Bear Service Area

It was an eyeball-shaped icon.

[Item: Monkey's Eye]

[Tip: It seems to be an ordinary monkey's eye. Perhaps it has some special use?]

[Price: 80 points]

It cost less than a kitchen knife.

Xin Jiu suddenly remembered something she had overheard an NPC say in the tower-top instance.

"That guy on the 29th floor stole one of the Great Sage's eyes when he wasn't looking, then lost it somewhere... Our Great Sage was so furious he went to the 29th floor and turned the place upside down."

Could it be the Great Sage's eye?

But would the game really sell the Great Sage's Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils for just 80 points and take that loss?

However Xin Jiu thought about it, it seemed unlikely.

It was most likely just an ordinary monkey's eye.

But to her, 80 points was practically nothing, so Xin Jiu bought it anyway.

A new notification popped up before her.

[Item obtained: Monkey's Eye (Incomplete)]

[Item description: Allows you to view a random player's panel, including skill details. Can be used three times a day.]

[Tip: Oh dear, this doesn't seem to be an ordinary monkey's eye. (Sweating soybean emoji)]

Xin Jiu: Sneaky. So damn sneaky!

They had deliberately hidden its ability and even priced it like some cheap trinket. If she hadn't been suspicious by nature, she would have missed this treasure!

Although she couldn't be sure whether this really was the Great Sage's eye, with this, she could learn her opponents' attributes and skills ahead of time in competitive instances and seize the initiative!

Xin Jiu couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from lifting.

She kept browsing, but nothing else was useful, so she closed the shop for now.

Just then, a panel visible only to her popped up.

[Please rate the tutorial match.]

[Your feedback will help us improve the game content.]

The highest rating was five stars.

Xin Jiu scoffed.

So this was an inspector's job?

[Playability: ★☆☆☆☆]

[Entertainment: ★☆☆☆☆]

[Satisfaction: ★☆☆☆☆]

After she finished rating it, the smiling face on the panel turned into a crying face.

Xin Jiu, however, smiled.

Ten minutes later, the service area opened. Since it was a rest area for players, the livestream was suspended.

After the livestream ended, the viewers launched into heated discussions on the official website.

Most were starting threads about Xin Jiu's impressive achievements.

Aside from her, the two most discussed were Heartless Dao Dabao and Hash Brown Heavy Dependence. Some players shared clips from their livestreams.

Both were careful about their privacy and wore face masks.

[I seriously never expected Heartless Dao Dabao to be a Lolita fashion girl. What a contrast!]

[She's so tiny, but she doesn't hesitate at all when killing goblins.]

[That purple Lolita dress she's wearing is super expensive. How much was it on the official website again? I can't remember.]

[Eighty thousand.]

A viewer posted a high-definition close-up screenshot of Hash Brown Heavy Dependence.

He wore a black-and-blue color-blocked techwear utility jacket with black cuffed cargo pants. A string of copper coins hung at his waist, and a long saber hung on his back.

[Even with the mask on, he looks so handsome...]

[Have you noticed anything unusual about his eyes?]

[They're such a clear green, like the aurora.]

[He's so hot I'm drooling!]

[I mean, don't you think he looks like Ao Lin? Ao Lin's eyes are exactly that color.]

Ao Lin was currently the hottest idol in the Nine Provinces, with over a hundred million followers on Douyin. His most famous feature was his eyes, as clear as the aurora.

[It can't be Ao Ao. He just posted an update about his day.]

[But he really looks like him...]

A minute later, the official website started another livestream.

The country at the bottom of this points match's rankings was a small coastal nation with a population of over four million and only a little over two hundred thousand players.

The system turned its livestream cameras on that country.

Every viewer saw the horrors descend.

The game deployed three octopuses, each as large as a massive cruise ship. After coming ashore, they began attacking indiscriminately.

The local military reacted swiftly, deploying troops with heavy weapons to drive the three octopuses back.

But the outcome was far from promising.

Under the octopuses' attacks, the country lost a third of its population in just a few hours.

Viewers around the world fell silent.

This game... was serious.

For a time, panic gripped the Nine Provinces.

Inside the service area.

Xin Jiu opened her eyes and found herself standing on a beach, with coconut palms on either side and a salty, fishy sea breeze blowing toward her.

Coconut palms, a beach, and the sea.

To players who had just survived a bloody struggle, it was nothing short of paradise on earth.

"Welcome to Service Area No. 1."

A cheerful voice rang out.

The players looked over and saw several fluffy little bears trotting toward them.

They came in pure white, earthy yellow, cream, black, and brown.

They all wore matching white uniforms with red bows at their collars. They waddled as they walked, looking very cute.

"I'm the administrator here, White Bear," the little white bear said politely.

A player asked, "So this is the service area?"

"Yes, but the place where you'll be staying is a few hundred meters farther ahead. Follow me."

White Bear and the other Xiongxiong led them forward.

"Service Area No. 1 offers a full range of services, including accommodation, dining, entertainment, and shopping. All of you players can relax here to your hearts' content."

The players erupted with excitement.

After all, many of them hadn't had so much as a sip of water since entering the game, let alone any food.

Once they got into the service area, they were going to feast!

Several luxurious resort hotels towered behind the coconut grove.

Each had fifty floors.

The players entered the service area in batches. All surviving players from Nine Provinces District 46 would eventually gather here.

Xin Jiu surveyed her surroundings as she walked and spotted a few small wooden cabins out on the water nearby.

"What are those?"

The little brown bear nearest her explained, "Those are the VIP ocean-view rooms. They have expansive views and plenty of privacy, but staying there costs a lot of points."

"How many?" a player asked.

"You'll find out when we reach the hotel."

When they reached the hotel lobby, the little brown bear pointed to the price list on the wall.

[Bear Resort Hotel price list]

[Single room: 300 points/night]

[Standard room: 500 points/night]

[Deluxe room: 800 points/night]

[VIP ocean-view room: 2,000 points/night]

"Two thousand points a night? Are they insane?"

"I only have nineteen hundred and something points in total..."

"Anyone want to split a standard room?"

The next game would begin the morning after tomorrow, so they had to stay in the service area for two nights. Splitting a standard room with someone would save a hundred points compared with staying in a single room alone!

"I'll split one!"

"Me too!"

Xin Jiu walked up to the front desk. "VIP ocean-view room. Two nights."

The creamy-white Xiongxiong handling registration looked up in surprise. "Please provide your game ID."

"Xin Jiu."

The Xiongxiong did something on the screen, then froze. Looking at Xin Jiu, then at the photograph on the screen, its face filled with astonishment. She was actually the world's top-ranked player?

Their resort had received the number-one player!!!

"Is something wrong?" Xin Jiu asked.

The Xiongxiong snapped out of it and said bashfully, "No, I'll check you in right away."

Xin Jiu took the key card, and the Xiongxiong added, "Um, since you're the first player to stay in a VIP ocean-view room, we can offer you a complimentary royal spa treatment. Would you like that?"