Chapter: 2. Answering the staff's questions has a chance to get a Little Pink Hat.
Xu Huo followed the crowd into the Non-Game Area Simulator. The interior was a vast, empty white space, with a row of transparent glass cabins arranged in the center. Each cabin was about two meters high and one meter wide, with a simple chair inside and a helmet-like device hanging from the top.
"Please enter the cabin one by one, put on the helmet, and wait for the staff's questions," a mechanical voice announced.
The players exchanged glances, but no one moved first. Xu Huo stepped forward, chose a cabin at random, and sat down. The helmet descended automatically, covering his head. The inside of the helmet was pitch black, but soon a soft blue light flickered, and a gentle female voice sounded in his ear.
"Player number 7-9-3-2, welcome to the Non-Game Area Simulator. Please answer the following questions truthfully. Your answers will affect the rewards you receive."
"First question: What is your name?"
"Xu Huo," he replied calmly.
"Second question: What is your player level?"
"Low-Level Player."
"Third question: Have you ever entered a Super Instance?"
"No."
"Fourth question: Do you have any special traits?"
"No."
The questions were simple, almost like a routine check-in. After about ten questions, the female voice paused and then said, "Based on your answers, you have been assessed as a standard Low-Level Player. You will receive a basic reward: a Little Pink Hat."
As the voice fell, the helmet lifted, and a pink, fluffy hat appeared in Xu Huo's hand. He looked at it, a little surprised. This hat was exactly the same as the one the Little Pink Hat player had worn earlier.
"Please leave the cabin and wait for the next instruction," the mechanical voice reminded.
Xu Huo put the hat away and stepped out. The other players were also coming out of their cabins one after another, some with excited expressions, others looking confused. A middle-aged man muttered, "Just answering a few questions and you get a prop? This simulator is way too generous."
Xu Huo didn't say anything. He quietly observed the surroundings. The white space suddenly flickered, and a huge projection screen appeared on the wall, displaying a map of the Non-Game Area. A red dot marked their current location.
"Next, please proceed to the designated area according to the map. The Non-Game Area Simulator will randomly generate instances. Please be prepared," the mechanical voice announced.
The map showed a path leading to a distant building marked "Seventeenth Hospital." Xu Huo memorized the route and followed the other players toward the exit. As he walked, he noticed a few players secretly exchanging glances, their hands casually brushing their pockets, clearly hiding something.
"Hey, newbie," a voice suddenly came from behind. Xu Huo turned around and saw a bald player grinning at him. "You got the Little Pink Hat too, right? Want to trade? I'll give you a Single-Use Item."
Xu Huo shook his head. "No need."
The bald player's smile faded, and he snorted coldly, "Suit yourself. But I'm warning you, in this place, being too cautious will get you killed."
After saying that, he turned and left. Xu Huo watched his back, his eyes thoughtful. The Little Pink Hat was clearly a common prop, but this person specifically came to trade, which meant there was something special about it. He decided to keep the hat for now and see what happened.
Soon, they arrived at the Seventeenth Hospital. The building was old and dilapidated, with moss growing on the walls and broken windows. The door was wide open, revealing a dark corridor inside.
"Instance: Seventeenth Hospital. Objective: Find the 'Hidden Friend' within the hospital. Time limit: one hour. Failure penalty: random loss of one prop," the mechanical voice announced.
The players looked at each other, and then a few bold ones stepped inside first. Xu Huo followed, his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. The air was thick with the smell of mold and decay, and occasionally, strange noises could be heard from the depths.
"Spread out and search," someone suggested. The players quickly dispersed, each choosing a different direction. Xu Huo chose the staircase on the left, planning to search floor by floor.
As he climbed the stairs, he suddenly heard a faint crying sound coming from above. He stopped, alert, and slowly moved upward. When he reached the second floor, the crying grew clearer, coming from a room at the end of the corridor.
Xu Huo approached cautiously, pushing the door open. Inside was a hospital room with a bed, on which sat a little girl in a pink dress, her face buried in her hands as she sobbed.
"Big brother, are you here to save me?" the little girl looked up, her eyes red.
Xu Huo didn't answer, instead scanning the room. The windows were sealed with iron bars, and the only exit was the door he had just entered. The little girl's clothes were clean, not matching the dusty environment, which was suspicious.
"Big brother, I'm so scared. There's a monster here," the little girl said, pointing to the closet. "It's hiding in there."
Xu Huo walked over to the closet and slowly opened it. Inside was empty, but there was a bloodstained doll. He picked it up and found a note pinned to it: "The Hidden Friend is not human."
At that moment, the little girl's crying suddenly stopped. Xu Huo turned around and saw her standing behind him, a strange smile on her face.
"Big brother, you found me," she said softly.
Xu Huo's pupils contracted, and he immediately stepped back, but the little girl had already reached out her hand, her fingers turning into sharp claws, slashing at him. He dodged sideways, the claws scraping against the wall, leaving deep marks.
"Not a player, but an instance monster," Xu Huo muttered, quickly pulling out the Little Pink Hat and putting it on. The moment the hat touched his head, the little girl suddenly froze, her expression turning confused.
"Little Pink Hat... Little Pink Hat..." she murmured, then suddenly covered her face and screamed, "No! I don't want to go back!"
Before the words finished, her body began to distort, eventually turning into a pink light and disappearing. A system prompt sounded in Xu Huo's ear: "Congratulations on finding the 'Hidden Friend.' Instance complete. Reward: one random prop."
A card appeared in his hand, with the words "Single-Use Item: Space Teleportation Item" written on it. Xu Huo put it away, took off the Little Pink Hat, and looked at it thoughtfully. This hat could actually affect instance monsters, no wonder that bald player wanted to trade.
He left the room and returned to the hospital entrance. The other players were also coming out one after another, some with smiles, others with gloomy faces. The bald player was among them, glancing at Xu Huo with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"Not bad, newbie, you made it out alive," he said.
Xu Huo didn't respond, just silently put the Little Pink Hat back in his pocket. The Non-Game Area Simulator was far more dangerous than he had imagined, but it also held more opportunities. He had a feeling that this was just the beginning.