After their discussion about the items they received, the 002 NPC finally intervened. “Alright, now it’s time for each of you to draw your rewards and follow me,” she said.
The five of them exchanged glances. Chen Kaijie sighed, “Although this instance was more dangerous than the previous ones, I’m glad I went through it with you all. I hope you all stay safe and succeed in the upcoming instances.”
“Thank you, take care!”
“Take care.”
“And thank you both,” the three of them said, addressing Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu. The two women, one indifferent and the other calm, both nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Previously, when 002 mentioned future team instances, they had considered teaming up with Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu. However, both women had strong personalities, and despite their help, it was clear they didn’t want to get too involved. Chen Kaijie understood that they wouldn’t agree to team up, at least not now.
Chen Kaijie didn’t mention it, and Su Jin, being perceptive, also refrained from asking. As a newcomer, she felt she wouldn’t be much help to them. Zuo Tiantian felt even more embarrassed to ask. The three of them were rather accepting of the situation.
Before leaving, Chen Kaijie and Zuo Tiantian generously shared their addresses, then departed.
Shen Qingqiu was surprised by their openness but felt at ease. For now, she only wanted to team up with a certain someone.
Seeing Xiao Muyu about to leave, Shen Qingqiu quickly asked, “Where do you live? I’ll come find you.”
Xiao Muyu glanced at her and replied coolly, “There’s no need. I don’t have a fixed address.”
Shen Qingqiu hit a wall, as expected, but it still stung.
“I know what you’re worried about. Considering we went through two instances together, and for the sake of this,” she pointed to the scar on her chest, “could you give me a chance to talk?”
Shen Qingqiu, usually proud and never one to seek favors, felt it was a first. She pointed to her heart, indicating the wound, asking Xiao Muyu.
Xiao Muyu frowned, staring at the wound. The discomfort she felt wasn’t due to Shen Qingqiu’s request, but something else entirely… She pursed her lips.
Seeing her relent, Shen Qingqiu sighed in relief. As 002 led her away, she called out loudly, “I’m at the Abyss Hotel in the Huangquan District of the Tianwang World. Clean yourself up and wait for me!”
Xiao Muyu twitched at her words. Even the usually stoic 002 couldn’t help but avert her eyes. “You two are quite… bold.”
The subtle displeasure Xiao Muyu felt was swept away by Shen Qingqiu’s comment. This woman’s flirtation was effortless.
She hadn’t paid much attention to the Tianwang World map. What was the Huangquan District Abyss Hotel? Did they think players weren’t already stimulated enough in the instances?
Back in her private room, Xiao Muyu felt dazed. The tight schedule of the instance, with barely half an hour’s rest between six rounds of games, was exhausting both mentally and physically. Though it was only eight hours, it felt like eight days.
“It was tough, wasn’t it? But you earned an S-rank rating, which is impressive. It seems your luck is still with you.”
002, more animated than the system, resembled a human in behavior, despite her expressionless face.
Xiao Muyu wasn’t polite to her. While 002 hadn’t done anything to her directly, Xiao Muyu still harbored no fondness for her.
“Surviving in such a brutal game takes more than a bit of luck.”
There were others—Lin Hai, who was unpleasant, Ni De, who seemed honest, Zhang Qiang, who was silent, and Wang Yushan, who was timid but tried hard. They were all real people, yet in this hellish place, they were at the mercy of ghosts.
002 remained unruffled, her voice calm. “You’re right, but the lottery still relies on luck. Please go ahead.”
Facing the familiar interface, Xiao Muyu took a deep breath. The “Thank You for Playing” message had nearly given her a complex.
She pressed the button, and a card appeared before her, reading, “Extinguished Lamp.”
Extinguished Lamp, rarity: $, has an extremely low chance of being obtained in the premium version of the Deadly Room number.
Item Description: What are you thinking? What use could an extinguished lamp possibly have?
Xiao Muyu: …
That’s it? Xiao Muyu was incredulous.
She prided herself on being composed, but the abrupt end of the item description made her want to curse. Was the system serious? This item was worse than a “Thank You for Playing”—at least that was straightforward, unlike this sarcastic “extinguished lamp.”
Moreover, the S with an extra line—was it meant to be a dollar sign? Or was it a fake S-rank?
Xiao Muyu’s expression was complicated as she held up the card. “What is this supposed to be?”
002 glanced at it, shook her head, her expression a bit enigmatic. “I only handle the lottery; I don’t explain the prizes. According to the rules, you have one more chance to draw.”
Knowing she couldn’t change anything, Xiao Muyu put the card away, took a deep breath, and steadied her hand for another draw. Her luck seemed extraordinarily bad.
The second card was finally normal, though not of high rarity. It was the most practical item she had seen so far.
Rhino Horn, rarity: B-rank, can be dropped with a certain probability in various instances.
Item Description: Ancient texts say that rhino horn cannot be burned. When burned, it produces a unique fragrance that allows humans to communicate with ghosts.
Xiao Muyu had always harbored a curiosity. In her understanding, the terror of ghosts stemmed not only from their bizarre and supernatural appearances, which defied logic, but also from their unsettling forms. The most crucial factor, however, was the sense of helplessness they induced.
Humans couldn’t contend with ghosts. Mortals couldn’t fight ghosts, and in many cases, they couldn’t even see where the ghosts were.
In the face of such helplessness, fear multiplied. In the previous two instances, no matter how complex they were, there was one common factor: the ghosts could be fought against.
Some couldn’t be killed, some felt no pain, but all could be stopped, and their actions could be seen.
The appearance of the rhino horn gave her a new hypothesis: the ghosts in future instances might align more closely with her previous understanding.
“You mentioned earlier that there will be team instances. How do we choose teammates to clear these team instances?” Xiao Muyu asked. She wasn’t entirely sure why, but she always felt a reluctance to team up with others, fearing entanglements.
However, judging from this instance, teammates were indeed crucial. No matter how powerful one person was, their abilities were limited, and so were their items. If it weren’t for Zuo Tiantian’s red string, Shen Qingqiu might have… and if she hadn’t met Shen Qingqiu, she herself might not have survived.
Despite her reluctance, reason told Xiao Muyu she needed to prepare in advance, at least to understand the process.
002 responded promptly, “Most players in Tianwang World are aware of this. If you don’t want to be randomly assigned teammates, there are generally two options for forming a team:
- Teaming up with players you meet in the instance.
- Recruiting teammates through the Tianwang World player forum. However, for either option, you need a team card for binding, so you can enter an instance together.”
“Do team cards have to be obtained in an instance?” Xiao Muyu frowned.
“Team binding items drop randomly in instances, but the probability is low. There is another way: purchasing them at the trading center in the main city of Tianwang World. However, the price is steep, costing 10,000 gold coins to bind one person. Some other items can also bind teammates, or even form contracts, but they are rare and not always available.”
10,000 gold coins? That meant 100 points. Xiao Muyu thought of the Chen brothers and the young couple who died on the first day.
Both pairs entered the instance together. Since the Chen brothers weren’t in the first round, they must have been bound together. The young couple probably got pulled in simultaneously on their first instance together.
“If a contract or team binding is successful, are the teammates bound in subsequent instances, even if they aren’t team instances?”
“Yes, for team instances, completing the team tasks allows everyone to clear the instance, and the rating is based on the team’s performance. For non-team instances, each person completes their tasks and receives individual ratings.”
Xiao Muyu realized that teaming up was definitely better than going solo. You never knew what kind of players you’d be matched with. If they were like the Chen brothers, you might not even know how you died.
“Can teammates be unbound?”
“Yes, during team formation, one person can be chosen as the team leader, who has the authority to remove teammates.”
After some thought, Xiao Muyu nodded. “Thank you. I have one last question. What is the average elimination rate for B-level instances?”
She felt that the difficulty of these two instances was too high for newcomers. If B-level instances were this tough, what would the difficulty of A-level, S-level, and SSS-level instances be like? Could they even be cleared?
002’s expression became serious. “The difficulty of the same level can vary between different scripts, depending on the players’ skill levels, though the differences aren’t huge. The average elimination rate for B-level instances is around 50%, but some instances see rates as high as 70% due to player mistakes.”
Xiao Muyu fell silent. 002 assumed she found it too cruel and added, “Resurrection itself requires a price. If one lacks the skill or courage, early elimination can be a relief.”
Xiao Muyu nodded. Her silence stemmed from realizing that players like Shen Qingqiu were rare. She herself performed well, but in two instances, the elimination rate was nearly 60%, much higher than average.
“Alright, it’s about time. The next instance should be in two days. You can rest for now,” 002 said, gesturing for her to leave. Xiao Muyu disappeared from her sight.
002 sighed, sat down, and after a moment of thought, looked up at the void, hesitantly asking, “This is just a B-level instance, yet it’s so difficult. Should we consider adjusting it?”
On the other side, Xiao Muyu found herself back where she entered the instance.
She reappeared without drawing much attention, just like the first time. The bustling Skynet World seemed unaffected, with people going about their business, some rushing alone, others in groups, resembling the real world.
But as she passed by people on the street, she noticed those who seemed out of place in this lively setting.
On their faces, Xiao Muyu saw expressions far from happiness—some were heavy and indifferent, some numb, others anxious.
As she observed them, they too would glance up and meet her eyes, their looks plainly conveying that they were players.
Players were easy to distinguish in Syknet World. They were always on edge, never finding peace, knowing that every day could be their last. Death and fear hung over them like the Sword of Damocles. It was hard to imagine how many could remain sane under such circumstances.
Xiao Muyu looked at the sky of Synet World, clearer and bluer than in reality, without a trace of clouds, but her eyes grew heavier with thought.
After a moment of reflection, Xiao Muyu smiled wryly. What was there to sigh about? The illusion in 002’s instance had clearly reminded her that her so-called reality was also shrouded in clouds.
At that moment, she noticed a mobile phone store. After a brief consideration, she walked in.
When she emerged again, Xiao Muyu had a new phone in her hand. The models and brands in Tianwang World were almost identical to those in her world, but the prices were exorbitant. Phones had become luxury items here.
She had earned a total of 225 points. Before this, she had already spent 3,500 gold coins on food, hotel stays, and some clothes. The phone, along with the service plan, cost her 6,000 gold coins, leaving her with just 130 points.
If she wanted to bind a teammate, it meant she only had 30 points left to spend. It was truly challenging.
Suddenly, she remembered Shen Qingqiu mentioning that points could be used as gold coins. She thought for a moment, then opened the browser on her new phone and searched for the player forum 002 had mentioned.
It required registration and login, with the page using facial recognition. When Xiao Muyu scanned her face, the screen displayed: “Detected as Tianwang World Player No. 52348526, Xiao Muyu.”
Identity verification successful. Before entering the player forum, please register.
Author’s Note:
Teaming up is necessary, but for now, they won’t be choosing their teammates. Xiao Shen and Xiao Xiao’s personalities mean they aren’t ready to make that choice yet.
As for the CP fans, haha, even though I won’t write about Mo or Yan, you understand the significance of the surname Su.
Xiao Xiao got played by the system again, haha. I just love creating all sorts of strange things to tease them. Hehe.
![The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image_2021-09-11_143139.png "The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao")
