[Congratulations to the player for clearing the “Ai Hui Hotel” instance.]
The cheerful voice of System Steward No. 387 rang out in the gray fog space, but Gu Jiu merely lifted her eyelids lazily and glanced at it, her expression indifferent.
[Miss, what’s wrong?] No. 387 asked in confusion. [You cleared the instance; aren’t you happy?]
Gu Jiu replied, “There’s nothing to be happy about… No. 387, I want to ask you something.”
The little metallic orb floated over and landed on her shoulder. [Miss, go ahead and ask. If I can answer, I will!]
Its words carried an unspoken implication: for things it couldn’t disclose, even forcing it wouldn’t work.
It wasn’t that the System Steward was unwilling to help its player clear up doubts, but the system was bound by a contract with the Multiverse Game. Things it wasn’t permitted to reveal were strictly off-limits, and there were even matters the System Steward itself didn’t know. Particularly for lower-level systems like No. 387, which only supported low-tier players. Its strongest player was merely a C-rank, with not even a single B-rank under its wing—proof of how poorly it was doing.
The system’s level also limited its authority.
Gu Jiu asked, “For the Ai Hui Hotel instance, how many players have successfully cleared it so far?”
[So far, none, I think.]
“None?” Gu Jiu asked in confusion. “Why? Didn’t any of the previous players discover the connection between the Lingyuan and the waitress? Also, does the instance remain after a player clears it?”
No. 387 explained, [When a player clears an instance, some instances remain, while others disappear.]
“How so?”
[Take the Ai Hui Hotel as an example. Its existence was tied to the waitress. She was a vengeful ghost, and her unresolved grievances and anger gave rise to the Lingyuan that enveloped the entire hotel. To identify the source of the grudge, players had to get the waitress to admit that the grudge was her doing, allowing her to find peace.]
[Once the waitress found peace, she would reincarnate, and the Ai Hui Hotel would cease to exist.]
[When the instance is removed from the system’s list of selectable worlds, the Multiverse Game will also close the dimensional gateway to the hotel’s world, effectively causing the instance to vanish. In this case, the waitress was the pillar of the instance. Since her presence justified the existence of the Ai Hui Hotel, her departure dissolved the instance.]
[However, in some instances, the pillar isn’t the boss of the game world. Even if the boss is eliminated, as long as the pillar remains, the instance continues to exist. In such cases, the instance persists and evolves into a new form, allowing players to re-enter the world and undertake missions. Instances with such infinite possibilities are typically found in A-level and above game fields, which players will encounter later on.]
The Ai Hui Hotel instance was relatively new, with few players having entered it. As a result, it wasn’t well-known among players, and there was little information or strategy available about it.
Players sent into the Ai Hui Hotel could only rely on themselves to clear the instance; external resources or walkthroughs were useless.
For this reason, the Reincarnation Hall had specifically asked Chai Yingying to enter alongside Zhan Shaohong to protect him.
Gu Jiu reflected, “So, for these lower-tier game field instances I’ve been experiencing, they continue to exist if no one clears them. But once someone clears the instance, it disappears. Is that correct?”
[That’s correct.]
As No. 387 answered, it used the system to probe the remnants of the Ai Hui Hotel’s world. To its astonishment, everything related to the hotel had vanished from its micro-world without a trace.
The program in No. 387’s system began to show signs of irregularity.
Although Gu Jiu and her team had cleared the game instance, traces of the instance’s world usually remained. For instance, the registry book formed by the “Lingyuan,” a rule-condensed artifact more advanced than ordinary items, would typically be reclaimed by the Multiverse Game.
However, this time, it had vanished.
Could it be that the moment the players left, the Multiverse Game sent in a higher-tier system to retrieve it?
As No. 387’s system gradually stabilized, it convinced itself that this must be the case and stopped paying attention. After all, if something unusual occurred in the game world, it would be the system’s responsibility to handle it, not the concern of a low-tier System Steward like itself.
Gu Jiu felt much more at ease. She had worried that even after clearing the instance, once they left, the Ai Hui Hotel world might reset, forcing the waitress to endure the same torment again.
The most innocent character in the Ai Hui Hotel was, in fact, the waitress.
From beginning to end, she had never harmed anyone. The attacks players experienced were orchestrated by the vengeful ghost, leveraging the power of the lingering grudge to kill numerous players. The waitress’s only fault was her inability to suppress the ghostly instincts that occasionally compelled her to lash out at players.
Fortunately, players had access to items like the “Red Thread of Fate” from the game shop, which temporarily calmed malevolent ghosts. The ghost never caused real harm under such circumstances.
Gu Jiu hoped the waitress could escape the confines of the Ai Hui Hotel and be free from suffering after death.
This outcome was ideal.
Feeling lighter, Gu Jiu called on the System Steward to calculate her earned points.
[Player Gu Jiu has earned 5000 points in the “Ai Hui Hotel” instance, meeting the conditions to purchase items from the instance’s shop.]
The following items were available:
- Blood Talisman: Seals a drop of vengeful ghost’s blood, effective against spirits. Each costs 500 points.
- Lingyuan Blade: Capable of slaying vengeful ghosts guilty of heinous deeds. Each costs 1000 points.
- Death Registry: Write a name to check their life and death status. Each costs 1000 points.
- Black Leather Notebook: Allows the user to uncover hidden truths. Each costs 2000 points.
- Ghost Blood Bead: Grants the bearer three instances of protection by a vengeful ghost. Each costs 2500 points.
Gu Jiu found all five items intriguing, especially since they were reasonably priced.
Unfortunately, despite being “affordable,” the total cost exceeded her means as a broke player.
It dawned on her that the 5000 points she had just earned weren’t all that much.
After some consideration, Gu Jiu said, “I’ll take the Lingyuan Blade and the Death Registry.”
She had been tempted by the Ghost Blood Bead, but purchasing it would leave her with too few points. She still needed to buy essential items before entering the next game world, so it was better to save up.
No. 387 acknowledged her decision, placing the two chosen items into her inventory. It added, [Miss, you still have 3700 points remaining. You can buy more items.]
“I won’t,” Gu Jiu replied without even lifting her eyelids. “I don’t need the Blood Talisman, and the Black Leather Notebook is too expensive. It’s not worth it. Besides, items that help uncover truths are bound to have limitations. Relying on them to clear a game is unrealistic. I’d rather find the truth on my own.”
No. 387 was left speechless.
Miss Gu calculated her decisions so thoroughly that there was no room to upsell her on more items.
The Miss was too sharp with her calculations—there was no way to persuade her into buying more items.
The functionality of the “Black Leather Notebook” generated in the game world was indeed as she described: it could uncover limited truths within a small scope. However, when it came to critical information, it was blocked by the rules of the game world. After all, items were created by the same rules, and when they encountered those rules, they could only yield.
Gu Jiu ignored the System Steward’s subtle attempts at persuasion and instructed it to send her to Boundless City.
As soon as she arrived in Boundless City, she saw Lu Ji and Wan Xingzhou walking toward her.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, “You two are quick.”
Wan Xingzhou beamed. “I remember you saying that every time you return from a game world, you show up here in this spot. So, I chose to enter the game world from here. That way, I’d run into you when I came out!”
Coming out of a perilous game world and seeing companions waiting was a joyful moment.
It had been a long time since Wan Xingzhou found reliable partners in a game world. Gu Jiu and Lu Ji were fantastic teammates. The Miss was as dependable as ever, and though Lu Ji didn’t show much, she always stepped up at critical moments.
Having partners really was better.
Lu Ji remained silent. So, this guy had intentionally chosen their appearance spot. No wonder he ran into them right after coming out of the game world.
Though he wasn’t entirely pleased, seeing Wan Xingzhou’s goofy, grinning face—and remembering that he was Gu Jiu’s “little underling in training”—he chose to let it slide.
The three decided to find a restaurant for a meal and some relaxation.
—
While eating, Wan Xingzhou took out the Ghost Blood Bead he had purchased in the game world. “My Six Spirit Resentment Beads were almost used up, but I was lucky to get this Ghost Blood Bead. With three protection effects, it’s basically like gaining three extra lives. Miss, did you get one?”
“No,” Gu Jiu said, sipping her mango milkshake. “Too expensive. Couldn’t afford it.”
Wan Xingzhou: “….” The Miss is… this poor?
Realizing the Miss was surprisingly broke, Wan Xingzhou refrained from teasing her further. But he was certain that Gu Jiu had earned the most points among them, possibly even the highest possible amount for the instance.
After all, her performance was witnessed by all players, so it wasn’t hard to estimate her total points.
Gu Jiu explained, “What can I say? The items are all so expensive. The Multiverse Game sets their prices to drain players of their points. It feels like they won’t stop until you’re completely broke.”
Wan Xingzhou nodded vigorously in agreement. “When you play more game worlds, you’ll eventually accumulate enough points.”
As long as she could resist splurging on other items, she’d save up points eventually.
The real question was whether someone as carefree about money as Gu Jiu could save points in the first place.
Lu Ji also offered his own form of comfort: “Even if you can’t save points, it’s fine. Next time you’re in Boundless City, stay at my place. We’ll live together.”
Though his words seemed casual, inwardly, he was already plotting. Doesn’t this count as cohabitation in a roundabout way? He mentally made a note to buy a house in Boundless City’s 98th Star District. Surely Gu Jiu would move in with him, right?
Wan Xingzhou was green with envy. He couldn’t believe that Lu Ji, at such a young age, already had the capability to buy a house.
But this wasn’t something to envy. Anyone could see that Lu Ji must have accumulated her points by frequently entering game worlds. Only those with nerves of steel—or downright lunatics—could endure repeatedly diving into game worlds during their rest periods. Wan Xingzhou couldn’t handle that level of intensity and would probably snap under the pressure.
Gu Jiu, however, knew exactly how Lu Ji earned her points. She didn’t want her teammate to burn out. “You don’t have to push yourself so hard. Buying a house later is fine. Once we’re all S-rank players, it won’t be too late to buy a house then.”
Wan Xingzhou was stunned by her words.
Lu Ji’s face didn’t change, but internally, he was already dismissing Gu Jiu’s suggestion. Waiting until they became S-rank players? That would take forever. His goal was to move in with her much sooner!
The Miss was indeed the Miss—completely confident that she would eventually become an S-rank powerhouse.
Lu Ji pressed his lips into a smile, clearly enjoying her concern. “It’s fine. I can sell paper artifacts to earn points.”
“Really? You’re going to sell paper artifacts? Then I’ll be your first customer!” Wan Xingzhou immediately chimed in. “But you have to give me a good deal. We’re friends now, and friends don’t rip each other off!”
Lu Ji wanted to retort, Who said we’re friends? But seeing Gu Jiu standing nearby, smiling warmly at them, he reluctantly agreed.