Chapter 3044: Package Three and Challenge Island
Just as Xu Huo seemed about to choose between the first two packages, another player entered from outside. The newcomer looked haggard, his eyes bloodshot. Without even glancing at Xu Huo, he went straight to the man and said, "I want to go to Challenge Island."
The man's smile suddenly turned genuine. He tossed a contract to the player. "Sign this, and you'll be in time for the next group heading to Challenge Island."
The player signed without hesitation. At the same time, his bracelet was locked. He opened his personal account, which showed that he had already signed two contracts with this company—both Package One and Package Two. Yet now he had come back to sign Package Three.
In other words, the first two packages ultimately led to the same destination.
The later player came and went in less than a minute.
Xu Huo watched him leave before asking, "He can leave Zone 025."
The man chuckled lightly. "Where else can you retire better than an A-level wormhole point? In other wormhole point districts, you might not be able to buy good potions, and even if you can, they'll cost you a lot more."
"My personal advice is to go straight for Package Three and take a gamble."
"Your degeneration symptoms aren't obvious yet, so you have a big advantage over other players."
Xu Huo's expression relaxed slightly, a hint of self-satisfaction creeping in, but he still asked, "What exactly is Challenge Island?"
"An island that tests the limits of survival," the man said. "As long as you come out alive, what you gain might far exceed what I've described."
"Can I withdraw midway?" Xu Huo pressed.
The man gave him a strange look. "There's no turning back in life."
Put so euphemistically, Challenge Island was nothing more than an instance venue. Only by entering an instance could a player not withdraw midway.
Of course, an A-level wormhole point might have ways to restrict a player's freedom, but then there would be no need to create a Challenge Island. Since it was a challenge, what kind of challenge would it be if no one knew about it?
"I'd like to think it over," Xu Huo said, making one last attempt to stall.
The man didn't pressure him. Instead, he kindly had someone take him to the company-provided accommodation—a closed-off villa community.
Inside the villa, there were two other players in the same situation as Xu Huo. After exchanging greetings, the two brought up the matter of Challenge Island.
"What exactly is Challenge Island?" Xu Huo asked.
The two didn't know either. They had not only asked the man in the basement but also tried questioning other players and searching on social platforms, all to no avail.
"The most plausible theory is that it's an underground project," said the player with long hair. "That's not unusual. Many districts have them—rich people spend money for entertainment, locking up players like gladiators in a pit."
"But an A-level wormhole point probably isn't that simple," said the other, wearing a hexagonal hat. "I'm afraid they're using instances as the venue."
"Expected," the long-haired player said. "The question is what level it is. I'm worried these people don't intend to let anyone who goes to Challenge Island come out alive. What if they bring in high-risk instances..."
That was also the hat-wearing player's concern. They had been active in the A-level wormhole point for a while and realized that the players here actually had far less freedom than those in later wormhole points. For law-abiding, order-seeking people, of course, that was all good, but for players used to "freedom," it felt like having a tight leash.
However, the retirement conditions here were indeed excellent. If you could legally settle down, you wouldn't just get good potions but also targeted treatment plans to slow degeneration. It was said that players who could join government departments like the Enforcement Team could have degeneration-slowing potions tailored to their evolution level early on—something no other wormhole point could match!
Once a player's level reached A, many weren't just chasing wild adventures in the game anymore. They also had to consider real-world problems. What was more terrifying than having no power was having once possessed it and then completely lost it.
Of course, some players couldn't leave because they had entered instances, but more genuinely wanted to stay. However, the conditions for settling in an A-level wormhole point were extremely harsh.
You could make short-term stays to do instances, but if you lingered or sneaked in, you'd be met with endless trouble.
"Every player entering an A-level wormhole point district has their information recorded upon arrival. They track where each player goes. Zone 025 is still relatively relaxed in terms of regulation. The third-level areas aren't that strict. The closer the wormhole point number is to the front, the stricter the management. Players have almost nowhere to hide." The long-haired player sighed. "I only realized this after living in Zone 025 for a while. Without legally obtaining settlement rights, the district's operating mechanism will corner you from every angle until you either compromise or leave."
"But if you want to enjoy the good benefits of an A-level wormhole point, it's pretty much the same in any district."
"So you two want to take the gamble early?" Xu Huo asked.
"Aren't you?" the hat-wearing player countered.
Xu Huo fell silent. He thought of the player who had guided him earlier. That person's disgust wasn't directed at him alone but at a whole group.
That group might be players starting to degenerate, or players coming from outer zones to retire... But whichever it was, or both, it indirectly reflected the district's attitude toward them.
"Game maggots"—truly useless and disgusting things.
"Have you made up your minds?" the long-haired player asked again.
Xu Huo replied, "Do we have any other choice?"
The hat-wearing player couldn't help but sigh softly. "Since we've decided, why don't we form an alliance in advance? That way, when we enter Challenge Island, we can look out for each other. No matter the situation, at least until the final stage, we won't have to be enemies."
Xu Huo didn't object.
They were supposedly given time to think, but an hour later, the man personally came to the villa and handed them the contracts. "Since you haven't left, I take it you agree. Sign."
Each of them received a new bracelet. After putting them on and signing, the man said with a beaming smile, "Get some rest tonight. The bracelet will activate before you board Challenge Island. Then you'll naturally know how to use it."
Unlike ordinary identity bracelets, the new ones didn't have space instruments like Spider Locks specifically designed to restrict and control players. They were similar to their previous micro-terminals, just currently unopenable.
To prepare for the upcoming challenge, the long-haired player suggested they buy some portable supplies. Considering it might be a special instance venue, they should go for compressed rations and special containers, just in case their personal panels couldn't be opened and they'd have nothing to eat.