Chapter 63: Arrival

Chapter 63: Arrival

What Xiao Xiao had been worried about did not happen.

Five minutes later, he sat in the employee lounge inside the service hall, holding a steaming cup of tea in his hands.

The leather sofa beneath him was soft, and most of Xiao Xiao's body sank into it. The exhaustion from two days of running around in the dungeon dissipated, making him feel languid from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

The same could be said for Lin Ye, Ghost Fire, and San Tu.

The four of them sprawled on the sofa without any regard for their image, as if they had no bones. The service hall staff in their uniforms nearby wore a smile on their faces and didn't comment on their terrible sitting posture, not even giving them a glance.

Her attention was entirely focused on the young man sitting on the single sofa across from her.

"Is the temperature of the tea alright?"

This NPC, who usually looked down on low-level players with an air of superiority, now stood beside Qin Fei with a smile on his face, kindly asking about trivial matters.

Qin Fei sat on the sofa, not slumping like Xiao Xiao and the others, his back straight as an elegant pine tree growing on a cliff's edge.

Just out of the dungeon, everyone looked disheveled.

On the long sofa, the three men besides Lin Ye were all in tattered clothes, resembling debris freshly salvaged from a trash bin.

In contrast, Qin Fei was in a completely different state.

He had suffered minimal injuries in this dungeon, leaving his bloodied priest robe behind. Now, Qin Fei's attire was spotlessly clean.

Aside from a few inconspicuous dried bloodstains on his exposed neck and arms, he appeared fresh and neat, indistinguishable from players who had been resting in the living area for ten days or more.

Even his shoulder-length black hair remained lush and soft, with the strands by his temples curling obediently around his ears, enhancing the smooth contours of his face.

To others, his ability to maintain oil-free hair no matter what he went through seemed like a unique innate skill.

"Perfect temperature, and the tea tastes excellent," Qin Fei smiled softly, speaking to the staff with an unexpectedly gentle tone.

"Thank you for looking after us, Miss Ariane," he said.

Indeed, that was correct. This staff member was Ariane, an old acquaintance of Qin Fei's.

After the previous live session, Qin Fei had met Ariane at the Identity Management Center outside Sector F and agreed to help her with a small favor when submitting dungeon information, allowing her to earn a modest commission.

Such fortunate occurrences were rare.

Add to that Qin Fei's strikingly handsome face, one that was unforgettable once seen, and it was no wonder Ariane recognized him the moment she saw him today, approaching with shining eyes.

For Qin Fei, this encounter was nothing short of a rare stroke of luck.

From the moment their gazes met, he knew for certain:

At least for today, in this place, that strangely dressed player called Butterfly would not be able to catch him.

The entire journey to the lounge still felt surreal to Xiao Xiao and his companions.

Everything before their eyes resembled the delicate, colorful soap bubbles children blew in a park on Sundays, ready to burst at the slightest touch.

Moments ago, they were mere inches away from being cornered by the Buterflies at the service hall entrance.

There were two lines forming at the entrance then, and the Butterfly group approached from across the road.

Two of them positioned themselves at the end of the queues, two guarded the door, while the others dispersed inside the hall, spreading out by the counters and leaderboard.

This all-encompassing, no-blind-spot encirclement seemed to have sealed Qin Fei's fate entirely.

Entering the service hall was out of the question; it would be like a sheep walking into a tiger's den. Even if they managed to get in, they wouldn't be able to reach the counter safely to conduct their business.

But if they tried to leave, the shared spot on the leaderboard was tantalizingly close, and their pursuers would soon discover their location.

They were trapped with nowhere to turn.

Xiao Xiao felt that familiar, suffocating sense of urgency, as if his veins were freezing up in the face of impending death.

And then, just like a streak of dawn piercing through the clouds to break the darkness, a sudden turn of events emerged.

The female staff member approached them.

Xiao Xiao couldn't even recall what they had conversed about with Qin Fei back then. He only remembered that after a brief chat, she led them in the opposite direction of the crowd.

She guided them through a small door reserved for employees and brought them to this cozy lounge, where they could comfortably enjoy some tea.

Xiao Xiao was somewhat dazed.

From Lin Ye using the janitor's key to unlock the side entrance of Sector F to Ariane escorting them through the staff passage – it seemed one couldn't survive nowadays without connections, huh?

Ariane had directly concealed Qin Fei's information on the Newcomer Rankings through internal means in the employee backend.

Qin Fei hadn't shown his face in the main hall at all. He didn't even come close to the doors and counter that were under the watchful eyes of numerous pairs of gazes.

The moment his personal details vanished, the entire hall fell silent for an instant before erupting into a frenzy.

Qin Fei sat there, lifting his gaze to look in the direction of the main hall.

The employee lounge was designed with frosted one-way glass, allowing Qin Fei to have a clear view of the three rankings suspended right in the center of the hall. They were surrounded by a crowd.

However, those in the hall couldn't see inside the lounge at all. In fact, most people were completely unaware that there was a lounge behind the wall. They thought it was just a solid partition.

Qin Fei's gaze lingered on the three leaderboards.

There were three lists: the overall individual score ranking, the popularity players ranking, and the newcomer ranking that had caused him so much trouble.

The first two lists each displayed ten names, while the leftmost newcomer list prominently featured "Xiao Qin" at the top.

Differing from the other two lists, the newcomer ranking was significantly longer, consisting of a total of 100 names, with the fonts of the names quite small.

But the top three names were different from the rest – they shimmered in a gaudy golden glow, extremely eye-catching and prominent.

No wonder he was discovered so quickly after making the list.

Now, a large empty space had opened up in the originally crowded hall. Butterfly stood right in the middle of that spot, his handsome and androgynous face flushed with anger.

His puppets stood in two rows around him, their heads bowed low, not daring to make a sound.

The players in the hall also fell silent after a brief commotion.

None of them wanted to provoke the Butterfly.

Butterfly maintained his composure surprisingly well, even though his anger was palpable. Without causing a scene, he whispered something to his puppets, who then rushed out the door en masse.

"Alicia is keeping an eye on them outside. They've all gone to the street adjacent to the hall."

As Alicia informed Qin Fei, she cautiously observed his expression.

"...It seems like they're searching for someone?"

It was evident that they were looking for the young man standing before them.

However, Alicia didn't dare to state it outright. This kind of matter was clearly secretive, and she feared that her interference might annoy Qin Fei.

Seeing no sign of displeasure on Qin Fei's face, Alicia gathered her courage and continued, "Please rest assured, I won't utter a single word about what happened in the lounge today to anyone!"

Ariane's fondness for Qin Fei had only grown since their last encounter.

This was the player who had caused a sensation in the hall!

As an NPC constantly swamped with administrative duties, Ariane didn't have much knowledge about the newcomers' rankings that players talked about. However, it didn't stop her from realizing one thing through the reactions of the crowd in the hall:

This young man before her eyes was extraordinary. Although he was a new player, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe him as having boundless potential.

Ariane was more than willing to do Qin Fei a favor.

Qin Fei picked up his teacup and took a delicate sip. His handsome face wore a gentle smile, and his amber eyes sparkled.

He met Ariane's gaze, nodding slightly. "Thank you very much, Miss Ariane. I truly appreciate your help today."

Ariane's face flushed red under Qin Fei's gaze; her hands, hanging by her sides, gripped the hem of her dress tightly. "It's nothing, just a small favor."

Oh, my God! Who could resist? He really looks like a prince!

Ariane couldn't take her eyes off Qin Fei but dared not be too bold. Instead, she let out a silent squeal in her heart.

"No, it's not as simple as that." Qin Fei replied seriously. "This means a great deal to me."

"Should you ever need my assistance in the future, please don't hesitate to ask," Qin Fei said with sincerity.

Aria nodded fervently.

On the sofa across from them, the four people watched in astonishment as Qin Fei engaged in casual conversation with the NPC, establishing a remarkable rapport in their exchange.

Xiao Xiao recalled the various forms of neglect he had endured when he previously came to the hall for business, feeling as if the god of mysticism had once again cast its merciless shadow upon him.

Two hours later.

The street in front of the service hall returned to tranquility as Qin Fei and his group walked out through the main entrance without any pretense.

This time, Qin Fei didn't head straight for D District to check in. Instead, he accompanied Xiao Xiao back to their rented house in E District.

San To found Qin Fei's decision to be very wise.

"The Butterfly might know that you've just advanced to D Rank and could be waiting for you at the entrance of D District," San To pointed out.

Despite players' innate abilities being unusable in Central City, the Butterfly group had the numbers on their side.

If Qin Fei were captured by them, whether through forming a team or some other method, once he was dragged into a dungeon, his fate would be sealed.

San Tu truly didn't wish to see a novice player with boundless potential like Qin Fei become a puppet under someone else's control.

Xiao Xiao listened with a racing heart.

The Butterfly guild and its members were well-known, and Xiao Xiao had heard some rumors about their modus operandi before.

However, he didn't know much. He had only recently left the F-Rank Experience World, and the world of A-Rank powerhouses still seemed too distant for him.

Upon hearing San Tu's words, Xiao Xiao realized that the dangers in the Rule Realm extended beyond just dungeons.

Even in the main city, where player-on-player killing was explicitly forbidden, undercurrents of danger lurked beneath the surface at all times.

In the following days, Xiao Xiao became extremely cautious, like a bird startled by a bowstring. He forbade Qin Fei from going out and personally delivered all three meals to his room.

If Qin Fei hadn't explicitly objected, Xiao Xiao would have even asked him to draw all the curtains and lock the door from the inside, transforming the entire room into an isolated chamber of darkness.

"Actually, you really don't have to be so nervous."

Qin Fei looked at Xiao Xiao, who had his bottom protruding and was practically glued to the door, wishing he could squeeze through the peephole. He was utterly helpless.

Xiao Xiao had been like this for three days now, and Qin Fei had no idea when it would end.

But Xiao Xiao couldn't calm down at all. "What if they come?"

Qin Fei blinked. "They haven't come yet, have they?"

Xiao Xiao was discouraged by Qin Fei's casual tone, shooting him a resentful glance.

"True, it has been three days already."

There had been no further activity from the Butterfly side. Perhaps they had given up.

...But was that really possible?

Xiao Xiao was rather skeptical.

According to Phantom Flame, that Butterfly was wildly extravagant and extremely impulsive, insisting on getting whatever he desired at all costs.

He had once plotted to sever the arms and legs of an A-level player who stubbornly refused to submit to him.

He had also bribed the closest teammate of a skilled player who was adept at hiding, luring that player out into the open.

Once he set his sights on something, he would become obsessed.

He never considered whether he could make use of it effectively or how many enemies he might make in the process.

In some ways, he resembled an unenlightened child, obstinate to an infuriating degree.

Just thinking about it made Xiao Xiao shudder.

Xiao Xiao sighed, "We were fortunate to have Ariane's assistance that day."

That day had been terrifying, and he still felt lingering fear even now.

The disparity between high-level and low-level players was vividly and ruthlessly displayed before his eyes at that moment.

Low-level players fought alone, while high-level players formed alliances.

In both individual combat prowess and overall strength, they could virtually overpower them effortlessly.

Once caught, there would be no escape.

Thinking of the Ghost Fire's description of the butterflies, Xiao Xiao's molars began to ache.

"Thankfully, players can't watch live broadcasts," Xiao Xiao sighed.

If the butterfly were to find out that the top-ranked rookie D-class player who had escaped under its nose had actually managed to slay the source of contamination and close a dungeon, it might spare no effort to capture Qin Fei before he fully matured, regardless of the cost.

Qin Fei listened quietly to Xiao Xiao, sipping his warm chocolate at the same time.

He wasn't particularly fond of sweets, but they did have the power to lift one's mood at certain moments.

"I managed to kill the source of contamination. How can you be so sure I can't outplay the butterfly?"

The young man smiled, his eyes shimmering with a sly fox-like glow, and his pupils appeared darker than usual, like flowing honey.

Xiao Xiao was taken aback for a moment before he turned to look at Qin Fei seriously.

Afternoon sunlight filtered into the room, enveloping the young man in a halo, while the ghost baby curled up in Qin Fei's arms like a kitten.

It was a scene of peaceful serenity.

Qin Fei, the powerful figure, said that... Could it be because he had already planned how to deal with the situation?

Deep down, Xiao Xiao did trust that Qin Fei could escape unscathed from the clutches of Butterfly.

After all, Qin Fei had already created too many miracles that defied Xiao Xiao's understanding.

But rationally, Xiao Xiao still found it difficult to believe.

That was an A-level player!

An A-level player who commanded an entire guild!

They were worlds apart from the likes of Qin Fei, who had just clawed his way up from the very bottom rung of Central City's hierarchy. There seemed to be an insurmountable chasm between them.

Xiao Xiao was lost in thought.

It was for Qin Fei that Xiao Xiao felt as if he were walking on a precipice, constantly on edge. Yet, Qin Fei seemed completely oblivious to this sentiment.

At that moment, he was idly fiddling with the fluffy ball at the back of the Ghost Baby's hat.

Something strange seemed to have happened to this tiny creature.

In the past, it could only turn invisible, making it unseen by others and sometimes even Qin Fei. But now, it appeared to have learned how to vanish into thin air.

After they left the Holy Infant Orphanage dungeon, the Ghost Baby didn't stay with Qin Fei, and Qin Fei didn't see it when they returned to Central City. Xiao Xiao had been worried about the possibility that the Ghost Baby might have inadvertently remained trapped in Lamb's inner world, to be destroyed along with the entire dungeon.

But that very night, the Ghost Baby suddenly reappeared before Qin Fei.

The distortions in the air as it tore and then seamlessly mended were so distinct that Qin Fei found it almost impossible to ignore.

In the past, the Ghost Baby would often wander off, leaving Qin Fei unable to locate it. But now, things were different.

Now, all Qin Fei needed to do was softly call its name in an isolated area, and it would suddenly appear without any prior indication.

Recalling the Shadow Village instance, where there had been a domain uniquely belonging to the Ghost Baby hidden within the chaotic graveyard, a faint inkling of a guess stirred in Qin Fei's heart.

Unfortunately, it still couldn't speak, nor had it shown any signs of growth, maintaining its three-headed proportion.

But that wasn't much of an issue.

After all, the Ghost Baby could understand everything he said.

Qin Fei leaned back on the sofa, allowing the Ghost Baby to crawl over him while his mind drifted into a blank state.

His gaze inadvertently wandered out the window.

Five seconds later.

Qin Fei suddenly sat up straight.

Xiao Xiao, unaware of the change in Qin Fei's demeanor, was crouched by the door, looking disheartened like a lost dog.

He still couldn't bring himself to believe that the Butterfly would let Qin Fei off so easily. Frustrated, he reached up to tousle his hair into a bird's nest of chaos.

"I keep feeling like they're about to show up!" he grumbled resentfully.

But he seemed to have no solution.

"Screw it," Xiao Xiao thought. If this went on, Qin Fei might not be captured, but he himself might end up in a mental institution first.

"What do you want for dinner tonight? I'll go out and get it." He tried to steer the conversation back to mundane matters.

Qin Fei sat with his eyes half-lowered, the sunlight casting beautiful shadows from his eyelashes across his face.

"What did you just say?" Qin Fei asked, simultaneously dressing the ghost in a new outfit.

"I asked what you want for dinner," Xiao Xiao replied.

"Not right, the sentence before that."

"The one before?" Xiao Xiao blinked. "Ah, I said, I always feel like they're about to arrive."

Qin Fei nodded.

He stood up, holding the completed ghost infant up in the air to examine his creation under the bright light from the window.

"You're right," he said. "They've arrived."

Xiao Xiao: "Oh... Oh? ! ? ?"

?! ?! ?!

Xiao Xiao's eyes widened abruptly. He leaped to the window.

Sure enough, just as Qin Fei had said, when he looked out the window, he saw that group of people in bizarre attire approaching with great fanfare from a distance.

From their purposeful route, it was clear they had thoroughly prepared for this encounter.

They were here for this building.

Xiao Xiao's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

In truth, Qin Fei had long anticipated this day.

The moment they had successfully left the service hall, he knew that the Butterfly would come looking for him sooner or later.

From what Qin Fei had learned from Phantom Flame, Butterfly was always very flamboyant in his actions.

He loved his pride and enjoyed showcasing himself.

Just like in Area F that day, when the other factions that wanted to find Qin Fei only sent their subordinates to observe the situation, Butterfly alone had the president and high-ranking officials personally take action, launching a grand search operation in both Area F and the service hall.

Qin Fei suspected that this person had a touch of theatrical personality disorder.

After suffering a loss at Qin Fei's hands, Butterfly wouldn't let it go easily.

That failure had undoubtedly dealt a severe blow to his reputation.

On that day, everyone in the service hall was aware that the top newcomer who had just been promoted to D-Rank slipped into the hall under the watchful eye of the Butterfly, turned off his ranking information, and then escaped unscathed, leaving a group of high-ranking players chasing their tails.

Now, Butterfly's pursuit of Qin Fei was no longer solely about turning him into a puppet.

It was about reclaiming the lost face.

Xiao Xiao was drenched in sweat. "What should we do?"

Qin Fei raised an eyebrow, seemingly puzzled by Xiao Xiao's question.

"We run, of course."

Were they supposed to stand there and wait for them to catch them?

"But…" Xiao Xiao pressed his back against the wall beside the window, using the corner of his eye to scan the encircling crowd downstairs.

"How are we supposed to run???"

Their dormitory building only had one main entrance, and two windows on the first floor used for ventilation, all of which were now blocked by people.

Only deities could escape from this!

Qin Fei held an entirely different opinion.

He got up and approached the door. "We're on the fourth floor."

As he spoke, he opened the door and led Xiao Xiao outside.

Time was of the essence. Qin Fei wasn't sure if the Butterfly members knew their exact room number on which floor, but they had to leave before anyone from downstairs came up.

"There's a single emergency exit at the end of the corridor."

The corridor wasn't long, and the two of them soon arrived at the entrance to the emergency exit.

Xiao Xiao was quite surprised because he had no idea such a door existed here.

With over ten rooms on each floor and two staircases at the front and back, there was never any congestion. Who would bother with the emergency exit?

"The emergency exit connects to the three adjacent buildings. If we take it, we can run all the way to the rooftop of the shortest building on the right side."

The building consisted of only four floors, with external staircases that were outdated and had long been discarded in the outside world. It was concealed by the three orderly buildings in front, seldom frequented by people, and its main door was usually left unlocked, serving as a storage room for Zone E staff.

From his quick glance through the window, Qin Fei knew that Butterfly had brought 20 people this time, twice the number from their previous visit to the Service Hall.

However, 20 individuals were not enough to surround the entire complex.

As long as they moved swiftly, they could certainly leave before being detected by the occupants of the small building.

Xiao Xiao felt somewhat disoriented, following closely behind Qin Fei. Amidst their haste, he gazed at Qin Fei's back, sensing something amiss but unable to articulate it.

What exactly was missing?

...

"Lord Butterfly, we've sealed off all entrances and exits to the building. There are people guarding both the fourth floor stairwell and corridors. Their doors are still closed, so they likely haven't noticed our arrival."

The black-robed figure stood meekly before the butterfly, reporting the situation to him.

The butterfly nodded.

He was still dressed in that black robe adorned with butterflies, his footsteps slow and steady as he climbed the stairs, stopping precisely in front of the door to Qin Fei's rented room.

The door wasn't locked. With a gentle push on the handle, it swung inward on its own momentum.

This made the butterfly frown.

Inside the room was eerily quiet. The butterfly slipped in soundlessly. The living room was empty, and his gaze fell upon the slightly ajar bedroom door.

A faint rustling came from the crack in the unsealed door.

At the butterfly's signal, the four black-robed puppets kicked the door open and rushed inside!

Still, no one was in the room. There was just a bulge on the bed, gently undulating.

But that couldn't possibly be an adult man.

In terms of size, it resembled more like a cat or a dog.

The butterfly frowned and signaled the puppet to unfold the blanket.

The moment the quilt was lifted, everyone in the room was taken aback.

Before their eyes was a child dressed in a one-piece furry outfit, facing away from them. The entire body was concealed by the clothing, with even the head wrapped inside a hood.

On the child's back were a pair of fluffy butterfly wings as decorations, and two butterfly antennae perched atop their head. Judging from the figure, the child couldn't have been more than three years old.

Well, quite adorable, actually.

The expressions of the few adults, who hadn't seen any children since entering the instance world, instantly turned peculiar.

Butterfly's eyes shimmered with interest. He was intrigued by all novelties, especially since this child was wearing his favorite butterfly-themed attire.

He raised his hand to stop the puppet from approaching the child.

Although the little one appeared rather cute, it was abnormal for such a creature to be present in this place.

The D-rated player named Xiao Qin had clearly made a run for it. The Butterfly turned its head and whispered instructions to its puppet but didn't move from its position, still standing calmly with its arms crossed at the bedroom door.

It wanted to see what tricks this child had up its sleeve.

It found the creature intriguing, like an entertaining new plaything.

The air in the room was still, charged with tension. The child on the bed slowly turned its head.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

The moment its face was fully exposed to everyone's gaze, every person in the room paled!

It was a horrifying visage, concealed beneath adorable attire. There was no skin on the small face, only crimson muscles covered in a mesh of yellowish-white tendons and fat.

Its eye sockets were empty, with streams of blood oozing out from its decaying features, quickly staining the bedsheet and quilt. Maggots wriggled out of its body before slithering back into the flesh.

As it turned, the door behind them slammed shut with a loud thud.

Simultaneously, the atmosphere inside the room chilled rapidly, as if day had instantly transformed into night.

The windows were closed, yet the curtains hanging before them began to flutter inexplicably in mid-air.

Butterfly's expression abruptly filled with terror!