Cheng Tingyu gathered the body of the client's aunt, placed it into the sealing box, and took the opportunity to ponder his new abilities.
She had always been able to see detailed descriptions of many items, yet such behavior did not overly deplete Cheng Tingyu's stamina.
In contrast, the appraisal of the [Tail-Biting Key] just now caused her stamina to instantly drop by one-third.
Cheng Tingyu had some simple guesses about this—whether it was the [Tail-Biting Key] or Wei Heng himself, both possessed formidable power. Moreover, before the appraisal, she had made certain assumptions about both.
In Wei Heng's bedroom, there was a dressing mirror, and Cheng Tingyu saw his own reflection in it—
[Name: Cheng Tingyu]
[Ability: [Secret Eye****]]
[Status: [*Tending towards stability*]]
Cooling Period: 0
[Special Status: [Extreme Cold Sensation], [No Turning Back], [Mild Frostbite]]
[Life Points (Danger): 64/100]
[Stamina (Fatigue): 31/100]
The back door Wei Xusheng mentioned was right next to the bedroom. Although entering and exiting the room would inevitably violate the restriction of [no turning back], Cheng Tingyu's remaining life value was more than enough to withstand these losses. Moreover, ever since Wei Heng's corpse had been put away, the chill in the house had also begun to diminish.
Cheng Tingyu, carrying two sealed boxes, quickly walked out of the residence.
The moment she left the instance, lines of text that only she could see flashed before her eyes again—
[Congratulations to the player for clearing the dungeon. You have received the homeowner's legacy: [Chewing Coffee Candy] ×1, [Black Keychain] ×1.]
[Congratulations to the player for clearing the dungeon, you have obtained the remnant [Wei Heng's Gratitude].]
Wei Xusheng had been waiting outside his aunt's residence.
After understanding the true level of danger in the copy, he called both the Security Bureau and the Inspectorate. However, as a resident of the central district, Wei Xuguang also knew that his actions would be futile—Cheng Tingyu was not a local of F0631 City, did not have a formal residence permit, and could not enjoy citizen benefits, including emergency rescue.
——Of course, the Security Bureau will still come over, because the previous client who went in was a local player. He died inside the instance, which might cause the instance to mutate. They need to determine the level of danger as soon as possible before deciding whether to hand the case over to the Inspection Team.
However, when he called the inspection team, they additionally asked, "Is it the new flesh-type player in town?" After confirming, they gave Wei Xusheng a very puzzling response, "You probably don't need to hurry."
Wei Xusheng was puzzled. Why shouldn't he be in a hurry?
He had just contacted his sister and learned that the player who took the mission from her was a resident of the central district. It was said that this individual was extremely powerful, and it was purely because of a good relationship with Wei Xujiu, and the fact that he already had business in the outer district, that he took on this mission along the way.
And on the forum, there was a tag for Cheng Tingyu that matched the forum's name, "nameless," which in context could be translated as "nobody."
——An old user from a familiar forum once told him that, in order to protect players' privacy, the forum wouldn't describe someone's skill level in too much detail, unless the person was really bad to a certain extent.
The veteran players are obviously more skilled compared to the unknown newcomers.
Wei Xusheng hadn't studied much about those players with special powers, but he was well aware that after ordinary people awakened, they would eventually receive a unique name representing their abilities.
Players without names are merely newcomers who have just stepped into that vast extraordinary world.
"Hello."
Just as Wei Xusheng was completely lost in thought, a familiar voice sounded above his head.
Wei Xusheng suddenly lifted his head and was surprised to see Cheng Tingyu, whom he had just parted with not long ago.
She was alone, yet she carried two sealed boxes with her.
Cheng Tingyu smiled, "Because there was more than one corpse in the room, I brought them all out." He paused and added, "One of them didn't match the gender of the target we were commissioned to find, so I didn't bring the whole thing."
The other person spoke nonchalantly, as if bringing Wei Heng and another player's corpse out was just a trivial matter.
Wei Xusheng stared blankly, "How did you do that?"
Cheng Tingyu blinked lightly: "Enter the door, go to the study to get the key, go to the bedroom to get the body, leave through the back door—your information is very reliable." Nodding slightly towards the client, he put down the two boxes in his hands, "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"..."
Wei Xusheng, who gasped in shock, did not particularly believe Cheng Tingyu's words.
Although he wasn't a player, he wasn't lacking in common sense.
If the copy were really that simple, the people who accepted the commission before wouldn't have ended up dead on the spot.
Wei Xusheng thought that his aunt's residence must be hiding unknown dangers, and the person in front of him had easily resolved those issues.
The boss truly lives up to his reputation. Not only is his strength unfathomable, but his considerate nature means he doesn't blame them for not providing accurate information.
——At this moment, Wei Xusheng had completely forgotten the "newcomer" label he had mentally attached to Cheng Tingyu when they first met..
Cheng Tingyu smiled.
She roughly guessed the client's thoughts, but it was difficult to explain it to them in detail.
If the players who accepted the mission strictly followed Wei Xusheng's strategy, clearing the dungeon wouldn't be difficult. However, once the client entered, they would definitely check the corpse in the hallway. The trap placed in the pocket of the corpse was the greatest danger in the entire dungeon.
Cheng Tingyu opened the lid of the sealed box: "Before we conclude the commission, you can check it first."
Taking advantage of the act of opening the box, she made one last assessment.
——After leaving the instance, Cheng Tingyu's various conditions slightly improved. Even if he expended another third of his stamina, he wouldn't completely lose the ability to move.
Accompanied by the stinging pain in his right eye, lines of text information appeared.
The remains of Wei Heng:
True Name: Domain · Freezing Warehouse
Level: [No Light];
Status: Undergoing mutation;
Note: Seemed to belong to a certain organization during their lifetime.
The last sentence quickly changed under Cheng Tingyu's gaze—
[Detected the presence of [Wei Heng's gratitude], information corrected—
Note: Previously affiliated with "Dangerous Mask."
Cheng Tingyu's gaze slightly sharpened.
"What is the 'Dangerous Mask'? And Wei Heng is actually a domain-type player?"
Cheng Tingyu pushed aside his thoughts, smiled, and said to Wei Xusheng, "By the way, what is your aunt's ability again?"
Wei Xusheng nodded: "It's [Disaster Insect: Xiaoxue]. Aunt can release cold, which is a very suitable ability to use in the summer."
As he spoke, he suddenly noticed that Cheng Tingyu's face was somewhat pale.
The other party must have exhausted too much stamina in the dungeon, leading to a lack of energy.
Wei Xusheng thought, Cheng Tingyu is so formidable and dedicated. If anyone he knew needed to hire a player, he would definitely give his wholehearted recommendation.
After waiting for twenty minutes, the security bureau personnel finally arrived. They took possession of the sealed box and offered the two a free ride—since there had been a fatality in the dungeon, both Wei Xusheng and Cheng Tingyu had to go to the bureau to explain the situation.
Unlike the Inspectorate, the Security Bureau did not have pendants that could verify the truth. After inquiring about Cheng Tingyu's experiences in the copy, they directly released the two of them. To be cautious, Cheng Tingyu chose to tell selective truths.
After stepping out of the Public Security Bureau's main entrance, Cheng Tingyu bid farewell to the client. Just before parting, she smiled and said, "The Public Security Bureau feels quite different from the Inspectorate."
Wei Xusheng understood: "Residents of F0631 City sometimes make a joke—'For the Security Bureau, they only need to do two things when facing a copy. The first is to think the copy is dangerous and then hand the task over to the Inspection Team; the second is to think the copy is not dangerous and choose not to handle it.'"
Hearing Wei Xusheng's words, Cheng Tingyu quickly understood the role of the Security Bureau.
No wonder they just recorded it and let him go. They probably decided to pass the burden to the inspection team.
Cheng Tingyu returned to the hotel; she now urgently needed to find a quieter place to meditate.
After clearing the level, Cheng Tingyu vaguely felt that the power lurking in his right eye had become restless, teetering on the brink of transformation.
——She had a premonition that she was about to see the full picture of the spiritual world described in the post.
Cheng Tingyu obtained two items in the recent quest, one of which was a [Black Key Ring], designed to counteract the power of the black key found in the corridor.
Another one was called [Chewable Coffee Candy], and its description was not long, consisting of only one line: "Can maintain mental alertness and calmness."
Cheng Tingyu smiled slightly and murmured to himself, "Mental calmness..."
I had seen on a forum post before that when players first enter the spiritual world, it is very easy for them to suffer a shock. If the situation is severe, it can greatly reduce their sanity value, plunging them into a madness filled with delirious ravings.
The difficulty of the instance wasn't high, and the items obtained shouldn't be too rare. Cheng Tingyu used the item names as keywords to search on the forum and quickly found the information he needed.
"Many props have good auxiliary effects, such as [Chewable Coffee Candy], which can help players improve their memory. It plays a crucial role in some memory-required instances, and if taken before entering the mental world, it can also help stabilize one's state..."
Cheng Tingyu knew that he was a "Secret Eye" type player, which meant that, comparatively, he was more likely to see things he shouldn't. Before entering the mental world for the first time, it was safer to make more preparations.
She swallowed the coffee candy, ready to lie down on the bed and start meditating, but suddenly felt that something was off.
Cheng Tingyu felt that he seemed to have overlooked something.
She extended her index finger and gently tapped her temple repeatedly, suddenly seeming to have an epiphany.
After clearing the level, Cheng Tingyu would inevitably find time to study the function of the items. However, after leaving the Cold Shelter level, she successively examined the [Cheap and Good Quality Backpack], the [Exemption Entry and Exit Permit], and the [Old Pen from the Cold Shelter], but she alone overlooked the [Belongings of the Unknown Resident].
It wasn't until he used the [chewable coffee candy] to enhance his mental state and memory that the shadow of that item quietly emerged from the corners of Cheng Tingyu's memory.
At this moment, upon looking again, the name of the prop had changed from [Belongings of a Strange Tenant] to [An Ornament with No Presence].
Cheng Tingyu: "..."
She genuinely believed that the new name was the most accurate description of the essence of the prop.