Instance Cleared

The darkness outside gradually faded. The world didn't stop turning for anyone, and in just a few minutes, the sun would rise in the distant east. The fire in the ruined temple slowly dwindled and went out. This long night would soon be over, and a new day would begin.

The Old Man still sat slumped beside the fire, staring blankly at the ashes. Ignoring the embers, he suddenly reached out and scooped up a handful, clutching it tightly in his palm as he felt its warmth.

"Daybreak's coming!" Lu Li exclaimed. The emotions slowly ebbed away, and he was suddenly bored. But a lifetime of tedium had trained his patience, and there were plenty of things waiting for him that would soon put the spark back in his step.

Lu Li looked at the Old Man before him as an idea slowly took shape in his mind. What a poor soul, he sighed inwardly. The Old Man had held on for a lifetime, only to be forced to let go in the end. A deep sense of pity welled up inside Lu Li, bringing back memories of the Old Man giving him clothes and food. The Old Man was a kind person.

Perhaps I should stay and look after him. He's so old, and he needs someone to keep him company. The thought surfaced in Lu Li's mind, and the urge to act on it grew stronger and stronger.

But the next moment, Lu Li swept all those thoughts away. His bug-like ability to control himself, rooted in his very soul, gave him extraordinary mastery over his own mind. Those suggestions forcibly implanted by someone else couldn't affect him at all.

"So this is the hidden trap the Puppet left behind?" Lu Li didn't know what to make of her. Everything she'd planned from beginning to end had been for the Old Man's sake. But from another angle, the Puppet had been using him all along. Even at the very end, she'd implanted a suggestion in his mind, wanting him to care for the Old Man for the rest of his life and use the Cinnabar Talisman of Soul Return to revive him when he died.

"Oh, my mission's about to be complete! I wonder where I'll be sent afterward. How am I supposed to fulfill the little Puppet's request then?" Lu Li never turned down anything interesting, as long as it interested him. Right now, he was curious about what the Cinnabar Talisman of Soul Return could do.

So Lu Li turned his gaze to the Old Man and waited quietly for time to pass.

[Mission time limit reached. Congratulations, temporary participant Z0001, on clearing the instance!]

[Instance type: Solo; Test]

[Instance completion rewards: Basic ability enhancement; 200 Game Points.]

[Side mission completion reward: Complete the Source of Corpse Ghosts; receive 500 Game Points.]

[Additional gains counted: Rule Module: Fixed; Rule Module: Fear; Rule Module: Will; Seven Chapters of the Mysterious Monarch: Cinnabar Talisman of Soul Return (Incomplete)]

[Incomplete Seven Chapters of the Mysterious Monarch: Cinnabar Talisman of Soul Return detected. This is a relic of an Evil God and is extremely dangerous. If temporary participant Z0001 wishes to take it out, the GM will automatically disassemble it into a random number of modules.]

[Bonus reward: Kill a Variant Corpse Ghost; receive 200 Game Points and Energy Module: Life.]

[Instance complete. You have one instance lottery draw available. Use it? Yes/No]

[You have five minutes to organize your rewards. Participants will be teleported away after five minutes. You may also choose to leave early.]

"Perfect timing!" Lu Li glanced at the five-minute countdown and walked behind the Old Man. Grabbing his head, he twisted it to the side. There was a crack, and another life came to an end. With great interest, Lu Li took out the Cinnabar Talisman of Soul Return.

An ominous aura swirled around the Old Man's corpse before seeping inside. A revolting stench of decay quickly arose, then dissipated. The blood in the Old Man's body seemed to be controlled by an invisible force. It seeped from every pore and drifted away, little by little, turning into specks of red light that were drawn into the cinnabar. At the same time, another force burst from his body, making his heart beat again. Under its influence, his skin regained its luster, his muscles tightened, and his groggy mind cleared. Blood began to form anew from his marrow, while an unknown force replenished everything he needed.

At last, the Old Man—or rather, the young man—opened his eyes. They were utterly devoid of emotion, like those of a newborn opening his eyes for the first time. He stared blankly at the burned-out fire, tears slipping from the corners of his eyes for some unknown reason, his expression still vacant and ignorant.

Memories dormant in his mind slowly returned. He "remembered" who he was, "remembered" where he lived, "remembered" his parents and the common knowledge of everyday life. He even "remembered" Lu Li. But he felt that he'd forgotten something, that something was missing. When he stood up, his hands instinctively reached to cradle something against his chest. Then he wondered why he'd made that gesture. He didn't notice the tears welling in his eyes again.

"Only the body was revived. Then a new soul emerged from it and took over the incomplete memories. This kind of resurrection is completely pointless," Lu Li remarked. After witnessing the supposed resurrection brought about by the Cinnabar Talisman of Soul Return, he instantly lost interest in it. It was of no use to him. "Forget it. This is good enough. I've fulfilled the Puppet's request, more or less."

Lu Li silently chose to draw, and five cards appeared before him, each engraved with an image. The first showed an ordinary Corpse Ghost, with a line of small text beneath it: "Corpse Ghost summon uses: 3/3." The second showed a lone Buddha Head, with the same line of small text beneath it: "Will be disassembled into modules upon acquisition." The third showed rings of golden Sanskrit, and its description read: "Vajra Blessing 3/3." The fourth showed a charming little Puppet, with the description: "Obtain the modules she left behind." The fifth was blank, with no description beneath it.

Once Lu Li had finished looking at the five cards, they turned over, revealing white backs. Their order was shuffled, and they appeared before him once more, floating silently.

"Is this the moment when I find out whether I've got good luck?" Lu Li said seriously. With a grave expression, he tapped one card. The others slowly faded away. The card he'd chosen turned around. It was the Puppet, and Lu Li would receive her final gift.

The card instantly shattered, dropping two crystals: a Control Module: Spirit and a Special Module: Primary Intelligence. That brought the number of modules Lu Li possessed to six, not counting the modules that would soon be extracted from the Cinnabar Talisman of Soul Return.

[Organization period over. Temporary participant Z0001 is returning to the main space.]

The next moment, Lu Li disappeared, leaving only the newly reborn young man in the ruined temple, grieving for reasons he couldn't understand.

That's it for the first story arc. Next comes the game's setting and the enhancement of the protagonist's abilities. Please vote for this story and add it to your collection. If you can, please also leave a comment in the review section. Xu Ming will reply to most comments, and thoughtful long reviews will be featured. Xu Ming will also set up a character-submission thread in the comments. You can leave names there, though Xu Ming won't use every one. Thanks for understanding!