Chapter 2405: A Small Gift Left by a Super Player
Lan Huaixie finally turned back to look at him. "I'm no longer an instance player anymore."
Players weren't absolutely unable to break away from instances. Aside from high-risk methods like becoming a wanted criminal, pausing one's player status or becoming a gray player could also prevent one from entering instances. However, pausing player status meant one could no longer use their personal panel or items. Lan Huaixie could still use items, indicating he was a gray player.
Obtaining gray player status wasn't easy. Xu Huo had learned how strict the conditions were when he worked odd jobs for the Game Government Base in District 011. But district governments could trade with the Game Government Base to secure slots, which was also reflected among the nobles in District 011. Lan Huaixie came from a good family, so it was highly possible he had obtained gray player status. However, given the current situation in District 001, gray player slots probably weren't so easy to come by anymore.
Using a ticket again meant returning to the game.
Clearly, even if Lan Huaixie wanted to take a gamble, he was unwilling to use a ticket.
"Stopped." Xu Huo patted his shoulder, signaling him to look around.
Black had covered most of the room. Although Lan Huaixie had said it was a spatial collapse, the room's spatial body itself hadn't been destroyed. The room remained intact.
"Is this really a spatial collapse?" Xu Huo expressed doubt.
Hearing this, Lan Huaixie also became uncertain. "I've never personally experienced a spatial collapse. From what my family described, some spatial collapses look like this... seemingly gentle, but in reality..."
Before he could finish, he saw the black slowly receding again, leaving not a single trace. The original spatial body reappeared, still shimmering with colorful luster.
"It doesn't seem like it." Xu Huo said. "Don't be so tense. Let's watch a bit more."
After speaking, he actually went up to the wall where the black hadn't fully receded to take a closer look. Lan Huaixie quickly followed, nervously watching his hand, afraid he might stick his hand in again like before.
Xu Huo wasn't that reckless. He simply observed how the black substance retreated. Due to the obstruction of the spatial body, even at such close range, he couldn't clearly see what it was. But it was definitely not a spatial collapse as Lan Huaixie had described. It was more like some special substance that could wedge itself into a spatial body—extremely thin, and only noticeable because it was black.
"Do you recognize it?" He turned to ask the Painting Woman on the other side.
Jumping into this spatial compartment was the Painting Woman's choice. She must have sensed something.
The Painting Woman shook her head, raising her communicator, which displayed text: "There's something good here."
Xu Huo understood that something must have attracted her, but when he asked what it was, she couldn't articulate it. It was just a feeling. "It's gone after coming in."
Xu Huo nodded. "We've been here long enough. Let's find a way out."
Lan Huaixie was more proactive than the Painting Woman. "Do you have a way?"
Xu Huo planned to use the frame device given by Shi Shuai. The Food Guest probably wouldn't be found anytime soon, so they'd have to come back another time to try their luck.
Seeing him take out a device, Lan Huaixie breathed a sigh of relief but couldn't help asking, "Can your device get us out?"
"Let's try. If it doesn't work, I'll just use my ticket to leave." Xu Huo smiled at him. "Don't say I'm not looking out for you. I still have two container items. If you're willing to go inside, I can take you along."
Lan Huaixie's expression stiffened slightly. "Let's try your device first..."
Xu Huo activated the frame. Sure enough, compared to Lan Huaixie's device, this one from someone claiming to be a Super Player was clearly of a higher grade. After activation, a rectangular spatial passage quickly formed. The power it released seemed capable of penetrating this room, unblocked by the spatial body.
The only question was where this passage actually led.
Glancing at the pitch-black portal, Xu Huo grabbed the Painting Woman's arm and leaped in.
The passage didn't lead to some district they expected, or by luck directly back to District 001. Instead, it was another equally dark space. The entry point happened to be a rather steep staircase. Xu Huo slipped slightly before steadying himself, also helping the Painting Woman. However, her backpack rolled down more smoothly, clattering all the way down.
And it didn't end there. Lan Huaixie came tumbling in behind them, like a bowling ball sliding down the steps, taking the Painting Woman with him. They repeated the backpack's fate, rolling all the way to the bottom of the stairs.
"What kind of place is this?" Falling down the stairs didn't hurt physically, but it hurt his pride. Lan Huaixie lit up a lighting item in a somewhat flustered manner. But as the light flared, a massive fish shadow suddenly appeared out of nowhere and lunged at him!
Lan Huaixie quickly retreated, dropping the lighting item on the ground. But the anticipated impact never came. It was just a shadow, which brushed past his defense barrier and vanished.
Xu Huo picked up a small item beside the steps. Its fish-shaped design with built-in lights looked like a typical prank item.
"Looks like it's deliberately meant to mess with us."
He looked around. This space had a strange layout. The steps he stood on had three more, extending from four directions at varying heights toward a central area. The central area wasn't spacious either—having two people rolling down there made it feel cramped. There were no doors or windows around, making it a completely enclosed space.
"That old man tricked us!" The Painting Woman slammed the ground in anger. Suddenly, the floorboard beneath her popped up, and a human-shaped balloon resembling Shi Shuai flew out, accompanied by chaotic music: "Surprise! Surprise! Do you know what this place is?"
The Painting Woman directly threw her communicator at it, physically expressing that she didn't know and didn't want to know.
The balloon took the hit but didn't deflate. It floated and said, "Only a Super Player's friend can receive a small gift left behind. Who is the Super Player's friend?"
Lan Huaixie, unaware of the situation, didn't dare act rashly. Xu Huo and the Painting Woman couldn't be bothered to respond, but considering Shi Shuai's style of doing things, Xu Huo still answered.
The balloon floated toward him and continued, "Then do you know the name of this dashing Super Player?"
Xu Huo glanced at Lan Huaixie below and replied, "Food Guest."
"Ding ding! Correct!" The balloon wriggled, and the two people below the steps fell into the hole it had come from. The floor quickly sealed shut.
"Don't worry. They just left first. You can leave too."
The balloon floated to another step, hovering at a specific spot. "Jump up here."
Xu Huo did as instructed.
Then the balloon floated to another spot, telling him to jump again.
Xu Huo complied again.
After jumping back and forth a dozen times, the human-shaped balloon suddenly spiraled upward, laughing heartily: "You look just like a frog!"
Xu Huo grabbed the balloon's leg, smiling as he said, "Believe me, I'll blow this crappy place of yours to pieces?"