A Farewell in an Instance

Ding Chang's voice was already very weak, and he even had some difficulty breathing.

But even in that faint voice, his excitement could still be heard.

Lin Ye nodded and patted Ding Chang on the shoulder.

"Dean Ding, from now on, no one will bully the Great Xia Settlement anymore, and no one will dare to arbitrarily kill our people. The Great Xia Settlement is now undoubtedly the First Settlement."

"I have already fulfilled your long-cherished wish."

Ding Chang's lips curled slightly upward, and he coughed twice before saying:

"I watched the entire the Great Wall Watch Instance. What a magnificent and spectacular ' Nantianmen Project!"

"Lin Ye... you are the strongest Dungeon Designer I have seen in decades, unparalleled before and after. These people on Azure Star probably won't be able to catch up with you even in a hundred years."

"If only our Great Xia Settlement could be as powerful as the Dragon Country in your Instance."

Lin Ye continued:

"Dean Ding, to be honest, the Great Wall Watch was actually designed by me based on the people of the Great Xia Settlement. The spirit of the Dragon Country's People's Liberation Army in it is no different from that of our Xia people."

"What the Dragon Country can do in the Instance, our Great Xia Gathering Place can do as well. I promise you that."

Ding Chang nodded contentedly, a look of relief in his eyes, which were slightly moist.

He has no regrets.

He once reached the pinnacle of Instance design and was a top expert on Azure Star. Later, he was targeted by Dungeon Designers from other settlements, fell into a trough, and never recovered. He even considered giving up his life several times.

Later, after much painful reflection, he began to work quietly behind the scenes, eventually becoming the dean of the Research Institute and training the next generation of Dungeon Designers for the Great Xia Settlement.

Looking back on the vicissitudes of his life, Ding Chang felt that he had experienced everything he was meant to experience.

Now, he has personally witnessed his clansman Lin Ye ascend to the top of the Firmament Hero Ranking.

Moreover, Lin Ye was the first person I discovered, a young man I had high hopes for from the very beginning.

He was quite at ease handing over the Great Xia Gathering Place to Lin Ye in the future.

There will never again be the humiliating scene of the Great Xia Settlement being besieged by other Settlements and struggling to survive in the cracks.

Such a beautiful ending was enough for him to pass away peacefully.

"Lin Ye, I'm all alone and about to leave. I still have over 50,000 points left, and I hope I can transfer them all to you."

"I know these points mean nothing to you, but please accept my final gift, as a way to carry on my last wishes."

Lin Ye nodded.

This was Ding Chang's last wish, and he had no reason to refuse this old man who was nearing the end of his life.

This kind of thing is actually quite common on Azure Star; many people will transfer their points to their loved ones before they die.

Points can be understood as a kind of legacy of the Azure Star.

"There's one more thing I hope you can promise me..."

"I, an old man, was once a tough nut to crack on the battlefield. I don't want to die such a pathetic death from illness."

"If I could... I would wish to be obliterated by your Instance, to die quietly amidst the Great Wall Watch."

This surprised Lin Ye.

He never expected Ding Chang to make such a request.

"Dean Ding... you?"

But upon further reflection, he understood Ding Chang's intention.

The so-called "Instance" is actually a virtual world that is completely intertwined with reality.

Any Challengers, whether you are sick or disabled, will have your physical condition restored to its best state once you enter the Instance.

This is what Firmament calls fairness.

You can't expect someone to fight in Instance while injured.

That would be unfair to these people, and it would also hinder Firmament's accurate assessment of the Instance.

If Ding Chang enters the Instance, his illness will also disappear.

He wanted to achieve a perfect state in the Instance, only to be defeated by the Firmament Curtain.

That would certainly be much more dignified than dying in a hospital bed.

Lin Ye inadvertently recalled the first time he met Ding Chang in the Battle of the Imperial Seas Instance.

Back then, Ding Chang was very imposing, completely like a tough soldier, and even his overall demeanor was completely different from now.

Lin Ye later realized that Ding Chang outside the Instance had been suffering from an illness all along.

It's not surprising that they act like completely different people inside and outside the Instance.

"Lin Ye, I have no other wish than to die with dignity."

"I also want to experience the awe-inspiring power of the Dragon Country before I die... This is my only wish, old man."

"Since I'm going to die anyway, this way I can at least contribute some points to you, so my life is worth it."

Ding Chang's words caused all the high-ranking officials of Great Xia to sigh with emotion.

Helplessness, sentimentality, and sadness.

It can even make you feel somewhat hopeless.

Everyone lives in constant fear, terrified of being wiped out one day, yet in the end, no one can truly withstand death.

This is such a messed-up world that some people can only gain a meager sense of dignity in Instance.

"Mr. Lin, please agree to Dean Ding."

"It would be far better for Dean Ding to die on the vast ocean, amidst a hail of bullets, or even to be obliterated by the Firmament than for him to die now."

"I'm also willing to enter the Instance to see Old Ding off on his final journey!"

"I'm willing too! So what if I lose some points?! It's nothing compared to letting Old Ding pass away peacefully."

"No matter what happens in the world, the Great Xia people will always be of one mind."

Everyone said in unison.

Lin Ye also let out a long sigh.

This scene inevitably moved Lin Ye.

He had seen much of this brilliance of humanity in his previous life in the Dragon Country.

But his appearance in such a cruel world at this moment was truly beyond his expectations.

Before this, he had witnessed the infighting and scheming in the Dahe Settlement and the mutual distrust among the South Korea Koreans.

He also observed that although the Eight Settlements had formed an alliance, they each harbored their own ulterior motives, and ultimately, everyone was acting solely in their own self-interest.

The unity of the Great Xia Settlement seemed somewhat out of place compared to this cruel world.

The world is always full of unexpected events, and even the prophetic Lin Ye could not have imagined that the story could develop in this direction.

He never imagined that the Instance he used to kill people could have such a use.

"Dean Ding, I can certainly grant your request." Lin Ye tightly grasped Ding Chang's hands.

"However, the Great Wall Watch Instance is definitely out of the question."

"Although Firmament will cut back on my Instance, based on the level of the Great Wall Watch Instance, I guess the minimum standard is a gathering of a million people, and many of the mechanics are difficult to modify."

Given the high standards of the Great Wall Watch Instance, the rewards and penalties for entering it will be substantial.

Furthermore, Ding Chang wanted to experience the spirit of the Dragon Country. Under this premise, the Dragon Country should not exist as Instance boss, but should be set up as Spawn Point.

"I will design a special Instance for you, Dean Ding, based on my Earth Online. At the very least, I will ensure that the Great Xia people will not suffer fatal damage in the Instance."

Since we're going to send you off, Dean Ding, the process must be grand and impressive! So, Dean Ding, please hang in there for two more days."

Upon hearing Lin Ye's affirmative reply, Ding Chang laughed happily, a hoarse sound escaping his throat.

"Thank you... thank you Lin Ye."

Don't worry, my old bones can still hold up.

Lin Ye pondered for a moment, then continued:

"This matter cannot be resolved simply by the agreement of a few people present; it requires the consent of the majority of the Challengers in the entire Settlement."

"I need to discuss the specific number of people who can participate in the Instance with Commander Long Yuan."

Li Yunlong, standing beside him, gritted his teeth and replied:

"I trust Elder Long on this! Not only will Elder Long fully support this, but he will also personally enter the Instance to see Dean Ding off."

"I can even guarantee that anyone in the entire Great Xia Dynasty, as long as they have enough points, would not refuse to see Dean Ding off."

"Furthermore, we shouldn't let the benefits go to outsiders. The points we lost will be transferred to you, Mr. Lin, as a way for all the Great Xia people to express their gratitude to you!"

After Li Yunlong finished speaking, all the senior executives echoed his sentiments.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Ye left the Sanatorium.

If this is really going to be implemented, a new Instance will definitely need to be made.

It definitely can't be the previous battle royale mode, and there's no need to make it so bloody.

His task was to set an impossible mission while ensuring that people from other Settlements wouldn't interfere and cause trouble.

However, the Instance should be relatively lenient, and the deductions from Instance should be minimal.

In other words, the Instance is to create a purely visual and experiential Instance designed for the Great Xia Settlement.

On the way back, Lin Ye spoke with Long Yuan.

As expected, Long Yuan gave an affirmative answer.

"Lin Ye, you are now the top figure on Azure Star. Whether you like it or not, you are now effectively the Commander of Great Xia. Once you make these decisions, all the Great Xia people will actively cooperate with you."

"However, this old man can help you with the arrangements this time. Once you've finished designing the Instance, tell me about the population size and mechanics, and I'll help you organize the Instance Challengers."

"I, the old man, will also attend Dean Ding's send-off ceremony. I won't let anything go wrong."

"..."

Back in his Cliffside Villa.

Lin Ye went directly into the Creation Space to begin designing.

Actually, all the materials are readily available, so there's no need to design any weapons or complex mechanics for this Instance.

A simple task flow is sufficient.

Challengers only one Spawn Point: the Dragon Country! The Dragon Country will become Instance controllable faction for Challengers to use.

As for the mission objective, it was quite simple. Lin Ye set it as: [Destroy the entire Earth Online! Personally annihilate all humanity on the planet...]

This is also an absolutely impossible task.

Because on Earth Online, there are not only Dragon Country, but also the Eagle Sauce and Russian Bear. Although these two countries do not currently possess future weapons, they could still destroy the world with nuclear weapons.

If Earth is destroyed by the forces within the Instance, then the mission is not considered a success.

However, the judges in the Firmament Canopy will definitely see an opportunity, after all, the Dragon Country the Nantianmen Project.

The task has a three-day time limit. After three days, the task will automatically fail.

These three days are enough for Ding Chang to experience the prosperous Dragon Country and that glorious world.

As for the rewards and penalties for Instance, it's very simple: you get 100 points for a victory and lose 100 points for a defeat, without any additional mechanisms.

As for the number of people, this farewell doesn't need too many; too many people would make it chaotic.

Therefore, Lin Ye set the number of participants at one million and designated the participants in the form of gathering places.

Given the current size of the Great Xia Settlement, finding a million LV2 Challengers is more than enough. For Challengers of this level, 100 points is insignificant.

Although Lin Ye didn't design this Instance for points, little by little, this Instance will eventually bring Lin Ye a significant increase in points.

Lin Ye knew very well that Ding Chang's final choice was actually to help him.

This was both a farewell to Ding Chang and a token of the clan's goodwill towards them.

In less than half an hour, a new Instance was designed.

Out of caution, Lin Ye directly summoned the Firmament.

"Firmament, I'd like to ask, as Dungeon Designer, is it permissible for you to enter your own Instance?"

"I want to experience the Instance firsthand to get the most accurate data about Instance."

[Firmament Notification:...]

[Firmament Notification: It has never happened on Azure Star that Dungeon Designer enters Instance they designed. However, if Dungeon Designer enters Instance for the purpose of obtaining data, Firmament can approve of this setting.]

However, if Dungeon Designer enters the Instance as Challengers, they will automatically become the highest- Instance commander!

[Furthermore, the Dungeon Designer, as Challengers, will not receive any points rewards for successfully completing the task, nor will they be subject to any points penalties. The Dungeon Designer is simply experiencing the Instance as a participant.]

Firmament's response also proved the feasibility of the plan.

As long as you are the Instance commander, there is no possibility of any problems in the Instance process, because you have complete control over the command.

Of course, Lin Ye wasn't afraid of anyone causing trouble at all. With his current reputation, no one from other Settlements would dare to come and cause trouble.

In reality, Firmament doesn't care about this kind of thing at all.

No Dungeon Designer would be willing to lead a group of people to break through their own Instance, just as no Challengers would be willing to follow a Dungeon Designer to attack Instance.

If Dungeon Designer has a brain fart and insists on leading a bunch of people to complete their own Instance, that's suicidal, and Firmament would be happy to see it.

Firmament is not worried at all that any Designer might use this strange method to collude with their tribesmen to farm points.

After all, there's a huge cut taken from the points, so farming points this way isn't profitable for either the Designers or the Challengers.