73: An Uninvited Guest

"Isn't this 'Echoes of Memory: The Nethermark Humanity Laboratory ' just a copy?!"

One player realized what was happening and mentioned it, which immediately caused a sensation in the crowd.

"Yeah, but this difficulty rating system is a bit strange. Why is [Mythology] the lowest difficulty and [Realism] the highest difficulty?"

"You idiot, in a real war, you wouldn't even see anyone. You'd be taken out by the enemy with lasers, artillery, and drones. You wouldn't have a chance to show your skills. The content you're playing has been Recognition Filter and censored."

"What? People die in war? I thought blood was green."

"This is the first dungeon we've ever encountered, a dungeon that doesn't even exist on Azure Planet. Is this the kind of perk that Li Aoz is giving us super-version players? What a blessing!"

Players started discussing it excitedly, and many uploaded the news to the forum, causing quite a stir.

"Ahhh, it's sunlight! There's sunlight on another planet!"

"Alien God, please come back soon! Frostplate hair, gold bar hair, succubus hair, all over the place."

"Advising someone to return to Frostplate? Even the hatred of killing one's father is no greater than this."

"Ugh, I need to grind dungeons. The early gear is so hard to get, and a gun license is harder to get than a driver's license. Red Arrow requires at least a hunter's license, hunter qualification, a monthly income of 3000 Galen, and proof of a fixed residence—oh crap, I also discovered I haven't taken my driver's test. Don't come to Red Arrow, this place is all about exams!"

"So Li Aoz didn't come to see us because he was preparing a dungeon for us. I'm so grateful, tears are streaming down my face..."

The Internal Test Version doesn't have a dungeon system, so players have to be very careful when doing quests, as there's no chance to start over. Dungeons are also a major source of materials in various online games, and can be said to be the lifeblood of million-dollar studios.

Caramel Snail watched as the likes and replies on its forum skyrocketed, and it was about to lose itself amidst the envy and jealousy of others, when Cumin Powder suddenly said, "This dungeon is so expensive. If we fail halfway through, I wonder if we can recoup our costs."

"If it doesn't work, let's save up some experience first before going."

"That's what I think too." Cumin Powder stared at the system panel, lost in thought.

"The Nethermark Humanity".

Cumin Powder touched his chin:

"The name sounds familiar; I feel like I've heard it somewhere before."

Caramel Snail scrolled through the forum. "Is it the place mentioned in the beta test promotional video, the place where Li Aoz debuted, and also the place where Frostplate conducted human experiments—don't you read the plot?"

"I'm a professional player. The audience comes to watch me play and show off my skills, not to see how much I know about the game's lore," the Cumin Powder said innocently.

The two sent the message to the team's group chat, which immediately became lively as the group chat, which had been busy with quests and leveling up, became active again.

Ye Zhangjian: "This ' Valenkov's Winter ' looks pretty good. It's perfect for gathering resources and you can even play as a high-level NPC. But you need to be level 30 to enter."

Garryton: "The mechanics of Escape from Tarkov... I reckon I can get a lot of good stuff."

Yu Tianxiao: "I have to say that the content of the public beta has become much richer. We should do some tasks first. The resources here are really abundant. I'm already learning the language of White Candle Star. If I have the chance, I'll see if I can communicate with the locals."

The others agreed and continued to immerse themselves in the task.

Caramel Snail didn't have a good impression of Ya Wen, and coincidentally, Ya Wen didn't have a good impression of him either. Since the target was 'hidden', he had no way of knowing Favorability.

"I'd like to take on some land reclamation missions."

Caramel Snail approached Ya Wen, who gave her a cold look, casually tossed her a list, and said nothing.

Caramel Snail glanced at the materials, which were mostly medicines and minerals, and casually asked, "Is that all?"

Ya Wen coldly turned her head away, then turned to Cumin Powder and said, "Good morning, Descendant. Are you here to accept a mission?"

"Hey, good morning, miss," Cumin Powder said with a grin. "Give me some beatings to do."

Ya Wen raised her chin, carefully examined the Cumin Powder, and said, "You look like a Ranger, but your strength is not yet at the Alpha Rank. I think this mission is more suitable for you."

She turned around and took out a list. "This is Feathered Winged Beast, covered in pale white feathers. It can leap and glide through the forest. It has sharp teeth and, fortunately, it has no defensive capabilities. With your weapons, you should be able to defeat it easily."

"Yay, thank you, Weaver."

"This is my job."

After Ya Wen finished speaking, she gave Caramel Snail a cold glance, as if to say, 'Why aren't you going to get back to work?'

This stark contrast made Caramel Snail realize for the first time why people online say that male players in the Frostplate District have it worse.

'Tch! Frostplate girls!'

Caramel Snail glared back without hesitation, then turned around and followed Cumin Powder to do quests and level up.

As the players gradually dispersed, the ruins became completely deserted.

"Phew... it's finally all arranged."

Ya Wen turned around and looked at the Memory Crystal placed in the shrine.

"... Li Aoz still hasn't come back. What have you been through?"

Ya Wen reached out and touched a crystal.

"If I were you, I wouldn't touch a spacetime fault crystal."

A playful, flippant female voice rang out, and Ya Wen's fingers hovered in the air as she glanced at the person out of the corner of her eye.

An uninvited guest arrived at the ruins.

She leaned against the door, her hand caressing the Seven-Stringed Zither, producing a clear, melodious sound. Tall and slender, her silky black hair cascaded over her smooth shoulders. A one-shoulder top accentuated her full breasts, its aquamarine rhinestones reflecting dazzling light. The woman wore a thin, long skirt with a slit in the middle, revealing her plump, delicate white skin—a healthy white skin, completely different from the sunless, azure-colored skin of the Azure Planet People.

Noticing Ya Wen's gaze, the woman slightly raised her head, her light blue eyes meeting Ya Wen's gaze.

Ding—

The woman gently plucked the strings and began to sing. "A woman with spring in her heart always mistakes the concern of others for love. A lily is only praised when it is pure, not when it is picked."

Her lyrics were ordinary, and the rhymes were quite bad, but strangely enough, her voice was as clear and pure as crystal. When paired with her piano playing, Ya Wen felt a strong resonance in her heart for some reason.

With a gentle sniff of her delicate nose, the woman seemed to be able to smell the scent emanating from Ya Wen.

Love is but a cage. It can hold a butterfly, but not a spider. If you wish to dance freely and soar through the sky, do not step into this grave.

The woman's pale blue eyes stared at Ya Wen, reflecting Ya Wen's face like a mirror: she was ugly and stupid, like an evil giant spider.

"You were once like a blue butterfly, embracing flowers and the spring breeze. If you insist on continuing down this path, you will be doomed forever."

After the woman finished singing, she put away her instrument, stood up straight, slowly walked to Ya Wen, raised her hand, and said in fluent and natural language:

"Wei Erwei Aellria San Valendino – an adventurer currently attempting to transition into a bard. You may call me Vierria."

She introduced herself in a whispered voice.