bookbashuk 6. Start of the instance
6. Start of the instance
He slept exceptionally soundly until his alarm clock at 7:40 a.m. pulled him out of his deep sleep.
To be honest, this mindset is something that would make anyone envious.
After waking up, washing up, and emptying my bowels, I felt more refreshed and full of energy as I faced the morning sun.
Aside from a little nervousness, I felt mostly anticipation.
After washing up, it was time to get ready.
Just as it was eight o'clock, the flat wall in front of me, which had been completely empty, began to display words made of flowing light sand, as if it were a screen controlled by an invisible hand.
[My beloved subjects, welcome to the brand-new three-star dungeon, Jingjue Ancient City. Tired of the mundane routine? Then let's get straight to the point and begin this...feast of desert treasure hunting and human nature's struggle!]
[Instance Name: Jingjue Ancient City]
[Limited Time Offer: 15 Days]
[Background: The tomb raiders accidentally obtained information about the ancient city of Jingjue and a rough map. Legend has it that not only is the astonishing wealth accumulated by the Queen of Jingjue buried deep within the ancient city, but it may also conceal her mysterious power originating from the Ghost Cave. Your mission is to follow this dubious guide and find that city of death buried under the yellow sand in the vast desert.]
【Important Notice!】
[1: Core Objective: Within fifteen days, locate the ancient city of Jingjue, find the place where the Queen sleeps, and find a way to 'awaken' her. Afterwards, escape the ancient city of Jingjue alive.]
[2: The Mystery of Your Identity: You eight each inherit the mantle of an ancient sect: Tomb Raider, Grave Robber, Mountain Movers, Ridge Unloading Warrior, Mountain Guardian, Nine Netherworld King, Yin-Yang Master, and Corpse-Binding King. Each lineage possesses a unique secret technique or ability, known only to you. (Hint: It's best not to easily reveal your identity.)]
[3: Guanshan Taibao is the mortal enemy of the Tomb Raiders, Mountain Movers, Tomb Excavators, and Ridge Unloading Warriors. He is also at odds with the Yin-Yang Master, the Corpse-Binding King, and the Nine Netherworld King. Their respective missions may be to kill each other.]
[4: Two of you are "ghosts." The "ghosts'" mission is to kill members of certain factions.]
[5: Cooperation leads to win-win results; no one can accomplish a task alone.]
[Clearance Rewards: The richness of the rewards will be strictly assessed based on your contribution, exploration progress, and survival performance in the dungeon. The more you contribute, the more you earn; those who die will not receive any rewards.]
Finally, may you fully enjoy the thrill of solving puzzles, the excitement of betrayal, and the hardships of survival. Best of luck...
[Countdown begins. After it ends, all players will be teleported to the game. Please prepare!]
【10.9.8……1.】
As the countdown began, Qin Mian and the other selected individuals all tensed up.
People all over the world are paying attention.
Sigh, I hope they can hold out for the full fifteen days, otherwise, even more people will be in trouble.
[I doubt it. This is a three-star difficulty dungeon. Two-star dungeons are already full of corpses, so going in on a three-star dungeon is a guaranteed death sentence.]
[Damn it, this isn't fair to us! This dungeon is clearly in the style of the Great Xia Dynasty.]
[The two of us from Da Xia hope to work together to conquer the three-star dungeon. The rewards for this dungeon are sure to be very generous.]
……
The entire internet is discussing this.
Qin Mian watched the countdown gradually reach zero and took a deep breath.
He was dressed neatly, but didn't make any excessive preparations.
In most cases, you cannot bring items from outside the instance into the game, but you can bring items obtained from inside the instance. Sometimes you can even wear clothes directly.
This has resulted in situations where, in the past, some players were unprepared, and a female player entered the game naked right after taking a shower, which was then broadcast live to the entire world.
A moment of dizziness followed, but I returned to normal.
Qin Mian opened his eyes and found himself in a desert.
As far as the eye can see, everything is a vast expanse of yellow, with only a few scattered poplars and sea buckthorns scattered in the desert.
A wave of heat swept over him, and Qin Mian was already sweating even before he moved.
Including himself, there were a total of eight figures who suddenly appeared in this sea of sand.
Their eyes showed a hint of confusion and nervousness, but they quickly calmed down.
Then they began to look each other over.
Qin Mian also looked at the others.
Five men and two women were present, but Mu Yunni was not there, which made Qin Mian slightly disappointed.
One of the blonde women looked particularly familiar; she was the famous actress Scarlett Johansson.
Her long golden hair fluttered in the hot desert wind, and her tight-fitting black leather adventure suit perfectly outlined her breathtaking curves, especially her legs, which were longer and straighter than the ones Qin Mian knew from his previous life.
She seemed to know how to use her advantages. She bit her lower lip slightly, and her blue eyes revealed a hint of unease and vulnerability that could instantly arouse the protective instincts of most men.
Qin Mian had seen the information about these people, so he quickly recognized them.
A refined-looking man in a well-fitting suit and wire-rimmed glasses, standing out from his surroundings, broke the silence first. "Gentlemen, I believe everyone has already learned a bit about each other before entering the instance, so there's no need for introductions, right?"
Qin Mian had seen his information; he was Park Guk-chang from South Korea.
This is a desert expedition, and this guy is wearing a suit. I don't know what he was thinking.
Scarlett began, "Information is static, but people are dynamic. Face-to-face communication is the only way to build initial trust. I'll go first. Hello everyone, I'm Scarlett, from the United States, and my profession... as you can see, is an actress. In a place like this, I may not be able to offer much professional help, but I will try my best not to hold you back, and please... take good care of me."
She bowed slightly, adopting a humble posture, and her gaze swept earnestly over the men present.
"Miss Scarlett! It really is you! Oh my god, I'm so excited!" an excited voice rang out.
A short, stocky Japanese man named Yamamoto Ichiro, sporting a typical mustache, practically jogged up to Scarlett, his face beaming with the fervent smile of a fan meeting their idol, frantically searching his ninja outfit for a place to sign his autograph.
"I'm a huge fan of yours! I've watched every one of your films more than ten times! I never expected to see you here. This must be Amaterasu's guidance! Please sign my autograph right here!" He pointed to his chest, his eyes filled with an exaggerated sincerity.
His behavior drew a disdainful snort from the nearly two-meter-tall man next to him, who seemed to find his actions quite shameful.
"Black Bear Country, Andreev, Outdoor Survival Master."
He was broad-shouldered and burly, looking like a black bear that had come to life, giving off a powerful and dangerous aura.
For some reason, looking at Andreev's fleshy face, one gets the feeling from the bottom of one's heart that this guy must be a major villain.
……