"Holy crap, guys, am I seeing things or is there a mistake in the rankings? How come seven of the top thirty people have changed? And there's even that person who just entered the top ten?"
With the permanent end of the 'mini-game' instance, the list of stars has changed again, leaving the unsuspecting players stunned.
Even the best fighters die, but isn't the frequency of deaths a bit too high lately?
Those players who knew the truth and were also involved contacted, and they all asked who triggered the final level.
If we follow their schedule, we should be able to finish the game by the second night, but the player disappears in the middle of the night. How did they do that?
"I heard that someone chose to cooperate with the official channels," one player said. "Perhaps that person found the ghost one step ahead by using the government's connections within the game."
"Even so, to completely crack it, we must first solve the 'casual mini-game' behind the ghost. This dungeon has such high restrictions that most skills and items are unusable. Under these circumstances, solving the 'mini-game' is no less difficult than facing the Desolate Corner head-on and surviving."
They wouldn't even dare to dream of solving the desolate corner; just surviving a direct confrontation would be an achievement.
Mini-games are nowhere near as good as Desolate Corner; the difference is like a quail egg hitting an ostrich egg.
"What if it's the Desolate Corner that makes the move?" One guess was posted on the forum.
The secret forum fell silent for a long time, because they thought the same thing. The confrontation between the two systems was evident throughout the mini-game's instance, so it was only natural that the Desolate Corner would emerge at a crucial moment and devour the mini-game.
"We worked so hard to get through the levels, risking our lives, only to have the Desolate Corner win in the end." The players were somewhat indignant when they thought about this.
If you lack the strength, you'll ultimately become nothing more than a useless pawn.
Don't be fooled by the praise and glamour they receive from the outside world. Once they die, they are like names on the sand—the wind blows them away, and they leave no trace.
"Heh." Saman was drinking tea on a white plastic chair in the small courtyard in front of Ren Yifei's house, watching the people inside cursing the desolate corner.
The official team can't come out and protest their innocence, so they have to take the blame. The real trouble would come if these players found out that Afei had swallowed up the mini-game.
Of course, to avoid arousing suspicion, Saman still had to state his position: "That person is Black Rabbit, right? His ranking is rising very quickly, and people outside are already talking about it." It's something that will be known sooner or later, so there's no point in hiding it.
"It's not surprising. This person has many secrets. To be honest, I can't see through him."
"Speaking of which, Black Rabbit's ranking jumped directly to 29th. Did he offend the Wasteland Corner?"
It might seem like being fast is a good thing, but it's not. Because if a player is skilled enough, they can get a special challenge opportunity when they challenge the top ten.
If he succeeds, he can make a wish, any wish, even just to leave the desolate corner.
Therefore, a steady pace of advancement, gradually accumulating skills and items, is actually the best approach.
This small discussion space was filled with survivors of the mini-game, including Chen Shen and Ke Bei, both from the top ten. Among them, Ke Bei's feelings were the most complicated.
He was prepared to die, but unexpectedly someone cracked the game beforehand, so he was indirectly saved.
At that time, Ke Bei's situation in the mini-game was already very bad.
The mini-games were very wary of him and secretly tried to intercept him. The fact that he managed to get out alive was already proof of his exceptional abilities. Later, due to insufficient information and serious injuries, he ultimately lost an arm.
Playing the mini-game again under these circumstances would have been fatal for him. The Black Rabbit's early cracking of the dungeon, in a way, saved his life.
Ke Bei had never received such a favor in his life, not even unintentionally. He disliked this feeling, as it affected his actions.
For example, if he encounters the black rabbit again, is he going to go easy on him?
Ke Bei felt that this kind of "letting them off the hook" was an insult to him.
"Consider it repaying this favor." After a moment's thought, he decided to send the details of the Top Ten challenge to Black Rabbit.
Although he didn't succeed in the challenge, the fact that he survived means the information he provided is of extraordinary value.
"In that case, we are even."
"Achoo!" When Ren Yifei woke up, the sun was almost sinking into the sea. Saman had been sitting on the small stool by the door all afternoon.
"Ah Fei, the view here is really nice, facing the sea, it's so relaxing." Saman was completely at ease, without any of the restraint one would expect from a guest.
"Player, this guy insisted on coming in, and warnings were useless. And this thing, aiding and abetting evil!" The guide spirit complained as soon as Ren Yifei woke up.
"Heh." Saman's guiding spirit was quite aloof.
Ren Yifei: "..."
No wonder I always felt like I'd forgotten something.
"How was the harvest this time?" Ren Yifei dragged over a plastic chair. He was wearing a set of rock gray fleece pajamas, his hair was loose, and the ends of his hair were sticking up mischievously in all directions, but his expression was very indifferent.
It's not a cold indifference of rejection or dislike, but rather apathy of having no interest in anything.
This is somewhat different from the Ren Yifei that Saman saw in the game, or the Ren Yifei he encountered when he was away from home.
"You need something from me?" After pouring himself a glass of water, Ren Yifei glanced at him sideways, his eyes still cold.
If it were a normal person, hearing someone say that and seeing an unwelcoming attitude, even a clay idol would get angry and feel annoyed, wanting to turn around and leave.
But Saman laughed, carrying a stool over, and without needing to be served, bought a matching glass and poured himself some water: "I missed you, so I came. Aren't you welcome, Fei?"
"Whatever." Ren Yifei remained unmoved. His face showed neither surprise nor impatience, but remained calm, which was quite frustrating.
Only those eyes, for a fleeting moment, revealed a mixture of amusement and despair. This change in expression was so brief, it was almost an illusion.
Samantha didn't know how to describe it; the vibrant and lovable young man seemed to have been sealed away, deprived of his ability to freely express his emotions.
Acting seems to be the key to unlocking his potential. That's why Saman was able to see Ren Yifei in the game, cherishing and enjoying life to the fullest.
"My treehouse collapsed in the earthquake. Can Afei take me in?" Saman shamelessly asked, and then brought out the culprit, pinching its two small feather wings and shaking them, "Look, it's what did it do."
Looking at the listless replica in Saman's hand, Ren Yifei turned his gaze to the smiling Saman: "Could you be any more shameless? Are you taking advantage of someone who can't speak properly?"
After speaking, Ren Yifei freed the clone from Saman's grasp. The small golden sphere was barely heavier than a small orange. Could something so light really destroy a house?
"Buzz buzz buzz." The clone pitifully vibrated its little feathers, the tip of one of the feathers pointing at Saman, the high-frequency vibration sound as if expressing its grievance and dissatisfaction.
"It wasn't like this just now." Saman was almost amused by his exasperation. Although his previous statement was somewhat exaggerated, this little creature was definitely one of the reasons the treehouse collapsed.
The clone ignored him, and instead used its tiny feathers to hug Ren Yifei's finger, rubbing the golden sphere against it and rolling around in Ren Yifei's palm.
Although Ren Yifei's expression didn't change much, Saman still keenly sensed that Ren Yifei was in a good mood at the moment. He took the opportunity to play the victim: "Can you take me in, Afei? I'm not familiar with other places, and I have many enemies outside."
Ren Yifei looked up and said reluctantly, "You can pick a spot here and build your own house."
"Okay." Samantha hadn't really thought he'd get a place; he was just testing Ren Yifei's attitude. But this unexpected surprise made him stand up immediately, not wanting to give Ren Yifei any chance to back out.
Seeing the man's beaming face, Ren Yifei instantly had second thoughts.
However, it was too late.
In just two minutes, Saman had already bought a house next door, a small wooden cabin.
His house was surrounded by many flowers and trees, in pink, red, and purple. The exterior walls of the wooden house were a lovely blue and white, perfectly matching the style of the sea.
However, for some reason, this exquisite little wooden house, combined with the rugged cement house next to it, does not look out of place at all.
The cabin's windowsill is a simple white, with light-colored curtains hanging down. If you sat inside that cabin, opened the door, and could see the sea right outside?
Ren Yifei suddenly remembered the window to the world of consciousness. His gaze shifted from the window back to Saman's face, and that smug look reminded him of that twisted cartoon cake.
"It'll be more convenient to go out for meals together from now on. What should we eat this time? How about hot pot? Goji berry chicken soup as a base, or eight-mushroom soup, or of course, pork tripe soup would be good too..."
Saman listed several mouthwatering hot pot broths, and Ren Yifei, who wasn't hungry at first, started to feel his stomach rumbling as Saman read them out.
"That's fine," he comforted himself. "At least it'll be much easier to find dining buddies in the future."
Ren Yifei summoned the light screen: "You happen to be here. Can you bless me?" With the blessing of the ultimate lucky charm, this reward might be quite good. Of course, the item on his forehead was already worth the price.
Saman was flattered by the invitation.
Ah Fei only needs to grant blessings when he needs to unlock a treasure chest. But that ghost card is lucky it doesn't hate them; it's impossible for it to drop a treasure chest.
Considering that he looked like he had just woken up, Saman guessed that he hadn't checked his reward yet.
"You're going to draw the prize right in front of me?" Saman asked in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Ren Yifei asked in confusion.
What's wrong with that? Of course, there are many things wrong with that. Even with his most trusted subordinates, Saman would never look at his rewards in front of them.
"No, I'm very happy." Even if Ren Yifei only believed in his own abilities, Saman was still happy.
"Ah Fei will draw the most suitable and best one." Saman's eyes were filled with tenderness.
He imagined the evening breeze blowing through his hair, imagined the seaside sunshine kissing his face, but he did nothing, only greedily using his gaze to depict this awkward yet lovable person.
How can it be so cute? I want to put it in my mouth and bite it, it's so adorable.
"I thought you would contact your subordinates immediately or make some other preparations. I didn't expect you to be so unconcerned." Looking at Saman's relaxed appearance, it was hard to believe that he had already been blacklisted by the Desolate Corner.
Saman shrugged: "It's too late to worry now that things have come to this."
Ren Yifei was the same; he had a very calm mindset. He had already absorbed two systems, so one more wouldn't matter.
"System, check the rewards."
"Okay, dear player~" The guide spirit clearly enjoyed this part, and it happily counted, "Another grand slam, of course I am already completely at peace with myself."
"40 points, 10,000 white shells, 10 silver shells, 5 gold shells, no treasure chests. SR-level Ghost Card Manager..."
"Wait a moment," Ren Yifei said, pointing to the newly arrived ghost card, "Should the system recycle it?"
The guide spirit had never heard of such a request before, but after checking, it told Ren Yifei, "I'm afraid that won't work."
"Can it be destroyed?" he asked again.
"It's possible, but are the players sure they want to do this?" Destroy an SR-level ghost card just like that? That's outrageously extravagant!
"Destroy it, it's disgusting to my eyes."
The player persisted, so the guiding spirit had no choice but to destroy the newly arrived card. It took out the ghost card and watched it materialize.
"Player, are you really sure?"
The boss, Jiang Dong, had already appeared in the courtyard, saying with a disdainful look, "It's too late. Even if you beg me, I won't do anything."
Yes, Jiang Dong's favorability is close to zero; he's someone who can't be easily manipulated.
"What an arrogant card! Do you need my help? I can give you a well-behaved one in return." The puppeteer emerged halfway out of the screen, his hands still wrapped in transparent threads, his smile more sinister than a ghost's.
"This is none of your business." Ren Yifei reached out and pressed him back down, then continued, "Destroy it."
"What? You?" Jiang Dong finally realized something was wrong, his face turning pale. "You want to destroy me? Are you crazy? I'm an SR!"
"Just trash." Even an SSR is useless; it's too worthless.
The destruction of the cards has begun. From Jiang Dong's feet to the strands of his hair, pigment spots are dissipating, as if an invisible eraser is slowly erasing his existence.
Realizing Ren Yifei was serious, Gui Ka Jiang Dong trembled: "I have special abilities! I can bring other players into the game! And..."
The feet had disappeared, and the legs were disappearing too. This fear of impending and utter death overwhelmed the shopkeeper, Jiang Dong.
"No, wait, I have other abilities!" This ghost card, despite its high level, performed worse than a player who died in a mini-game when faced with life and death. Stripped of the aura brought by the mini-game, he was just a greasy, self-important middle-aged man.
However, once the destruction began, there was no way to stop it. Seeing that Ren Yifei had remained indifferent throughout, Jiang Dong finally stopped begging for mercy. He launched into a tirade of profanities, using such vile language that it would be condemned by the entire internet if posted online.
"Don't talk about players like that." Ren Yifei hadn't even done anything yet, and Yirenyitong was already unhappy about him.
"He didn't even have the courage to face the consequences of failing the college entrance exam. He opened a bookstore with his inheritance and sold pirated books. He barked like a dog online but boasted in real life. He was shameless and incompetent."
Saman sneered, "Without the mini-game, you're less than a maggot. Keeping you in the card slot is an insult to the other cards. If you don't deserve to die, who does?"
His few words provoked Jiang Dong to the point of jumping up and down. The guiding spirit also muted Jiang Dong's voice, making the jumping Jiang Dong look more like a clown in a silent movie.
Ren Yifei didn't really care, but seeing that someone cared about him made him feel like he was eating ice cream on a summer day.
Ghost Card Jiangdong has completely disappeared.
To be honest, the puppeteers weren't good people either, and the moon elves were somewhat incompetent and cowardly, but Ren Yifei never thought of destroying them.
"Perhaps it's because I can tolerate bad and stupid, but not bad and stupid?"
The guide spirit, somewhat miserly, was downcast for a while after the ghost card was destroyed, but it became excited again after seeing the game rewards below: "Oh! Player, this reward is especially good!"
"That's right, I have the blessing of the European Emperor." Ren Yifei's lips curled up slightly.
Sa-O-Huang-Man's fair face flushed red; he was embarrassed by the compliment.
Skill: Aura Insulator
Skill Activation: Passive Skill. You possess a special magic that allows you to ignore unscientific and extraordinary 'charm'; charm spells are now completely ineffective against you.
Limitations: Applicable to any copy.
Rating: A (You might prefer to be called that: Protagonist Killer.)
Skill: Extremely wealthy
Skill Activation: Passive Skill. Upon entering a dungeon, you automatically receive enough start-up capital to live a normal life for ten years.
Limitations: Applicable to any copy.
Rating: C (A person who spends money on you doesn't necessarily love you, but a person who doesn't spend money on you definitely doesn't love you.)
These are quite useful skills, especially the second one. Think about Saman's spending power in the previous dungeon, and the money Ren Yifei threw around. If used well, this skill can significantly reduce mission time.
Ren Yifei looked at the next reward, which seemed rather useless.
Encyclopedia: It knows all the common knowledge you want to know.
Given his knowledge of mini-games, this prop is less useful to him than a piece of rice cake, at least rice cake is edible.
Fortunately, there's also a cute item: the Wish Gem, which can randomly boost one of your skills, up to a maximum of three levels.
Ren Yifei used the gem, and then he saw 'Extreme Wealth' skyrocket to S-rank: "..."
Skill: Extremely wealthy
Skill Activation: Passive Skill. Upon entering the dungeon, you automatically receive ten years' worth of living expenses, which can be converted into any equivalent resources you need, regardless of type or quantity.
Restriction: Can only be converted into resource
s available in this instance.
Rating: S (Sorry, money really can buy anything.)