Chapter 1078: Look on the Bright Side
Wanted criminals.
Wanted criminals are a special type of player in the game. They are wanted by the game, and the game will not issue tickets to them through any channel. That means they cannot obtain tickets whether by clearing instances or purchasing from their personal back-end.
Of course, there are other ways to get tickets besides from the game side. They can steal or buy them privately from other players. But there's a problem: even if a wanted player can enter an instance, they won't receive instance rewards after completing it.
Although they can kill people in instances to plunder props and money, without instance rewards, their traits can no longer evolve, and they also face the risk of being hunted.
However, if wanted criminals enter instances according to the game rules, they can continue to evolve like ordinary players. But the problem is, clearing normally without rewards means working for nothing. And if they ignore the clearance rate, their player level won't rise, and their player permissions will always be restricted.
It's like others can get the game to help them recover after clearing, while wanted criminals have to go to the front lines at their own expense. At the same time, they are constrained by traits and player levels, making them relatively weaker against players of the same evolution rate. Additionally, even if they repeatedly enter instances of the same level and kill instance players, they won't get good props—robbery is always the second largest source of props, and buying is never as convenient as stealing.
Most wanted criminals become wanted because they don't follow the rules. They've even given up the right to move freely in the game, and they're unlikely to be content repeating meaningless instances forever, especially since entering any instance carries risks.
In this situation, the best way is to break away from the original wormhole point.
How can one successfully break away from the original wormhole point without falling into the cycle of needing random instances for missed ones?
The cannibal woman Xu Huo encountered outside Rose Castle claimed she was accidentally caught in a dimensional storm and, by luck, left the original wormhole point. She lived a good life for a few years without doing instances and could kill freely.
Although this possibility is extremely slim, it does exist.
Dimensional storms are probably the most powerful natural disasters in the game. They occur where space connections are unstable or when dimension trains cause tears while crossing dimensions. In the event of a dimensional storm, even the survival rate on a train is very low. For an unprotected individual, it's nearly zero, but not absolutely impossible. While researching materials, Xu Huo came across a news report from another district about an ordinary person who was swept into a dimensional storm and miraculously survived. However, since dimensional storms are a research challenge, the results were never published.
But here, so many players have gathered, which should be another kind of good luck:
A high-risk random instance happened to enter another wormhole point.
Whether it's wanted criminals, players needing random instances for missed ones, or ordinary players, as long as they didn't enter another wormhole point through a ticket and haven't used a ticket again, they become black households.
Being a black household means they can break away from the game and become ordinary people.
Of course, entering another wormhole point without using a ticket is inherently difficult. The miraculous survival in a dimensional storm goes without saying. Even deliberately missing instances for random ones doesn't guarantee landing in another wormhole point's instance. And if a high-risk instance doesn't inform players of the instance information, even if they enter and survive until the instance ends, who would dare wait around in place when time might not be equal across different wormhole points?
What if what comes isn't the end of the instance cycle but a new three-month random?
That's why Xu Huo said these people were lucky.
Lucky to have survived, and perhaps even successfully escaped the game instances.
Of course, they've already entered a new wormhole point and could restart using tickets from other places. But from their conversation earlier, they mentioned living here for a long time, and when they entered, the guard team's shift schedule was posted at the door. Just from the few people they recognized, it was clear they hadn't left.
After hearing Xu Huo's speculation, Ruan Qiyan found it hard to believe, "Isn't it good to start over in the game?"
"Not everyone longs for different worlds. Some people prefer to be local tyrants and do whatever they want." You Xuewen patted his shoulder. "Besides, once you leave, it's almost impossible to come back. Who knows what kind of high-risk random you might encounter next time? If you want to shake off the game then, you won't have such a good opportunity."
"You mean, everyone inside and outside this building is a wanted criminal?" Ruan Qiyan frowned.
Players who randomly entered a B-level high-risk instance might even include B-level players.
"Look on the bright side," Xu Huo said. "Generally, missing instances for random ones increases the difficulty. Maybe these people are all below C-level."
"Another advantage: if these people can survive here long-term, it means this Xiaohe City can withstand the instance's most dangerous situations. At least we don't have to face them alone."
"Just encountering a xenomorph group shouldn't be the hardest part of this instance."
"Maybe they'll treat us to good food and drink until we leave."
He said this with a straight face, leaving Uncle Guan and the others unsure whether he was serious or joking.
Ruan Qiyan, also not on the same wavelength, asked, "Can the meat here be eaten?"
"Mutant animals, probably edible," Chi Minghong replied.
After a brief delay in the bathhouse, they came out to regroup. None of them had washed; Chi Minghong's group had only wiped their bodies with their own water.
After learning Xu Huo's speculation, the three of them looked grim.
"Staying here is dangerous, leaving is dangerous too. It's like being caught between a rock and a hard place." Chi Minghong sighed, then covered his lips and said, "I noticed both female players have C-section scars, but when Zhou Yuanzhu asked about children, they avoided the topic, seeming a bit repulsed."
That's not surprising. For a group of players to put down roots here, population is necessary.
In a situation where men outnumber women, women are likely to become a resource to be controlled.
"No wonder they're so attentive to women." Zhou Yuanzhu paused, then added, "But we can't say that to them."
"Even if we did, it wouldn't help. Maybe they prefer to stay here," Lin Qiao said. "At least here they don't have to go hungry or live in fear. We definitely can't take them with us when we leave."
In fact, they could still scrape together a dozen or so non-player tickets, but they were worried that in a couple of days, some might not want to leave.
They looked at each other, all silent.
Just then, Sun Jing appeared, smiling. "I'll take you to your resting place. You'll stay there tonight."
"It's a room specially for guests, safe and quiet. I guarantee you'll get a good night's sleep."
Big shots, do you have any extra monthly tickets to give me? ^_^
(Chapter End)