Eric mused silently: Truly, the phrase was succinct and to the point. She pondered how fortunate it would have been if those words had appeared at the very outset of the mission, for they might have yielded some valuable insight.
Austin led them out and arrived at the mission hall, where a few individuals lounged in the corners. Upon seeing the group emerge, they cast a cursory glance in their direction. One woman rose with a smile: "Austin, it's a pleasure to see you. It seems your wishes have been fulfilled."
Austin laughed heartily. "Jessica, how about lunch tomorrow at noon? I'll treat you to celebrate."
Jessica accepted the invitation with a smile.
"Come, come, take a seat as well," Austin beckoned.
A novice player eyed the entrance warily. "I can't shake the feeling that something is watching me. It's rather unsettling."
"Sit down and rest assured, nothing from outside can enter here. Since we have time, let me share a few words of advice: the transit station at night is perilous. There lurk deadly beings in the darkness. The safest refuge is the inn, so be sure to save some points as overnight fees rather than spending recklessly. Every other place—be it the restaurants where you dine, the apparel shops where you purchase clothes, or the gyms where you exercise—becomes hazardous after six in the evening. The danger level rivals that of the paranormal dungeons, and there are no point rewards for merely surviving. Thus, I strongly advise lodging at the inn."
Seizing the opportunity, Eric recounted her experiences and queried the rules.
Austin responded, "You were fortunate. Had you entered the dungeon a bit later, you might have been assigned a random dungeon. For new players with no experience, the chances of survival in a paranormal dungeon are slim."
Jessica looked at Eric. "A young man appeared in the spirit summoning dungeon I tackled earlier. He never made it out."
Eric's mind raced back to the short-haired youth she had glimpsed before, hope flickering in her eyes. "That fellow… was he the one with short hair wearing a yellow hoodie?"
"Precisely."
Eric remained silent.
Before dawn, Austin shared much of his wisdom, attracting others who had just exited dungeons to listen attentively. He explained that six in the evening marks the time of nightfall. If one does not have points to stay at the inn upon nightfall, it is best to enter the dungeon gates before six. Those who enter exactly at six can complete their missions and return without the mission hall rejecting them, allowing them to safely withstand the night.
"The mission hall shields players who have just emerged from dungeons after nightfall."
Someone asked, "What if a player completes the task and arrives at the mission hall just one second before nightfall?"
Jessica smiled. "In that case, they can only blame their luck."
Unease flickered among the group as they exchanged glances, all silently vowing to time their dungeon entries carefully.
Eric listened meticulously, contemplating and absorbing the insights of this benevolent veteran who was in good spirits from nearing victory.
Austin warned that possessions from the transit station cannot be brought into the dungeons, advising against reckless purchases. When buying dungeon intel from veteran players, caution is paramount, though he recommended against buying such information altogether, as its authenticity is uncertain. A rookie who had survived two ordinary dungeons queried: "If we died, why do we still feel hunger and pain?"
Austin advised against delving into such mysteries. "This is not a realm of scientific inquiry; investigating is fruitless. Perhaps when we resurrect in the real world, answers will come. Yet even if they never do, it matters little—we are not here to conduct research or write papers!"
Someone asked about any patterns in the two dungeon types. Austin shook his head. "For ordinary dungeons, repeated runs unveil patterns. They vary in difficulty; luck plays a role. Our current dungeon was relatively simple—quick reflexes and swimming ability suffice. Some ordinary dungeons are more challenging, spanning larger areas and hazards. For instance, a water dungeon set at sea, where a bus becomes a capsized ship, and sharks lurk beneath."
A novice gasped.
Austin smiled. "The safe zone might be on a nearby reef, but the harder scenario involves the safe zone inside a sunken ship, forcing you to pursue it."
"What if you can't catch it?"
"Then you perish. The ocean offers nothing. Do you expect to survive until the next dungeon opens and depart alongside new players? I've been here for years and heard of only one such case—disclosed by a veteran who, in turn, heard it from another. So my advice: train your body diligently. Endurance and strength are crucial. Upon finding the safe zone, move quickly without lingering."
Eric watched Austin's confident, eloquent demeanor. Daniel had truly become a seasoned player, inspiring her profoundly.
"There is little to expound on ordinary dungeons—you will master them after dozens of runs. To accumulate sufficient points, however, you must brave paranormal dungeons. I lack the courage; I've feared ghosts since childhood and have never dared to venture into those."
As he spoke, his gaze met Jessica's. Someone then asked her, "Fair lady, since paranormal dungeons are so formidable, why do you choose to enter them? The game grants four points per ordinary dungeon completion; wouldn't it be simpler to keep tackling the easiest ordinary dungeons, taking more time but accruing points steadily?"
Jessica, her temperament gentle, smiled faintly. "That is a very astute question."
The novices fell silent, and Eric's eyes fixed intently upon Jessica.
"Allow me to calculate for you: if you were to solely undertake ordinary dungeons for safety, how many such runs could you complete in a day at the intensity we just experienced?"
The man contemplated briefly. "Four times, I suppose—twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon."
"Then you would accumulate sixteen points daily. Would a single bowl of plain rice suffice for one meal? Don't rush to nod; consider this carefully—the bowl must provide you with enough sustenance to endure the dungeon."
"I would eat two or three bowls. Two bowls should be adequate."
"Very well. The inn's minimum overnight fee is one point. If you consume three meals daily—breakfast and lunch counted as two bowls each, totaling two points—and skip the dungeon at night, opting for a single bowl worth half a point, and disregarding expenses for severe injuries requiring two-point healing packs, as well as the cost of replacing worn clothing and shoes, you could save around twelve and a half points each day."
Jessica's eyes retained a playful gleam. "Four thousand four hundred forty-four points. Within three hundred and fifty-six days—less than a year—you could complete it. Does that strike you as simple, as effortless?" She swept her gaze over the novices. "In this cramped locale, more akin to a cage with but a single street, where stepping into over twenty shops costs money, could you endure a whole year consuming nothing but plain rice thrice daily? Devoid of phones, the internet, or any amusement; awakening every day to face a dungeon; surviving four life-and-death ordeals each day—if any of you can accomplish this without losing your mind, I salute you. Such a person's failure to resurrect would be a loss to society."
The novices bowed their heads, silently calculating; even the young man who had posed questions succumbed to the quiet.
Austin waved his hand, chuckling softly. "What Jin said is true. Many, myself included, once thought likewise and acted accordingly. After a year, I had only accrued slightly over two hundred points. We are flesh and blood, not machines. Some days, I caught a cold and felt unwilling to move; other days, laziness led me to skip a dungeon run. Sometimes, craving got the better of me, and I ordered an extra dish at lunch. One day, longing for a drink, I went to a bar and ordered the cheapest beer; seeing others sip cola, I couldn't resist and ended up buying a bottle...
"And what do you imagine the inn's one-point overnight package entails? Sleeping in the hall! The floor is hard and uncomfortable; when it's cold, you must buy mats and blankets. Without them, colds and fevers are inevitable. With so many crowded and noisy guests, restful sleep is impossible. Poor rest saps your energy, making dungeon runs perilous! The only recourse is private rooms. Once you experience a bed, you no longer desire the hall... As for missions, clothes and shoes wear out quickly and must be replaced. You cannot roam naked. Occasionally, misfortune brings serious injury, necessitating healing packs. I've been tough-skinned, delaying healing packs until multiple dungeon injuries accumulate.
"Realizing I couldn't save enough points, I gritted my teeth and ventured into paranormal dungeons. They are exceedingly difficult; I dared only a few times before retreating, sticking primarily to ordinary dungeons."
He donned an intricate smile. "Guess how long it took me to amass sufficient points?"
"Two—two years?"
"Five years?"
Eric ventured boldly, "Ten years?"
Austin sighed. "I have been here for fourteen years."
Gasps escaped the novices.
"The longer the time passed, the more languid I grew, and my point accumulation slowed... Were it not for the system tracking our login durations, I would have long since forgotten how long I've dwelled here. Jessica entered the game three years ago. She is clearer-eyed and braver, often delving into paranormal dungeons. I reckon she's nearly amassed her points."
Confronted with admiring gazes, Jessica smiled faintly, shaking her head. "Paranormal dungeons exhaust one even more. After this clearance, I'll need half a month's rest."
"Isn't that rest wasted effort? You still have to eat and pay for the inn during that time."
Eric, having visited the inn, knew it offered discounts on monthly lodging packages except for hallway stays. If Jessica booked a single room at half price for a month, requiring thirty points, then from the forty-four points she earned, only fourteen would remain. If she economized on food, there wouldn't be much left. In effect, the effort was barely worthwhile.
Is undertaking a paranormal dungeon so taxing?
Austin laughed heartily. "Did you think Jin meant she'd just sleep in the inn? Never! She would go on ordinary dungeon runs; even mosquitoes are meat, after all!"
The novices observed Jessica with surprise and admiration, and Eric regarded her with reverence, resolving to emulate her.
"That seems utterly exhausting..."
Jessica's smile faded, her gaze drifting thoughtfully toward the entrance. "Do you believe resurrection is an easy feat? In ancient times, countless emperors yearned for eternal life and sought immortality. Despite ruling vast realms, they faced death helplessly—it claimed them nonetheless. We, mere mortals, are gifted resurrection as if a divine boon. Do you think such a gift is as effortless as lying down and having it fall into your mouth?"
"Therefore, I say Jessica possesses great resolve! You would do well to follow her example," Austin affirmed with a chuckle.
The darkness outside began to recede at six o'clock, Austin's heart stirred. He was about to depart, with many matters to attend to.
Those few hours of nighttime goodwill would serve as merit for himself. He rose, delivering a final injunction: "Remember, do not linger solely in ordinary dungeons—that's a path to ruin."
Though successful, he did not believe this was the correct course. Were it not for steadfast resolve, he would have long since become lost.
Subsequently, the mission hall doors swung open, and Austin stepped forward to leave first.
He returned to the inn; ten minutes later, room 2454 was automatically checked out and cleaned by the backend system, awaiting its next guest in serene silence.