【New Exploration Instance about to commence. Reminder to all players: Do not let NPCs detect any anomalies. Violators will be executed on the spot.】
【Warning, warning! First batch of exploration players detected as anomalies—all have been eliminated…】
Chapter 1
Summer. The blinding white sun glared down, leaving the streets nearly deserted.
An old, rundown minibus was parked by the roadside, its paint peeling near the front wheel. The air conditioning inside wasn’t on, and the few passengers sat with their heads bowed in silence, as if the stifling heat didn’t bother them at all.
The driver, standing outside the door, studied them for a long moment before speaking. "You can get off and wait. It’ll be a while before we depart."
The passengers shook their heads in unison. The one closest to the door—a gaunt man with glasses—forced a stiff smile, his prominent cheekbones twitching. "N-no, thanks. We’re fine."
The driver stared at him, expressionless. Under that indifferent gaze, the man’s back prickled with cold sweat, his fingers trembling uncontrollably.
Though the bus felt like a steamer, the passengers shivered as if trapped in an icy void. No one dared speak, and the air thickened with suffocating silence.
Then, a ringing sound shattered the stillness. The driver’s attention shifted as he pulled out a phone from his pocket.
Relieved by the distraction, the passengers exhaled quietly. The gaunt man hunched over, trying to hide his terrified expression behind the seat in front of him.
The three sitting in the back row noticed the driver’s face finally showing emotion as he answered the call. Seasoned as they were, they recognized an opportunity.
Whatever was said on the call, the driver hung up with a twisted smile that unsettled everyone watching.
He stepped back onto the bus, glanced at the passengers again, then bent down to turn on the air conditioning.
The AC roared to life, its noise loud and grating. The gaunt man nervously picked at the frayed fabric beneath his seat.
The silence returned, only to be broken by the sound of rolling luggage outside.
Rattle, rattle…
Cautiously, the man peeked through the window—and froze.
The young man dragging the suitcase couldn’t have been older than twenty, with looks so striking that even someone who despised pretty boys had to admit he was breathtaking.
And he was heading straight for the bus.
The youth boarded effortlessly, wiping sweat from his brow before turning to the driver. "Uncle, crank up the AC. It’s boiling in here."
The passengers gaped. How bold—ordering around an NPC driver! Everyone knew drivers in these scenarios held special authority. Crossing them was suicide.
But instead of throwing the kid out or snapping, the driver obediently turned up the AC, stowed the suitcase, and even dug out a bottle of water from somewhere to hand to him.
Was this guy a higher-tier NPC?
One player discreetly used a high-level identification tool, only to frown in confusion. The handsome youth bore no markers of an important plot NPC—meaning he was either an insignificant background character or a player hiding his identity.
But what kind of player would act so recklessly in an unexplored, high-risk instance?
Before they could figure him out, the young man twisted open the bottle and chugged the water without hesitation. The others stared in horror. How could he just drink that?!
Unfazed, he gulped down several mouthfuls before casually remarking, "Uncle, this stuff’s got way too much sugar. You shouldn’t drink it often."
Now he’s lecturing a key NPC?!
The players sat in stunned silence, the whirring AC the only sound left.
Their eyes flicked to the driver, who paused before muttering, "Five minutes till departure. I’m going out for a smoke."
"Smoking’s bad for you," the youth called after him, snatching a handheld fan from the dashboard before hopping off the bus.
"Hey, Fatso—"
"Shh! This bus has cameras."
Silence reclaimed the cabin.
No wonder high-level players kept failing in this instance. The tension never let up.
The realism of this scenario made it dangerously easy to forget where they really were.
Pretending to gaze idly out the window, they kept watch on the beautiful young man now chatting with the driver outside.
"Auntie doesn’t let you smoke." Chao Musheng pulled a stick of gum from his pocket and handed it to Uncle Ming. "Chew this instead."
Uncle Ming sighed, rolling the cigarette between his fingers before tucking it back into the pack. "It’s not that I’m scared of her. I just don’t want the hassle when I get home."
"Sure, sure. I get it." Chao Musheng bit back a laugh, then glanced at the bus. "Those people inside—from another village? They look unfamiliar."
"Nah." Uncle Ming shook his head, chewing the gum with little enthusiasm. "Been driving this route for over a decade. Never seen ’em before. Probably tourists here for some ‘rustic experience’ or whatever."
"Tourists?!" Chao Musheng blinked. "Since when did our backwater villages attract tourists?"
Since when did they even have tourism?
"You’ve been away at school, so you wouldn’t know. To drum up business, the village head and secretary started posting videos online—dancing, goofing around. Even learned some cat-dog dance recently." Uncle Ming pulled out his phone and pulled up a clip.
On screen, two sun-leathered, burly middle-aged men swayed awkwardly, batting their eyes at the camera. "Darling~ These peaches are sweet and fragrant~ Won’t you try some?"
The next video showed the neighboring village’s stern-faced female secretary pounding her chest like a gorilla before scrambling up a cherry tree…
All of them had surprisingly high likes.
Uncle Ming grinned. "Young folks thought it was hilarious. Next thing you know, people started showing up for fun."
Chao Musheng handed the phone back. Well, at least everyone’s lively. Lively’s good.
Through the bus’s grimy windows, the gaunt man tried lip-reading their conversation—until Chao Musheng suddenly looked up, locking eyes with him. He quickly glanced away.
Noticing Chao Musheng eyeing the bus, Uncle Ming puffed up proudly. "Washed it special since I knew you were coming back today. Looks nice, huh?"
Chao Musheng gave a thumbs-up. "I’ll save you extra helpings of Grandpa’s braised goose tonight."
"That sounds great. I’ll pick up a couple of cold dishes on the way back, so your aunt and I won’t have to cook tonight." Uncle Ming glanced at the time. "Let’s go, hop in."
Once back in the car, the interior had cooled down completely. Chao Musheng scanned the vehicle, ignoring the others who kept their heads lowered, and took a seat by the window in the row behind the driver’s seat.
Halfway through the journey, an electric scooter suddenly cut across the road. Uncle Ming slammed on the brakes, sending a heavyset man in the back row tumbling to the floor, rolling twice in the aisle.
A metallic watch clattered near Chao Musheng’s feet. He bent down to pick it up, but before he could, the man scrambled over, snatching the watch and clutching it tightly.
Chao Musheng tilted his head slightly, meeting the man’s gaze. Before he could speak, the man paled and stammered, "Sorry, sorry!"
A man and a woman hurried over, helping the heavyset man back to his seat, as if afraid that delaying even a second would provoke Chao Musheng’s anger.
Chao Musheng touched his face. No one had ever said he looked intimidating—what were these people so afraid of?
That he’d beat up passengers?
"While the vehicle is in motion, please ensure your seatbelts are fastened," Uncle Ming reminded everyone, turning around. "It’s no good if you fall or hurt someone else."
No one argued. The only sound in the car was the clicking of seatbelts being fastened.
Once everyone was secured, Uncle Ming rolled down the driver’s side window and yelled at the retreating scooter, "Cutting across the road like that—are you in a hurry to be reborn?!"
Without waiting for a response, he rolled the window back up and hit the gas.
"Hey, fatty, you alright?"
The heavyset man, now back in his seat, shook his head. Cradling his dislocated left arm, he mouthed a few words to his companions.
[Affection level dropped.]
The others who understood his lip-reading grew even more uneasy.
The heavyset man’s special ability allowed him to see important NPCs’ affection levels toward him. A significant drop in an NPC’s affection meant the dungeon’s difficulty would increase.
The female player to his right, Xiaoyou, covered her mouth and whispered, "What about that young guy?"
The heavyset man shook his head. "Can’t see."
Xiaoyou immediately understood—if he couldn’t see the other’s affection level, it meant the young man was either an unimportant background NPC or a player skilled at hiding.
But how could someone that good-looking be an unimportant side character?
The bus made several stops along the way, picking up more passengers. The once-spacious cabin grew livelier, filled with the unpleasant scent of sweat.
"Big sister, get up and play with me!" A boy, drenched in sweat, tugged at Xiaoyou’s clothes with grubby hands, his voice startlingly loud.
The other passengers turned to watch, curious about how Xiaoyou would respond.
Beads of sweat formed on Xiaoyou’s forehead. The driver had warned them to keep their seatbelts on, but refusing an NPC’s request was risky. The situation hung in an awkward stalemate.
"What grade and class are you in?"
A pleasant voice suddenly cut through the tension. Xiaoyou looked up—it was the strikingly handsome young man.
"I know your school’s principal. The school has repeatedly emphasized no running or shouting in public spaces." Chao Musheng pulled out his phone. "Tell me your class. I’ll call your teacher right now."
The mention of a call to his teacher sent the boy scrambling back to his seat, hands on his knees, not daring to make a sound. He kept sneaking glances to see if Chao Musheng had actually dialed.
Tattletale! So annoying!
"Good job." Ignoring Xiaoyou’s grateful look, Chao Musheng pretended to put his phone away. "Seems like you’re a student who knows how to correct mistakes. Next time I see your teacher, I’ll make sure to praise you."
Little brat, handled with ease.
Hearing this, the boy lifted his chin and sat even straighter, staying quiet until he got off the bus.
Watching the bus drive away, the boy suddenly realized he’d forgotten to tell the big brother his class. How would he get praised in front of the teacher now?
The thin man glanced back at the bratty kid, deep in thought. Were child NPCs in this dungeon weak against teachers?
Passengers who’d boarded midway gradually disembarked, leaving only Chao Musheng and the original group.
The rickety bus trundled along, but Xiaoyou and the others grew increasingly uneasy.
They’d been through plenty of rural village dungeons, but none had roads this smooth, lined with neatly spaced solar-powered streetlights.
No howling winds, no violent bumps, no thick fog.
The sheer normalcy unnerved them. The unseen dangers were always the deadliest.
They stole glances at Chao Musheng in the front row. He’d helped the players earlier—maybe they could get useful information from him.
Just as they debated how to approach him, the bus stopped again.
"Chaojia Gou Village is here." Uncle Ming parked under a banyan tree at the village entrance and turned to the remaining passengers. "You’re all here for Chaojia Gou?"
"Y-yes," the scrawny man answered, standing up with an ingratiating smile. "I’m a programmer. Just quit my job a few days ago, wanted to spend some time in the village, breathe in the fresh air."
Programmer?
Chao Musheng eyed the man’s head of hair—surprisingly thick for his profession.
Uncle Ming asked the others, "Are you all together?"
They shook their heads vigorously, each introducing themselves.
The three in the very back were art students. The couple sat in the third-to-last row on the left. And then there was the lone traveler nursing a broken heart.
Chao Musheng gave the heartbroken guy an extra look. When traveling, some things were better left unsaid.
Seeing they were here to spend money, Uncle Ming grinned. The village’s tourism industry was finally picking up.
Declining Uncle Ming’s offer to carry his luggage, Chao Musheng stepped off the bus—then suddenly let out a surprised "Huh?", scaring off a few cicadas perched on a branch.
The others followed his gaze to a small shrine beneath the banyan tree.
The shrine was crudely built from stone slabs, less than a meter tall. Inside sat two roughly carved statues draped in bright red cloth, their barely discernible faces frozen in stiff smiles.
"These are the village’s guardian deities, passed down through generations. They grant wishes." Uncle Ming shut the bus door, the old hinges creaking. He smiled warmly at the group. "Want to give it a try?"
Chao Musheng turned to Uncle Ming. Uncle, these resin knockoff statues that cost thirty yuan a pair with free shipping—and you’re calling them the village’s guardian deities? Isn’t that a bit too lazy?
Not even a dog would buy that.
Thud!
Someone knelt before the shrine.
Chao Musheng: "…"
Insane.
