Once their brief introductions were over, Liu Peng began explaining instances to Chu Qingjiu.
This was a world of endless survival games, and they were the chosen players. Players had to struggle to survive in this world. They had no overpowered skills or weapons; all they could rely on were their own physical abilities and intelligence.
Every instance had a Dungeon Boss, and Dungeon Bosses faced restrictions on killing. No matter what happened on the first day, no one would die. This was a hidden rule of the instances.
Players could leave an instance by completing its objectives or simply surviving safely until its duration ended.
There was, however, a third way-uncovering the truth behind the instance.
That truth would gradually emerge through the instance's setting and clues. Players had to piece things together to slowly uncover it.
That was why practically every player who survived for long was shrewd.
"This is an eight-player instance. There are only seven of us here right now because one person is still resting. Her name is Zhang Yaoyao, and she's a newcomer like you," Liu Peng explained casually.
"Everyone gets a hint before entering their next instance, so you can use that hint to find an expert to help you clear it.
"Once the protection period ends, the system will give us specific information, hints, and clues."
Chu Qingjiu said softly and slowly, "Thank you, Peng."
His voice was mostly breathy. Because he was so weak, people had to listen closely to hear him.
All this was quite novel to Chu Qingjiu. He had previously been a major instance boss, mainly relying on controlling the bosses of other instances and turning them into puppets to do his bidding.
He knew little about the information available to players. All he had needed to do was kill them and keep the survival rate under control.
Did this count as infiltrating the enemy?
Chu Qingjiu wondered blankly.
Once he killed Qi Wu and recovered all his Puppet Threads, he could go back to being a major instance boss. Then he could use his experience as a player to make clearing instances even harder.
That sort of life should be quite entertaining, too.
A faint smile appeared on Chu Qingjiu's normally icy face, leaving even Liu Peng feeling a little bashful.
After a short wait, a piercing, mechanical electronic voice suddenly rang out. Chu Qingjiu frowned and listened quietly.
[Instance name: Hundred Ghosts Night Parade] [Instance difficulty: One and a half stars] [Instance survival rate: 27.5% (2,630 players have cleared it so far)] [Instance introduction: On the Ghost Festival, the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade. The eldest young mistress of the Xu Family has died. Heartbroken, the Eldest Young Master Xu has decided to summon his beloved's departed soul on the Ghost Festival so they can reunite and rekindle their love.] [Instance objectives (choose one): 1. Survive for three days. 2. Bring back the departed soul of the Eldest Young Master Xu's beloved, Wang Peiling (extremely dangerous).]
The system delivered that single passage, then vanished without a trace.
"I'll go get Zhang Yaoyao. We'll get ready to head out in a bit." Qi Wu headed upstairs as he spoke.
Chu Qingjiu looked at Liu Peng with a hint of confusion. "Why do we need to go out?"
"Because this is a safe zone where players can rest for a little while. Ghosts and monsters can't find this place to attack us. We have to go outside to find out where our instance actually is."
Chu Qingjiu nodded. No wonder he had never found the players right at the start. They had all been hiding here.
The place was simply furnished and appeared to have two floors. They were currently in the living room, while the second floor contained bedrooms and the like.
Soon, Qi Wu came down from the second floor with Zhang Yaoyao.
Zhang Yaoyao was a cute girl with short hair, about sixteen years old. Dressed in a casual white T-shirt and shorts, she radiated youthful energy, a stark contrast to Chu Qingjiu's sickly state.
"Wow, you're so handsome!"
At the sight of Chu Qingjiu, Zhang Yaoyao's eyes lit up, and she dashed over from beside Qi Wu.
"Hey, move aside." Qi Wu strode over on his long legs and shooed Zhang Yaoyao away before sidling up to Chu Qingjiu with an eager look. "He's my big brother."
"..."
The two youngsters lightened the mood considerably. At least Zhao Yang was no longer quite so hostile toward Chu Qingjiu.
Once they left the safe house, they found themselves standing directly before the gates of a grand, old-fashioned mansion, as though they had traveled through time.
But white mourning silk hung all around the mansion, and funeral music drifted faintly from within, lending it a deeply ominous air.
Liu Peng explained, "Instances usually give us identities that fit the setting, so don't worry."
Sure enough, the moment Liu Peng finished speaking, the tightly shut gates of the Xu Family mansion creaked open.
An elderly man of about sixty stood there, dressed in mourning clothes.
His temples were flecked with white, and the skin of his face was slightly sunken and deeply wrinkled, but his eyes retained a certain clarity.
His voice was rich, his expression respectful. "Relatives of the eldest young mistress's family, the master and young master have been awaiting you for some time."
The old man spoke to them without being either servile or arrogant, displaying the refined manners of someone from a wealthy household. His status was certainly not low.
Someone who could welcome guests on behalf of the master and young master was likely the household's head steward.
"Please follow me to change your clothes first."
With that, the head steward turned and left. The eight players obediently followed him, and the two servants at the entrance shut the Xu Family's gates behind them.
A thrilling, perilous struggle for survival was about to begin. The viewers who had long been waiting in the livestream lobby could hardly wait to watch it unfold.
As the eight players entered the Xu Family mansion, their individual livestreams went live. Players would only learn about the livestreams under certain circumstances; most of the time, they had no idea they were being broadcast.
That was what made the footage interesting.
The viewers could see the players' most candid, genuine reactions. Like perverts peeping from the shadows, they greedily savored the sight of players struggling to survive.
"If I'd known this instance was opening, I would've applied to be an NPC. There are so many handsome guys and pretty girls."
"Do you even have an instance license? Even the weakest ghosts allowed in are vicious ghosts. A little ordinary ghost like you can't even be an NPC."
"Fuck... why am I still getting insulted when I'm a ghost? Unbelievable!"
"Come on, let's guess who dies first on day two. My money's on that frail, sickly guy."
"Seconded!"
The frail, sickly man they kept dismissing certainly lived up to the description. After only a few steps, cold sweat began beading on his forehead, accompanied by stifled coughs. He looked as though he might faint at any moment.
"Cough, cough..."
"Let me help you, big brother."
Although Qi Wu made it sound like a suggestion, he took hold of Chu Qingjiu's arm without leaving room for argument, letting him lean most of his weight against him.
"..."
Considering his current physical condition, Chu Qingjiu did not refuse. But the only reason he was in this state was Qi Wu.
The Puppet Threads were products nurtured by his soul. Having all ten severed was equivalent to having his soul damaged.
Naturally, his body could hardly be in good shape.
On top of that, the person in charge had thrown him into this instance like a lab rat and given him the only skill he could use. To maintain the instance's balance, they naturally had to impose restrictions on him.
He could see everyone's favorability toward him. As long as their favorability reached the required threshold, he could control a person, an NPC, or even a Dungeon Boss. That was what set him apart from the other players.
With such an overpowered ability to control others, only this sickly body, barely clinging to life, could keep him in check.
So no matter what, he had to kill Qi Wu to appease the hatred in his heart.
Before you continue