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Chapter 36: Deadly Room Numbers (Part 16)
Shen Qingqiu’s eyes were filled with concern.
“Muyu, are you okay?”
Xiao Muyu took a few gulps of air to stop her coughing, and quickly loosened her grip.
At this moment, Shen Qingqiu was supporting herself with both hands on the floor, her face almost pressing against Xiao Muyu’s.
If they made eye contact, the distance would be too close.
So, Xiao Muyu straightened her face and turned her head away, coldly saying, “As long as you get up quickly, I’ll be fine.”
Shen Qingqiu was taken aback and, with a strong push, moved away to lie on her side while joking, “I was gonna get up as soon as I came in to avoid pressing you, but you held on too tightly, and I couldn’t get up.”
Xiao Muyu’s mouth twitched, and she glanced at Shen Qingqiu with an increasingly cold expression. “Me? Don’t you mean the rope?”
Shen Qingqiu looked at herself, and found that her waist and abdomen were tightly wrapped.
She blinked somewhat cluelessly.
Xiao Muyu: ……
Zuo Tiantian and Su Jin had already got up and hurried over to check on the two of them.
Zuo Tiantian felt a bit embarrassed when she heard their conversation. “I was in such a rush that I tied it too tight.”
She quickly de-summoned the red string.
“*Hiss…*”
Meanwhile, Chen Kaijie sat up, feeling dizzy. When he touched the wound on his hand, he let out a pained hiss, but still quickly glanced around.
Seeing that the other four were all there, he grinned and asked, “Everyone okay?”
Su Jin and Zuo Tiantian both laughed before nodding.
Shen Qingqiu looked at them, their faces drenched in sweat, their palms bloody. Her gaze wavered briefly, but her expression remained cold and aloof.
“Thank you.”
The three were already used to her personality by now. Zuo Tiantian spoke. “No need to thank us. You and Miss Xiao have saved us many times along the way.”
Shen Qingqiu gave a slight smile. “I’m just clearing the game.”
She was stating a fact. She hadn’t deliberately saved them; they had survived with their own luck.
Su Jin had somewhat figured out Shen Qingqiu’s personality, so she tugged on Zuo Tiantian, signaling her to drop the topic.
Su Jin noticed that they had once again returned to the meeting room, so…
“Did we clear the game?”
“Congratulations to players Chen Kaijie, Xiao Muyu, Shen Qingqiu, Zuo Tiantian, and Su Jin for delightfully completing Collector’s Edition Instance No. 002: Deadly Room Numbers, with a completion time of 6 hours and 21 minutes, setting a new world record for this instance!”
Before anyone else could respond, the system broadcast provided Su Jin with the answer.
However, its choice of words and tone were truly infuriating.
“Delightful? If it thinks it’s so ‘delightful’, it should try it for itself! ‘Collector’s Edition Instance’? Did it pull that out of its ass!?”
A very upset Chen Kaijie couldn’t refrain from grumbling angrily.
“Warning, do not attack the system!”
When one stood under the eaves, one must bow their head.1 Chen Kaijie wisely shut his mouth and pretended he was mute.
“As someone once said, ‘Mastery of maths, physics, and chemistry, is a key to global success.2 Live as a hero, and die a hero.3‘”
Everyone: …What? How can these two quotes even be connected?
“It means that top students are valuable everywhere, even after death. Now, let’s announce the individual ratings for the five players in this instance!”
“Player Xiao Muyu: Rating S, awarded honorary title: Top Student, reward points: 120!”
“Player Shen Qingqiu: Rating S, awarded honorary title: School Bully, reward points: 120!”
“*Cough, cough!*” Chen Kaijie suddenly choked on his own spit.
Their S ratings were well-deserved, but what was with the honorary titles?
Top Student was acceptable; Xiao Muyu truly was that. But why was Shen Qingqiu labeled as School Bully?
Su Jin and Zuo Tiantian couldn’t help lowering their heads, snickering. Shen Qingqiu’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. Even Xiao Muyu’s lips curled up slightly.
“Player Su Jin: Rating A, reward points: 100.”
“Player Zuo Tiantian: Rating A, awarded honorary title: Shining Moments, reward points: 90.”
“Player Chen Kaijie: Rating A, reward points: 90.”
Zuo Tiantian: ……
Chen Kaijie laughed out loud. “That’s true; Tiantian really has had a lot of shining moments.”
At first, Zuo Tiantian’s mental and physical contributions were a bit weaker than the others, but she had used her item at two key moments.
Once, when she tied up Lin Hai, giving them a chance to escape, and when she narrowly saved their School Bully, Shen Qingqiu.
There was also that critical deduction regarding the periodic table, which was quite impressive.
Su Jin suddenly asked, “Why is my rating A, but I have 100 points? What are the points for?”
When she brought it up, everyone suddenly remembered something—Su Jin was a newcomer.
“Probably because you’re a newcomer. You performed so well for the first time, so you should get a reward. Once you get out, those points will become your currency. Your luck isn’t great, though. You matched with Instance No. 002 right away, and it’s a collector’s edition instance. It just sounds difficult.”
Chen Kaijie clicked his tongue, feeling more and more that the system was a swindler.
Su Jin pondered for a moment and replied, “It was very difficult, which is why it matched me with Miss Xiao and Miss Shen. All things considered, it’s not too bad.”
Chen Kaijie blinked in surprise before nodding in agreement.
Once the system finished speaking, a beam of white light appeared before them, and Arbiter No. 002 emerged from the glow.
Her expression was as cold and serious as ever.
“Congratulations to the five of you for completing this instance. As per the rules, you may receive your rewards for clearing the game through a gacha draw. Players with an S rating will receive an extra gacha draw. Additionally, since you have set a new record for clearing the instance, your group may choose one of the following three rewards: 1. One ‘Loving Family’ card. 2. 100 points. 3. Outside assistance.”
Arbiter No. 002’s announcement left the five of them stunned, and they immediately ran through the three rewards in their minds.
Admittedly, the other rewards besides option 2 were quite vague, especially option 1. What did the out-of-date term ‘Loving Family’ even mean? Who were they supposed to be a loving family with—ghosts or humans?
“Can I ask what the ‘Loving Family’ card is? And how exactly does outside assistance work? Who will provide the assistance—teammates, the system, or someone else?”
The newbie Su Jin felt even more confused.
“After you make your choice, there will naturally be a description of the item. You only have 30 seconds to decide. After 30 seconds, it will be considered a forfeit! Please choose.”
Chen Kaijie and the others suddenly became anxious. If they didn’t fear No. 002, they would have wanted to curse at the system: ‘What a terrible system! How could it be so harsh?’
“Miss Shen, Miss Xiao, what are you two going to choose?”
Options 1 and 3 were still vague, but option 2, though not functional, was tempting simply because anyone who had been to Skynet World would understand the importance of money.
After all, a hotel room costing over a thousand gold coins a night, and meals costing several hundred were enough to make someone tempted by 100 points. More importantly, it was a straightforward value.
“You have to make your own choice. I just want to remind you that points are not limited to gold coins,” Shen Qingqiu said, and then decisively stated, “I choose 2.”
There were only 18 seconds left. Xiao Muyu pointed at option 1. “I choose 1.”
With the two big shots having made their choices, Chen Kaijie hurriedly said, “I also choose 1!”
“I choose 2,” Zuo Tiantian said.
She only got 62 points from her first run and, after using some, was left with 35 points. She needed more.
“I choose 3,” Su Jin said, feeling quite optimistic.
Since this was an extra reward, and the others had already chosen options 1 and 2, she decided to go for 3 and see what it entailed.
After making their choices, everyone received their respective items. There was no need to check the description for option 2, only the descriptions for options 1 and 3.
Shen Qingqiu thoughtfully leaned over to look at the item description with Xiao Muyu.
Loving Family
Rarity: A, has a chance of dropping in various instances. Many have heard of it, but few have seen it.
Item description: Everyone might be familiar with the term “Loving Family”. It is a family group name standardized nationwide decades ago. After using this item, teammates within one kilometer can accept an invitation from the group leader to join a group chat, receiving caring words from other family members. With this, you will no longer be alone in clearing instances.
Usage method: The group leader must call out “Loving Family” to activate it.
Duration: 30 minutes.
Cooldown: 1 hour.
Usage limit: Unlimited.
After reading the description, Xiao Muyu’s expression turned serious. The card itself wasn’t a problem, but the activation method was a bit… difficult.
While the peach sword’s command, “Sword, come!” might sound a bit chuuni, at least in this environment it was still acceptable. But shouting “Loving Family”?
People might think you were out of your mind.
Su Jin, who had just finished reading Chen Kaijie’s item description, asked, “So it’s a communication tool?”
However, she was a bit puzzled. Were ‘teammates’ people who cleared the instance together?
“Let’s test it,” Shen Qingqiu suggested after turning it over in her mind. Since the item had no usage limit and they had already cleared the instance, it wouldn’t hurt to try it out.
Shen Qingqiu made the suggestion to Xiao Muyu, but Xiao Muyu, looking calm and serious, naturally shifted her gaze to Chen Kaijie instead.
She definitely didn’t want to be the one shouting “Loving Family” in front of everyone.
Chen Kaijie cleared his throat, took out the item, and quietly muttered, “Loving Family.”
Suddenly, a display screen appeared in front of Chen Kaijie, showing a circular search icon spinning continuously. It must be searching for teammates within a one-kilometer radius.
The search quickly finished, and a cold mechanical voice announced, “Sorry, you are all alone, with no loving family members.”
Everyone: …….
“Pfft.”
Zuo Tiantian and the others, stunned at first, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Chen Kaijie’s face turned red with embarrassment, and he muttered quietly, “You’re the one who’s alone. I have a wife and kids. What do you mean I don’t have loving family members?”
But this also clarified something. Even though they had cleared the instance together, they weren’t considered part of Chen Kaijie’s team.
No. 002 also provided an explanation: “To be considered a team, players must purchase a team-binding item. Only after being bound together, will they be recognized as a team. From level A onwards, there will be mandatory team instances. If you don’t have teammates, the system will randomly assign them to you.”
When No. 002 finished speaking, the group of five fell silent. Forming a team wasn’t unexpected—after all, an individual’s abilities were limited. However, while the strength of a team could be significant, it also introduced a critical issue: if one teammate had a problem, it could drag everyone down, making the game significantly more difficult.
“Su Jin, what does your item do?” Xiao Muyu was the first to break the silence, looking at Su Jin as she asked.
“Outside Assistance: Upon usage, you can request help from anyone who is not nearby, as long as you know their name, whether they are human or not. The outside helper will appear as a separate avatar. Duration: Two minutes.”
“This is game-breaking!” Chen Kaijie exclaimed, sounding a bit regretful. The ability to summon anyone—even non-humans—was practically a trump card.
Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu were both a bit surprised. They hadn’t chosen option 3 because neither of them had considered that there would be someone they could ask for help, nor did they want to rely on anyone.
However, if it could also summon non-humans, then it truly was an excellent tool.
“But there’s a condition. The person you’re asking for help must agree to the summon, and it can only be used three times.”
Su Jin let out a bitter chuckle. It wasn’t as great as it first seemed. The description did say she could summon ghosts or even arbiters, but in reality, why would a ghost agree to help? Even humans might not respond to the call.
“Hmm, that’s a bit impractical. I’d be willing to help you, but I might not be of much use,” Chen Kaijie said sincerely.
After going through these game rounds with Su Jin, he was more than willing to lend a hand, especially since it wasn’t his actual self but just a separate avatar.
Xiao Muyu glanced at Su Jin and said calmly, “If you ever need it, I’m available too.”
Su Jin’s eyes lit up. “Thank you both. Just knowing that you’re willing to help already means so much to me.”
Zuo Tiantian also raised her hand. “Although I’m kind of weak, I’m willing to be a backup option if needed.”
Su Jin couldn’t help but laugh.
The other four, except for Shen Qingqiu, had all expressed their willingness to help.
Seeing this, Shen Qingqiu maintained her indifferent expression and said, “I don’t want to get too involved with other people. Also, there are very few people you can truly trust in this world. You’re lucky this time—meeting the people you did on your first instance…” She paused, casting a glance at Chen Kaijie and Zuo Tiantian, then continued, “At least they’re human. But moving forward, the people around you might be more dangerous than the ghosts trying to kill you. Outside assistance like this may not always be a good thing.”
It sounded harsh, but Su Jin was a clear-headed person. Although Shen Qingqiu’s words seemed prideful and distant, for someone like her to offer such advice, meant she was being genuine.
“I understand. Thank you, Miss Shen.”
Just when everyone thought the conversation was over, Shen Qingqiu suddenly turned to Xiao Muyu and smiled, saying, “But since Muyu has already agreed to help you, I’ll follow suit. If you need it, I can help too.”
Xiao Muyu was momentarily stunned, then quickly averted her gaze, not looking at her.
Su Jin, feeling indescribably touched, bowed to the four of them. “Thank you all so much.”
This had been her first instance, so Su Jin was actually very nervous. From the start, she had mentally prepared to put her life on the line, never expecting to rely on others.
However, she encountered Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu, who had saved her in the beginning, along with Chen Kaijie and Zuo Tiantian, who didn’t abandon her along the way.
Even though these few short hours had turned her world upside down, making her experience fear and despair beyond what she could have ever imagined in her lifetime, she had also gained something invaluable.
Meeting these people and building these connections was more than enough for her.
Footnotes:
Author had something to say:
The items in this instance are just for laughs. Congratulations to ‘School Bully’ Xiao Shen.
Shen Qingqiu: Call me ‘School Bully’ one more time, and I’ll kill you!
Author: Do you even realize that Xiao Xiao is the ‘Top Student’? It’s a well-known fact that ‘Top Student x School Bully’ is a beloved pairing throughout history. Are you sure you don’t want it?
Shen Qingqiu: Really?
Author: Really.
Shen Qingqiu: Being ‘School Bully’ isn’t so bad after all. Aren’t they usually the bosses?
D[Translator]
Hello, I'm D. I mainly translate yuri stories. My language pairs are CN-EN and JP-EN. If you want to commission/request me to translate a story, ping @D in Shanghai Fantasy's Discord server. I don't translate stories over 1 mil character/word count, or ones that contain many NSFW scenes. Support me at ko-fi only if you're able.