, "What can I get for you?"

"A Jianbing Guozi, with sausage, egg, and some spice, please."

The voice sounded familiar, causing Aunt Li to look up.

"Ah, it's you!"

Jie Fangcheng gave a smile, "I didn't have any points earlier, but I do now."

Aunt Li gave him a thorough once-over.

The young man seemed unharmed, probably having handed over his points or whatever else to the Yue Du guild members without a fuss.

Aunt Li felt an urge to comfort him, "It's alright, you can always earn more points."

Jie Fangcheng nodded in agreement, "Indeed."

Aunt Li quickly prepared the Jianbing Guozi and handed it to him.

Jie Fangcheng was adept at the process, "What's your name? I'll transfer the points to you."

The game system hadn't implemented a QR code payment feature yet, requiring users to add each other as friends first before transferring points between them.

Having manipulated the system six times already, Jie Fangcheng was quite skilled at this.

Aunt Li waved dismissively, "You've completed a dungeon for the first time, right? Consider this my treat, a celebration of your success."

Without standing on ceremony, Jie Fangcheng accepted the Jianbing.

"Alright then. If the opportunity arises, let's take on a dungeon together."

"Sure," Aunt Li replied with a smile.

She knew the chances were slim. She was a bona fide lifestyle player, and wouldn't engage in dungeon crawling unless the system mandated a mass participation event.

During their conversation, a group of people approached from down the street. Leading the group, Xue Kai waved enthusiastically from a distance, "Brother Jie! Brother Jie!"

Jie Fangcheng waved back at them, "Hey, you're all here."

Xue Kai joyously remarked, "We were just discussing on the way here, suspecting that you might not even add friends. But here you are, having added one already!"

"Mhm, a kind soul gave me some guidance..."

The group chattered and laughed as they slowly moved away.

Not long after they left, a girl wearing a leather jacket and sporting fiery red hair rushed from the direction Qi Chanyang and the others had come from. She covered a significant distance with each step, clearly having acquired a skill like "Legs of the Hare" from the national dungeons leaderboard, or having been enhanced physically by the system through multiple dungeon completions.

"Aunt Li!"

Aunt Li paused momentarily, letting out a surprised "Oh!"

"Shuang Shuang, I forgot to mention, everything has been sorted."

"Huh? How was it settled?" Nie Shuangshuang, whose personality seemed as vibrant as her hair color, looked around rapidly, constantly scanning her surroundings, "Where is he?"

"He probably handed over his points to those people from the Yue Du guild. He didn't seem injured..."

"That cannot be tolerated!" Nie Shuangshuang exclaimed furiously, "How can we fuel the arrogance of that Yue Du guild? I will speak to the guild leader about this! They must seriously address and correct this behavior of robbing newcomers during the next meeting of the top 100 guild leaders! Aunt Li!"

"Yes!" Aunt Li found herself invigorated, standing up straighter.

"Get me a Jianbing Guozi! With sausage, egg, and spice. I've transferred the points to you," Nie Shuangshuang ordered.

Aunt Li: "..."

...

Meanwhile, Qi Chanyang and the others had arrived at a nearby specialty restaurant.

While Aunt Li's roadside stall offered all-you-can-eat Jianbing for 12 points each, the dishes in the restaurant were considerably more expensive, with the lowest priced items costing several hundred points.

"The chef here reportedly catered to high-profile individuals before his death, with a single dish costing tens of thousands," Qi Chanyang shared, visiting for the first time. Though his points were dwindling, he felt it was worth it, as all the newcomers he collaborated with were cooperative and competent, including an obvious big shot.

He was in high spirits with everyone having survived: "I'm feeling generous today; order whatever you want, it's on me!"

"No need," Jie Fangcheng interjected, "I'll cover everyone."

Qi Chanyang was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered: "Great! Then it's my treat, but Jie brother will foot the bill!"

He had forgotten that their dungeon-clearing mission was a matter of life and death. Nearly everyone perished in this quest, which had garnered an A rating. Including the base reward of ten thousand points for a level one dungeon, everyone averaged around thirty thousand points.

Qi Chanyang had the highest score among them, exceeding forty thousand.

But the person in front of him, who had chased NPCs all over the place with a stick during the dungeon crawl, was the one who truly exemplified a narrow escape from death.

He was clearly a future points magnate!

At this moment, Qi Chanyang couldn't contain his curiosity: "How many points do you have?"

Jie Fangcheng checked his panel: "Sixty thousand."

Exactly sixty thousand, not a point more, not a point less.

Qi Chanyang nodded, considering the amount of points reasonable.

The base reward for the second-level dungeon was fifty thousand, and having cleared it before, Qi Chanyang didn't find it particularly astonishing.

Initially somewhat reserved, everyone soon realized this and boisterously started ordering dishes.

Qi Chanyang was pondering how to catch up with Brother Jie on the current gaming insights.

"By the way, Brother Jie, did you notice those three buildings when you came out...?"

"Oh, I saw them, the headquarters of the three major guilds, right?"

"Wow! You know about them?"

"Yes, a good Samaritan informed me."

Qi Chanyang had no reason to doubt him.

As everyone enjoyed their meal, they quickly established their future plans at the dining table.

Three players resolved to become lifestyle players, just like Lu Xiaogin. They found it difficult to adapt to the terrifying atmosphere, and even with a big player like Jie Fangcheng guarding them in the previous dungeon, they were reluctant to experience another horror-themed dungeon.

Xue Kai soon chimed in: "Brother Qi, I want to join your guild!"

Another player nodded in agreement.

Qi Chanyang smiled: "Sure, our guild may not be large, but it has a great atmosphere."

On the other hand, Sun Miao hesitated for a moment.

"I... well, my wife is a homemaker, and our child is about to start college. I am the only source of income in our household. I'm worried she won't be able to manage alone..."

Qi Chanyang understood.

"I get it." he said with a smile, "Among the three major guilds... Ronghua is no longer viable, and Chaoyang Guild has always been at the top. They have quite high standards for admissions. I would recommend that you clear two more dungeons and acquire some impressive personal skills before applying to join."

Sun Miao was moved: "Thank you, Brother Qi."

Qi Chanyang didn't say anything and turned his attention to Gu Shanshan.

Gu Shanshan just smiled politely: "I think I will hold off on joining any guild for now."

Qi Chanyang glanced at the headband on her wrist and paused for a moment.

"If it really is... then this person must be quite powerful. Be very cautious."

"Hmm." Gu Shanshan remained calm and composed.

Only one person remained—

Qi Chanyang turned towards Jie Fangcheng who was deeply engrossed in his meal: "Brother Jie, what are your plans for the future?"

Jie Fangcheng uttered a small "ah," then pondered: "Um, perhaps venture into the next dungeon?"

After all, he had time to spare.

Although that sword strike didn't cleave through the entire game, Jie Fangcheng seemed to have found some direction now.

Just need to clear the dungeons and dismantle them, then the game system would use the power of the Book of Life and Death to reconstruct the dungeons.

If Jie Fangcheng could accumulate more power and get closer to the Book of Life and Death, he would have a definite chance to slice through the data streams that ensnared it with a single stroke.

The closer he got to the Book of Life and Death, the stronger the dungeons should become, which meant he just needed to swiftly reach the highest tier, level five dungeon, to have a chance for a close encounter with that trivial book.

However, when was this object stolen from the underworld?

With rapid developments occurring above ground over the years, technology had advanced considerably in the underworld too.

Initially, reincarnation arrangements required manual verification and coordination of information, but now programmers had developed apps like "Punished Yet?", "Judged Yet?", and "Reincarnated Yet?" for the underworld, where queue numbers and resumes could be viewed, making the process extremely convenient and quick. The Book of Life and Death had even been networked, which explained why it hadn't garnered attention for many years.

After all, the underworld had been tranquil for a thousand years. Who would dare to steal from there??

This seemed like a case of being reckless to the point of not valuing one's life, even after death.

But clearly, this kind of intellectual work wasn't something Jie Fangcheng could handle. At most, he could rescue the Book of Life and Death and destroy this broken game; the task of identifying the mole required a professional touch.

Qi Chanyang, upon hearing his remarks, was entirely stunned: "Don't you need to take a break?"

Is he really going to push himself this hard?

Jie Fangcheng sighed: "I did intend to take a break."

However, even though his superior granted him leave, he now had to work overtime because of a thief.

Qi Chanyang didn't know what to say.

He knew that with this man's capabilities, he would soon make a name for himself in the game.

"Well," Qi Chanyang raised his tea in place of wine, "I hope everyone lives well and achieves their heart's desires!"

After the meal, Qi Chanyang led everyone to view houses, while Jie Fangcheng returned alone to the base lobby.

He approached the entry point of the dungeon, squinting at the dazzling screen, finding it difficult to understand.

The screen displayed "Enter Dungeon," but there were five differently colored buttons, each labeled "Enter Dungeon."

Jie Fangcheng decided not to push himself.

He opened his friends list and located the contact labeled "Good Samaritan Xiao Wang."

"Hi~ I hope this isn't too forward, but I'm looking to enter a dungeon and I can't quite make sense of the options available. What do these red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet options signify?"

With a "clang", inside the meeting room of the Tsukuyomi Guild, six battered men in suits were seated at a table, wincing in pain. Xiao Wang, startled by a "ding", hastily opened his friend list, his face contorting in fear at what he saw.

"What now?" Brother Liu asked, clearly aggravated.

On the other end, Xiao Wang was ashen-faced: "That guy... he, he just sent me a message..."

"Damn it!" Brother Liu exclaimed, tears streaming down his face, "What did he message you?"

Xiao Wang blurted out amidst sobs: "He asked me what the different colours of the instance names signify..."

A myriad of expressions flickered across Brother Liu's face: "This brat... he must be pretending to be a newbie to make fools out of us! You... you better reply to him honestly!"

Xiao Wang typed a lengthy response with trembling fingers, and after a short pause, the person on the other end replied: "Oh, even though I got the answer here, thank you anyway. I'll treat you to a meal when I come out of the instance!"

Xiao Wang's face turned even paler, feeling an ominous undertone in that offer to "treat you to a meal".

Meanwhile, in the base hall, Xie Fangcheng was nodding as he listened: "Oh!! So, white is for level one instances, and gold signifies level five instances, right?"

Beside Xie Fangcheng stood another man dressed in a suit and wearing glasses, yet at first glance, he exuded the demeanor of a gentle and elegant gentleman, making conversations with him feel like a breath of fresh spring air.

The cultured gentleman nodded with a smile, his appealing eyes gazing warmly at Xie Fangcheng from behind his glasses, prompting those passing by to instinctively tread more lightly.

However, the person under his gaze nonchalantly slapped him on the shoulder, causing him to stumble slightly forward.

"Thanks, bro!" Without any hesitation, Xie Fangcheng placed his hand on the golden "Enter Instance" button.

But the button showed no response.

A look of bewilderment crossed Xie Fangcheng's face.

The person beside him explained knowingly, "You can only select a level five instance after clearing a level four one, and so on."

"Oh!" Xie Fangcheng muttered, "Being meticulous is such a hassle."

After saying that, Xie Fangcheng hesitated for a moment, "Uh... I wasn't referring to you."

Speaking of being meticulous, this man seemed to be the epitome of it. His suit didn't have a single wrinkle, his leather shoes were gleaming, and his hair was neatly combed, radiating a sense of stern precision that was genuinely admirable.

The man simply smiled, seemingly unfazed.

Xie Fangcheng waved at him, "I'm going to enter the instance now."

Without further ado, he pressed the green "Enter Instance" button symbolizing a level two scenario. Soon, a flash of white light enveloped him.

After Xie Fangcheng left, the man stood before the transport platform, extended his hand, and chose the green "Enter Instance" button as well.

A white light flickered momentarily.

A "Ding" sound resonated.

Xie Fangcheng opened his eyes.

"Ding - You have entered the new instance: High Achievement Academy."

"Instance: High Achievement Academy (Level 2)"

"Synopsis: High Achievement Academy aims to cultivate the students with the best academic performance! Everything must align with the standard of excellence! As a teacher in the High Achievement Academy, you are responsible for the fate of your class students! Strive hard to encourage all students to be diligent in their studies!"

"Content: You are a teacher, hence you can surely make your students like and admire you, right?"

"Clearance Criteria: Ensure your class achieves an excellent score of 562 points in the final exams."

"The historical highest survival rate for this instance is below 15%. Additional hints will be provided by the system."

"Hint: Each student has strengths and weaknesses, but they all despise teachers with poor teaching quality."

They were currently on a coach bus, with around a dozen people seated around them. Everyone merely exchanged glances before bowing their heads, contemplating the upcoming instance.

Individuals like Qi Chanyang, who patiently guided newcomers upon realizing that others in the instance were novices, were in the minority. Most veteran players, even if not sabotaging newcomers, had long lost the enthusiasm to assist them.

Silence within the instance was the norm following each entrance.

But at that moment, everyone heard someone speaking from the back row.

"Huh? It's you." Xie Fangcheng turned around to see the impeccably dressed man with a tie seated right behind him.

Xie Fangcheng greeted him and, without waiting for a reply, stood up and unabashedly sat next to him.

"What a coincidence, you're here to play the instance too?"

The players in the front row couldn't help but turn their heads in unison, thinking to themselves what a ridiculous question that was.

The man addressed was momentarily stunned, but still maintained a smile, appearing to have an exceptionally good temperament.

"Yes."

"Oh, oh." Xie Fangcheng didn't seem the slightest bit awkward. "So, we are teammates now. By the way, how many times have you cleared the instances?"

"Many times."

"Oh," Xie Fangcheng said cheerfully, "I've only cleared it once."

Having said that, he extended his hand towards the man, "So we are teammates then. Hello, I'm Xie Fangcheng."

"Hello." The well-dressed man, showing a good temperament, shook his hand, "Zhang An."