Chapter 150: Recollections of the Wax Museum (End)

Chapter 150: Recollections of the Wax Museum (End)

"Ah..."

A few exchanged glances, a hint of unease settling within them.

The deputy manager was very likely the boss they had to confront in this dungeon. According to reason, the players should be rejoicing at Xie Fangcheng's victory over the boss.

However, those who had ventured through the memories of Qiu Jianye couldn't bring themselves to regard him merely as a simple boss.

Despite his clear benevolence and numerous good deeds, his tragic end left many hoping for a world where "good is rewarded with good, and evil with evil".

Qiu Jianye's descent into madness and cruelty seemed, in the eyes of the players, somewhat justified.

Xie Fangcheng's casual disposition towards his killing struck a strange chord within the group. While there was relief that the boss was defeated and the dungeon nearing its conclusion, a palpable discomfort hung in the air.

It was individuals like Qi Chanyang, who were more familiar with him, that understood that Xie Fangcheng's brevity was likely due to his reluctance to elaborate further.

Although Zhang Dao'an often made snide remarks, often teasing about his "soft-heartedness", his observations weren't entirely wrong. Xie Fangcheng was indeed someone who could easily show compassion.

After Xie Fangcheng's statement, a moment of silence ensued before the six player NPCs tentatively spoke, "Should... should we check the second floor?"

Even though they had journeyed through Qiu Jianye's memory lane, the game remained a game, and they still lacked the crucial clue.

With a grand gesture, Xie Fangcheng declared, "Proceed!"

The six player NPCs hurriedly ascended upstairs.

The players lingered on the ravaged first floor, a heavy silence prevailing for a moment.

While everyone initially enjoyed cozying up to Xie Fangcheng, their expressions now varied greatly, with many secretly whispering amongst themselves, presumably commenting on how befitting it was for a friend of the "Red-cloaked Demon" Lang Gu to kill without batting an eye.

Xie Fangcheng showed no concern for their thoughts, as he was busy squatting in front of Yan Xiaohua.

Qiu Jianye seemed somewhat like an intruder within the game, one who could be directly sent to the underworld by Xie Fangcheng.

The actual narrative within the dungeon might not necessarily reflect Qiu Jianye's personal experiences, but it wasn't far off; he had endured similar ordeals, which led to his transformation into a fierce ghost.

As for Yan Xiaohua, this little ghost was likely summoned by the Book of Life and Death, similar to Xie Fangcheng, unable to communicate with the underworld. Attempting to repel her would be futile. She existed in a bureaucratic limbo, recorded in the Book of Life and Death but yet to be registered on the underworld's "Resident Information Chart" and "Voted Yet App". Given the current efficiency of the underworld's administration, her registration might only be completed in a hundred and eighty years or so.

What should we do now? Ignore her? This little ghost is still a fierce ghost after all, being obedient in the underworld is only under compulsion.

Letting her roam freely within the instance would mean a total annihilation in every instance she enters, which is quite terrifying.

Yan Xiaohua is not very intelligent. The person who created her stripped away her brain matter to make her obedient, reducing her to a being who can only pant, unable to speak.

Xie Fangcheng, however, understood perfectly.

"Oh? You remember the last time? You have memories from before?"

Xie Fangcheng seemed somewhat intrigued, nodding occasionally as he listened to her continuous panting, occasionally glancing at Zhang Dao'an.

"Him? He's not from the underworld, but he's a university professor, extremely adept... Stealing a necklace? Nonsense, he was looking for clues. How can searching for clues be considered stealing... You even scratched him?"

Xie Fangcheng beckoned Zhang Dao'an over, who then stepped to his side.

Crouching down, Xie Fangcheng pulled Zhang Dao'an's hand closer for inspection.

The cycle of instance reincarnation does reset the physical state of the players, like in the case of Xie Fangcheng, who upon entering the instance, still seemed to have the lingering scent of delicious food around his nostrils.

But the scratch from Yan Xiaohua was a soul attack, and as Xie Fangcheng examined the hand, although no external wounds were visible, internal injuries were yet to heal.

After inspecting, Xie Fangcheng clicked his tongue twice and patted Yan Xiaohua's head.

"It's only because your brain is not functioning properly, no sane person would dare to scratch him!"

Yan Xiaohua bared her teeth at him in response.

Zhang Dao'an stood there stunned, subconsciously rubbing his hand where it had been held after being released.

At this moment, an interface similar to that of a regular game suddenly appeared before everyone.

【Congratulations! You have obtained the key clue, and the instance [Real Wax Museum] has met the minimum pass criteria.】

【Current Achievements Acquired: 2/34.】

【Detected uncompleted achievements, would you like to restart the instance?】

Everyone felt a jolt in their hearts as they saw the option [Enter the Next Instance] light up quickly, virtually displaying a sentiment of "I will never come back to this broken instance" on its face.

The players breathed a sigh of relief in unison. Following that, they all heard the familiar sound of system notifications.

【Ding— Players Liu Heqing, Qi Chanyang... Xie Fangcheng, Zhang Dao'an, ??? have cleared the instance [Memory Wax Museum], with a survival rate of 85%, setting a new record for the highest clearance rate】

【Instance Rating: D-Class】

【Calculating instance rewards, please wait...】

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

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

Xie Fangcheng couldn't help but let out a surprised, "Eh?"

In the instances he had cleared, the "Instance Evaluation" often engaged in what seemed like a fierce battle, fluctuating wildly, switching between S and B grades in a blink, appearing as if it was hurling insults.

This was the first time his instance evaluation generated smoothly.

"D grade?" someone questioned, puzzled.

With such a high clearance rate, they should at least secure an A grade! Moreover, they found the key clues within the instance, why was the rating so low?

Someone else was confused, "Why is the clearance rate 85%?"

They were clearly all alive! Why wasn't it a hundred percent?

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Dao'an roughly understood the situation.

Not everyone was present.

It seemed that during Qi Chanyang and their first save, there had indeed been casualties.

Eighty-five percent... considering himself and Xie Fangcheng, twelve people were currently alive, implying that two people must have perished.

However, at this moment, it was unclear who those two individuals were and how they died.

It was also uncertain whether everyone would be able to remember upon returning to the main game lobby...

Additionally, there was another aspect that greatly concerned Zhang Dao'an.

"Manager Xie, don't you find this a bit peculiar?"

Even Xie Fangcheng sensed something was amiss: "It is indeed somewhat strange."

The instance evaluation was consistently contentious, as if two opposing forces were vying for control.

If the conflict ceased, could it indicate that one of the powers had vanished?

A D grade... This rating was alarmingly low.

If Zhang Dao'an's conjecture was correct, the force attributing S grades to Xie Fangcheng might be emanating from the Book of Life and Death, while the force consistently marking him down was likely the game system itself.

Zhang Dao'an whispered his hypothesis to Xie Fangcheng, who paused momentarily before swiftly rising to his feet.

"I'll check the white mist."

"Alright, ensure to return promptly."

Nobody knew the implications of the current shift - if Xie Fangcheng entered the white mist, would the white light still be able to transport him back to the main game lobby?

Without another word, Xie Fangcheng dashed out.

But soon, he returned with a look of frustration.

"The white fog has thinned considerably, but I can't discern any direction," he stated.

Zhang Dao'an paused to think briefly.

"Let's revisit this when we reach the fifth-level instance," he suggested.

Theoretically, the higher the instance level, the closer it is to the Book of Life and Death.

They needed to ascertain the situation concerning the Book of Life and Death.

As time gradually slipped away and the group was about to be transported, the door to the workspace on the second floor finally swung open.

The six player NPCs clearly noticed the certificates and commendations wrapped in newspaper. Despite having already seen them once in Qiu Jianye's memory, being confronted with them again still stirred deep emotions within them.

At that moment, the six NPCs had slightly reddened eyes. When they stepped out and saw the players on the first floor, they paused momentarily, seemingly caught off guard.

Since the choices had already been made and they were about to enter the next instance, with merely a scant ten seconds left on the countdown, the group didn't bother maintaining their disguise.

"These NPCs haven't disappeared yet? I thought they would be gone after we cleared the instance," one of them remarked.

"No matter, I just hope the next instance will be a simpler one!" another chimed in.

"But this instance was truly distressing. Qiu Jianye didn't feel like a character defined by programmed data; it felt as if he was a real person who had once lived in this world. Sigh..."

Zhang Dao'an silently cast a glance at the person speaking.

His voice rang clearly through the quiet wax museum.

"Perhaps he is indeed alive," he proposed.

The atmosphere within the wax museum seemed to freeze for a moment.

Zhang Dao'an's voice reached every person present.

"You perceive us as NPCs, but perhaps we view you in the same light. In Zhuangzi's dream of the butterfly, it remains unclear whether it was Zhuangzi dreaming he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming it was Zhuangzi," he pondered aloud.

Zhang Dao'an cast a profound gaze upon the NPCs upstairs.

As the countdown ended, twin flashes of white light simultaneously swept through, whisking away both the Infinity Flow players and the player NPCs.

Once again, the familiar player lobby materialized before their eyes.

During the National Instance Period, the lobby buzzed with players coming and going, and the vicinity of the teleportation point was exceptionally bustling.

There were those who emerged joyful, some in tears, and others who stood dazed, unable to regain their composure for a good while.

Like Qi Chanyang and his group.

At this moment, their memories had been restored, including the recollections from their first save point.

The players eyed each other with complex expressions.

During the first save, they all presumed it was a confrontational instance, engaging in fierce battles, genuinely fighting to the death.

Had it not been for the inexplicable death of a player at the beginning of the second save, which alerted Qi Chanyang that something was amiss, prompting him to summon Jie Fangcheng and another, would they have truly been able to clear this instance?

This instance isn't something ordinary players can clear; it's exceedingly rare for someone to realize at the outset that they have entered someone else's game, where the conditions for clearing are not based on confrontation.

Moreover, even if they had grasped this aspect, they would stand no chance against the frenzied boss in the end.

No wonder no one has ever cleared it in history! This instance is so difficult, is it genuinely designed for the general public?

And then there's that final statement from Zhang Dao'an...

Thoughtful individuals like Qi Chanyang pondered the behavior of the NPCs in this instance, contrasting it with NPCs from previous instances.

In truth, many people harbored an inexplicable affection, feeling that these NPCs didn't quite resemble typical NPCs.

Each of them seemed like living, breathing individuals, not only reacting differently based on the players' choices but also harboring complex interrelationships, personal preferences, and lives of their own.

But even if someone truly believed these NPCs were human, no player would dare to delve deeper into this notion.

Everyone struggled to survive in this game, finding countless unavoidable reasons to harm innocent beings.

"NPCs are just data," served as a protective barrier, safeguarding the last vestiges of sanity and conscience for everyone.

Zhang Dao'an's words seemed to gently pierce a hole in this protective barrier.

Someone murmured, almost to themselves, "Are they... really just data?"

If they were indeed innocent people...

At that moment, Jie Fangcheng's surprised "Eh?" interrupted their deep contemplation.

Everyone followed his gaze.

Standing beside Jie Fangcheng was Yan Xiaohua, dressed in a floral dress, looking up at him.

"You actually made it out?" Jie Fangcheng was still wondering, what would happen to Yan Xiaohua?

It was Zhang Dao'an who reminded him, "In the system notification, there's a question mark behind the list of players who cleared the game. It probably refers to her."

Yan Xiaohua was an undocumented entity in the game, unrecognized by the system, yet she wasn't an NPC within the instance, thus the system classified her as an unidentified player.

Similarly, because she was unidentified, her presence wouldn't affect the clear rate; in the system's eyes, they were still a group of twelve who had cleared the instance.

After the instance resets automatically, since Yan Xiaohua wasn't classified as an NPC, she would be ejected from the instance.

Didn't she just accompany them to the players' lobby?

What was even more surprising was Yan Xiaohua pulling out an object with a puzzled expression and handing it to Jie Fangcheng.

Jie Fangcheng looked down at it.

【Item: Grandfather's Necklace·Rare】

【Description: If one day Xiaohua can return to her grandfather's side, she must tell him that she truly misses him dearly.】

【Note: Whenever you need, grandfather will always protect you.】

【Effect: Greatly enhances defense when worn.】

【Special: Shields against any attack that would otherwise be fatal. The necklace will break after blocking a fatal blow.】

【Special Skill: Wax Drip Imagery】

"Where did this come from?" asked Jie Fangcheng.

Yan Xiaohua answered him with a breath of exasperation, leaving Jie Fangcheng feeling frustrated after hearing her response.

"Instance reward?? Even you, an unregistered player, received an instance reward??"

Although Jie Fangcheng successfully completed the level as expected, the "Instance Settlement in Progress" notification remained lit, refusing to allocate him even a single point.

Yan Xiaohua didn't understand what he was talking about; she showed Jie Fangcheng the necklace as if to boast, "This is a gift from my grandfather."

After showing it to him, Yan Xiaohua abruptly snatched the item back.

Zhang Dao'an, who had been observing from the sidelines, immediately pulled out something and placed it in Jie Fangcheng's hand without a word as soon as Yan Xiaohua "reclaimed" the necklace.

Jie Fangcheng looked down again.

【Item: Chirpy Hairband·Rare】

【Description: Chirp chirp chirp! Chirpy chirp!】

【Note: Chirpy likes kind people. Are you a kind and adorable individual deserving of Chirpy's affection?】

【Effect: When worn, it allows the summoning of a Chirpy bird, a small yet formidable ally in reconnaissance.】

【Special Skill: Angry Little Bird】

Jie Fangcheng looked at him, "What's this? Are you showing off to me too?"

Zhang Dao'an glanced at Yan Xiaohua before saying to Jie Fangcheng, "It's for you."

"Huh?"

This hairband seemed to be of no use to him, why would Zhang Dao'an give it to him out of the blue?

What Jie Fangcheng lacked the most right now was speed.

Yan Xiaohua may not comprehend the complexities of human interactions, but her innate intuition is rather keen. Despite her confusion, the fleeting glance from Zhang Dao’an and the vague aura emanating from him caused her to bare her teeth involuntarily at him, with an emerging desire to scratch him once more.

At that moment, a furious shout echoed from a distance.

"Make way!"

Before anyone could react, a blazing red figure dashed straight towards Yan Xiaohua. Without uttering a word upon reaching her side, the figure reached out to pinch her vehemently.

Jie Fangcheng was right next to her, offering his sword with a proficiency that spoke of much practice.

Not only was his action fluent, but Jie Fangcheng also couldn't shake the feeling that this scene seemed... familiar.

With a "thump", the crimson figure was knocked to the ground by a single stroke of his sword.

Jie Fangcheng focused and recognized, "Xiao Gu, what are you doing?"

Lang Gu rolled twice before finally stopping, now covered in dust. Hearing the familiar voice, he paused, then turned to look at Jie Fangcheng in astonishment, then at Yan Xiaohua who was with him.

Yan Xiaohua seemed a bit fearful of him, hiding behind Jie Fangcheng and only revealing a pair of pale eyes to "watch" Lang Gu.

"Lord Jie!! Have you gone mad?" Lang Gu's hand trembled as he pointed at Yan Xiaohua, "How can you associate with such a fierce ghost?"

Jie Fangcheng: "..."

It slipped everyone's mind that Yan Xiaohua, being an unregistered entity, did not follow the standard procedures to gain a household registration.

Jie Fangcheng carried significant influence, and throughout his many years working in the underworld, although occasionally bypassing various rules and regulations, most of his infractions were out of necessity. Over the years, apart from frequently writing reports and self-criticisms, most chose to turn a blind eye to his actions.

This generosity did not extend to the people from Old Cui's department.

Without a doubt, Jie Fangcheng believed that if it were not for the game's restrictions on summoning heavenly lightning to smite fierce ghosts, Lang Gu would have already lashed out with his whip.

Seeing Lang Gu gearing up to charge again, Jie Fangcheng decisively pulled Yan Xiaohua forward.

"Go ahead, hit her! A child who died before reaching ten, kidnapped and offered as a sacrifice in the mountains, skinned alive and burned into a fierce ghost. When I found her, she had only killed the murderer who ate her heart."

Lang Gu had already rushed forward, but facing Yan Xiaohua's large eyes and witnessing her stitched limbs, he couldn't bring himself to lower his raised hand.

Jie Fangcheng even nudged her slightly.

"Go on, hit her, it's alright. The child's parents committed suicide out of grief when she was kidnapped, they've reincarnated now. No one will hold you accountable for hitting an orphan."

Lang Gu's expression fluctuated between shadows and light.

Yan Xiaohua cooperatively let out a frightened sob, while Jie Fangcheng heaved a melancholy sigh.

"How pitiful, even in the game this child cannot escape being hunted. Such a tragedy."

His sarcastic tone might not have been perfectly executed, but it certainly bore the mark of a seasoned expert.

Jie Fangcheng spoke while casting a glance at Zhang Dao’an.

Zhang Dao’an, being incredibly sharp, immediately understood his thoughts, offering a slight smile and mouthing praises, “Not a bad imitation, huh?”

Jie Fangcheng couldn't help but burst into laughter.

This man... rather than feeling ashamed, takes pride in it, doesn't he?

Lang Gu hesitated, raising and lowering his hand, finally mustering a stiff “This isn't proper.”

"Mm-hmm, filing a report should suffice, right?"

Saying this, Jie Fangcheng saw Lang Gu merely shake his head in response.

"This is beyond the matter of just filing a report now."

What a stick in the mud!

Jie Fangcheng promptly draped an arm around his shoulders.

"Alright, alright, let's go grab a meal together."

In Jie Fangcheng's mind, the menu for the meal was already planned.

Just then, an individual dressed in peculiar clothing suddenly blocked their path.

"Hold on!" The strangely dressed person scrutinized Jie Fangcheng, "Allow me to introduce myself first. I'm Yang Chi, ‘Crescent Blade’ of the Reaper's Guild—hello there, Heartless Sword Jie Fangcheng.”