Chapter 21: First Instance

3. If the score exceeds the passing line, it is a victory! Rewards can be obtained, with specific rewards distributed according to rank. If the score falls below the passing line, it is a failure! Ten pieces of supplies owned by the survivor will be randomly deducted. Again, this Instance carries no life danger.

Instance Details: Mist

Description: You, alone, have mistakenly entered this maze; heavy stone slabs block the paths, layers of mist obscure vision. You can feel that there is no danger here, yet you cannot find a way out.

Please decide within five minutes whether to join the Instance; current participants 0/8213.

8213 is the number of remaining people in the zone where Cheng Shuili is currently located.

Cheng Shuili carefully read the system announcement; whether it mentions punishment or emphasizes the lack of danger, it seems to be encouraging players to join the Instance.

She still voluntarily signed up.

Cheng Shuili instantly realized that future Instances might not be so merciful. Future Instances may be mandatory and may involve threats.

Considering any aspect—whether to familiarize herself with the Instance in advance or for the rewards—Cheng Shuili will participate in this Instance.

She clicked to register, the participant count rose by one, reaching 6210.

It seems most people chose to join.

The regional channel has exploded with chatter; messages keep flooding online.

【Ri Luo】: Is there any senior giving advice, recommending participation?

【Xiao Zhi】: I plan to watch the numbers; if participants exceed half, I'll also join.

【Yang Er Gou】: I'm not joining. If family members want to avoid punishment, they can leave all their supplies here with me; without supplies on them, the system can't deduct anything. If worried about risk, they can leave the items they don't want deducted with me, leaving only ten useless ones!

【Du Jiao Jing】: No one really believes the above, right? It's indeed a method, but handing it to strangers—then you're really this 【thumb】

【Zai Xia Lin Shuang】: I think it's this 【little finger】 actually.

【Shi Shi Fubing】: Stop giving useless explanations, any senior speak up, should we join? @Guanghui Zhaoyao Lanxing @Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji

【Kang Sheng Su】: Yeah, come out and say it, @Guanghui Zhaoyao Lanxing @Guanghui Zhaoyao Lanxing

【Guanghui Zhaoyao Lanxing】: If you have the ability, it's best to participate.

【Xiao Xiong Mao】: Wow, a senior spoke up!

【Xu Ling Qi】: I'll take the advice, I'm joining!

【Miao Tiao De Pangzi】: My friend isn't joining, so I'll hand the supplies to him; I'll keep ten items on me, so even if I fail the loss won't be huge.

……

Cheng Shuili stopped reading; as the countdown neared its end, she stuffed a bottle of water and a compressed biscuit onto herself, tightly gripping the refined steel dagger in her hand.

One must not be without caution toward others.

Anyway, it's better to be careful.

When the countdown hit zero, Cheng Shuili felt darkness flash before her eyes as an invisible force tugged her body. Opening her eyes again, she found herself standing on a narrow stone slab road.

Thick white mist swirled around, visibility no more than three meters.

The damp air carried the scent of earth and moss, a chill upon inhalation. Cheng Shuili instinctively tightened her grip on the refined steel dagger, her only weapon at present.

【Instance "Mist" Activated】

【Current Participants: 7211/8213】

【Instance Rules Supplement: 1. Finding the maze exit counts as victory! 2. Choose the correct path! 3. All players are in different worlds; this Instance is a speedrun Instance only!】

The system's voice echoed in her mind; Cheng Shuili quickly noted the information.

The second rule seemed rather pointless, like idle chatter.

Cheng Shuili observed cautiously for a moment; the stone slab road stretched left and right, vanishing into the thick mist, with no distant scenery visible.

She tried to step forward, but suddenly sensed a barrier.

Cheng Shuili reached out, carefully feeling the barrier…

It resembled… an air wall?

Cheng Shuili: "?"

She stepped back, extended a hand to sense around; of the four directions—front, back, left, right—only the rear was open.

Stuck in a bug, definitely a bug.

Air wall bug!

Cheng Shuili was speechless; she wasn't sure whether this thing was good or bad, but it seemed she now had only one path to take.

Standing still is still standing.

Let's go.

Cheng Shuili stretched her long legs and moved forward along the area outlined by the air wall.

Cheng Shuili proceeded along the only traversable stone slab road; the mist flowed around her, seemingly alive, entwining her steps.

She suddenly noticed a pattern in the moss on the ground; the moss along the air‑wall‑outlined path was noticeably thicker and wetter. Cheng Shuili examined it closely, a faint speculation forming in her mind.

Perhaps this is what the system referred to as the correct route.

With that thought, Cheng Shuili no longer hesitated and sprinted at full speed!

This is a speedrun Instance, and rewards are given by rank. Cheng Shuili admitted she craved the first‑place reward!

Ahead, Cheng Shuili continued to feel her way along the air wall; after noticing the moss clue, she surged forward at full speed.

She rounded several bends, and the road ahead opened up; the mist almost completely cleared, revealing a straight path leading to a distant glowing exit.

Glowing crystals covered the stone walls on both sides, casting a dreamlike illumination over the passage.

A bit uneasy, Cheng Shuili tossed a compressed biscuit ahead to scout; after confirming no trouble, she proceeded slowly.

Indeed, there was no problem.

Stepping out of the maze, Cheng Shuili was still a little dazed.

That's it?

It's out already?

Is that a bit too easy?

In the next instant, she reappeared in the shopping cart, and the system broadcast rang in her ears.

"Congratulations player Cheng Shuili, who completed the maze in 3 minutes 42 seconds, achieving the server‑wide Speedrun first place! Please choose whether to announce it."

"You are currently ranked first on the Instance leaderboard and receive the following rewards: Advanced Supply Pack ×3, Advanced Medical Pack ×3, Vehicle Repair Card ×1, Vehicle Cleaning Card ×1, Free Attribute Points +2!"

"Congratulations player Cheng Shuili, for achieving the Speedrun Instance First Achievement and earning the title Speedrun Instance Slayer!"

"Title 【Speedrun Instance Slayer】 equipped effect: Agility +15! Equip it?"

Cheng Shuili first glanced at the title; this thing is still inferior to the 【Pioneer】 title, which adds a total of 30 attribute points, whereas this title only gives fifteen points, all in Agility.

Cheng Shuili chose No.

As for the announcement… she curled her mouth into a smile and chose Yes.

【Congratulations player Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji, the first to exit the Instance "Mist", achieving a fine time of 3 minutes 42 seconds! All players, life is hard, keep striving!】

In the regional channel, players who hadn't entered the Instance began speaking.

【Little Panda】:??? So fast, already out, had I known I would have joined too.

【Monkey Sweet】: Stop dreaming up there, that's Wuya Dalao's speed; if you go in, you might be stuck the whole day.

【Pure White】: The regional channel is really quiet, except for a few bursts from Wuya Dalao's announcement.