Chapter 62: Folks, It Really Works!

Unsolicited favors are either from a thief or a traitor.

But after checking twice, Wu Chang found nothing unusual, and since Cotton was indeed a member of the Administration, he accepted the invitation.

As he accepted, he saw the other few assistants from his cohort also clicking confirm with skepticism.

After accepting the invitation, everyone’s vision blurred, and two unfamiliar players appeared in the waiting hall.

The two assistants from Dongyang City looked honest and dull, both standard introverts; after a brief mutual introduction, they pulled up their hoods and huddled in a corner of the room, wishing they could vanish on the spot.

Wu Chang chatted with them briefly and found nothing amiss in their words; like him, they were assistants who had just joined the Administration this term.

Could a pie really have fallen from the sky? Cotton said with a smile, "If everyone is ready, click confirm on the status bar."

Following Cotton’s words, the group changed their waiting status to ready, but to their surprise, Cotton activated the reward dungeon immediately.

"I wish you all a good time."

Before they could react, they vanished from the waiting hall and arrived in a room resembling a settlement space.

A prompt popped up before Wu Chang.

"Matching dungeon for player. Current player level: 10. Dungeon difficulty matching probability: F-rank: 25%; E-rank: 60%; D-rank: 15%; C-rank: 0.1%."

Seeing the random dungeon probabilities, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

The probability really had decreased.

Although the C-rank dungeon in the probability list stubbornly remained at 0.1%, the B-rank dungeon probability that appeared during previous simulations had indeed vanished.

Judging by the delighted expressions of the other assistants, the effect of their reward dungeons was also effective.

Wu Chang chose to start matching the dungeon, and a loading icon appeared before his eyes.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but this dungeon matching was exceptionally long, even slower than when he first matched into the Moonlight Shelter.

"Matching complete!"

Wu Chang’s vision blurred, and he appeared on a beach at night.

"Successfully entered 'Wilderness—86951 Plane'."

"Dungeon Name: Tranquil Town."

"Dungeon Type: Multiplayer survival dungeon."

"Dungeon Mode: Cooperative. Damage between players reduced by 80%."

"Dungeon Difficulty: C."

"Official recommended minimum level for dungeon exploration: 10. Please proceed with caution."

"Due to the significant level difference between matched players and the dungeon, other players have been automatically added."

"Dungeon Status: High pollution level!"

"Main Quest I: Successfully survive in the town for thirty days. Timing stops if you leave the town limits."

"Main Quest II: Investigate the missing Count and find the truth."

A C-rank dungeon with a high pollution level! After a brief silence, Wu Chang punched the air.

Folks, the probability reduction for this reward dungeon really works! Given how the Abyss Game targeted him, it made him match a C-rank dungeon on the verge of losing control at level 8; now that he was level 10, it should have at least arranged a B-rank dungeon for him.

He had prepared for the worst-case scenario, yet who knew he would suddenly be queued into a C-rank ordinary dungeon.

Having grown accustomed to dungeons with pollution levels over 90 that were on the verge of losing control, the high-pollution Tranquil Town was already in the category of an ordinary dungeon in his eyes.

Isn't this just a stroke of luck?

If he hadn't been queued into this dungeon, he would have thought the Abyss Game was entirely made of out-of-control dungeons.

After a brief moment of excitement, he began to pay attention to other information about the dungeon.

Multiplayer survival dungeon.

He looked around and found other players lying not far away on the beach; they were still unconscious at the moment.

He was the first to wake up.

Taking advantage of no one watching, he summoned his clone from the Recreated True Self and had the clone lie down further away.

In multiplayer dungeons, it is often inconvenient to act alone to avoid attracting attention.

Using a clone to pose as an unsociable, aloof lone wolf would make acting much easier.

After settling the clone, he looked at his activated title.

With Master of Breaking the Game, the vague pollution level in the dungeon introduction was concretized into a specific value.

"Current dungeon pollution value: 70."

"Master of Breaking the Game attribute boost: 35%."

After the boost from Master of Breaking the Game, Wu Chang’s current attribute panel was: Player Nickname: Don't Eat Beef.

Player Level: 10 (0/2600)

Titles: Perfectionist, Master of Breaking the Game.

Health: 28 (21)

Strength: 27 (20)

Agility: 20 (15)

Stamina: 22 (16)

Energy: 19 (14)

Inspiration: 90 Willpower: 64 (Note: Values in parentheses are attributes before the Master of Breaking the Game boost.) Free attribute points: 0 Decayed Silver Coins: 30000.

Skills: Mamba Iron Elbow, Firearms Proficiency (Proficient).

Cultivation Method: Lightning Method Fragment (D).

Items: Silver Dawn, Favor of the Goddess of Luck, Echo of the Whisperer x1, Poison of the Mortal, New Recruit Manual of the Arcane Knights, Soul-Cleansing Command Flag, Four-Directional Fire Lamp, Shadow-Reflecting Face, Healing Type I x3, Small Recovery Potion x2.

Talents: Deliverance, Calamity.

After the boost from Master of Breaking the Game, his attributes improved further, and he felt that he was terrifyingly strong right now.

Just as he was immersed in his attribute panel and how to explore the dungeon, the other players slowly woke up.

Similar to Wu Chang, after the other players woke up, they first stared blankly at their attribute panels, confirming something in disbelief.

A moment later, curses directed at Cotton himself and his family filled the beach.

What a joke! A reward dungeon is entering a high-pollution C-rank dungeon, what’s the reward? Reincarnation? They didn't need anything, and it was impossible to match such a difficult dungeon; that Cotton must have played a trick! Outside the dungeon, in the waiting hall.

Zhao Yan walked in carrying a tray of cocktails, humming a tune.

The specially made cocktails on the tray could increase temporary Willpower by 3 points and temporary Strength by 2 points per glass; there were five glasses in total, costing him quite a few Decayed Silver Coins.

He had always been a man of his word; he had previously said that as long as Wu Chang could hit him, he would treat him to a drink once they entered the Abyss Game. Taking advantage of the time the group was preparing, he immediately found a familiar bartender and had special drinks made for them.

But when he turned around, why was everyone gone?

The assistants he was responsible for were nowhere to be seen, and instead, a repulsive-looking fatty had appeared.

People are complex, and the organizations they form are equally complex.

Even within the same Administration, not everyone shares the same philosophy and goals.

For example, there is the Order Faction to which Meng Yawen and Zhao Yan belong, which advocates for maintaining the existing order and balancing the relationship between high-level players, low-level players, and even ordinary people.

There is also the Evolution Faction like Cotton, who believes that all resources should be concentrated on players with potential to nurture a group of experts.

Once there are enough experts, the Administration will be above all other organizations and can set its own rules, at which point they can spare the effort to maintain the interests of low-level players and ordinary people.

The concepts of the two are vastly different, even diametrically opposed.

Zhao Yan saw Cotton looking unfriendly, but Cotton didn't care and leaned in with a grin.

"Yo, Brother Fire, treating the newcomers to drinks, how generous."

As Cotton said this, he reached out and swiped a glass, took a sip under Zhao Yan’s dissatisfied gaze, and nodded, "It’s even a special cocktail that boosts attributes, Brother Fire is grand!"

They say you shouldn't hit a smiling face, but facing Cotton, Zhao Yan didn't want to give him a single pleasant look.

As a member of the Order Faction, countless seniors had told him never to play with the Evolution Faction; there weren't many good people among that bunch.

"Cotton, where are the people I brought?"

Cotton finished the cocktail, smacked his lips twice, and grinned.

"I sent them into a reward dungeon."

"You sent them into a dungeon?" Zhao Yan’s heart skipped a beat.

Cotton: "Don't be ungrateful. I came with kindness this time, giving them a free upgrade to an intermediate reward dungeon. No need to thank me; it’s not excessive to drink two of your glasses, right?"

As Cotton said this, he reached out and took another glass of wine.

Zhao Yan didn't believe it and said, "Helping new assistants, can you really be that kind?"

While drinking, Cotton pulled up the progress of the reward dungeon and said triumphantly, "You don't believe me? Look, what dungeon they entered..."

"Pfft!"

The moment Cotton glanced at the dungeon name, he sprayed a mouthful of wine directly onto Zhao Yan’s face.

"Tr-Tranquil Town?!"

(End of chapter)