Chapter 287: A Certain Kind of Super Evolution (Bonus Chapter for Tip Jar)
The little girl hugged her doll tightly. "You're definitely trying to trick me into giving you the puppet."
Xu Huo's smile didn't waver as he put the candy away. "That's the only way to clear the instance."
The child's eyes went wide and round. After a moment of inner conflict, she finally relented. "Fine, but you have to promise to buy me candy every month."
"No problem." Xu Huo agreed readily.
The little girl took a small hat from her head and handed it to him, looking at him with eager eyes.
Xu Huo gave her all the candy, pocketed the small hat, and asked, "Where are the other children you brought in?"
"They all went home." The child peeled a piece of candy as she spoke. "When kids visit someone else's house, they have to go back before dark."
Xu Huo didn't say much more and prepared to leave. The child looked at him and added, "After you get out, you can take that puppet. Just knock on it when you want to call me, but don't poke my eyes."
Xu Huo patted her head. "Alright."
"But, Uncle," the child tilted her head, "if I don't open the instance, you can't get in. So don't try anything bad, okay?"
"I'm not going to run into random instances for no reason." Xu Huo paused, then suddenly asked, "Do you really dislike that female player who was with me earlier?"
The one who had dirtied her pants and forced the child to hold her, and even deliberately pulled her hair.
"Because she's really mean. She hits kids and pinches me." The little girl furrowed her small brows. "Adults like that deserve to die."
"She's already been punished." Having lost her hearing and unable to find a way to clear the instance, spending a long time trapped inside would lead to an obvious outcome.
When Xu Huo walked out of the lighthouse, he couldn't hear anything again. But that didn't matter. After leaving the Black Maple Valley, he estimated where Yan Jiayu and Tang Xiao should be now and headed over to meet up with them.
On the way, he ran into Jin Chao and Peng Ru, who had regrouped. Peng Ru gave him a sour look, while Jin Chao came over to exchange a few polite words before taking his leave just as politely.
As they parted, Xu Huo asked him, "Have you known Miss Peng for a long time?"
Jin Chao nodded. "We're friends."
Xu Huo bid them farewell.
After he left, Peng Ru complained, "Why bother talking to him? It's all his fault I ended up like this. I had to hold that stinking kid, and now I reek!"
But Jin Chao said thoughtfully, "How could a child suddenly appear in the game out of nowhere? Even if she came from outside the instance, it wouldn't make sense for there to be only one. That kid might be the key. Let's go take another look."
Seeing she couldn't stop him, Peng Ru had no choice but to follow.
On the other side, Xu Huo found Yan Jiayu and Tang Xiao. The three of them worked together to clear the remaining game points, collected all ten small hats, and successfully completed the instance.
When the notification came, Tang Xiao said in disbelief, "That's it? We cleared it just like that?"
"The game notification wouldn't lie." Yan Jiayu said.
"No, I mean, it was this fast." He felt a bit bitter. "I've been stuck in this game for a long time. If I hadn't gotten out now, I might have missed the next instance."
"Didn't you just make it in time?" Xu Huo said. In truth, the difficulty of this instance lay in the misleading information. It not only steered players' judgment in the wrong direction but also set up fake game points, along with random locations that only appeared after a long time. Even if someone saw through the contradiction between the instance requirements and the gameplay guide, after going through all ten game points and still not clearing it, their thinking would easily fall back into the old trap.
"I'm really grateful to you both." Tang Xiao said with sincere thanks.
"You're welcome." Yan Jiayu smiled warmly. "Helping others is helping yourself."
"By the way," Xu Huo seemed to think of something and asked, "Under what circumstances would a non-cannibal player experience a sudden surge in physical strength, along with changes on their body surface?"
"Drinking a potion?" Tang Xiao scratched his head. "Can you be more specific?"
Xu Huo roughly described the changes in Tu Ge's hand during their fight. "It didn't look like an animal-type trait."
"That should be Super Evolution." Tang Xiao immediately understood. "Most players evolve by drinking potions. There are also some stamina-boosting potions that can temporarily enhance physical strength, but the side effects are severe. After the effect wears off, the body stays weak for a long time. If the player you mentioned didn't show those symptoms, it's very likely Super Evolution."
"All players are evolving, but Super Evolution is a different kind of specialization. It's more like a species mutation."
"From what you described, some researchers say that after Super Evolution, a person can autonomously control parts of their body to achieve localized enhancement. Unlike traits, it normally has no special restrictions—it just depends on the individual's ability."
Xu Huo was silent for a moment, then asked, "Are there other aspects besides physical ability?"
"I've heard there are many. Some people can even directly control objects." Tang Xiao didn't know much about it, so his explanation was vague.
"Telekinesis?" Yan Jiayu became interested. "How do you achieve Super Evolution?"
Tang Xiao gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "If I knew, I would have tried it myself. I guess it might have something to do with each person's talent. Some people undergo Super Evolution, others don't."
"But telekinesis is amazing," Yan Jiayu said. "You wouldn't even need props. It would make fighting much more convenient."
"The traits players evolve come in many varieties. Some players' traits can directly affect the air itself. Super Evolution might be similar." Xu Huo said. "I just wonder if it requires potions."
"Have you bought any information on this?" he asked again.
Tang Xiao looked embarrassed. "I'm pretty broke."
"But if you have money, you can go to specialized information agencies in the instance world to buy intel. The information the game backend provides comes through official channels, you know."
Xu Huo nodded slightly, ready to leave the instance.
Tang Xiao hesitated a bit. "Um... could you tell me how you cleared the instance? I still have a few companions who've been trapped in here for a long time... I can trade props with you!"
Yan Jiayu praised him with a "good man" and said to Xu Huo, "If his stuff isn't enough, I can chip in."
Tang Xiao was deeply moved. He grabbed her hand and shook it vigorously. "Thank you so much, Sister Jiayu. If you ever come to my place, I'll treat you well. Here's my card."
"Hundred Yuan Item Shop? Oh, you're a boss?" Yan Jiayu glanced at it.
"Just a small business." Tang Xiao also gave one to Xu Huo. "Selling everyday small props. Pick anything you want for a hundred white notes."
"An item shop. Do you know any Artificers?" Xu Huo put the card away.
"I deal with some Artificers, but not the kind who can make really powerful props." Tang Xiao explained.
After accepting a symbolic amount of white notes from him, Xu Huo told him the location of the tenth game point and added, "Better clear it quickly, or the amusement park might change the game locations."
Tang Xiao repeatedly assured him he would. With that, the three parted ways, and Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu left the instance.
(End of Chapter)