After exiting the instance, the five members regrouped once more.
The information they had just received from the 006 Referee left them in a bit of a dilemma. Despite Shen Shiyi’s assistance in the 006 instance, clearing it was still not easy.
The most challenging part was the high physical endurance required. One of the stages involved an endless chase that lasted the entire night, severely draining their stamina.
If Shen Qingqiu hadn’t been able to use force to provide them with breathing room, they would have been doomed.
“Captain Xiao, this instance break is so long. When are we starting the 007 instance?”
This was a problem their team had to solve.
According to Shen Shiyi, the difficulty of the S instances increased incrementally. This difficulty wasn’t just due to the complex and variable plots but also potentially related to the team members’ states upon entering the instances.
The 006 instance had already warned them that the upcoming instances would present new challenges that might catch them off guard.
Xiao Muyu had been contemplating this issue since exiting the instance. She turned to her teammates and spoke seriously, “Given the new rule, we now have more choices. Although I am the captain, I won’t make decisions for you all unilaterally. So, there are some things I need to make clear.
“Waiting a year to start the next instance is out of the question. Staying in Skynet for a year might seem easy, but you all know how complex and dangerous this game is. Waiting a year to enter the next instance would be suicidal.
“So I have two options: First, we rest for a while to adjust our mental state and then directly enter the next instance. Second, we wait a bit longer but continue to grind other instances in between to gain experience and train our coordination and reflexes. Consider it a training camp.”
After Xiao Muyu finished, Shen Qingqiu chimed in, “I can’t speak for you all, but I agree with Muyu. We should grind instances to hone our skills. If we wait until the next instance to find out we’re not up to the challenge, we won’t stand a chance.
“Re-running instances is lower risk but not risk-free. However, we’ve learned that grinding instances doesn’t require full team participation, so if any of you have concerns, you can sit it out.”
Shen Qingqiu’s tone was calm and non-threatening. Chen Kaijie had a different choice than her and Muyu. If he wasn’t overly attached to the original world, staying here wouldn’t be criticized.
Humans fear death, and principles and persistence often become worthless in the face of it.
But Shen Qingqiu knew her choice was with Xiao Muyu. Xiao’s special identity meant the system would never allow her to remain in Skynet peacefully. They had to take the initiative, even if it meant facing death.
Chen Kaijie, Su Jin, and Zuo Tiantian pondered for a moment before deciding, “We agree with you, Captain Xiao. We’ve survived so far thanks to your and Vice-Captain Shen’s help. We couldn’t have made it alone.
“We can’t handle the S-level difficulty yet, so we’ve decided to grind instances to improve our skills.”
Shen Qingqiu felt a mix of emotions. She smiled at them, then said seriously, “You don’t have to push yourselves this hard. Chen Kaijie wants to return to his wife and children, but Su Jin and Zuo Tiantian, you’re still young and have more options.”
Su Jin and Zuo Tiantian exchanged glances. Su Jin, displaying a maturity and calmness beyond her years, said softly, “I have thought about this seriously. If I had known from the start, I might have chosen to stay in Skynet. But having come this far, if I chose to stay, I would never be able to let go.
“No matter how well I live, I’ll always remember this is a virtual world.
“And I’ll never forget that most of the people I care about are in another world, some even fighting through instances.
“Although these reasons may seem sentimental, the most important thing is to remain clear-headed.
“So, I can’t understand why Skynet would sustain a group of natives. What’s the point of pulling the consciousness of dying people into a game system?
“And how many of the 50 million challengers have remained?
“Even Shen Shiyi, with all his success and knowledge about Skynet, regrets staying. Why should we stay?”
Shen Qingqiu clapped, “Well said, Muyu. I don’t need to say more; they’ve got it.”
Xiao Muyu smiled, and Chen Kaijie feigned a frown, “Captain Xiao, don’t you trust us after all we’ve been through together?”
Shen Qingqiu glanced at them haughtily, “If I didn’t trust you, I would’ve kicked you out already instead of wasting time here.”
Zuo Tiantian smiled playfully, “Thank you for your trust, Vice-Captain. We’re honored.”
Everyone laughed. Xiao Muyu looked at Shen Qingqiu and her three teammates, feeling a growing warmth.
Despite the hardships, having close friends and trusted companions made her feel happier than in the peaceful world she came from.
During this time, Shen Qingqiu trained the team physically. Although she was a woman, her physical prowess was not underestimated. Even Chen Kaijie couldn’t match her endurance and speed, suspecting she had a military background.
Over six months, Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu led them through intense instance grinding. Despite lower rewards from repeated runs, the team’s overall skills improved significantly.
Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu started taking a backseat, forcing Chen Kaijie and the others to take the lead. This painful but rewarding process prepared them well.
After seven months, Xiao Muyu went to see Shen Shiyi.
“So soon?” Shen Shiyi’s eyes sparkled as he fixed his gaze on her.
Xiao Muyu nodded.
“What about your teammates? Are they all on board?”
“My presence here makes that clear enough.” Xiao Muyu had urgent matters for Shen Shiyi to confirm.
“Information on the 007 S-level instance must be scarce. How much can you provide?” Xiao Muyu asked directly.
Shen Shiyi wasn’t alarmed, only more intrigued. “So, you knew about my information source all along?”
Xiao Muyu paused before replying, “Can I speak frankly now?”
Shen Shiyi was slightly surprised but then smiled mischievously, “What do you think? Why else would I insist on meeting you here?”
“Your initial behavior was suspicious. If you were once a player, your relationship with the system is not much different from ours.
“I don’t believe you have system administrative privileges to access core secrets disrupting game progression.
“But you’ve provided key information. I suspect the system wants to gain my trust through you, correct?”
Shen Shiyi laughed in admiration but quickly sobered, “You’re testing me?”
Xiao Muyu smiled confidently, “Am I wrong?”
“You’re incredibly astute. I’m actually pleased. I don’t have much new information, but this instance is unique. It’s an ancient setting with role-based restrictions and some cards can’t be used. I’ve prepared some gifts that might help.”
He placed a brown paper bag on the table. “This is a sincere gesture. Be mindful of NPCs; they might be crucial.”
Xiao Muyu nodded, not disappointed. She never relied solely on Shen Shiyi for success.
Agreeing to cooperate was a means to gather clues and calm her teammates. His involvement provided some stability.
Leaving with the paper bag, she didn’t check its contents.
Shen Shiyi watched her leave, feeling a mix of emotions. Such a smart person, yet still trapped.
At home, Shen Qingqiu was waiting on the sofa. Seeing Xiao Muyu, she asked, “Any gains?”
In the early summer, Shen Qingqiu was dressed lightly in a black sports bra and shorts, showing off her toned physique.
“It’s only 20 degrees. Isn’t it cold with the wind?” Xiao Muyu averted her eyes, not answering the question.
Shen Qingqiu blinked, looking at her attire and laughing, “How could it be? I’m quite warm.”
Her words carried a hint of innuendo. Xiao Muyu ignored it, handing her the paper bag.
“Information is scarce. Shen Shiyi isn’t as omnipotent as he seems. The next instance is ancient-themed, possibly a multi-team competition with card restrictions. These are his compensations.”
Shen Qingqiu frowned, opening the bag to find five talismans and two A-level acceleration cards, which increased speed by 25% for 30 seconds with a 48-hour cooldown.
“What’s this talisman?” Shen Qingqiu asked curiously, taking it and examining it.
“A substitute talisman, it can withstand a fatal attack from a ghost or demon,” Xiao Muyu explained, glancing at Shen Qingqiu with a half-smile. “This time you won’t sneakily take my talisman, right?”
Shen Qingqiu chuckled, wrapped her arm around her waist, and said seriously, “I’m not stupid. I was ignorant before. If I’m going to take something this time, I’ll take you, not a talisman.”
Xiao Muyu laughed, then softly said, “We’re going into the dungeon tomorrow.”
Shen Qingqiu nodded, then whispered, “Shall we have a bit of a ceremony?”
“What kind of ceremony?” Xiao Muyu asked curiously.
“A wedding night?”
Xiao Muyu gave her an exasperated look. “Be serious. What are you thinking about all day?”
Shen Qingqiu snorted, “Don’t regret it later.”
Xiao Muyu laughed helplessly. She didn’t actually object; she was just troubled by her growing feelings for Shen Qingqiu. The deeper her affection, the more intense her inner sadness became, a feeling she couldn’t dispel. She didn’t want to start something like this with Shen Qingqiu under these circumstances.
Soon, it was time to enter the dungeon. This time, instead of going directly into the dungeon, they found themselves in a room, but the layout had changed.
Upon entering, they saw a huge screen with a chart. Each code had a name beside it, some in gray, some in red, and some in white.
The referee this time was a man wearing a golden mask, revealing only his eyes. He mysteriously gestured for them to sit down.
“I am the referee for this S-rank dungeon. My code name is 005. Welcome to the S-rank dungeon. Please confirm if you want to proceed early. According to the rules, you can rest for another five months.”
005, dressed in a black suit and bow tie, stood over 1.8 meters tall. His refined demeanor and graceful speech set him apart from the previous mechanical referees.
Xiao Muyu noticed the intricate patterns on his golden mask, recognizing them from Letter No. 005, featuring bellflowers.
After 005 finished speaking, Xiao Muyu nodded, “Confirmed.”
“Very well. This time, there are eighty-six teams participating. You are team number fifty-four.”
As 005 finished speaking, their five names appeared in white on the screen next to the number fifty-four.
“This color?” Zuo Tiantian looked at the rows of names, feeling a sudden pressure.
“White means preparing, red means currently progressing, gray means eliminated. Don’t worry,” 005 reassured them, glancing at Xiao Muyu.
“What about those who cleared the dungeon?”
“Green. Good luck. It’s about to start.”
“File loading, load successful, decompressing. Decompression complete, scene loading, load complete!”
“Welcome players Xiao Muyu, Shen Qingqiu, Zuo Tiantian, Su Jin, and Chen Kaijie to S-rank Dungeon No. 007, ‘Happiness.’ Role matching in progress, please wait. Matching complete. Enjoy the game!”
Xiao Muyu heard the familiar system voice amid the ticking sounds. As her consciousness faded, it felt like an elevator suddenly dropping in darkness. After a moment of numbness, she settled down.
“Miss, please wait, we haven’t measured your dress size yet.”
Xiao Muyu abruptly opened her eyes and turned towards the voice, only to have someone bump into her.
Instinctively, she steadied herself and took a step back, reaching out to support the person. Looking down, she saw a young girl with her hair styled in twin buns, dressed in a pink gown, staring at her in shock.
Xiao Muyu was stunned.
Author’s Note: Although the dungeon content is minimal, the chapter title remains ‘Skynet,’ but the story has officially begun.
