The fortunate founders of the Carnival quickly found a way to enter the layers of the game’s barriers.
“I can enter, that’s currently the limit of what I can do. As for which instance to enter, I can’t control that.”
Rong Yi nodded, “According to the game rules, if I enter at the same time as my teammates, we should enter the same instance.”
To ensure their future actions, Rong Yi and his teammates decided to enter together the next time they ventured in, seven days later.
Meanwhile, Fan Xingze, unexpectedly fell into a deep sleep on one of those days.
Upon learning this, Rong Yi and IS hurried to his house.
The AI butler welcomed them warmly as usual.
“Don’t worry, it’s just entering the game.” While taking out two pairs of slippers from the shoe cabinet, they heard the AI say.
Rong Yi looked shocked and asked, “What do you mean?”
The old man pointed to the hidden camera in the corner, “He’s been there all along.”
She looked at the cold camera and asked, “You’ve become the AI butler?”
The AI butler remained silent for a moment and awkwardly smiled, “Nothing can escape the teacher’s observation.”
“After being captured in the game, my first priority was finding a way to break free. Although I can’t completely break free from the instance control yet, when there’s no instance summons, I can roam freely in the virtual world.”
“…That’s why you were able to create a WeChat account.”
“Yes.”
“…Last time I visited, you were also the AI butler.”
“…Yes.”
No wonder, last time she felt the AI butler was overly attentive and particularly interested in the relationship between her and Fan Xingze.
“…You should have told me earlier, why did we come here again?” Rong Yi rolled her eyes. As the time to enter the game approached, they had many questions to prepare for and technical issues to solve.
The AI butler, aka Fan Xingze, hesitantly said in an electronic voice, “…Um, someone wanted to see you.”
Rong Yi replied, “Watch your tone.”
Fan Xingze continued, “You used to love it when I teased you on WeChat.”
Rong Yi said, “Back then, I thought you were cute.”
Fan Xingze asked, “Am I not cute now?”
Rong Yi replied, “…Not really, just different from what I imagined. You slightly match your image now.”
There was a silence on the other end. Rong Yi felt he might be displeased.
“Cough, well, you’re cute now too. I like you,” Rong Yi clumsily soothed.
Fan Xingze teased, “So, between me and Ai Stud, who do you prefer more?”
Rong Yi asked, “Aren’t you the same person?”
Fan Xingze paused.
Rong Yi quickly said, “I like you more. I love you the most in the world.”
IS chuckled, “Ah, youth is great.”
After finally calming Fan Xingze down, he revealed another reason for wanting them to come, “My computer still holds the game code fragments that Rong Rong gave me before. The game’s intelligence invaded my computer and deleted this data, but with the teacher here, we should be able to retrieve it.”
With the current code in the game, those problems they encountered before should now be easier to overcome.
“I’ve been looking for those codes you mentioned before, and just stumbled upon a clue. Hopefully, it’s not too late,” she said.
“Of course, it’s not too late. The collaboration of two computer geniuses opened a gateway to this future game,” replied the other.
Three days later, Rong Yi lay down in the wbd’s secret laboratory, getting into the connection pod.
Seconds later, she woke up to a gust of wind.
“Ding, ding, ding.”
A teammate sent a message, and with a thought, a bright blue floating screen appeared in front of her.
“Oh, no need to wave to summon it, much more convenient than before. I wonder if the masters gave her some code adjustments; it would be even better if they could give her some shortcuts.”
Raymond: “Oh, a fantasy world, I like it. I am the senior brother of Tianwen Sect now, should be a righteous one. How about you guys?”
Zhang Haiyang: “What? Why are you the senior brother, and I’m just an outer disciple?”
Luo Huayue: “Because my level is higher than yours. I’m in the Xiangsi Sect, surrounded by pretty girls!”
Ice: “…No, there are also males.”
Luo Huayue: “Ah, I saw you. Hahaha, what are you wearing?”
Ice: “This faction really favors girls over boys too much. Why are the girls’ clothes so pretty, while the boys’ clothes are so plain!”
Ice: “Sister, have you entered? Which sect are you in?”
Rong Yi: “I’m in. I didn’t get a prompt, but I’m flying in the sky.”
Raymond: “Flying in the sky? There are quite a few people in our sect who can fly with swords.”
Luo Huayue: “Same in our sect.”
Zhang Haiyang: “Have you unlocked the skill tree? Flying with swords should be a common intermediate spell; even I as an outer disciple can learn it. It’s hard to judge.”
Rong Yi thought, since it’s an intermediate spell, at least it shows her status is not low. That’s not bad.
Following Zhang Haiyang’s guidance, she found the skill tree and read:
Basic Skills: Pierce – Chop – Block – Flicker Thrust – Soul Depart
Huh? Rong Yi was taken aback. Are her skills too simple?
And why are the previous ones so simple, and the last one, Soul Depart, doesn’t match at all?
Looking further down:
Intermediate Skills: Sheathe Sword – Sword Comes – Speak – Sword Turns Into Void
Advanced Skills: Can be unlocked after mastering intermediate skills. Work hard for it.
Huh? Rong Yi was startled again. Her intermediate skill doesn’t include flying with swords? Then how did she fly?
Also, why is speaking considered an intermediate skill?
The cold wind blew on her face as she tried to turn back to see if someone was carrying her.
She tried to turn back—why couldn’t she?!
“Senior Brother, Tianwen Sect is just ahead!”
A sweet voice sounded beside her, and Rong Yi saw another person flying with swords.
The girl was delicate and lovely, appearing to be only sixteen or seventeen, yet already possessed the grace of a beauty. Her features were exquisite, her hair fluttered in the wind, like a celestial being.
But—
Why was she flying so much higher than herself? Why did she have to look up at her?
“Nian’er, the closer to descent, the more careful you must be underfoot, don’t be distracted,” a calm, magnetic male voice came from above Rong Yi.
Rong Yi lifted her head — she realized that her current field of vision was probably about 180 degrees in all directions, like a flat surface in front of her. To see behind her, she could only rotate her whole body — and she saw a man’s clothes underneath.
Rong Yi: …
This angle is really unattractive.
Fortunately, a strong gust of wind soon blew up the robe blocking her view, revealing a man with an extraordinarily handsome face, even from this awkward angle.
Oh my, this face could easily be the lead or second lead in a drama. In a male lead story, he’d either be the main lead or the contrast about to be embarrassed by the main lead.
In any case, he was definitely a character; otherwise, the game wouldn’t have bothered giving him such a good-looking face. Compared to him, the nearby fairy looked quite ordinary.
Just as Rong Yi was absorbed in admiring the handsome man, she suddenly realized.
Why was she beneath the handsome man?
Even if he was so handsome that one would want to kneel at his feet, did she really have to do it?
At that moment, the fairy beside her pursed her lips and looked at her. “Master, why does Senior Brother bring this broken sword to the Heavenly Tianwen Sect despite you giving him so many good swords? It’s not impressive at all. We’ll be looked down upon; they might say that we, the Supreme Palace, are so poor that we can’t even afford decent swords.”
Rong Yi: …
The handsome man smiled. “It’s precisely because with this broken sword, we can defeat the proud disciples of the major sects and showcase our sect’s understated strength.”
Case solved: she wasn’t flying with the sword; she was being flown with it!
She’s the sword!
There was a moment of silence in the team upon learning this news.
Raymond: … Well, it’s not completely unreasonable. You weren’t brought into the game voluntarily; you couldn’t be assigned the role of an ordinary player. So, you can only be a spirit.
Now Rong Yi understood the overly simplistic nature of her skill tree.
It was just what a sword could do! And she had to reach the final level of the low grade to detach her soul, probably for free movement; at the mid level, she could speak!
The problem was, she was just a sword. How could she level up? Would it hurt in a fight? What if she broke? Could she be repaired?
Moreover, according to the fairy’s implication, she wasn’t even a good sword to keep — what if before she reached detachment, the handsome man abandoned her and didn’t keep her in his inventory? What would she do then?
Oh, she still had her teammates!
Rong Yi: We’re almost at the Heavenly Tianwen Sect now.
Rong Yi: My master is a male disciple of the Supreme Palace.
Zhang Haiyang: Got it, you entered the Mountain Protecting Formation. But how am I supposed to recognize anyone from the Supreme Palace?
Rong Yi: The one who’s the most handsome in the crowd.
Zhang Haiyang: That must be me then.
Luo Huayue: Shameless.
Zhang Haiyang: Ah, I see. Wow, so handsome, I feel inferior.
Ice: Photo time! I want to see the pictures!
Raymond: Where are they? Let me handle it.
Rong Yi: … I asked you to figure out how to get me away from this handsome man, not to compete for attention with him!
The handsome man landed smoothly, and with a lift of his hand, Rong Yi involuntarily found herself in his grasp.
Rong Yi: … I feel like a flying broomstick.
The handsome man chatted with the fairy, Nian’er, and the disciples of the Heavenly Tianwen Sect at the gate, then took out his invitation letter, smoothly entering.
In front and behind him, disciples wearing clothes of other sects kept entering the Tianwen Sect one after another.
Rong Yi: Are you all hosting the Olympics of the cultivation world in the Tianwen Sect?
Raymond: Something like that. This year it’s our turn to host the Qingyuan Assembly, where disciples from various sects come to show off and display the strength of their sects while praising each other.
Rong Yi: What about your instance missions?
Zhang Haiyang: …Not sure.
Raymond: Probably a mission where you have to uncover clues on your own. After all, it’s an S-level instance; it’s definitely not like a post-apocalyptic battle. There must be challenges in other aspects.
This is an S-level instance? Rong Yi was somewhat surprised. So far, the most challenging instance she had experienced should only be an A-level at most.
S-level, what kind of difficulty level would that be?
But from the current situation, this instance seemed to be a well-ordered world, even more peaceful than the previous cyberpunk world, making it difficult to see where the danger lay.
Rong Yi and the handsome man were both assigned to guest rooms in the Tianwen Sect, located at the outer gate, closer to Zhang Haiyang. Zhang Haiyang stealthily approached the handsome man from the Supreme Palace and found that his strength was not to be underestimated, as he had tightly secured his temporary residence, making it impossible for Zhang Haiyang to approach with his current power.
Raymond was able to secure a good position right from the start, with more basic skills. However, as the eldest senior brother and the host, he was overwhelmed with numerous tasks, chased by NPCs, unable to free himself.
Ice and Luo Huayue also came to participate in the Qingyuan Assembly representing their affectionate sect, but their sect was far away and they were still on their way.
Rong Yi: …At the very least, it can be certain that everyone will converge at the Tianwen Sect, indicating that the instance mission will start here. Just not sure if other players are also here.
Raymond: Many S-level instances involve player versus player challenges. Everyone is more cautious and won’t easily reveal their true identities.
The handsome man would bring Rong Yi out daily to practice swordsmanship, while he spent the rest of his time reading in the room. If he didn’t explore the map, Rong Yi could only be confined to the small guest room. She could only rely on communication to receive information from her teammates.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Luo Huayue and Ice arrived at the Tianwen Sect as the Qingyuan Assembly began, meeting with Rong Yi at the rear mountain venue —
Separated by a spacious martial arts stage as big as a football field.
Luo Huayue stood out in her bright pink dress among the crowd.
Luo Huayue: Ice drew lots, what should we do? Are the battles in the cultivation world about magic duels? I’ve only mastered basic spells now; I’m sure to lose miserably!
Raymond: Don’t worry, if you lose, you lose. Winning the Qingyuan Assembly probably won’t be our mission anyway.
Zhang Haiyang: Why is that?
Raymond: If the mission for an S-level instance is straightforward, then it wouldn’t be considered an S-level instance.
Raymond: Also, each of us entered with different strengths. If it’s a competitive mission, it would clearly be unfair, disrupting the balance of the game.
As a result, the team members began searching for mission clues while half-heartedly participating in the matches based on the draw results — if they could participate, they did, if not, they surrendered on their knees.
Rong Yi’s handsome master seemed like a dark horse, initially gaining everyone’s attention with his overly striking appearance, then steadily advancing to the top 16, winning over a group of admirers.
He was being praised by the crowd like the moon surrounded by stars. Nian’er was extremely happy on the side, continuously using magical tools to send good news to the master.
Only Rong Yi.
She was very unhappy.
Because when the handsome man fights with her, it hurts!
Zhang Haiyang: Aren’t you made of steel?
Rong Yi: It’s because I’m made of steel, hitting me is like hitting bones, there’s no cushioning at all, it makes my head buzz.
Now she hopes the handsome man will be defeated soon, so she can be relieved.
“Supreme Palace, Yin Yue, confronting Tianwen Sect, Lei Zi’an.”
The disciples on stage saluted loudly, and Rong Yi was carried up on stage by the handsome Yin Yue, seeing a familiar face opposite.
Raymond.
Raymond’s eyes lit up, he cupped his hands and said, “Brother Yin, I have an unreasonable request.”
Yin Yue: “Brother Lei, please go on.”
Raymond: “The sword in Brother Yin’s hand – simple and unadorned, the great Dao is simple. I really like it. A good sword, a good sword! How about this, let’s make a bet. If Brother Yin loses, then exchange swords with me, how about it?”
Raymond’s sword was adorned with jewels and jade, just the sword sheath alone looked like it could support a small sect. Compared to Yin Yue’s plain and unimpressive stick, it seemed like Yin Yue would benefit greatly!
However, Yin Yue hesitated slightly, gripping his worn-out sword tighter in his hand, “Sorry, this sword is very important to me. Brother Lei, how about changing the wager?”
Raymond didn’t care about winning or losing at all, he just wanted to quickly get Rong Yi back. Upon hearing this, he raised his eyebrows and acted arrogantly, “Those who come with good intentions should not refuse to drink the fine wine. Does a small Supreme Palace like you have the qualifications to negotiate conditions with me? Your sword, this young master has set his eyes on it!”
After finishing speaking, he suddenly pointed his sword towards the sky without warning. There was a sudden thunderous sound, a lightning bolt struck Yin Yue!
Nian’er anxiously exclaimed from below the stage, “Senior Brother, be careful!”
Yin Yue showed no fear, and with a hand gesture, another lightning bolt emerged from the dark clouds above his head. Two lightning dragons began to wrestle in the densely clouded sky, lightning flashing and thunder rumbling, terrifying the onlookers!
“Boom!” With a loud noise, a dark hole suddenly exploded behind the two lightning bolts, faintly emitting the sound of a monster roaring from inside.
Someone shouted in terror, “The entrance to the demon realm has opened!”
Among the spectators were many powerful figures from various sects. Rong Yi’s gaze fell on three old men with white beards and an air of immortality. Their expressions suddenly turned serious. One of them ordered the two people on stage to stop fighting, and with the other two white-bearded men, they cast a spell, creating a green light net to try to lock down the black hole in the air.
Rong Yi was stunned. What was this development? Wasn’t it a disciples’ competition? How did it suddenly turn into such a fantastical plot?
The black hole surged aggressively, even the spells of the experts couldn’t control it. Rong Yi watched as it grew larger and faster, so fast that the people around couldn’t escape in time and were sucked into it wailing.
Yin Yue pulled Nian’er and fled with his sword, but ultimately couldn’t escape the rapidly expanding black hole. In the end, amidst Nian’er’s screams, Rong Yi involuntarily joined them and was sucked into the bottomless black hole.
All the cries, clamor, and buzzing of magical tools instantly disappeared from her ears.
Rong Yi opened her eyes in a dark void.
“A drop” sounded, and a line of words appeared before her.
[World Line Restart-001]
Author’s note: New instance unlocked!
