Marked for Death

The fourth, and final, method of gaining Experience Points that Players had summarized was clearing a "Game."

The Games referred to here were not harmless video games, but highly dangerous Death Games similar to Dungeons.

A small portion of these Death Games were evolved variations of games that had appeared throughout the history of human gaming. Most, however, were unknown Games with unfamiliar rules, content, and storylines.

The locations where Games appeared were random, and the mechanism behind their appearance was unknown. Depending on the Game, each Player faced considerable restrictions on entering and leaving it, such as only being able to enter once every Seven Days.

However, there was no doubt that whenever a new Game appeared, Large Organizations would immediately organize their Players to clear it, because Games themselves were also an extremely important strategic resource.

—Clearing a Game not only rewarded Experience Points, but also carried a certain chance of obtaining items rewarded within the Game.

Every Game that appeared in this world had a so-called Clearance Rate. Once a Game was fully cleared and its Clearance Rate reached 100%, the first person to ultimately clear it would obtain the Usage Right to that Game.

However, Games were the rarest of all. They appeared even less frequently than Wild Monsters. Still, those Large Organizations generally held the Usage Rights to one or two Games.

Once a Game had been fully cleared, other Players could still enter it. With a Walkthrough available, the casualty rate could be kept to a minimum. The significance of controlling a Game for an organization was immense, and it was also an important bargaining chip for recruiting Players.

The official Player Organization, the Relevant Department, controlled one large Game, two medium-sized Games, and one small Game. That large Game even had a small chance of dropping Attribute Potions that increased Base Attributes. Such Attribute Potions were in extremely high demand on the Black Market.

After all, relying entirely on training to increase Base Attributes was unrealistic. How long would it take to reach the limits of the human body through training alone?

—This was a benefit that could only be enjoyed by joining an organization, making it tremendously appealing to unaffiliated Players.

[System Mandated Quest], [Urban Legend], [Wild Monster], and [Game]—these were the four methods currently summarized by Players for gaining Experience Points.

So, if I want to gain Experience Points and reach Level 5, the fastest method for me right now is an Urban Legend... Should I just take care of that Imitation Campus Belle?

Bai Zhi tapped the Desk aimlessly with his fingers, an odd expression on his face.

After all, when it comes to Urban Legends, she seems like the easiest one to bully... Or should I try looking for a Wild Monster?

After pondering for a long time about how to quickly gain Experience Points in a short period, Bai Zhi still failed to think of any effective solution.

Games and Wild Monsters were things one could only encounter by chance. If that Scuttle Crab he had seen that day was still nearby, it would be manageable. But Wild Monsters disappeared if nobody killed them after a certain period of time. Even if that Scuttle Crab had not been killed by another Player, it had probably vanished by now.

Seeing that it was already noon, Bai Zhi opened the System Store before heading out for lunch. After carefully selecting from the ten items refreshed in the Store this month, he spent 200 Game Coins on a piece of equipment.

[Item Name: Evil-Breaker]

[Type: Weapon]

[Quality: Common]

[Durability: 30/30]

[Effect: Can deal slight damage to spirit bodies]

[Equipment Condition: Strength greater than or equal to 6]

[Note: Can be used for sharpening pencils, cutting vegetables, an all-purpose household tool]

Despite its imposing name, when Bai Zhi got it in his hands, he discovered that it was just a small knife. The cover image was seriously misleading. No wonder the Note said it could be used to sharpen pencils.

Two hundred Game Coins amounted to 200,000 yuan, but this thing was worth the price. Against spirit bodies that could not be harmed by physical attacks, this small knife could prove even more useful at certain times.

It was not that Bai Zhi did not want to buy better equipment, but among the ten products refreshed in the System Store, aside from the first fixed item, this weapon offered the best value for money.

Game Coins could be exchanged for money on the Black Market, but money could not be converted into Game Coins. Store items could only be purchased with Game Coins, which was why their exchange rate remained so high.

Come to think of it, one million really isn't much. A lousy little knife costs 200,000...

After weighing the small knife in his hand a few times and sighing, Bai Zhi put it into his backpack.

Although the Novice Quest had been successfully completed after numerous twists and turns, he had still suffered a loss overall. For example, he had forgotten to retrieve the Radio from a certain Night Owl.

The next time I see her, I'm definitely getting that Radio back. It cost me several hundred yuan—almost enough to cover a month of living expenses...

Muttering resentfully to himself, Bai Zhi stood up, went downstairs, and headed for the Canteen to eat lunch.

Although he had spent six hours in that rundown Villa earlier, only six minutes had passed in the Real World. Including the time he had delayed beforehand, it was already noon.

It was the hottest stretch of summer, and beneath the blazing Sunlight, Between Heaven and Earth felt even more stifling.

Inside a Dormitory on the third floor of the women's Dormitory building, the cool air from the Air Conditioner temporarily drove away the summer heat.

After lying on the Bed and spacing out for a long while, the Young Girl sat up. Then, with great solemnity, she pulled out a Radio from somewhere and placed it on her Desk.

On the wall above her Desk was a Photo with its face punctured to pieces by a small knife, looking utterly miserable.

"Black&White? That bastard is just as awful as that guy! He actually used a Stapler... Next time I see you, I swear I'll bite you to death!!"

With her silver teeth clenched tight, the Young Girl viciously proclaimed her revenge at the Radio.

Touhou Project.jpg