A dungeon that has been thoroughly analyzed and will not be affected by the butterfly effect presents a crisis that can be easily overcome.
This particular dungeon is notoriously challenging. At its entrance stands the legendary devil, known for toying with people's hearts. The hellhound Xiren guarding the door is merely the first obstacle, designed to weed out the weak.
As players progress deeper, they encounter increasingly powerful bosses. Typically, only those of gold rank can reach the innermost sanctum, the castle of the legendary devil, Eugene. Here, he offers a game: win, and you'll be richly rewarded; lose, and your soul is forfeit.
If the challenge were as straightforward as it seems, players, with their immortality and sheer numbers, could easily overwhelm the dungeon. However, the devil cheats. Each time a large group of players attempts to breach a level, after many have perished, dozens or even hundreds manage to reach the castle, only to die once the devil's game begins.
After the deaths of hundreds of thousands of players, the conclusion was drawn: the boss was cheating. This revelation led players to attempt to destroy the dungeon and report it to the federal government. Yet, due to its remote location and the legendary status of the devil, the Sun Federation has never intervened.
As long as the dungeon exists, a steady stream of players will try their luck. Over time, a determined player finally succeeded in winning the devil's game. Surprisingly, they discovered that the devil was bound by rules: as long as players made no mistakes, he would indeed grant their wishes.
Three days later, this enigmatic dungeon vanished, creating dozens of genuine millionaires due to the high-value rewards it offered.
Upon hearing about this dungeon, Bai Yi's expression shifted to one of sympathy as he grasped the true nature of the crisis. Human nature is unpredictable; the game is rife with malevolence. A single misstep could activate the hellish rules, claiming the souls of the unfortunate players—or offering them a tempting wager beforehand.
Interestingly, the first player to succeed had no knowledge of this wager. Only after their victory was the existence of a bet revealed. Additionally, some individuals are randomly selected and pulled into the dungeon, and if all goes as planned, more will be chosen in the coming days.
The devil's creation of this seemingly authentic dungeon is also intriguing. The abyss signifies chaos, while hell embodies evil—these two realms represent the original planes. The rules governing this realm are immensely powerful. Should the devil win his game, hell's rules reward him accordingly.
Early on, when players discovered the dungeon, it took the devil only two months to escalate from a first-level legend to a fourth-level legend. Perhaps now, as Xia's magical powers begin to recover, a projection of hell can be initiated. But if a correct answer emerges in the selection game, how should it be handled?
It seems the so-called Soul Tower is not all-powerful. Bai Yi found himself less concerned about the impending crises.
Numerous dungeons exist across the three versions of the game. If the mission is indeed a test, then some dungeons hold particular significance. Drawing from these options, it appears this extreme mission could become significantly simpler.
Lost in thought, Bai Yi was interrupted by the clamoring of players around him. His mental energy kept them at bay, but Xiahou Fuxing and dozens of others surrounded him, shouting Bai Yi's name like fans at a concert and eagerly asking how they could assist.
Bai Yi smiled and said, "I just heard a wonder has discovered traces of hell—who here is Xiahou Fuxing?"
The players paused for a moment before erupting into louder cheers.
"My name is Xiahou Fuxing!"
"Where can I buy a name change card for this game? Why is there only a recharge option but no item exchange?"
Xiahou Fuxing's face flushed with anger. He had just mentioned his name in a live stream, not expecting someone would beat him to it. Luckily, he had kept the dungeon's location to himself; otherwise, he'd be in trouble.
The barrage of comments flooded the screen in response to the chaos.
[Who is so fast? Amazing!]
[Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter. I see why anchors turn off their streams as soon as they find something.]
[Thank goodness the host has something left for me. Why not claim it now?]
Frustrated, Xiahou Fuxing shouted, "I am Xiahou Fuxing! You're all fakes! Have you no shame?"
An orc player glared and retorted, "I'm Xiahou Fuxing! You're the fake!"
"I am Xiahou Fuxing!"
"Mr. Bai Yi, look at me! The name is on my clothes."
"Don't listen to him; I saw him write it down. He's the fake!"
Bai Yi observed the commotion, bemused, and used his mental power to separate the players. He walked directly toward Xiahou Fuxing, lifting him into the air as the surrounding players looked on in confusion.
"How did he know who it was? Isn't the health bar only shown during fights?" one player wondered.
The health bar is irrelevant; NPCs can't see it. What's going on?
Xiahou Fuxing, bewildered, asked, "Mr. Bai Yi, how did you find me?"
Bai Yi sighed. NPCs lack the ability to distinguish players unless they remember their faces. He replied calmly, "You carry the scent of decay from hell."
Xiahou Fuxing was taken aback. Had he really retained that smell after dying?
Bai Yi led him to the door of God's Window. "The information about hell is crucial. If you provide the location, I can offer you a reward."
Xiahou Fuxing's eyes sparkled. "Of course, I'm willing to help Mr. Bai Yi."
As he began to speak, he noticed his live stream audience. Quickly, he changed the title to "The Story I'll Share About Bai Yi" and took a screenshot of their moment together.
He continued, "It's in a forest not far from the South City Gate. Do you have a map?"
Bai Yi conjured a map of the area around the South City Gate. Numerous forests dotted the landscape, most situated over ten kilometers from the gate.
Xiahou Fuxing scanned the map and pointed, "Right here! There's a patch of black ground. Anyone who tries to dig there gets sucked in and bitten by a hellhound."
The comments erupted in amusement:
[The host's brain is wild. He traveled ten kilometers just to dig?]
[The host knows how to attract traffic!]
[Wow, it really is Bai Yi!]
Xiahou Fuxing beamed at the barrage. His goal in streaming was to achieve financial freedom in real life, and this opportunity was too good to waste.
Bai Yi paused, noting the location, and asked, "What reward do you desire?"
Xiahou Fuxing considered briefly before raising his hand. "Mr. Bai Yi, may I join the legion?"
Bai Yi hesitated, feeling a twinge of emotion. Here was a player eager to find their place. However, he firmly replied, "The legions of Dongwu City don't use backdoor methods. Anyone wishing to join must prove themselves in the arena. If more wonders succeed, I may consider creating a legion just for you."
Xiahou Fuxing was undeterred. He had no intention of seeking shortcuts. His vision aligned with many other anchors: while legions had their merits, transformed legions offered unparalleled opportunities.
With his live stream audience swelling to over 100,000, Xiahou Fuxing turned the dungeon they planned to conquer into an arena competition within the city.
"Providing information to Mr. Bai Yi is a duty of every wonder. Rewards aren't my priority," he declared.
Bai Yi chuckled, glancing at the comments streaming in, and said, "If all wonders were like you, we wouldn't need to worry about the Federation's development."
Xiahou Fuxing's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Was Bai Yi being sincere? He shifted his tone, "But you're my idol. Could I follow you today? I promise not to disturb you."
Bai Yi, slightly amused, produced a sack filled with fifty gold coins and tossed it to Xiahou Fuxing. "Rewards are necessary. After all, I can't let you down. Here's fifty gold coins for your information."
Xiahou Fuxing's disappointment faded as he saw the coins, and his eyes lit up again when Bai Yi mentioned a favor. "What do you need me to do? I'll help however I can!"
While glancing at the panel, he desperately wished for a task to appear.
Bai Yi had been observing. The panel had not only refused to accept the God's Showcase but also seemed reluctant to issue tasks to players.
With a flicker of determination, he decided to use his authority to create a task.
[Posted by: City Lord Bai Yi.]
Mission Name: A Chaotic Experiment
Mission Type: Special Mission
Requirements: Assist Bai Yi in testing a newly acquired treasure.
Rewards: Experience +300, Gold +20
Failure Penalty: None
The task was successfully created and published.
Xiahou Fuxing, who had been feeling glum, suddenly brightened as he accepted the mission. "Great! Please follow me."
Bai Yi led him into an old wooden house, where a black display window emanated a chilling aura, causing Xiahou Fuxing to shiver as they approached.
The panel seemed to shy away from the dimensional turbulence, but Bai Yi was eager to see its limits. After all, they had invaded Xia, and he intended to gauge its strength against the God's Showcase.
"This is called God's Window. It can fulfill any wish. Just pull out the tentacle from the upper left door and write your wish on it. It will help you realize it, but you'll need to complete a task in return."
Bai Yi explained the function of God's Window, and Xiahou Fuxing's eyes widened in disbelief. The viewer count in his stream surged past 200,000, with shouts of "Oh shit!" filling the chat.
For players, missions are everything. The possibility of fulfilling their wishes while completing quests was irresistible.
Xiahou Fuxing felt the urge to try it himself, but he hesitated, recalling the importance of building goodwill. "Mr. Bai Yi, may I begin?"
Bai Yi was impressed by his thoughtfulness. "Of course, you can start whenever you're ready."
[White Plague Favorability +5.]
Feeling lucky, Xiahou Fuxing stepped forward, hand reaching into the God's Window. He fumbled around, grasping something soft before pulling out a gray tentacle.
This tentacle seemed to resist him, less eager than it had been during previous transactions.
Undeterred, Xiahou Fuxing swiftly wrote down his wish:
[Please grant me a set of divine equipment and one hundred million gold coins. Thank you.]
Bai Yi stifled a smile but didn't interrupt. "Now, just let go."
With bated breath, Xiahou Fuxing released the tentacle, but a strange phenomenon occurred—the tentacle hesitated, retracting slowly. It seemed not to recognize the words he had written.
Confused, he turned to Bai Yi. "Is it working? Why didn't my wish come true? Should I put it back?"
Without waiting for a response, he started to stuff the tentacle back into the window, closing the door with a thoughtful expression, his eyes glued to the stillness of God's Window.
Bai Yi was equally curious, eager to see who would prevail in this clash of powers. The audience held their breath, wondering if Xiahou Fuxing would truly receive his wish for one hundred million gold coins and divine equipment.