Chapter 2875: Instance Clear
Sure enough, after Xu Huo and his group entered the other spaces, they found three more players who had just entered.
Now, not to mention Xu Huo, even Xiong Xiaoxin and the others, who had been hesitating and considering whether they could drag things out for a few more days, felt that any further delay would spell disaster.
To avoid unnecessary casualties, Xiong Xiaoxin stepped forward in the name of her player organization, stating that they had found a way to clear the instance, but it required reducing the number of people.
The three who came later knew they were outmatched and had no choice but to agree, though one of them demanded to stay outside and act with Xu Huo and the others, claiming he had two life-saving items that could share the firepower.
So Xu Huo rejected his proposal and told him to contribute those two life-saving items.
After inspecting all the spaces, Xu Huo ultimately decided to keep only two others besides himself: Xiong Xiaoxin and the bearded man.
Xiong Xiaoxin had the most life-saving items, though Xu Huo also had a fair number. Wang Xin and the others, along with members of the Hundred Forest Society, had provided several decent life-saving items, half of which were single-use items.
As for the bearded man, it was because of his special trait; Xu Huo wanted to see if this trait could evade the instance boss.
Only by staying outside was there a chance to clear the instance. Though dangerous, the bearded man was still willing.
Time quickly arrived at eight in the evening. This time, they were not separated into different spaces but were on the same floor, standing outside the small compartments.
Just like the previous night, the instance boss showed no intention of coming out in the first three hours. But ten minutes before midnight, all the small compartment doors suddenly swung open, followed by the sound of footsteps.
Xiong Xiaoxin and the bearded man were visibly tense. Xu Huo had already explained the situation to them during the day and discussed the details. In the worst-case scenario, if the instance boss truly intended to kill, they could use items to protect themselves, but they must remain quiet and, if possible, minimize their range of movement.
Of course, they were already standing outside the small compartments, which was already a violation. Taking a few more steps seemed about the same, but based on Xu Huo's experience from the previous night, it was clear they had touched the threshold of clearing the instance, so maintaining the status quo was best.
The footsteps went upstairs again. This time, it didn't linger. It stopped right beside Xu Huo, just like the night before, looking down at him, continuously compressing the space, closing the distance between them, as if it could touch him at any moment.
Xu Huo leaned against the wall, his fingers rubbing the pocket watch wrapped around his wrist, but his eyes were fixed straight ahead on the swirling dust. They seemed close, but in reality, the instance boss's spatial power had clear boundaries and hadn't truly touched the spatial barrier he had raised.
He wasn't sure if it possessed any thinking ability or if it was just a mindless force operating under the game's influence, but this force should come from those experimental subjects imprisoned in the small compartments.
Although this instance continued the illegal experiments of the Hexin Research Institute, the positions of "perpetrator" and "victim" had been swapped. The players were adults, and the roles they played should be the researchers in the institute. Having the researchers also hide in the small compartments, trembling for survival, and then killing them—that would fit the meaning of "revenge."
The child hidden in the box, who died within the spatial wall, was, in a sense, the representative of the instance boss.
The "stare-down" lasted for quite a while, but the dust never moved to kill. After a time, it finally moved away from Xu Huo and headed toward Xiong Xiaoxin.
Xiong Xiaoxin held her breath. Though nervous, she caught a glimpse of Xu Huo turning around to face her out of the corner of her eye. The meaning was clear: he wouldn't give her a chance to make any unnecessary moves.
Xiong Xiaoxin focused her mind, concentrating on the swirling dust before her.
The dust, just like before, slowly approached her, so close that even a slight sway might cause it to touch her. At this distance, sweat beaded on her forehead, and her muscles grew stiff from excessive tension. At that moment, she finally understood why the bearded man had run—not everyone could withstand the pressure of this "death stare"!
She didn't know how long it lasted... Xiong Xiaoxin felt it was a long time. Finally, the dust retreated a bit, creating some distance, and then continued forward.
It was the bearded man's turn. He immediately activated his trait, but the dust didn't ignore him. It scrutinized him for a good while, just as it had with Xu Huo and Xiong Xiaoxin, before moving on.
Only after the footsteps went back and forth a few times and then headed upstairs did the three of them truly breathe a sigh of relief.
They were outside the small compartments, clearly in violation, yet the instance boss hadn't killed them. That meant the instance had successfully stopped operating!
Xiong Xiaoxin and the bearded man exchanged glances, both a little excited. But as previously agreed, they made no extra movements, quietly waiting for the night to pass.
Just as they were celebrating, however, at three in the morning, the footsteps suddenly sounded again. This time, the pace was incredibly fast, almost instantly crossing from another building to their location. The swirling dust no longer moved slowly like before but rushed toward Xu Huo like a gale!
Goosebumps rose on Xiong Xiaoxin and the bearded man. Xu Huo's eyes widened as well, but at this moment, reason overpowered instinct. He stayed rooted in place, not moving. Before his eyes could even catch up with the dust's speed, he already felt the faint breeze it stirred on his face.
Within inches, the hem of Xu Huo's clothes swayed slightly, and the dust came to a steady halt right in front of him. Once again, they entered a "stare-down" state.
But this standoff didn't last long. The dust seemed to be deliberately trying to scare him, and since Xu Huo didn't fall for it, it lost interest, swirled once, and vanished into the space.
Only then did Xiong Xiaoxin and the bearded man dare to breathe again, looking at Xu Huo leaning against the wall with admiration.
This mental fortitude—truly not something an ordinary person could have!
Fortunately, the instance boss only made that one appearance. The next three hours were peaceful inside the research institute, all the way until six in the morning.
[Congratulations, player, on clearing the instance "Small Compartment"!]
Only then did the three of them truly relax. They had finally cleared it!
"Let's go." Xu Huo was the first to head toward the research institute's main gate.
Xiong Xiaoxin and the bearded man followed behind. They had already checked their rewards for this clearance and were very satisfied.
The three appeared at the institute's entrance. The players waiting outside perked up at the sight of someone coming out, but when they realized it was only three, their faces darkened. They quickly crowded around, pressing for details about the instance.
As agreed, Xu Huo released the three from the Hundred Forest Society, Wang Xin, the sparrow, and the others, including returning all the items he had taken from them.
"Really cleared it!" The three players who had entered later looked dejected, as they had been brought out trapped inside a container item, meaning they had failed the instance.
No one was happier than Cong Lei. He eagerly sidled up to Xu Huo. "This round's on me!"