“System prompt: Countdown for accessing the instance dungeon has ended. Merging in progress. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6…”
The instant the countdown ended, Roddy found this prompt in his personal system. When he saw it, he had a strangest hunch.
Nagase Komi who was standing not too far away from him turned to look at him. The bald girl had a complicated expression on her face and she said in a hushed tone, “Did you receive it as well?”
Roddy nodded with a serious expression.
A new prompt instantly appeared in the system!
“System prompt: Accessing Player mode. Players will be entering the instance dungeon area!”
“System prompt: Issuing new quest… calibration in progress…”
To Roddy and the bald girl’s surprise, the ‘calibration in progress’ prompt remained there for quite some time. Even after a full five minutes, the new quest had yet to be issued forward.
The two of them exchanged glances as they became faintly aware that something unusual was happening.
Finally!
“System prompt: Access complete. New quest has been issued. Now entering conflict mode; system mode has been adjusted as [Intense Competitive Mode].
“Prompt: Alliances formed cannot be changed.
“Prompt: Players and Awakened ones are not allowed to form alliances.
“Prompt: Killing a participant who is a member of a different alliance will give the killer 500 points. The killer’s alliance members will each acquire 100 points as reward. Alliance members of the a killed participant – regardless if the participant was killed by other participants or monsters – will each suffer a 300 points deduction.
“Prompt: Grading for this game will not take into account the number of points the participants had before entering this instance dungeon. The system will only take the points acquired after entering this instance dungeon into consideration.
“Prompt: After the instance dungeon is over, a ranking list will be compiled based on the number of points acquired by each participant. The first six names will be considered as the winners while the others will be considered as losers. Losers will face punishment!
“Prompt: In the event that two participants acquired the same amount of points, the factor of time will be used to determine the results. The participant to first acquire that amount of points will be ranked higher!
“Prompt: The points acquired inside this instance dungeon will only be sent to the participants’ personal points reserve after this instance dungeon is over.
“Prompt: This instance dungeon will last for… 24 hours!”
F**k!
When he was done reading the system prompt, Roddy’s heart sank!
Intense competitive mode!
This would force all the game participants to kill each other!
Additionally… out of everyone in this instance dungeon, only the first six would be able to stay alive…
When he was impersonating a member of Thorned Flower Guild, Roddy had met tens of Awakened ones! Additionally, who knows how many more had decided to hide and not show up!
If he was to make a conservative estimate, there might be nearly 100 participants inside this instance dungeon!
Only six participants could emerge alive …
Not even one in ten!
As for the later portion, ‘Losers will face punishment!’
If participants were to fail to complete a normal instance dungeon, their punishment would mean getting sent into a punishment instance dungeon next!
However, if they were to fail to complete a punishment instance dungeon… then the punishment here would be: Extermination?!
He thought about the terrifying punishment, the abysmal number of spots available and the methods available to acquire points…
Roddy and Nagase Komi exchanged glances. Then, they abruptly jumped away from each other at nearly the same instant!
Shua!
Roddy had already pulled out a gun and was pointing it at Nagase Komi. Likewise, the fingers on both the bald girl’s hands had transformed into sharp metal blades!
The two of them eyed each other with tiger like eyes and the atmosphere around them was like a powder keg!
A few seconds later, Roddy sighed and put down the gun. He said in a hushed tone, “I don’t want to kill you, I just… wanted to protect myself.”
The bald girl revealed a wry smile and replied in a low voice, “I also don’t intend on killing you… I can kill other participants to get points… I have no desire to fight against a Floating Angel… I just wanted to defend myself in case you had any ill intent.”
The two of them looked at each other for a long time. Then, they kept their gun and metal blades aside at the same time.
“No attacking each other!”
“No attacking each other!”
Roddy and Nagase Komi said at the same time.
“Do you want to… cooperate?” Roddy asked as his eyes darted about.
Nagase Komi pondered the question and said, “I have nothing against it… compared to my current ally, that Phoenix woman, I prefer to trust you and Chen Xiaolian.”
She paused for a moment before continuing in a low voice, “According to the rules for this instance dungeon, allied members are not allowed to kill each other. However… the number of spots is limited. Thus, there will still be competition. For example, kill stealing in order to get points.”
Roddy nodded and said, “All right, then let’s cooperate.”
“I’ll have to put it out here first. I am only representing myself in our cooperation. My Great Teacher’s stance is not something I can speak for.”
Roddy nodded.
The atmosphere between the two of them lightened somewhat. However, Han Bi who was standing some distance away had a contorted expression on his face.
He had read the contents of the system prompts.
This intense competitive type of quest… for a weakling like Han Bi, he was the equivalent of… a prey!
It was then that a new prompt suddenly appeared in the system!
“System prompt: Computing quest content… now issuing supplementary condition!”
A supplementary condition?
This time, the system was obviously acting differently.
“System prompt: After acquiring points in this instance dungeon, participants must arrive at the designated location before this instance dungeon concludes. There, the participants’ points will be validated. Points not validated there will be deemed invalid. The coordinate of the validation location has been issued to everyone’s personal radar. The coordinate is coloured green.
“Prompt: After killing another participant, in addition to getting the system reward in points, the killer will also acquire one-tenth of the total points acquired by the killed participant. This bonus reward is exclusive to the killer. The killer’s alliance members cannot acquire any of this bonus reward.
“Prompt: Each time a participant kills another participant, that participant will have the opportunity to view the ranking list. Those who do not meet this requirement will not be able to check the ranking list while the instance dungeon is in progress.”
Roddy frowned. Things were getting more complicated!
Nagase Komi’s eyes lit up. There was a point validation location? If so… should the final amount of points be insufficient to ensure survival, they could… lie low in the point validation location to ambush the other participants! That would likely be their final chance.
Roddy glanced at the bald girl and said, “I know what you’re thinking. You’re planning to set an ambush in the point validation location, right? However, don’t forget something. If you can think of this, others will be able to as well.”
Nagase Komi shook her head and replied, “I understand. That is why… I believe that we should make haste toward the point validation location to get the advantage in terrain! After reading this system prompt, I believe that others will also be rushing toward the point validation location! The one who makes it there might be able to seize the advantage!”
Roddy was uncertain what to think about her opinion. However, he noticed one of the rules set by the system.
After entering this instance dungeon!
In other words… the calculation of points had begun since the preparation phase of this instance dungeon!
If so… the points he had gathered by hunting those monsters together with Chen Xiaolian back then had been calculated inside!
This meant that, other than killing off other participants to acquire points…
They could also choose to kill the monsters of this instance dungeon to acquire points!
Could that be another method to go about this?
However… the more they kill, the more powerful the monsters will become. This approach of acquiring points was not the best.
The system will continuously enhance the strength of the monsters.
Take those ravenous wolves for example. If the number of wolves killed were too high, would the system decide to have the wolves evolve into werewolves?
Perhaps even… werewolves in mech armour?
Roddy frowned.
Bloody Hell! Chen Xiaolian is not around and my mind was unable to think of anything proper. What a pain.
If Xiaolian is here, he would be able to come up with a good plan.
“Let’s move. We should hurry up to the point validation location.” Nagase Komi picked up her shoulder bag before bending down to tighten her shoelaces.
“Aren’t you going to wait for your companions? Your teacher and your allies.”
“I will use the alliance channel to communicate with them. We will head to the point validation location separately.” The bald girl shook her head before continuing, “Waiting for them to return before heading there would waste too much time.”
“All right then. Let us head there together. But I have to remind you, don’t expose my identity… Phoenix and her members still don’t know about me.”
As he spoke, Roddy secretly used his guild channel to contact Chen Xiaolian.
To his surprise…
Just now, he had tried to message Chen Xiaolian before. However, he would always receive the prompt “Message cannot be sent.”. It was as though the function had been blocked off and he was unable to send the message to Chen Xiaolian.
But now……
His message was successfully sent!
It would appear that whatever was blocking the function earlier had disappeared!
Even so, despite having sent the message out, Roddy was not able to get any response from Chen Xiaolian. However, now that his message had been sent and whatever was blocking the messaging function had been lifted… the situation caused Roddy’s mind to race!
He thought about the timing of the messaging blockade and the timing of the merging of Player mode…
Could it be… Chen Xiaolian’s disappearance earlier really had something to do with this Player mode?
…
Qimu Xi felt as though she was on the verge of mentally collapsing.
She stood outside the clock tower that had been ruined and looked at the collapsed entrance of the clock tower.
More than half of the building had collapsed. Although one of the walls had an opening, stones and debris had blocked off the opening.
Earlier, Qimu Xi had mustered her courage to quietly follow the Fallen Avenger all the way here… for this timid girl, this was already a highly courageous act.
Watching the monster enter the clock tower… she dared not reveal herself.
However, Qimu Xi was able to speculate that Chen Xiaolian should be inside!
She was after all, too weak. Although she had followed the monster all the way here, there was nothing she could do but hide in the corner.
Observing the collapsed clock tower, she felt the desire to cry out but was unable to find the tears to do so.
She stood before the ruins for several minutes and wiped away her tears and snot.
She rolled up her sleeves and moved toward the debris.
Using her slender hands, she exerted her all to move out the stones. However, she was weak and alone. How was she to accomplish such a feat?
After just a while, she ended up panting for breath. The fingers on both her hands had been scraped to the point of bleeding all over.
At this moment, Qimu Xi revealed a rare display of courage. Although she was still sobbing, she continued her attempts to move away the stones and debris.
There was only one thought going through her mind: Save that fellow!
Besides… if he dies, I am probably not going to make it out of this instance dungeon alive either!
…