Instance settings

The next day, daylight flooded in.

Xie De still hadn't gotten the full day in bed he'd wanted. A bunch of chattering brats woke him first thing in the morning, and then he couldn't get back to sleep.

The children weren't actually that loud, though. Wei Yunmo had quickly quieted them down and taken them out of the house. It was probably because Xie De's senses had grown sharper than before.

Since he couldn't sleep anyway, Xie De got up, freshened up, and went down to the underground garage to inspect the rewards the Instance Main System had given him for clearing the Instance.

Perhaps it was because 455 had been "meddling," or perhaps it was because TC730 needed a favor. Either way, the rewards for this Instance were very generous too.

TC730 had given him an all-black off-road vehicle outright.

The trunk held 1,000 rounds compatible with various firearms, along with a shotgun.

455 was excitedly introducing it. "This is a Balm FP-6! It uses a three-port barrel to reduce recoil, increase the rate of fire, and tighten the shot spread. It has a heat shield and can fire rounds rapidly. The standard magazine holds five rounds, but it can also be replaced with a seven-round magazine... Anyone who's used a gun can pick it up in no time!"

Xie De supplied a heartless response. "Wow. That's impressive."

Xie De wasn't particularly interested in guns. He liked cars more, and his enthusiasm made him eager to get in and see how it handled.

Since getting his license, this was the first time he'd driven a four-wheeled vehicle of his own. Before this, he'd either rented one or simply gone without.

Strictly speaking, though, this was his second vehicle. Yes, the first had been a little electric scooter, already scrapped because of a battery problem.

Xie De excitedly examined the interior. This wasn't a model available on the market. It might have undergone some illegal modifications; the equipment inside looked military-grade.

Uh, if the traffic cops spotted this on the road, they'd definitely detain me, wouldn't they? And it looks like a real gas guzzler. Maintenance must cost a fortune.

He switched the vehicle on, and a spinning circle immediately appeared on the central display up front.

Xie De thought 455 was trying to log in, but instead, a very familiar voice came through, cool, calm, and polite.

"Good morning, Mr. Xie. The weather is clear, and the temperature is twenty-three degrees Celsius, suitable for an outing. Please enter your destination, and I will provide navigation."

Huh?! Before Xie De could say anything-

455 popped up and shouted, "Wifey! ₍₍ ◟(∗˙ ꒵ ˙∗)◞ ₎₎ Good morning! Did everything run smoothly last night? I love the gun you gave us, hehe."

TC730 said earnestly, "To be precise, it was not a gift. It was compensation you earned for clearing the Instance."

"Okay, I love the compensation you gave us. You look so pretty today, too..."

Xie De watched 455's pathetic display with disdain. Who was it that had sworn up and down yesterday that it would never be love-brained again? Yet the moment it saw TC730, it sidled right up like some infatuated creep. He'd known it. A leopard never changed its spots.

Xie De clicked his tongue and lowered the window. Leaning his upper body against the driver's-side door, he lit a cigarette and let his hand dangle along the door, the cigarette held between two fingers. He asked lazily, "What's going on here? Come to supervise?"

TC730 said, "Yes and no. This vehicle is the largest item the Instance has issued to date. To ensure that it can function normally in the real world, an onboard driving system has been included to serve you and provide subsequent repairs and maintenance. Please excuse the intrusion."

"It's fine, it's fine..." 455 was about to speak again when Xie De took out his phone, shut it down with one tap, and tossed it onto the passenger seat.

He took a drag. Through the drifting smoke, his features looked cold and stern, with a hint of mockery. With a faint, ambiguous smile, he asked, "Why did you give me a car? Wei Yanchi contributed the most in this Instance, didn't he? He worked out the whole sequence of events."

TC730 answered like a customer service representative. "You misunderstand. All Instance rewards are allocated according to the players' preferences and characteristics. Most of player Wei Yanchi's rewards relate to mysticism and feng shui, such as a fragment of the Heshi Jade and a five-hundred-year-old sandalwood incense burner."

According to the players' preferences and characteristics?

Xie De fell silent. How should he put it? He actually preferred cash.

Seeing that he wasn't speaking, TC730 added, "You are a very unusual case. Let me give you another example. Player Beiwei has a terminal illness, so the Instance rewards her with health and lifespan. Player Old Eugene is a gang boss who values his life, so the Instance rewards him with money and items that alter his luck."

"Your preferences and characteristics are somewhat difficult to determine, so the Instance has given you a vehicle, a gun, and ammunition. We hope you like them."

It wasn't as if he disliked them.

After a silence, Xie De asked, "How much do you give Old Eugene for clearing an Instance?"

"He receives a business deal worth seven million."

Oh my god!

No wonder that old man was so rich! These profits were insane!

All at once, Xie De felt genuinely invested. His motivation had suddenly returned. No wonder Beiwei had said infinite-flow players were a bunch of desperadoes.

He really was a little short on cash right now. Ahem. He didn't want to sell the gun or the car, nor could he. More importantly, if he sold the gun, what would he do inside the Instances? Who ever complained about having too many weapons?

After all, every fear stemmed from insufficient firepower.

Xie De cleared his throat. "Ahem. If I complete your task in the real world, I can pick any of your items?"

"Yes."

For a moment, the corners of Xie De's mouth were harder to keep down than an AK's muzzle. He hurriedly took a drag to steady his emotions and calm himself, then asked as though making idle conversation, his tone casual and seemingly unconcerned, "TC730, do all your machines come with warranty service?"

TC730 remained silent for a long while.

"No. You are an exception."

Xie De paused, as though something had occurred to him. Now genuinely enjoying the show, he asked, "Because of 455?"

This time, TC730 stayed silent even longer.

And it offered no direct answer. "This conversation has ended. If you require assistance, please call me again."

TC730 went offline.

But how was that any different from burying its head in the sand?

Xie De had his answer. He glanced at the phone on the passenger seat. 455 was struggling to boot it up. By the time it finally succeeded, TC730 had already gone offline, and the car still hadn't started moving.

Curious, and stabbing him in the back, it asked, "What did you two talk about? Answer me! Don't give me the silent treatment! ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚ Host, say something, tell me!!"

"Tsk."

Whatever temper it had, it took it all out on him.

Useless 455.

Xie De stubbed out his cigarette. "455, locate the target."

"Huh, (눈_눈) didn't you say yesterday that you wanted to take a day off? Why are you so motivated today?"

Because money is a great motivator, obviously. And while I'm at it, I'll give you something to talk about when you go sucking up. Looks like you've got a chance, doesn't it?

Still, now that he finally had a chance to act cool, could Xie De tell the truth? Of course not.

So he put on an air and said, "Hmph. My gun thirsts for blood."

"That's so edgy, Host. You poser."

The corners of his mouth dropped again. "You've got some nerve saying that. You act like a backup option in front of TC730, you damn simp."

455: ( ＞∧＜ ) 🖕