When the countdown reached zero, Xiao Muyu found herself in a room.
The room was simply furnished. In front of her was a table, and sitting behind it was Judge No. 1, who had recently taken Lao Liao away.
The person behind the table appeared to be a girl of eight or nine, yet her demeanor was mature beyond her years.
“Welcome to the completion of Dungeon 001. According to the rules, upon clearing the game, you get a chance to draw a prize. Additionally, since your points this round far exceeded the required threshold, and you cleared the level with an S-rank, there’s an extra reward for you. Exciting, isn’t it?”
The little girl blinked her big eyes, smiling so sweetly that dimples appeared, making her quite endearing.
Unfortunately, her current identity prevented Xiao Muyu from feeling any fondness. She responded politely, “Exciting,” though it was clearly perfunctory.
The girl wasn’t angered; instead, her eyes sparkled even more. “You’re quite interesting, surely very likable. Let’s begin.”
With that, the girl made a gesture in the air, and a card appeared before Xiao Muyu, resembling a scratch-off ticket, with a button for drawing a prize.
Though it seemed absurd and ridiculous, Xiao Muyu still reached out and pressed it. The card spun rapidly and then stopped in front of her.
Seeing the four characters on the card, Xiao Muyu’s calm expression started to crack.
Although she knew nothing about the prize contents, she hadn’t expected it to be a common occurrence in real life—awkward and frustrating.
“Thank you for participating!”
The girl exclaimed in surprise, staring at Xiao Muyu for a long moment before bursting into laughter.
Finally, she said somewhat mischievously, “I’ve hosted thousands of players who’ve cleared the game. This is only the second time I’ve seen a ‘Thank you for participating’ card. So, is your luck good or just extremely bad?”
Xiao Muyu looked at the “Thank you for participating” card in her hand, speechless. Since clearing the game was supposed to come with a useful reward, this card meant she got nothing. Such luck, indeed.
She wondered who the first unlucky person was.
“What’s the extra reward?”
After speaking, she saw Judge No. 1 hand her another card. She hesitated. “This one won’t also say ‘Thank you for participating,’ right?”
Judge No. 1 shook her head and laughed. “The extra reward is directly related to the dungeon. You can draw it without worry.”
Xiao Muyu had no other choice.
At the same time, in a different space, Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu simultaneously flipped their cards.
Three seconds later, both had identical expressions of distaste and bemusement.
The two identical-looking judges across from them wore the same smile and asked, “Not satisfied?”
Xiao Muyu quickly composed herself. “No, just surprised.”
Item acquired: Human Skin Mask Rarity: S;
Acquisition method: Very low probability of obtaining after clearing Human Skin Manor.
Item description: A human skin mask—don’t overthink it. It’s a mask made from human skin, with perfect fit and softness.
A face falls from the sky, would you take it? Of course, if you value appearances. Using the human skin mask allows you to replicate any face (or not necessarily a human one) and become that person for half an hour, ensuring even their own mother wouldn’t recognize the difference.
Note: The item has a usage limit of three times. Use wisely and explore thoroughly.
Xiao Muyu couldn’t refuse such an item, despite its unsettling description. Wearing human skin on her face was indeed challenging her limits.
But if it’s not limited to humans, could she disguise herself as a ghost in future dungeons?
Unfortunately, it could only be used three times. Though a bit disgusting, in critical moments, she wouldn’t hesitate to use it.
“Alright, it’s your first time clearing a dungeon. You must be tired. You have a day to rest, and you can explore the SkyNet World.
Oh, I forgot to tell you, points can be exchanged for SkyNet World currency. One point equals one hundred gold coins. You can buy things to prepare for future needs.” After saying this, Judge No. 1 waved her hand.
Xiao Muyu was blinded by a flash of white light. When she reopened her eyes, she found herself on a bustling street.
The lively scene, with people and vehicles moving about, gave Xiao Muyu a sense of disorientation, as if she had returned from another world.
No one on the street seemed to notice her sudden appearance. Shops and vendors were busy with their trades.
Xiao Muyu frowned slightly, feeling hungry.
In this so-called SkyNet World, Xiao Muyu discovered the exorbitant prices. A bowl of noodles cost sixty gold coins, and a proper meal might consume one or two hundred gold coins.
Yet, there were stranger things. When Xiao Muyu stood at the entrance of a small street, she noticed that it was entirely different from the bustling main street. The shops along this street sold various ghost-catching artifacts.
There were trigrams, protective charms, various miscellaneous talismans, peachwood swords, copper coin swords, and even black dog blood, all arranged in an array.
As soon as Xiao Muyu entered, a vendor eagerly approached her.
“Miss, is this your first time here? You look unfamiliar. Are you entering a supernatural dungeon? I have all kinds of ghost-catching tools here to ensure you turn misfortune into fortune! This talisman was personally drawn by Master Zhang; ghosts of grade A and below won’t dare come near… only twenty thousand gold coins.”
Xiao Muyu’s steps suddenly halted, and the vendor, thinking he had a potential sale, was overjoyed. However, Xiao Muyu calmly said, “You know it’s my first time here, so where does your confidence come from, believing I have twenty thousand gold coins?”
The man was momentarily stunned but quickly responded, “New customers get a 70% discount, only six thousand gold coins. You won’t find a better price anywhere on this street!”
Xiao Muyu chuckled, “You’re quite shrewd. Looks like you know very well that clearing with 60 points gives you an understanding of my situation.”
The man’s smile turned a bit awkward. He stepped back and adopted a more respectful demeanor, “Please, feel free to browse.”
After saying this, he bowed and went to attend to other customers. Along the way, Xiao Muyu saw many people browsing the shops.
Some people were excitedly purchasing items, while others, with a look of financial distress, reluctantly chose something else. The street was bustling with business.
Moreover, it wasn’t just shops selling Taoist items; there were also several stores selling crosses, silverware, and statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Xiao Muyu shook her head and prepared to leave.
“Aren’t you planning to buy anything?” a stranger’s voice came from beside her. Xiao Muyu turned to see a young man.
He was over six feet tall, dressed in a black suit with a bow tie, a typical British gentleman’s attire.
He had handsome, well-defined features and deep, captivating brown eyes. At the moment, he was looking at Xiao Muyu with a curious interest.
Xiao Muyu didn’t respond, so the man continued, “Players who come here are usually chosen for supernatural dungeons. For newcomers, the items here represent safety, even a lifeline.”
“Only for newcomers, I suppose,” Xiao Muyu finally replied.
The man was slightly surprised, “You mean these are all fake?”
“Maybe not all, but nine out of ten are. If Jesus and the Virgin Mary could save people, wouldn’t some dungeons come with built-in protection?”
It’s like browsing a flea market; you get a mix of genuine and fake items. A novice who knows nothing is easy prey for a scam.
Besides, if these items were truly useful, how much of a threat would the dungeon pose?
“Solely relying on one-time sales isn’t sustainable. They do take advantage of newcomers, but there are genuine good items too. You need both money and a discerning eye.”
After saying this, he picked out a worn triangular talisman from a pile and paid the vendor 400 gold coins without hesitation.
“Here, the most common protective charm. While it may not truly protect you, it can serve as a warning.” He handed it to Xiao Muyu.
Xiao Muyu didn’t take it. “We’ve only just met; I don’t deserve this.” She nodded and prepared to leave.
The man laughed warmly, “Don’t misunderstand, Miss. I just felt an immediate connection with you in this bustling street. My instinct tells me we should be friends.
SkyNet may be vast, but sometimes it’s small. We might meet again, so consider this a gift for our first meeting.”
Though it was clearly a pickup attempt, his demeanor was polite and respectful, neither pushy nor overly familiar, so Xiao Muyu didn’t feel offended.
She looked at him for a moment, then reached out and took the talisman. Whether his words were true or false, this was more beneficial than not for Xiao Muyu. Anything useful that she could bring into the dungeon would be an important reference.
“One shouldn’t accept a gift without giving something in return. I’ll pay you.” Her expression indicated her determination.
“It seems you trust me,” the man smiled, then gracefully accepted the gold coins Xiao Muyu handed him.
“May I boldly ask for your name? I am Shen Shiyi.”
Using one’s real name in this place wasn’t necessarily wise, and Shen Shiyi didn’t suit the man’s appearance at all, so Xiao Muyu replied, “If we meet again, we can discuss it then; otherwise, it’s meaningless.”
Shen Shiyi watched her leave. Amidst the noisy crowd and the bustling street, she stood alone, undisturbed, quietly leaving in the chaos.
Shen Shiyi smiled slightly. Moments later, a man approached respectfully, “Master Eleven, the banquet is about to start.”
“Let’s go, time to get ready.” He wiped the smile from his face and left.
Xiao Muyu’s mind was filled with questions. A person in formal attire shouldn’t be in this place. Rather than spotting her on the street, it was more likely he saw her on the street.
But why? What was so interesting about a small-time programmer who died tragically and ended up in a supernatural world?
Unable to answer, she pushed the thought aside and checked her remaining points—121, equivalent to 12,100 gold coins.
She discovered that every item in this world came with a description, indicating whether it could be brought into the dungeon or not, saving her the trouble of guessing. She recalled Chen Dong and Chen Xi saying something when they tried to rob her.
“This woman is strange. How could she bring this stuff in?”
Entering this world, she did manage to bring her bag, suggesting that items from the real world couldn’t be brought in normally.
This odd notion stuck in her mind, but she still had no answers. She knew too little.
Though points were precious, Xiao Muyu wasn’t too stingy. She bought two sets of clothes, considering the high wear and tear in the dungeon.
Most defensive items couldn’t be brought in, and those that could were exorbitantly priced, beyond her means. However, talismans could be brought in, so she realized the world’s rules required gradual understanding.
Inexplicably, she thought of Shen Qingqiu. The dagger in her hand seemed to be extraordinary. Without it, they would all be dead.
