Chapter 174 I’m Not Some Fortune Teller

"Chapter 174: I'm No Oracle"

"Holy crap, who finished the mission already? I was planning to make a killing with my cooking skills at the Succubus Empress's victory banquet!"

"Oh, and a few customers still haven't paid for our brain delicacies."

"Ugh, my wife and I had our love story all prepared, and now we're kicked out of the instance. All that effort for nothing."

The group, sent back to where they came from, found themselves in the original conference room.

The previously quiet room instantly erupted into a noisy hubbub with their arrival. The people stationed there immediately brightened, swiftly messaging their director.

Hua Diao, squeezed amidst the crowd, retrieved the treasure chest floating in mid-air, her small face crumpled in frustration. "Miscalculation. I didn't expect to be yanked out the moment the mission was completed. I was planning to sing a song for Anfoya at the victory banquet to show the mermaid race's goodwill. What a shame, no chance now."

She had enjoyed many delicacies among the Succubus, and by practicing her innate abilities on the assassins, she could now use the siren's vocal talent. She was eager to try it out.

The moment Xie Tingsheng exited the instance, he pinpointed Hua Diao in the crowd and strode quickly toward her. Just as he reached her side, he overheard her remark.

His deep, almond-shaped eyes flickered, his thin lips pressed into a straight line. He then reached out, pulled her close, and leaned in, his low voice tinged with jealousy. "Shouldn't I be the first to hear you sing, hmm?"

Hua Diao's heart fluttered, and she chuckled awkwardly. "Well, I just wanted to find a few test subjects first, to make sure it sounds good before singing for you."

She swallowed, still lacking much confidence in her off-key singing. Even with the siren's talent boosting her, she was incredibly nervous. What if, even with the enhancement, her voice still sounded three thousand miles off-key?

Thinking about it, singing at Anfoya's victory banquet might not have been appropriate after all. If she messed up, wouldn't it make people doubt her mermaid identity?

Just then, the conference room door opened, interrupting Hua Diao's thoughts. Xie Tingsheng pursed his lips and whispered in her ear, "I insist on being the first listener. Whatever you sing, I'll love it."

Hua Diao's shimmering eyes sparkled, and a wave of sweetness surged through her heart.

Nearby, Zhu Bin and He Yongxin silently shuffled away, determined to lower their presence and avoid being awkward third wheels.

However, besides them, there were many other "light bulbs" in the conference room, and they were shining brightly, forcing the reunited couple to pull their gaze from their rosy bubble and look towards the brightest one.

Director Zhang entered, instantly becoming the focal point of the conference room. The surrounding chatter quieted significantly, and everyone obediently took their seats. Xie Tingsheng and Hua Diao were no exception, pulling two chairs close together and sitting down.

As the team leader for this mission, Lin Xiaobao calmly approached to report the casualties as soon as Director Zhang took his seat.

"Director, a total of 24 people entered this Succubus instance, and 17 returned. Among them, the Roaring Tiger Team lost three, the Flying Wolf Team lost one, and our Special Operations Bureau also lost one. Additionally, two others—one from the Storm Team and one from our Special Operations Bureau—failed Mission One and were left behind in the instance, unable to exit."

"Mission One?" Director Zhang frowned, his expression serious. "Tell me in detail about this 'Wisdom Instance,' and hand over all your Recording Stones."

Hua Diao and the others didn't object; this had been an agreed-upon condition before entering the instance. One by one, they took out their Recording Stones and placed them on the table. However, Lin Xiaobao and He Feng, the captain of the Storm Team, each produced two.

These belonged to the two teammates who, after receiving the system's notification that they had violated Mission One and couldn't leave, had entrusted their stones to them.

At the same time, Lin Xiaobao systematically explained the general rules of the Wisdom Instance, such as the three mandatory missions, and how violating Mission One—"maintain physical and mental purity until the instance ends"—would result in being permanently trapped.

Clearly, the two left behind had either fallen for the succubi's charms or succumbed to their allure.

Either way, their experiences served as a reminder that even mandatory missions contained hidden traps and warnings.

After listening, Director Zhang's expression was unreadable, but he nodded solemnly in understanding. He then prepared to review the Recording Stones to see the situation inside the instance firsthand. Hua Diao, who had completed all three missions and cleared the instance, received special attention.

At this point, the other four teams technically had no further business, but they showed no intention of leaving. Each of them stubbornly remained rooted to their seats, eager to see how Hua Diao had successfully cleared the instance.

Director Zhang didn't immediately agree, instead looking at Hua Diao for her opinion.

Even Xie Tingsheng was a little curious. Although her journey through the instance had been discussed on the forum, he still wanted to see the version with visuals and sound.

Since her husband wanted to watch, Hua Diao naturally indulged him, waving her hand grandly. "No problem, watch whatever you like."

So, the lights in the conference room dimmed, and everyone tacitly turned to face the white wall opposite. Hua Diao pulled out her snacks, settling in as if to watch a movie.

The Recording Stone functioned much like a projector. When projected onto the white wall, the images immediately appeared.

The first scene showed Hua Diao being spat out of a spatial rift and crashing onto the ground, just as Princess Anfoya and her retinue were returning from outside the city and spotted her.

Anfoya, holding a detection tool, detected a mermaid aura on Hua Diao and immediately identified her as a mermaid. She instructed her subordinates to carefully transport Hua Diao on a flying device back to the imperial palace, where she was settled in a magnificent golden palace, sleeping on a jeweled bed.

"Hiss—"

Those who had been in the instance immediately felt a pang of jealousy. "Her luck is incredible. She gets VIP treatment right from the start!"

"My starting point was a dark, damp, terrifying cage. Why is the difference between people so huge?!"

"Is no one else curious why she had a mermaid's aura? Did she know that race was key before entering the instance, so she prepared in advance?"

Even Zhu Bin and He Yongxin stared at her, their eyes wide with curiosity.

Hua Diao glanced at them, rolling her eyes. "I'm no oracle. How could I have prepared in advance? The mermaid thing is because of my innate talent. My awakened talent is transforming into a siren, possessing all the siren's attributes."

Zhu Bin and He Yongxin nodded in sudden understanding, but their envy remained. Her luck was just too good—even her awakened talent was this useful!