Chapter 141: The Thoughtful Professor Ji

Chapter 141: The Thoughtful Professor Ji

How comfortable!

This is what it means to be considerate!!

Even Xie, the manager who often works alone on business trips, understood in this moment why some bosses insist on having personal assistants.

To be greeted with a meal invitation upon emerging, with all dishes already ordered, life couldn't be more luxurious, could it?

With a gratified smile, he continued walking while replying,

"On my way."

It was the third day of the mass dungeon event; those who had intended to participate were already inside, with not many players having exited the dungeons.

In this truly communal event, even the usual lone wolves congregated at the central lobby, fixated on the screens hanging there.

Displayed on the screens were live feeds from various level-five dungeons. As Xie Fangcheng passed by, he glanced at one, only to find himself retracing his steps after a couple of paces.

He expressed his surprise with a soft "eh".

Xie Fangcheng had become quite the celebrity now. As he approached, the surrounding players voluntarily made way for him... such treatment wouldn't be accorded to other celebrities, primarily because Xie Fangcheng enjoyed a good relationship with Lang Gu.

The deep impression left by Lang Gu's initial relentless pursuit and threats towards unfamiliar players was still fresh in everyone's mind. Being a newcomer who had only just entered the dungeon and hadn't cleared it many times, Lang Gu already enjoyed the treatment reserved for players on the score leaderboard, even having earned a nickname.

—— The Scarlet Demon.

As to why it isn't referred to as a "killer maniac", it's said to be due to the peculiar tendencies of the Grim Reaper Guild who are keen on nicknaming others. Their nicknames usually carry a subtle yet apt nuance, accompanied by a strange atmospheric feel, making them very contagious. Clearly, a nickname like "killer maniac" doesn't suit their taste.

...Of course, another reason is that once the members of the Grim Reaper Guild coin a nickname, it circulates internally, disregarding others' opinions. Previously, when people teamed up with them, communications turned out to be a chicken-and-duck dialogue. Moreover, this guild has a significant number of members with strong capabilities, forcing everyone to consider their opinions while using nicknames.

"The Scarlet Demon" is their freshly minted exclusive nickname for Lang Gu, and it has rapidly spread among the players. At present, it seems apt since Lang Gu's bright red outfit was notably distinctive that day, embodying a significant characteristic.

As for the possibility of changing it to something like "X-Clothed Demon" if he wears a different color in the future, that is a bridge to cross when the time comes.

The even more powerful Jie Fangcheng, however, does not have a unified nickname at the moment.

Although everyone is aware that this big shot has aggressively confronted Xiao Chaoyang and Xiao Jige, and has managed to keep Ji Chaoyang from retaliating, his prowess is quite documented. Most players have heard of it but not witnessed it personally, making it difficult to gauge his temperament and skill level.

Lang Gu is different; in the players' minds, he is the kind who would suddenly charge at a randomly selected lucky audience.

Being friends with someone like that, Jie Fangcheng must also be a homicidal maniac.

Everyone nervously retreated, fearing he might suddenly unleash a massive attack like Lang Gu.

The people surrounding Jie Fangcheng appeared composed, but upon closer inspection, they were subtly retreating, evidently putting on a brave front.

Jie Fangcheng remained oblivious, his gaze fixed on a screen, seemingly lost in thought.

The brave individual next to him couldn't help but ask, "Big guy, is there something wrong with this dungeon?"

The level-five dungeon's difficulty is self-explanatory. The one Jie Fangcheng was watching seemed to be at the early stage of the story development, functioning harmoniously without any casualties yet, aligning with the difficulty standards of a level-five dungeon.

In this scenario, the dungeon seemed less attractive compared to the neighboring one engrossed in a heated battle, yet Jie Fangcheng was captivated by the current NPC narrative. He nodded at the person next to him after a moment of observation.

"Thank you."

Having said that, Jie Fangcheng left.

Once he departed, the group that dared not speak earlier quickly gathered, fervently discussing the peculiarities of the dungeon.

Soon, new threads began to appear on the forum.

【Discussion: Does the dungeon that the "very green" big shot was observing have any issues?】

Meanwhile, the "very green" big shot entered the restaurant, seemingly contemplative.

Jiang Dao'an was seated slightly towards the edge of the hall. Indeed, he wasn't lying; when Jie Fangcheng arrived, the food had just been served.

The aroma of the steaming hot meals greeted him, prompting Jie Fangcheng to cast aside the doubts in his mind. He couldn't resist patting Jiang Dao'an on the shoulder as he sat down.

"You're a great brother!"

Truly a great brother, always thinking of his mate when it comes to delicious food!

Jiang Dao'an simply smiled in response.

The pensive expression on Jie Fangcheng's face just now was too evident. At this moment, as the two of them were dining, Zhang Dao'an couldn't help but inquire about what had transpired.

Jie Fangcheng began by recounting the fact that he hadn't ascended, hadn't witnessed the Book of Life and Death, followed by the scenes he had witnessed on his way here.

"Remember when we cleared the ‘High Achievement Academy’ level together? We came across that female student NPC who was 'rewarded' by a player, didn't we? Do you recall the name of that NPC?"

"Gu Yaoyao?"

"Yes, you even gave her a whip as a prop," Jie Fangcheng said, his brow furrowing slightly. "I saw that whip earlier, but it wasn't Gu Yaoyao who was wielding it."

In the game, rare items all possess a unique identity, with no two weapon items being exactly alike.

Especially since Jie Fangcheng has an acute sensitivity to weapons; he can recognize a weapon he has seen once at a glance the next time.

The item he saw just now was definitely Gu Yaoyao's, but now it was in someone else's possession.

"Moreover, I have verified it; it's not a fragment of Gu Yaoyao."

Many souls in the game have undergone segmentation, but this segmentation and deployment are facilitated by the power of the Book of Life and Death, granting the fragments new names—names that Jie Fangcheng could perceive.

Although his access level isn't high, making it difficult to identify the original entities at a glance, with some effort, he could still determine if two fragments came from the same soul.

The NPC holding the whip evidently did not originate from the same soul as Gu Yaoyao, and even from behind the screen, though he couldn't smell anything, Jie Fangcheng could vaguely sense that the new holder of the whip was not to be trifled with.

This deviates significantly from Zhang Dao'an's initial hypothesis, doesn't it?

However, Zhang Dao'an's expression remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated this news, simply nodding in response.

"It's to be expected. In this game, it seems the more malevolent the NPC, the stronger their abilities. Gu Yaoyao is just a regular NPC, so her fragment wouldn't belong to any formidable entity."

"So, this spells trouble, doesn't it?"

"We are essentially gambling on a probability," Zhang Dao'an explained. "Without this whip, the more malevolent NPCs would still overpower the regular NPCs, reigning supreme in the dungeons. Only with the aid of items like these can regular NPCs muster the strength to resist. In essence, we have underinvested in the items. If we had deployed more, even if some were seized initially, the weaker groups could still hold their ground against bosses and players, thanks to these items."

In simpler terms, the strategy is to cast a wide net, especially since they won't lament the loss of items that aren't theirs.

Realization dawned upon Jie Fangcheng, who nodded in agreement.

"So, any idea why I couldn't see the Book of Life and Death?"

Even for Zhang Dao'an, this predicament was somewhat insurmountable.

The information they had was still too scant, the only certainty being...

"Ji Chaoyang is making his move," Zhang Dao'an asserted with confidence. "He has altered certain dungeons, potentially targeting you. Moreover, we have unwittingly encountered one such instance already."

"What?" Jie Fangcheng was taken aback.

"The 'Weight Loss Live Stream Room' we encountered earlier is a byproduct of these changes," Zhang Dao'an said as he pulled up his dungeon clearance records.

"Weight Loss Live Streaming Room" still displays "Players are in the instance, please wait".

"There's something off about this instance," Zhang Daoan explained, "The instance doesn't have a clear time limit, the player currently inside must be finding it challenging, right? If he never exits, will the instance remain open indefinitely?"

Xie Fangcheng immediately regained his focus.

Previously cleared instances all had explicit instructions, either bounded by a time limit or triggered by specific events at certain time points, determining that the duration for clearing an instance was finite.

The "Weight Loss Live Streaming Room" was different, wherein clearing the instance merely required meeting a set goal, and it could even be cleared by a single player.

But what if the clearance goal is never achieved, would one be stuck in the instance indefinitely?

But would this kind of targeting be really effective against him?

While having a couple of bites of his meal and gnawing on a chicken leg, Xie Fangcheng asked very clearly, "All I need to do is enter the instance and defeat the boss to clear it, right? Is this really an effective way to target me?"

"Yes," Zhang Daoan promptly cited an example, "What if the clearance condition is living within the instance for forty years or even longer?"

Xie Fangcheng quickly came to his senses: "That's indeed possible. So how should I prevent this?"

Zhang Daoan gave a smile: "It depends on the specific circumstances. I would advise carrying several summoning items with you. In case such a situation arises, summon me."

Xie Fangcheng was stunned for a moment: "But what if the actual clearance condition is to live in the instance for forty years?"

Zhang Daoan maintained his expression: "In that case, it's even more crucial to summon me, what if there are other clues?"

Xie Fangcheng scratched his head.

"Ahem... Let's eat, it's not often we get to enjoy a meal without interruptions," Xie Fangcheng said, with chopsticks already reaching for the chicken leg.

Just then, a flash of white light appeared before him.

Xie Fangcheng remained seated, his right hand extended with chopsticks, but nothing was held between them, only air.

He stood in a horse stance, blinking somewhat bewilderedly.

"Brother Xie!!"

Xie Fangcheng looked up.

Qi Chanyang, dressed in a peculiar work uniform and wearing rubber gloves, looked exceptionally relieved.

"Thank goodness you haven't entered other instances yet, save me, please!!"

Xie Fangcheng: "..."

Misinterpreting his expression, Qi Chanyang hurriedly clarified: "This instance is a super short one, just get through tonight to clear it! At most, it'll take about eight hours, it won't delay you for too long!"

"...Sigh." Xie Fangcheng stood up, folding his chopsticks, and surveyed his surroundings.

He inquired, "Have you guys figured out a way to clear this instance?"

Qi Chanyang forced a wry smile, "Not yet, we've only been in this instance for half an hour, but we've already lost a player. It seems perilous, so I hurriedly called you in."

"I see." Xie Fangcheng responded, then hesitated for a moment, "You said... you've only been in the instance for half an hour?"

"Yes!" Qi Chanyang nodded affirmatively.

Xie Fangcheng gazed at him.

Qi Chanyang appeared somewhat puzzled, "What's wrong?"

Xie Fangcheng muttered, "But you... entered the universal instance yesterday!"