Chapter 78: Fortune Inn (End)

Chapter 78: Fortune Inn (End)

Before midnight, the city of Laifu was a tapestry of sorrow and joy, with white lanterns hanging outside every household.

The city lord's mansion was razed to the ground, and many spat as they passed by its ruins.

For the "common folks" in the city, there remained much to be done.

They had to bury their deceased loved ones. Part of the lake had been filled in, yet resentful spirits still roamed in the unfilled sections. Finding the corpses would be difficult, but erecting tombs and monuments would serve as a remembrance in this world.

Those who perished during the lake-filling—including the innkeeper Han—had no living relatives. The remaining elders in the town took the lead, burying them atop the filled lake for future generations to pay respects.

—If there would be any future generations to come.

Taking advantage of the quietude of deep night, Nie Shuangshuang submerged into the lake once more.

Before leaving, the lady had painstakingly created a hidden abode for the "child". This "child", however, was not a true living being but the core of a resentful infant, forged through the secrets of a celestial master's techniques, embodying countless grievances.

In Nie Shuangshuang's hand, a burst of fire ignited with a "pop", engulfing the yet incomplete form of the "child".

With the core gone, the resentful spirits in the lake would gradually dissipate with the passage of time.

...Although, doing so seemed somewhat futile, as the instance would reset once they, the players, left.

But what does it matter!

After incinerating the core of the resentful infant, Nie Shuangshuang shifted her gaze, spotting the newly formed fetus she had previously encountered underground.

The fetus floated somewhat bewildered in the water, recoiling fearfully at the sight of the flames. However, when Nie Shuangshuang beckoned, it hesitantly drew closer.

"Let's go, young master," Nie Shuangshuang said, initially intending to embrace it. But the moment her fingers touched the little specter, she felt a sticky, nauseating sensation that was almost intolerable.

A shiver ran down Nie Shuangshuang's spine as she recalled the sanctimonious expression of that Zhang person she met before she entered the water.

"The lady, for the sake of her own child, chose to agree with the city lord, aiding in his tyranny. She deserved her punishment. But this child is innocent, just like the other children who were victimized; they are merely victims."

Easier said than done!

Gritting her teeth, Nie Shuangshuang nonetheless cradled the child in her arms.

She swiftly ascended to the water's surface.

The players were now on the shore, with a few newcomers chattering animatedly.

The citizens of Laifu City were able to seek revenge, a feat largely credited to Xie Fangcheng, Nie Shuangshuang, and Zhang Daoan. The first two provided substantial military support, with Xie Fangcheng even leveling the city lord's mansion. Zhang Daoan completely outsmarted the enemy, and though without him Xie Fangcheng and Nie Shuangshuang might have still cleared the level, the casualty count would have been unpredictable.

While the contributions of the other players were not as noticeable, they too participated in filling the lake.

Veteran players like Sun Yan even took the lead later on, getting injured when the city lord attempted a sneak attack.

Now, the citizens had personally avenged themselves, and many were so grateful to the players that they would kneel down upon seeing them.

Just a week ago, these players were just ordinary people, some of whom even thought that sacrificing others was a normal occurrence. Now, swept up by the tide of events, they had suddenly become saviors.

The sensation was indeed... intoxicating.

"'No need to remember my name, I'm just an ordinary person,' really Old He, your words are quite... what's it called, chuunibyou-ish, huh!"

"It's still better than your 'Call me Lei Feng'! How outdated are you!"

"Outdated? The spirit of Lei Feng is timeless, alright? You really need to elevate your thinking."

"Sun bro, your charge the other day was really cool! Who would have thought, Sun bro, you're also a hot-blooded youth, huh!"

"Get lost!"

The lively atmosphere persisted until Nie Shuangshuang emerged from the water, cradling the fetus in her arms.

The scene gradually quieted down, and it seemed like everyone finally realized that they were just players in a horror game, not the real saviors of Laifu City.

Once they exited this instance, it would reset, and their achievements would be forgotten.

"I will always remember," someone suddenly whispered softly, "I will remember this instance."

Flames flickered from afar, casting light from the side. It was the distant villagers, not yet asleep, burning paper money in a ceremony.

No matter how many times this instance might reset in the future, at this very moment, these NPCs surely felt the same way.

They would forever remember that there was a group of outsiders who came to their rescue.

Upon emerging from the water, Nie Shuangshuang first glanced around the vicinity.

"Where is Zhang Tao?"

She initially planned to hand over the fetus to him immediately upon her return, wanting him to experience the surreal touch for himself.

Someone with a strange expression on their face responded, "Brother Zhang said he couldn't stand the atmosphere here and left first."

"What! Seriously??" Nie Shuangshuang exclaimed, her eyes wide and mouth agape.

Now without the intended recipient of her grim handover, Nie Shuangshuang hesitated. Not yet deciding what to do with the fetus in her arms, Xie Fangcheng, who was standing on the shore, extended his hand towards her.

"Give it to me."

The real child of the lady, as if sensing something, stared at them in bewilderment before letting out a sorrowful whimper, and tears of blood flowed from its eyes.

The fetus' eerie behavior and underdeveloped skin made Nie Shuangshuang remark, "Brother Xie, are you sure you want to hold it?" even as she was already handing it over.

Xie Fangcheng took the child, handling it with seemingly practiced ease.

"Lan Jun," Xie Fangcheng gently pressed his fingers together and placed them on the crying child's forehead, "You've suffered a lot."

Nie Shuangshuang stood transfixed in the water, feeling as if the Xie Fangcheng before her had become somewhat unfamiliar.

Lan Jun ceased its crying, extending a newly formed hand to rub its eyes, seemingly understanding something, it smiled at Xie Fangcheng.

Following the planned protocol, a player lit a bundle of joss paper.

After all, since the city lord's child had passed away, the joss paper represented a form of sustenance for them, akin to food.

The faint orange glow of the flame illuminated half of Xie Fangcheng's face as he smiled.

"Though it's somewhat rudimentary... Happy Hundred Days."

【Ding—Players Nie Shuangshuang, Li Xiumei, Sun Yan... Xie Fangcheng, and Zhang Daoan have cleared the instance [Fortunate Guest Inn], with an instance clearance rate of 53%, setting a new record for highest clearance rate】

【Instance Evaluation: ??】

【Instance Evaluation: S-Class】

【Instance Evaluation Updated: D-Class】

【Instance Evaluation Updated: S-Class】

【Instance Evaluation Updating…】

【Instance Evaluation Updated: B-Class】

【Instance rewards are being calculated, please wait...】

【Reward calculation completed, please check at your convenience.】

【You will be transported back to the lobby in three minutes, please wait patiently.】

Even while staring blankly at Xie Fangcheng, Nie Shuangshuang snapped back to reality instantly upon hearing a particular name.

Her eyes widened as she reopened the system notification, focusing on the last name in the list.

The rookie players were experiencing their first instance clearance, gathering excitedly to chatter away, with Sun Yan joining Auntie Li in discussing the game's developments.

Nie Shuangshuang surveyed each player before her with a sweeping gaze.

"…Who is Zhang Daoan?"

"Huh?"

The players exchanged bewildered looks.

"Zhang Daoan? Is there such a person?"

"I don't know, doesn't seem like it..."

Xie Fangcheng cleared his throat: "Well... there is someone missing, that would be him."

Nie Shuangshuang's eyes widened: "How is that possible??"

Speaking of Zhang Tao, he was indeed smart. However, after Nie Shuangshuang had gotten to know everyone, she hesitated, then hesitated some more before deciding whether to add him as a friend.

This young man appeared quite gentlemanly on the surface, and his demeanor seemed very much in sync with his profession, resembling a mild-mannered university professor.

But he always maintained a subtle distance from others, seemingly guarding against everyone, be it NPCs or fellow players, exuding an air of cold detachment, like a dispassionate observer.

Nie Shuangshuang had never anticipated that even this man's name would turn out to be fake.

But this name... how could it resemble the guild leader's so closely???

"Does he know our guild leader?"

"Who?" asked Xie Fangcheng.

"Our guild leader from Ronghua... Zhang Dawu."

Xie Fangcheng also paused: "Oh? Your guild leader is named Zhang Dawu?"

"Yes..." Nie Shuangshuang felt utterly confused, "The leader never mentioned having a brother! And... they don't resemble each other at all!"

They were nothing alike, as different as ice and fire, complete polar opposites.

But this similarity in names was too uncanny. The guild leader's name was already quite unique and difficult to pronounce; now with another similar name appearing, it was genuinely hard to believe that the two names were utterly unrelated.

"I'll go find him!" exclaimed Nie Shuangshuang, rushing out without a moment's hesitation.

She was an experienced veteran player by now, well aware that sometimes those who survive in an instance might not always be allies; they could be enemies. In such cases, players tend to keep a distance within the instance, ensuring they spawn far apart when transported out.

This Zhang Daoan must be planning something similar!

Nie Shuangshuang moved with breathtaking speed, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.

Many of the new players watched her retreating figure, buzzing with speculation.

"What is Sister Shuangshuang up to? Is she going to find Zhang... um, Brother Zhang? Did they know each other before?"

"Idiot! Didn't Sister Shuangshuang just say? Brother Zhang's name is very similar to her guild leader's, they must be relatives or something."

"Guild leader? Which guild leader? Which guild does Sister Shuangshuang belong to?"

Being an old player, Sun Yan naturally knew about the Ronghua Guild.

He explained patiently, "Sister Shuangshuang used to be quite powerful, at her peak, she ranked twenty-third on the scoreboards, known by the nickname 'Crazy Rabbit'. She was famous for her speed and strong attacks. However, during last year's National Dungeon Event, almost everyone from the upper echelons of her guild 'Ronghua' met their end in the dungeon. The guild disbanded, and many members were forced to transfer their personal skills and items to the guild leaders, resulting in a significant downgrade of skills, items, and even scores. Despite Shuangshuang only appearing fast now, at her zenith, she had formidable skills like 'Blazing Rose' and 'Spirit Fire Butterfly'. She could have single-handedly scorched this entire lake during our recent dungeon clearance. Her presence was a staple in the annual National Dungeon Event live broadcasts. Such a pity..."

"Ah? That sounds so unfair!"

Sun Yan just shook his head, "If you had witnessed the Ronghua Guild in its prime, met their leader, you would understand that it was all worth it. Ronghua... represented the ultimate dream for many."

.

Inside the Fierce and Unruly Shop,

A person was lighting a candle, sitting quietly on a stool, flipping through a book with a somewhat bored expression.

Suddenly, his ears twitched, and he turned his gaze towards the window.

A figure seemingly accompanied by a trail of fire dashed past the window in a flash.

It was Nie Shuangshuang.

She too possessed tracking skills, but virtually all such skills, including Zhang Daoan's "Thousand-Mile Red Thread", required face-to-face contact to establish a tracking anchor.

Nie Shuangshuang's tracking skills were never that strong, and she hadn't anticipated having to chase down fellow dungeon-goers upon exiting the instance. Therefore, she had never set a tracking anchor on Zhang Daoan.

Now, she could only dash frenetically across the city, hoping her sharp eyes might spot him somewhere.

Zhang Daoan sighed.

"Such a hassle."

Saying so, he changed out of his windbreaker into a system-generated robe. Then he rummaged through his system bag for a while before finally finding a matching system-generated hat which he donned.

【Item: Plain... Hat (Damaged*)】

【Description: System output! Essential... quality... This is... a hat...!】

【Hint: However, this is just an ordinary and unremarkable hat, one shouldn't have... unrealistic expectations for a hat, right?】

【Function: To conceal unsightly features or baldness; aren't these two... functions sufficient?】

【Unique Property: **】

【Special Notification: This item is damaged...】

Generally, what players wear when they enter an instance will be the same as what they wear when they exit, this ensures players cannot casually take items out of the instance.

However, if they switch to system items after entering the instance, these will not be refreshed when they exit.

Although the description of this hat has become completely illegible, it is still an item from this game and remains usable.

Should anyone open his backpack, they would find it brimming with a host of strange and tattered items, the majority of which are marked as "damaged", belonging to this rookie player who has only cleared the instance three times.

And in the center compartment of the backpack lies a peculiar, petrified heart.

【Skill: Titan...Heart·Three··(Sealed) (Downgraded) (Damaged) ()(Broken*)】

【Description: ???】

【Hint: ???】

【Function: ** Dragon-slaying Warrior ****】

【Special Notification: Sealed*, please return to ** to re-activate (** Unable to recover from broken* state)】

Zhang Daoan adjusted the brim of his hat slightly.

"Well done," he muttered under his breath, "but it's foolish not to seek help earlier—"

.

A flash of white light.

The same transporting white light as before.

After everyone had left, Xie Fangcheng hovered in the air.

With two strokes of his sword, heavens collapsed and the earth crumbled.

Countless resentful infants vanished screaming into the white fog; amongst the citizens in the city who were still awake, realization dawned upon them and they joyously raced towards the white mist.

The white fog gradually enveloped the entire Fulai City.

【Ding—】

【Initiating critical NPC, Duan Qingqing.】

【Building Duan Qingqing.】

【Building...】

【Building failed.】

【Analyzing failure cause: lacking essential **】

【Selecting a similar model from the database for reconstruction.】

【...】

Xie Fangcheng listened intently.

It was Zhang Daoan who reminded him.

“The era depicted in this instance is ancient times. Figures like the city lord and his lady, including the NPCs in the city, their portrayals are fairly accurate. However, this Duan Qingqing,” Zhang Daoan shook his head, “is simply unsatisfactory, bearing too much of a modern individual's imprint. This indicates that the game can only select a ‘similar’ substitute, one with a similar name, background, or personality, but it cannot replicate the soul. Comparing and matching this vast amount of 'data' is quite a burden for the game, so... I have an idea that might be of help to you.”

“What idea?”

“How about trying to let the Book of Life and Death draw cards autonomously?”

“Huh??”

At this moment, Xie Fangcheng looked beyond the dense white fog.

There, the gigantic book bound by chains noticed his gaze and hurriedly flipped another page.

The page contained five lines, exhibiting a very internet trend-inspired style.

【Xie Bro!! Boss!! You! Are my god!! (Distorted) (Crawling) (Screaming) (Dark Crawling) (Horrifying Face-covering) (Frenzied Cheering) (Shrieking) (Shouting) (Heart) (Drooling)】

Xie Fangcheng bowed his head, pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, and with a stoic face swiftly wrote on it. After finishing, he held it up, displaying five lines of text.

First line: Stop with the nonsense.

Second line: Put in some effort, help me summon my colleagues!

Third line: Like Boss Jiang, Boss Li, Boss Yu for instance.

Fourth line: If all fails, just write randomly, include all their names.

Fifth line: Getting even one person here counts, consider it a team-building exercise for the underworld.

The pages of the Book of Life and Death trembled, and finally, with a somewhat excited wobble, it struck a "1".

.

A flash of white light.

This time, when Xie Fangcheng emerged from the teleportation point, he paused for a moment.

"Nie Shuangshuang?"

Each time, he would emerge later than other players from the same instance. Typically, by the time he came out, there would be no trace of other players around. This was the first time he still saw someone upon emerging.

Nie Shuangshuang's eyes were slightly red, possibly from crying just a moment ago.

But when she looked at him now, her smile was as blooming as a flower.

She suddenly stepped closer, extending her hand towards Xie Fangcheng.

"Points!"

This was something Xie Fangcheng had promised earlier.

Of course, inside the instance, Xie Fangcheng and the person he brought were the main forces who completed the instance. Nie Shuangshuang was just joking; she didn't actually expect him to fulfill the promise of giving points.

Unexpectedly, Xie Fangcheng nodded: "Oh."

After saying this, he really added Nie Shuangshuang as a friend and then transferred... twelve points.

Nie Shuangshuang: ??

"Why twelve points?" Nie Shuangshuang asked.

"To treat you to a jianbing guozi."

"Damn! Stingy!"

In the midst of their conversation, just as Xie Fangcheng was about to leave, Nie Shuangshuang blocked his way.

"What's the matter? Looking for Zhang Daoan? Add him as a friend yourself, I don't even have him as a friend."

This was the truth. Although they both had cleared two instances together, they hadn't added each other as friends till now.

Nie Shuangshuang moved even closer.

"Don't go out." She whispered, "The people from the Chaoyang Guild are looking for you."

"Huh?" Xie Fangcheng was momentarily stunned.

"Things are a bit complicated." Nie Shuangshuang's expression was also complex as she glanced at Xie Fangcheng's hair.

Xie Fangcheng's hair was slightly long, tied up with a very feminine white rabbit and carrot hair tie.

Just now, as she emerged with the other players, she happened to run into people from the Chaoyang Guild searching for someone.

Back when the guild leader was still around, the relationships among the three major guilds were good, so Nie Shuangshuang recognized the person being searched for.

"Yue Chen?"

Yue Chen greeted her with a polite nod: "Sister Shuangshuang."

Nie Shuangshuang hurried to find Zhang Daoan — the more she thought about it, the more it felt wrong. The guild leader's name was really too uncommon, sharing a high resemblance with Zhang Daoan's name. It seemed like there was some connection between the two.

Moreover, Zhang Daoan had used a pseudonym upon entering the instance, clearly hiding something.

This ignited a flicker of hope in Nie Shuangshuang's heart once again.

Ronghua is now a name without substance. Although it still bears the title of the second-largest guild, everyone knows that the current Ronghua is nothing more than a shell of its former self.

They all need a new leader.

Even if this leader is a newcomer, as long as they have connections with the guild leader... there will always be people harboring hopes.

Meeting Yue Chen at this moment, Nie Shuangshuang was planning to exchange a few casual greetings before moving to another teleportation point to continue her search.

The base hall is too vast; she couldn't let that person get away!

Yue Chen also noticed that she seemed to be looking for someone, so he asked, "Shuangshuang, are you looking for someone? We are also looking for someone; we can help you search together."

"No need, but thank you. Who are you guys looking for? If I come across them, I can keep an eye out for you." Nie Shuangshuang had already turned around, seemingly spotting someone wearing a trench coat. Just as she was ready to rush forward, she heard Yue Chen's next sentence.

"Oh, we're looking for a clean and fair-skinned young man wearing a white rabbit and carrot-styled hair tie, named Xie Fangcheng."

As soon as he finished speaking, a player from the newcomer group couldn't contain their reaction.

"Brother Xie?"

Yue Chen sharply turned towards him, realizing the situation.

"Did you descend with him for the instance?"

"Ah..." The newcomer player who had accidentally spoken glanced towards Nie Shuangshuang.

Nie Shuangshuang focused on Yue Chen, "What do you want with him?"

Yue Chen paused briefly, but realized that it couldn't be hidden.

"It's said that this person has a high success rate in clearing instances. Our guild leader... and vice-leader want to get to know him. Don't worry, Sister Shuangshuang, since you've cleared an instance with him, you should know his actual strength is quite formidable. Our Chaoyang Guild naturally wants to recruit such a skilled player."

Nie Shuangshuang, although straightforward by nature, wasn't naive. Hearing Yue Chen's words, she understood that not even Yue Chen believed what he was saying.

She smiled and said, "Indeed, we cleared an instance together. He's very skilled. But I don't know why he didn't teleport out with us, probably at another teleportation point."

Fortunately, this batch of players were mostly newcomers. Even for veteran players like Sun Yan, he had only cleared a few more instances and wasn't very familiar with the nuances of teleportation points.

For instance, everyone believed that the teleportation points were random, but experienced players like Nie Shuangshuang, who had cleared over a hundred instances, knew that one could increase the chances of accessing specific points through positioning within the instance.

This kind of trick doesn't aid in clearing instances, hence not many players were aware of it.

Although Nie Shuangshuang was unclear why everyone was present except for Xie Fangcheng and Zhang Daoan... Zhang Daoan's absence could be explained, as he had planned to escape early on.

But Jie Fangcheng was transported with everyone else, why isn't he here as well?

Perhaps he is at another transport point, but Nie Shuangshuang quickly sent messages to Jie Fangcheng, receiving no response from the other party.

Nie Shuangshuang intuitively felt that he probably hadn't emerged yet.

At this moment, she deliberately led the conversation, and Yue Chen immediately gestured: “Let’s go! Check the other transport points!”

Soon, the surrounding members of the Chaoyang Guild departed without looking back.

With matters weighing heavily on her mind, Nie Shuangshuang hastily dismissed other players who planned to dine with her. She swiftly befriended those promising additional points during the instance, collected ten thousand points from each, and ushered them away. Even Aunt Li was persuaded to return, leaving her alone at the transfer point.

Her patience paid off as she indeed awaited his arrival.

"Can you remove that headband?"

Jie Fangcheng shook his head: "A friend gifted it to me. Besides, what is there to fear?"

Nie Shuangshuang swiftly cited examples: "What is there to fear? The Chaoyang Guild is currently the most populated guild, with thousands of active players on a regular basis. Eight out of the top ten in the points leaderboard are from their guild... Yes, you might not fear them in terms of strength, but with their sheer numbers, they can harass you outside the instances, even inside, with tactics ranging from nagging to outright underhanded moves. Even if you're not afraid strength-wise, wouldn't it be bothersome?"

Nie Shuangshuang continued: "Imagine you're inside an instance and sleeping at night, and members of the Chaoyang Guild incessantly bang on your door, preventing you from sleeping. Would you not be afraid?"

Jie Fangcheng immediately removed the headband and carried it in his hand.

Nie Shuangshuang quickly retrieved a Hanfu cloak from her system backpack, pulling the hood over his head.

With his figure concealed by the red cloak, Nie Shuangshuang chuckled: "Hey! Little Red Riding Hood! Let's go, we'll talk more outside!"

Just like that, Jie Fangcheng followed her out.

All the way, Nie Shuangshuang remained silent, her eyes glazed and fingers gesturing in the air, obviously busy sending messages fervently.

She had a wide network, and had been inquiring with several contacts earlier, now indeed receiving some responses.

"【Blue Mountain Psychiatric Hospital】? Have you cleared this instance before?"

"Ah? Yes."

"What's the clearance rate?"

"88%."

"Damn! That's high!" Nie Shuangshuang exclaimed, then proceeded to check her own clearance records.

Her records actually indicated fairly high clearance rates for most instances, with the majority of lower-level ones exceeding 30%, and some level five instances around 20%.

She had been intimidated by Zong Daoan's name in the instance earlier; in reality, a 53% clearance rate would be truly astonishing to the average player.

"I remember the clearance rate for our last instance was also quite high...? Eh?? Where's the last instance??"

Nie Shuangshuang has already received the system rewards; it was clearly not a figment of her dreams.

But why isn't that mission listed in her completion log?

Jie Fangcheng touched his nose lightly.

“Never mind that.” Nie Shuangshuang decisively led him to the nearby Ronghua Guild's building.

Inside the guild, it was eerily quiet, and with familiar steps, she escorted Jie Fangcheng to the number six conference room on the second floor.

Guilds affluent enough to own a building generally have a meeting room to facilitate discussions among members after completing missions.

However, while most guilds have only one, Ronghua boasted meeting rooms throughout the entire second and third floors.

Their objective was to analyze the dungeons meticulously, developing thorough and feasible strategies for the average player, eventually publishing the guides on public forums.

Many guild members initially embraced new missions enthusiastically, but the post-mission discussions often felt as grueling as shedding a layer of skin.

Take Nie Shuangshuang as an example.

She frequently partnered with the vice-president on level-five missions, sometimes spending half a month in the dungeons and a whole month in the meeting rooms—a genuine ordeal.

She had frequented the number six conference room so often it felt more familiar than her own home. Even now, no longer a member of Ronghua, her steps seemed to be guided by an invisible hand, leading her automatically into the conference room while she was distracted with messages.

Only upon entering did Nie Shuangshuang snap back to her senses.

“...Let's just leave it at that,” she said decisively. “First, let's address your issue... Do you have a grudge against the Chaoyang Guild?”

“No,” Jie Fangcheng responded, somewhat baffled. “I just completed a mission with a player from the Chaoyang Guild once, nothing more.”

“Then why target you? Is it merely because of your high completion rate? That can't be,” mused Nie Shuangshuang. “I recall someone gossiping about a player who could lead a team to a hundred percent completion rate. If they were looking for someone, wouldn't they seek out that person first... It isn't you, is it?”

“No, it isn't.”

“Then who might that person be?” Nie Shuangshuang pondered.

Jie Fangcheng had a hunch but deemed it improper to mention at the moment.

Soon, Nie Shuangshuang redirected the conversation: “Anyway, a friend told me that her husband heard the vice-president of the Chaoyang Guild also cleared the ‘Blue Mountain Psychiatric Hospital’. The exact completion rate is unknown, but it's presumably not as high as yours, which is why he's seeking you out.”

“Why? To exchange tips on clearing the dungeon?”

Nie Shuangshuang shook her head: “No. This Ji Ge... the vice-president of the Chaoyang Guild, has a somewhat sinister reputation. Though he's usually kept in check by his brother, he hasn't really stepped out of line. I wonder why both he and his brother are looking for you now. Perhaps...”

Nie Shuangshuang cleared her throat: “Do you want to call Jiang... over to analyze the situation? His mind works better than both of ours combined.”

“Sure,” Jie Fangcheng agreed, and promptly opened his friend list, pausing momentarily in surprise.

There were nine unread messages on his friend list, the first from Yue Haiyang.

“Brother Jie! When are you coming to the restaurant? We are starving here!”

"Brother Jie? Brother Jie, you haven't gone off on a mission, have you???"

"Brother Jie???"

"Ah." A realization struck Jie Fangcheng about the nagging feeling of forgetting something that had been bothering him. With a wry smile, he replied, "I'll be there shortly."

Just as he was about to message Jiang Dao'an after sending his message, he received a system notification first.

[Your friend [Yue Haiyang] has gone offline and cannot receive new messages.]

"Huh?" Jie Fangcheng glanced at his friends list, "I noticed that several names on my friend list have turned grey. Have they gone to tackle dungeons?"

Nie Shuangshuang paused before speaking, "No, if they were in a dungeon, messages sent to them would transform into little envelope icons after a while. The names turning grey indicates they have died."

Jie Fangcheng nodded, accessing the recent completion log and selecting Jiang Dao'an's name to send a friend request first.

The person on the other end accepted swiftly; upon Jie Fangcheng’s initiation, the response came readily.

"Alright, see you at the restaurant in a bit."

Jie Fangcheng played the role of a messenger dutifully, "He said he'll meet us at the restaurant shortly."

"Oh, I see." Nie Shuangshuang was momentarily startled.

She was still contemplating how to console Jie Fangcheng. After all, it took her a long time to recover when she first experienced a friend departing. Yet, Jie Fangcheng seemed to have adapted incredibly quickly.

Nie Shuangshuang couldn't help herself, "You... Aren't you sad?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your friend, their name has turned grey." As Nie Shuangshuang spoke, she began to sing, "Your grey ID will no longer flicker, warm dreams turn into cold shackles, if time could reverse, what could we possibly hold onto~" (1)

"What's all this nonsense?" Jie Fangcheng couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Nie Shuangshuang sighed, "Clearly, you are a youngster, unfamiliar with the top three pop idols of yesteryears, huh?"

Jie Fangcheng honestly responded, "No, we only have the top ten idols, plus a super popular group."

Nie Shuangshuang uttered an "Oh".

"The talent show you are following? Something about 101 with ten debut spots?"

Jie Fangcheng expressed disdain, "You're even less informed than I am. I know that there are eleven debut spots."

"That many?" Nie Shuangshuang was surprised.

After her surprise, she realized she had strayed off-topic again, "Oh right, about the grey ID. You aren't feeling sentimental?"

"I've gotten used to it."

"Oh..." Nie Shuangshuang wore an expression that clearly conveyed she was at a loss for words.

Jie Fangcheng pondered briefly, "Death isn't the end; we're bound to meet again sooner or later."

Maybe they would have to meet for quite a while, considering the current tedious procedures, slow efficiency, the enormity of the game, and the vast number of people involved. Facing such a monumental event, Jie Fangcheng could foresee potentially having to work for another hundred or two hundred years.

A wave of relief washed over him as he thought about this.

Thankfully, he had a secretary on hand; without Jiang Dao'an, just preparing the reports would be the death of him.

Eh? Could he possibly bring him along for future dungeons? This way, wouldn't it save him the trouble of summarizing the dungeons himself?

What a great idea!

With this thought, Jie Fangcheng immediately reopened the friends list.

"Have you reached the restaurant? We are coming to find you now!"

Before Jiang Dao'an could reply, suddenly, the door to the conference room was thrown open.

A middle-aged man with a goatee entered expressionlessly, giving a cold smirk upon seeing Nie Shuangshuang.

"Quite the rare visit, Leader Nie."

Nie Shuangshuang remained silent, her face stoic, as she stood up.

"We should leave now."

"Leave? Do you think the Ronghua Guild is your property, to come and go as you please?"

Nie Shuangshuang simply stood her ground, gesturing in the air with her finger nonchalantly.

The man with the goatee froze momentarily before his expression turned even more furious.

"What do you mean by that??"

"I heard that Ronghua's conference room is available for rent lately, two hundred thousand for half an hour. We've been here for that long, that should suffice, right?"

The man with the goatee fell silent.

"Let's go," Nie Shuangshuang said, her voice calm.

But the goatee man blocked the doorway.

"Don't come to Ronghua again in the future. Ronghua isn't worthy of 'Crazy Rabbit' now. Since Leader Nie is thriving in the professional league, the third largest guild should have a conference room, shouldn't they?"

The atmosphere between the two seemed rather odd. Jie Fangcheng rose to his feet, about to say something.

Just then, the notification sound for a new message from his friend echoed.

—Twice.

He tapped to open it, the first message was from Jiang Dao'an.

"I've arrived."

Jie Fangcheng responded, "Be there in a moment."

He then casually tapped to open the second message.

It was from Qi Chanyang.

"Brother Jie, help!! I am in a level three dungeon! About to die! Can you come save me? The teleportation circle can bring along players within a three-meter radius!"

"Hmm?" Jie Fangcheng was puzzled as he replied while walking with his head down.

This message window seems somewhat different from the usual ones, doesn't it?

With that thought, Jie Fangcheng, without even looking, pressed where the "send" button usually is in the regular message window, located at the bottom right.

Meanwhile, the man with the goatee and Nie Shuangshuang seemed to be on the verge of getting into a physical altercation.

Jie Fangcheng lifted his head and raised his hand, "Stop arguing, let's go eat..."

Then, his vision blurred momentarily.

[Ding—You have accepted player [Qi Chanyang]'s invitation.]

[Player Qi Chanyang's item [Space Teleportation Circle] activated, teleportation of nearby players successful.]

[Ding—Welcome players Jie Fangcheng, Nie Shuangshuang, and Wei Yuan to the dungeon [Zombie Siege].]

[Dungeon information updated.]

[Ding—Dungeon player count increased 10/103.]

[Warning! The current survival rate in this dungeon is less than 10%!]

[Warning! The current survival rate in this dungeon is less than 10%!]

[Warning! The current survival rate in this dungeon is less than 10%!]

"…meal?" Jie Fangcheng said, slightly bewildered.

In front of him, Nie Shuangshuang and Wei Yuan turned their heads to look at him.

"Big brother! I just came out of a dungeon!!" Nie Shuangshuang said, exasperated, "What the heck is going on??"

Jie Fangcheng was also at a loss for words, "How would I know what's going on?"

As his voice trailed off, a head popped out from a nearby doorway, and Qi Chanyang yelled towards him.

"Brother Jie!!!"

Jie Fangcheng turned his head.

They seemed to be in a rather ordinary apartment, which sported a modern interior design, equipped with a TV, water dispenser, and even a robotic vacuum cleaner. However, none of the appliances were operating, the crystal chandelier was not lit, and a kerosene lamp rested on the coffee table.

"Little Yang," Jie Fangcheng greeted with a wave of his hand.

He understood now.

Just as he had summoned Jiang Dao'an in the previous dungeon, it seemed Qi Chanyang had also utilized some sort of summoning artifact.

He hadn't expected this; the kid was doing quite well for himself, even possessing summoning items.

However, the next moment revealed that the artifact wasn't actually Qi Chanyang's.

Another person entered from the door through which Qi Chanyang had come. Upon seeing the people inside the room, his gaze briefly rested on Nie Shuangshuang and Wei Yuan's faces, harboring a hint of disappointment, indicating he recognized the two.

If it were in the past, being able to summon the twenty-third ranked "Mad Rabbit" and the fifty-seventh ranked "Boulder" would have thrilled him beyond measure.

But now, it was well-known that the Ronghua Guild's players had suffered significant demotions.

Considering Nie Shuangshuang's current strength level, even though she could clear a level three dungeon, she could only manage to defend herself.

In a massive hundred-player dungeon like "Zombie Siege," the current "Mad Rabbit" and "Boulder" were essentially insignificant.

Yet, the first people he called out weren't Nie Shuangshuang or Wei Yuan.

Brother Jie?

His gaze shifted towards the only unfamiliar face.

Uh... This individual was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, draped with a woman's Hanfu cloak, and had even covered their head, creating a somewhat absurd appearance, akin to Little Red Riding Hood.

There were many players in the game with mismatched outfits; perhaps this was some big shot?

Pondering this, he approached, demonstrating reasonable social skills.

"I am the vice-president of the Warm Cat Climbing Frame, ranked 257th on the point leaderboard, Tao Youyuan. Team Leader Nie, President Wei, I have long admired your reputations."

Tao Youyuan was already being quite respectful. Nie Shuangshuang and Wei Yuan, who had grown accustomed to the disappointed looks from some players, chose to ignore it this time, shaking hands with him.

After exchanging brief pleasantries with the two, Tao Youyuan then turned his expectant gaze towards Jie Fangcheng.

"This person seems unfamiliar; may I know which guild's player you are?"

Even Wei Yuan was somewhat curious.

Since Nie Shuangshuang left Ronghua, Wei Yuan had inquired about her whereabouts.

The once "Mad Rabbit" now capitalized on her speed advantage, joining the professional league as a real estate broker and rarely participating in dungeons.

The fact that she would suddenly bring a stranger to Ronghua was something Wei Yuan had not anticipated.

Did this seemingly slightly handsome young man have any distinctive features or abilities?

"Ah, I'm not affiliated with any guild."

"Oh..." Tao Youyuan turned his head to look at Qi Chanyang.

They only had this one summoning item, which was originally intended by Tao Youyuan for his own universal dungeon expedition.

He and a few friends had planned to tackle a level-five dungeon during the universal dungeon event, capitalizing on the reduced difficulty to enhance their individual strengths.

However, he had never expected that the level-three dungeon would surpass his expectations in terms of difficulty.

It wasn't just that the dungeon was challenging; what was more concerning was the disunity among the players, with half of them having perished by the third day.

Now, on the sixteenth day, only seven players remained. Left with no other options, Tao Youyuan had to contribute his item.

He was already a high-ranking player with a position near the top of the score leaderboard, and he had many powerful individuals in his friends list, but he lacked confidence.

This summoning item could only be used once. If the transmission succeeded but the recipient was unwilling to come, it would be wasted.

But Qi Chanyyang was exceptionally eager.

"I know a big shot, as long as the message successfully sends, he will definitely come!"

"Really?"

"Yes, really!"

To bolster credibility, Qi Chanyang began to exaggerate with closed eyes, extolling the player's extreme prowess and strength.

But it wasn't really an exaggeration; after all, no player who had truly witnessed Jie Fangcheng's abilities thought him anything less than formidable.

The prerequisite being having witnessed his abilities...

Tao Youyuan continued to inquire with some uncertainty: "Um, I might be out of the loop, but what is your ranking on the score leaderboard?"

Nie Shuangshuang stood with her arms crossed, eagerly watching the unfolding drama.

She had asked the same question initially!

Back then, Jie Fangcheng had been quite irritated by the query, but watching him irk others now was indeed quite entertaining!

"Huh? I'm not on the score leaderboard."

Tao Youyuan turned back to scrutinize Qi Chanyyang intensely.

Qi Chanyyang gave a thumbs up: "But our Brother Jie is exceptionally skilled! Isn't that right, Brother Jie?"

"Yes," Jie Fangcheng concurred, raising his thumb, "really."

Tao Youyuan: "..."

Tao Youyuan: "How many times have you completed it? How many rare skills do you have? How many items do you possess? What's the highest level dungeon you've cleared?"

Jie Fangcheng responded with an OK gesture.

Tao Youyuan: "??? What does OK mean?"

"Not OK," Nie Shuangshuang chimed in cheerfully, "he's cleared it three times."

"Damn!!"

Tao Youyuan glared fiercely at Qi Chanyang.

Qi Chanyang, tears streaming down his face, pleaded, "Brother Jie, please stop..."

"I really have cleared it three times. After that time, I cleared it twice more," Jie Fangcheng clarified.

Damn it!

Tao Youyuan cursed inwardly.

Then Jie Fangcheng spoke again, "I also have a question for you."

"What is it?"

"Do you have any more summoning items?" Jie Fangcheng inquired, "I have a friend who is also quite powerful."

Jie Fangcheng raised his thumb, "Really strong!"

Tao Youyuan: "..."

.

Tao Youyuan retreated into his shell.

Qi Chanyang briefed them on the current situation.

"This is a level-three, large-scale, hundred-person instance, named Zombie Siege. Just from the name of the instance, you can gauge its general content. Currently, we are on the human side. When we entered, only one out of the thirteen human bases remained above ground, preserving the last spark of humanity. The rest have moved underground, and we are now located within an underground city beneath the thirteenth human base."

"The condition to clear this instance is to survive within it for thirty days," Qi Chanyang said with a wry smile. "Originally, we had over a hundred people. But on the third day, the leadership of the base dispatched human squads to fight the zombies. We were among those sent out. Some were greedy for points, leading teams to the heart of the zombie-infested city for resources, which resulted in total annihilation, with half of us perishing."

Nie Shuangshuang and Wei Yuan, both seasoned players familiar with clearing dungeons, instantly understood the gravity of the situation.

Players' clearance scores and item gains are closely tied to their performance within the dungeon. The base score for a level-three dungeon is only one hundred thousand, which might seem low, but with exceptional in-game performance, the reward points can be terrifyingly high.

For instance, Nie Shuangshuang in the past would usually accrue over five hundred thousand points when clearing a level-three dungeon, while other players would only earn around one hundred and fifty thousand. The drop rate for rare items is also intrinsically linked to the performance within the dungeon.

Clearly, this group of players had stumbled upon some clue and aimed to monopolize the benefits, hence recklessly charging towards the epicenter of the zombie city.

Qi Chanyang sighed, "Yes, they believed they had discovered a zombie vaccine. But in reality, it wasn't... It was merely a misinformation."

"What's the situation now? In survival instances, as long as one doesn't behave recklessly, there shouldn't be so many casualties, right?"

"Indeed. That was our initial thought as well," Qi Chanyang said with a bitter expression. "At first, we believed that this thirteenth human base was just a standard base. As long as we followed the NPC's guidance, there wouldn't be any problems. But later, we realized... the 'Human Civilization Continuation Plan' was not what we had imagined."

"The first directive of the plan is: to sacrifice a portion of the human population to preserve the ember of humanity."

"The thirteenth base was the first human settlement to be sacrificed." At this point, Qi Chanyang pointed to the ceiling above him, "Currently, we are underground. Tomorrow, aircrafts will disseminate a highly toxic substance above us, followed by... breaching the base's defenses to let the zombies in. Once the zombies sense our presence below, they will start digging. During the digging process, the spread of the toxin will kill a portion of them. By the time they reach us, the potent toxin will cause our deaths, and the zombies will perish as well after consuming our corpses."

"The subsequent twelve human bases will follow suit. According to the plan, these twelve bases are situated around Base One. If all goes smoothly, the pits dug by these zombies will eventually form a toxic belt surrounding Base One, effectively clearing the majority of the zombies in the vicinity. Base One, which extends deep underground, shelters the majority of the survivors, with resources sufficient to sustain life for over a century. By that time, most of the remaining zombies on the surface should have died off, and the toxins would have largely dissipated."

Nie Shuangshuang furrowed her brows, "So, what's our method of clearing this instance now? Find the person in charge of the base and persuade him to change his mind?"

Qi Chanyang shook his head, "No, the person in charge of the base ingested poison as the first act following the plan's announcement. The entire administrative layer responsible for devising this plan... they are all above ground now, tasked with disabling the base's defense system, fully prepared to embrace death."

"Then..." Nie Shuangshuang recalled the previous instance, "Can we incite a revolt among the other people in the base? Stage a coup or a revolution? We did something similar in the last instance!"

Qi Chanyang shook his head again, "It's not feasible. This is

the apocalypse,

the two hundred and thirtieth year. Humans are at an absolute disadvantage at this point, with their solidarity stronger than ever. Surprisingly, there were few objections to the plan when it was revealed. Now, everyone is in their rooms preparing for the final battle, determined to take down as many zombies as possible before they die."

"What should we do then?" Wei Yuan frowned, "You summoned us here, but it's clearly a dead-end situation. What's your point?"

Qi Chanyang looked at Jie Fangcheng with anticipation.

As expected, the next second, Jie Fangcheng stood up, and knowing him well, Nie Shuangshuang also rose to her feet.

"Now this is an interesting instance!" Jie Fangcheng exclaimed as he drew his staff, "Why don't we just annihilate all the zombies?"