Shen Qingqiu’s eyes were full of concern. “Mu Yu, are you alright?”
Xiao Muyu took a few deep breaths to stop coughing and quickly released her hold. At that moment, Shen Qingqiu was propped up on the ground, lying on top of her, their faces almost touching. The proximity was too much, so Xiao Muyu turned her head away with a cold expression and said, “I’ll be fine as long as you get up.”
Shen Qingqiu paused, then rolled off to lie beside her, joking, “I intended to get up as soon as we got in, to avoid crushing you, but you were holding on too tightly, so I couldn’t move.”
Xiao Muyu’s mouth twitched. She glanced at Shen Qingqiu, her gaze growing colder. “Was it me holding tight, or the rope?”
Shen Qingqiu looked at herself, noting the tight binding around her waist, and blinked innocently.
Xiao Muyu: …
Zuo Tiantian and Su Jin had already gotten up and quickly came over to check on them.
Hearing their conversation, Zuo Tiantian looked embarrassed. “I was in too much of a hurry and tied it too tightly.”
She quickly retracted the red rope.
“Ow,” Chen Kaijie groaned as he sat up, dizzy and wincing from the pain of his hand wound. He quickly surveyed the surroundings, saw the other four were safe, and then grinned. “Everyone okay?”
Su Jin and Zuo Tiantian smiled and nodded in response.
Shen Qingqiu looked at their sweaty faces and bloody hands, her gaze wavering slightly but her expression remaining aloof. “Thank you.”
The three of them were used to her demeanor. “No need to thank us. You and Miss Xiao saved us many times on this journey.”
Zuo Tiantian spoke, her tone earnest. “I’m just here to clear the game,” Shen Qingqiu replied with a slight smile. She was telling the truth; she wouldn’t go out of her way to save them. Surviving was their own luck.
Su Jin, having figured out a bit of Shen Qingqiu’s personality, tugged on Zuo Tiantian’s sleeve, signaling her to drop the topic.
Su Jin then noticed that they had returned to the meeting room. So…
“Did we clear the level?”
“Congratulations to players Chen Kaijie, Xiao Muyu, Shen Qingqiu, Zuo Tiantian, and Su Jin for successfully completing the 002 Collector’s Edition instance ‘Deadly Room’ in 6 hours and 21 minutes, setting a new world record for this instance!”
Before anyone could answer, the system announced the answer for Su Jin.
However, the wording and tone were infuriating.
“Enjoyable? I’d like to see it try. What kind of Collector’s Edition instance is this? It’s ridiculous!” Chen Kaijie muttered irritably.
“Warning: Do not attack the system!”
Facing the warning, Chen Kaijie wisely shut his mouth and played dead.
“As the saying goes, mastering math, physics, and chemistry opens doors everywhere, living as a hero, dying as a legend.”
Everyone: … What does that even mean? How do those two phrases fit together?
“It means that top students are valuable everywhere, even in death. Now, let’s announce the individual ratings for the five players in this instance!”
“Player Xiao Muyu: Rating S, awarded title: Top Student, reward points: 120!”
“Player Shen Qingqiu: Rating S, awarded title: School Bully, reward points: 120!”
“Cough, cough!” Chen Kaijie choked on his own saliva. While their S ratings were well deserved, what was up with those titles?
Top Student made sense for Xiao Muyu, but why was Shen Qingqiu the School Bully?
Su Jin and Zuo Tiantian couldn’t hold back their laughter when they saw Shen Qingqiu’s face darken like the bottom of a pot. Even Xiao Muyu’s mouth twitched into a smile.
“Player Su Jin: Rating A, reward points: 100.”
“Player Zuo Tiantian: Rating A, awarded title: Highlight Moments, reward points: 90. Player Chen Kaijie: Rating A, reward points: 90.”
Zuo Tiantian: …
Chen Kaijie burst out laughing. “That’s true; Tiantian did have many highlight moments.”
Initially, Zuo Tiantian’s mental and physical output was weaker compared to the others, but her tools were used crucially twice: once to tie up Lin Hai, allowing them to escape, and once to save Shen Qingqiu, the School Bully.
And there was her key deduction with the periodic table, which was indeed impressive.
“Why is my rating also A, but I have 100 points? What’s the use of points?” Su Jin was puzzled.
When she asked, everyone suddenly realized a key point: Su Jin was a newcomer.
“Probably because you’re new. A good first performance should be rewarded. When you leave, these points will become your currency. But you were indeed unlucky to be matched with the 002 instance, and a Collector’s Edition at that. Sounds tough,” Chen Kaijie said, increasingly feeling the system was a scam.
Su Jin pondered and then said, “It was tough, but being paired with Miss Xiao and Miss Shen made it manageable.”
Chen Kaijie was taken aback but nodded in agreement.
After the system finished speaking, a beam of white light appeared before them, and the 002 judge stepped out of the light.
Her expression remained stern. “Congratulations on completing this instance. According to the rules, you can draw for a completion reward. S-rated players get an extra draw. Additionally, for setting a new completion record, the group can choose one of the following three rewards: 1. One ‘Happy Family’ card. 2. 100 points. 3. Outside assistance.”
At this, the five were stunned, quickly running through the options in their minds.
Except for the second option, the other two were vague. Especially the first one: what did ‘Happy Family’ mean? With whom were they supposed to be a happy family—ghosts or humans?
“Can I ask what the ‘Happy Family’ card is? And what does outside assistance entail? Who provides the assistance—teammates, the system, or someone else?” Su Jin, as a newcomer, was particularly confused.
“You will receive a description after choosing. You have 30 seconds to decide. If you don’t choose within 30 seconds, it will be considered forfeited! Please choose.”
Chen Kaijie and the others were instantly anxious. If not for fearing the 002 judge, they would have cursed out loud. What a lousy system, being so nasty.
“Miss Shen, Miss Xiao, what are you choosing?”
Options 1 and 3 were unclear, while 2, though not functional, was straightforward in its value. Anyone who had been to the SkyNet world knew the importance of money—hotels costing over a thousand gold coins per night and meals running several hundred. A hundred points were tempting because its value was clear.
“This needs to be your choice. I’ll just remind you that points aren’t just for currency,” Shen Qingqiu said, then decisively declared, “I choose 2.”
With only 18 seconds left, Xiao Muyu pointed to 1. “I choose 1.”
Seeing the two leaders choose, Chen Kaijie hurriedly said, “I also choose 1!”
“I choose 2,” Zuo Tiantian said, having only 35 points left after using up her initial 62.
“I choose 3,” Su Jin said, feeling relaxed. Since it was an extra reward, and the other options were chosen, she might as well see what 3 entailed.
After choosing, each received their items. Option 2 was straightforward, but 1 and 3 needed descriptions.
Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu naturally looked together at their item description.
“Happy Family, rarity: A. Available in all instances but rarely seen. Item description: Happy Family, familiar to everyone as a family group name from decades ago.”
The “Happy Family” item was indeed a communication tool. When used, all team members within one kilometer would receive an invitation to join a group chat, offering them the warm support of their “family.” This way, clearing the game wouldn’t feel as lonely anymore.
To activate it, the team leader had to shout “Happy Family.” The effect would last for 30 minutes and had a cooldown of one hour, with no usage limit.
Xiao Muyu looked serious after reading the description. The activation method was rather embarrassing. Shouting “Happy Family” was not something one would want to do in public.
“It’s a communication tool, then?” Su Jin, who had also read the description from Chen Kaijie’s item, was puzzled. “Does ‘team members’ refer to those who cleared the instance together?”
“Let’s give it a try,” Shen Qingqiu suggested. Since they had already cleared the level, using it now wouldn’t hurt.
Although Shen Qingqiu directed her suggestion at Xiao Muyu, the latter calmly redirected her gaze to Chen Kaijie. She certainly didn’t want to shout “Happy Family” in public.
Chen Kaijie coughed, took out the item, and muttered, “Happy Family.”
Immediately, a display screen appeared in front of him, showing a circular search icon spinning around. It seemed to be searching for team members within one kilometer.
The search quickly ended, and a cold mechanical voice announced, “Sorry, you are a lone wolf. You have no happy family.”
Everyone was speechless.
“Pfft!” Zuo Tiantian and the others couldn’t hold back their laughter.
Chen Kaijie turned red with embarrassment and mumbled, “You’re the lone wolf. I have a wife and kids. How do I not have a happy family?”
This demonstrated that, while they had cleared the instance together, they were not considered part of Chen Kaijie’s team.
The 002 judge clarified, “Team members need to purchase a team-binding item and form a contract to be considered a team. From the A-level onward, there will be mandatory team instances. If you don’t have teammates, the system will randomly assign them.”
The five of them fell silent at this information. Teaming up wasn’t unexpected—individual capabilities were limited.
However, the strength of a team came with a risk. If a teammate encountered problems, it would drag everyone down, significantly increasing the game’s difficulty.
Xiao Muyu broke the silence, asking Su Jin, “What does your item do?”
“Outside Assistance. It allows you to request aid from anyone not nearby whose name you know, or a non-human entity, for two minutes.”
“That’s incredible!” Chen Kaijie said, a bit regretfully. Any non-human entity meant it was a trump card.
Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu were also surprised. They hadn’t chosen it because neither had considered they could call for help, nor did they want to rely on anyone. But if non-human entities were included, it was indeed a powerful item.
“But there’s a catch: the target must agree to help, and it can only be used three times.”
Su Jin smiled wryly. It sounded good in theory. She could theoretically summon a judge, but why would a ghost agree to help? Even humans might not respond.
“Well, in that case, it’s a bit situational. I’d be willing, but I might not be much help,” Chen Kaijie said sincerely. He was willing to help Su Jin after going through these games together.
Xiao Muyu glanced at Su Jin and said coolly, “If you need it, I can help too.”
Su Jin’s eyes lit up. “Thank you both. I’m already very grateful that you’re willing to help.”
Zuo Tiantian raised her hand. “I’m not very strong, but I’m willing too. I can be a backup.”
Su Jin couldn’t help but laugh.
Seeing everyone but Shen Qingqiu offering help, Shen Qingqiu finally spoke, her tone indifferent. “I don’t want to be too involved with others. In this world, trustworthy people are rare. You’ve been lucky this first instance, but in the future, your companions might be more dangerous than the ghosts. Outside assistance might not always be a good thing.”
Su Jin, a clear-minded person, understood. Shen Qingqiu’s words, though blunt, were sincere.
“I know. Thank you, Miss Shen.”
Just as they thought it was over, Shen Qingqiu turned to Xiao Muyu and smiled. “But since Muyu agreed, I’ll follow suit. If you need me, I can help too.”
Xiao Muyu was momentarily taken aback and looked away.
Su Jin felt deeply moved and bowed to the four of them. “Thank you.”
For her first instance, Su Jin had been anxious. She had resigned herself to fate and hadn’t expected to rely on anyone. However, she met Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu, who saved her from the start, as well as Chen Kaijie and Zuo Tiantian. Despite experiencing unimaginable fear and despair in these few hours, she also gained invaluable experiences and met these people. It was more than enough.
Author’s Note:
The items in this instance are meant for comedy. Congratulations to school bully Xiao Shen.
Shen Qingqiu: Call me a school bully again, and I’ll cut you!
Author: Do you know that Xiao Xiao is a top student? Historically, the pairing of top students and school bullies has been well-received. Do you really not want this?
Shen Qingqiu: Really?
Author: Really.
Shen Qingqiu: Being a school bully isn’t so bad. They’re like bosses, after all.
Running low on drafts, and work leaves little time for writing. It’s tough.
