Players, Please Board the Train

The eight players opposite were clearly not easy to provoke. Even with the Ghostly Shadow player among them, it wouldn’t be so simple to drag someone out.

”You’re not doing the dungeon mission?” Xu Huo asked Dr. Deng.

”The people I brought are not here for the dungeon,” Dr. Deng emphasized, pointing to the players beside him as he introduced their identities. ”These are the siblings Kong Cheng and Kong Hui. Both are B-rank players.”

Dr. Deng’s words successfully diverted everyone else’s attention. B-rank players entering a D-rank dungeon?

Players have two chances each year to enter lower-rank dungeons, provided they don’t break the dungeon or game rules; otherwise they risk being punished by the game. That said, it doesn’t mean they can’t kill.

The players stepped back to put distance between themselves and the group. The Kong siblings were B-rank players, so it was unlikely any of the rest were E-rank.

”Don’t worry, we didn’t come in with train tickets, we won’t participate in the dungeon,” Kong Cheng, wearing a baseball cap, said.

”But once a dungeon starts, the outside should be sealed. How did you get in?” Wu Xiaonan asked. ”Also, can you enter the dungeon area without a ticket?”

”Strictly speaking, as long as the number of ticketed players required by the dungeon is met, the dungeon will activate, regardless of how many players are inside the dungeon area,” Kong Hui fiddled with the long braid that hung to her knees. ”But each dungeon might have its own rules. In short, that’s how we got in.”

”We won’t interfere with your dungeon mission, but please don’t interfere with Dr. Deng’s work either.”Wu Xiaonan smiled and stepped back.

Kong Cheng also raised his hand slightly, signaling those behind him to put away any obvious items.

”So we’ll mind our own business?” Ge Pan spoke up.

Kong Cheng made a gesture of invitation and symbolically stepped aside.

”By the way, Dr. Deng, after you came in did you find other players?” Xu Huo asked as he passed by them.

Dr. Deng was about to speak when Kong Hui cut in first, ”No, both floors above are safe.”

”Thank you,” Xu Huo said politely, but his expression darkened slightly as he turned away.

Kong Hui’s two sentences weren’t entirely truthful. Different dungeons do have different rules, but once this dungeon starts ticketed players shouldn’t be able to come and go. They, as fellow players, should also be unable to do so. The most direct reason: the dungeon had already been active for three days. Even if these people had only entered today, they should be resting on the first floor at night, not underground.

So most likely they entered before the dungeon began, and deliberately used another entrance to avoid the ticketed players. They should also know the laboratory had been split in two.

Dr. Deng and these players were employed by the Bolun Family, and they knew something about the laboratory. On Sayir Coast there were no strategy guides for Deep Blue Laboratory or additional information; instead, ghost rumors ran rampant, clearly deliberate.

On the east half of the laboratory, anything that could be dismantled had already been dismantled. The Bolun Family people may have come more than once.

They had come searching for something.

Could the ”Professor Wu” mentioned in the dungeon background be the same as the Dr. Wu in Master Nise’s notes from Decibel Town?

”Are we going up?” At the elevator doorway, Wan Yunrong pulled out a wind chime. As she spoke the chime swayed, though no sound was heard.

”This chime can mask our noises,” she said. ”Kong Hui saying the upper floors are safe might be a lie. If there was no danger, why would they come down?”

”Not necessarily. Those two siblings are B-rank players. If they really thought the player pretending to be a ghost was dangerous, wouldn’t we have been dead in the dungeon already?” Ge Pan said.

”The Ghostly Shadow was made by players outside the dungeon... this is only our speculation, not necessarily the truth,” Miao Yu crossed her arms. ”Maybe there aren’t other players at all, but some special item born inside the dungeon.”

Miao Yu’s theory had been part of everyone’s conjecture. The Ghostly Shadow was too agile and seemed to provoke them into killing each other. Normally, items wouldn’t be so anthropomorphic, so they were more inclined to believe other participants existed in the dungeon.

Ge Pan looked at Miao Yu steadily. ”The item idea is a stretch. This is a deserted island, but a dungeon boss is definitely present. Do a few more dungeons and you’ll know, bosses manifest in many ways. Some interact with players, some never show themselves. In some dungeons you can run from start to finish without ever knowing who or where the boss is.”

Miao Yu did not argue, just said, ”Then let’s go up.”

Ge Pan was the first to step into the elevator, and he told everyone, ”No risk, no reward. I’m definitely going to catch the Ghostly Shadow.”

Outside, Mao Wei hesitated a moment and then joined, followed by Gan Qing and Wan Yunrong.

Miao Yu and Wu Xiaonan didn’t move. Xu Huo held back Chu Yuan, who was ready to go up, ”If we actually run into danger, the two of us will be a pair, we’ll talk later.”

The implication was to let other players scout ahead first.

After Ge Pan and the others left, Wu Xiaonan glanced at them, ”Two healthy grown men and Wan Yunrong a single girl—she’s braver than both of you.”

”Foolish bravado is one thing; we call it courage with tactics,” Chu Yuan retorted. ”If you’re so capable then go yourself.”

”Of course I’ll go.” Wu Xiaonan chose another elevator by herself.

Miao Yu showed little interest in capturing the ghost to clear the dungeon and instead went aside to talk to Dr. Deng.

”We really aren’t going?” Chu Yuan asked in a low voice.

”Who said we aren’t? Isn’t it good to have someone step on the mines first?” Xu Huo smiled and pointed to the third elevator.

No one aside from Dr. Deng even glanced back at his words, not a single curious look.

Xu Huo smiled and stepped into the elevator.

The elevator descended to the second basement level. After entering, Chu Yuan first shone his light left and right. Like the floor below, it was completely different from the east half of the laboratory. This area looked more like an office: many honorary certificates and award photos hung on the walls, and there were some bright-styled yet technically poor oil paintings.

”These are all Professor Wu’s paintings,” Chu Yuan aimed his light at the corner of an oil painting and said with feeling, ”See, heaven is fair. If you’re doing research, just focus on research. Why paint? If his paintings were good, how would mediocre people like me survive?”

Xu Huo said nothing to qualify the remark. ”You see things clearly.”

”I’m an easygoing person. That’s all I have,” Chu Yuan laughed, then reached out to pat Xu Huo’s shoulder, but Xu Huo grabbed his arm and threw him against the wall.

”What are you doing!” Chu Yuan exclaimed. ”We can talk, don’t get violent!”

Xu Huo took the light from his hand and aimed it at the corridor floor. The beige floor was streaked with a spreading patch of bubbling black sludge.