Chapter 895: C-Class Instance Notice
After the conversation, the female player told them her name was Ding Wei, and her profession was a psychotherapist. Due to her special trait, she naturally made people feel warm and friendly when meeting her for the first time.
"But this feeling doesn't affect people's judgment, it hasn't reached that level yet. It just makes people a bit more amiable when they first meet." Ding Wei said with a smile. "Being in the game for so long, everyone tends to overreact a bit, but I think meeting on the train is also a kind of fate. Why must it be life or death? Wouldn't it be better to enter the instance peacefully and go home happily?"
"You're right, but not every player thinks that way." Shangguan Xi sighed, then added, "Who knows if they're cannibal players or killer players? You might end up dead without even knowing how."
"I see you two get along well. Were you friends before?" Ding Wei glanced at Xu Huo.
Xu Huo had already finished his breakfast. He didn't touch the fish Ding Wei had ordered, nor did he pay attention to what she said.
Although Shangguan Xi hadn't eaten either, he took the initiative to pick up the conversation. "We met at the station. Brother Xu is an old-timer."
Ding Wei looked quite admiring. "I just recently rose to C-Class and haven't done any C-Class instances yet. You two are experienced. Could I ask for some advice on doing C-Class instances?"
Neither Xu Huo nor Shangguan Xi had much to say on this topic, but Shangguan Xi unceremoniously played the role of teacher, reciting the information from the Under Dimension lobby verbatim.
"Actually, it's not that different from D-Class instances. Generally, the area gets bigger, the time extends, and of course, the tasks become more complex. When we did instances before, the tasks were usually clearly specified, but C-Class instances aren't always like that. And to get a high rating, besides completing the instance tasks, you can also trigger hidden tasks."
"Hidden tasks are extra points, and completing them gives corresponding rewards."
"But one thing to note is that C-Class instances allow teaming up. If you want to be a lone wolf, you have to be careful not to get ganged up on by other players."
"So it's best to clear the instance as a team. There are quite a few benefits to this. First, more people means more ideas, making it easier to clear. Second, if your teammates are strong, you can ride on their coattails and get a high rating. Of course, the rewards have to be split among everyone."
"The rewards for clearing an instance are already meager. If you team up with others, how much will you end up with?" Ding Wei shook her head. "People die for money, birds die for food. I'm afraid there'll be a fight to the death."
"Exactly." Shangguan Xi agreed. "You can only leave the instance after all team members acknowledge the distribution result. That's a huge risk."
Xu Huo had already experienced this reward distribution system in the Headchopper instance. The rewards could be divided by mutual agreement, but every player had to accept and confirm on their own panel before they could use the return ticket. Otherwise, the instance wouldn't end.
This method, while protecting players' interests, also created new problems. For example, someone might deliberately stall for time or kill others to get a bigger share. For players, this was the final step before clearing.
But all of this was information available in the Under Dimension lobby, so there was no need to learn it from others.
"Let's go back." Xu Huo interrupted Shangguan Xi, who was rambling on.
Shangguan Xi hadn't forgotten about the two cannibal players in Car 17. He quickly stood up and said to Ding Wei, "You're not from Car 17, right? Be careful tonight."
Ding Wei smiled and watched them leave. When the compartment door closed, the book appeared in her hand again. The pages rustled without any wind, and a faint light emanated from the blank pages.
Xu Huo looked back, casually adjusting his glasses. His finger lightly touched the lens before he walked away as if nothing had happened.
Passing through Car 17 and back to Car 16, Shangguan Xi shamelessly squeezed into his room. "Well, it's not that I'm scared, but we just rose to C-Class, making us easy targets. It'd be a shame to die here... I didn't expect there to be so many newcomers on this train."
"You mean Ding Wei?" Xu Huo looked at him. "You didn't notice she was pumping you for information?"
Shangguan Xi looked surprised, then paused before saying, "But I didn't say anything important. That's all stuff from the Under Dimension!"
"She wasn't watching what you said, but how you said it." Xu Huo said. "A person's way of speaking and behavior patterns carry a lot of meaning. Even in districts with average technological development, they can analyze a person's past from these two types of data, infer their thought logic, and dynamically predict their possible actions. Do you think that wouldn't work in the game?"
Shangguan Xi was stunned. "No way... At least you'd need an instrument to analyze that..."
He shut his mouth before finishing the sentence. If there really was a prop with that function, completing such an analysis would be too easy.
Seeing his regret, Xu Huo said slowly, "I'm just guessing. Not necessarily accurate."
Shangguan Xi clamped his mouth shut.
But after a moment, he said with some anxiety, "What if she really has her eye on me!"
"Even if she can predict some of your actions, there's still the time factor, accuracy rate, and combat coordination to consider. There's no need to worry at all." Xu Huo comforted him.
Shangguan Xi wasn't comforted at all. His face fell. "Then why did you say that..."
Xu Huo smiled. "I thought you were talking too much."
After being scared, Shangguan Xi left with a dejected look. But within two minutes, he came back to knock on the door, holding a large bag of snacks and drinks, smiling brightly. "These are local specialties from my hometown. Want to try some?"
It was clear Xu Huo didn't have the option to refuse. Not only did he come in, but he also sat down by the bed and took off his shoes like he owned the place.
Xu Huo leaned against the desk, scrutinizing the seemingly guileless person before him.
When he looked at himself, the number above his head was "6," and the color showed no ill intent.
"How did you judge that I'm not a cannibal player?" he asked directly.
"You saw through me." Shangguan Xi looked a bit embarrassed. "Actually, it's nothing major. Just a prediction trait... And Brother Xu, you definitely look like a good person. Really!"
After a pause, he mustered his courage. "We just got to C-Class. We should stick together! The world still needs us to change it. How can we die halfway!"
Xu Huo thought he was a bit off, but didn't say much more.
Sleeping in the same bed was out of the question. Shangguan Xi made a bed on the floor at the foot of the bed.
In the middle of the night, the small room's door suddenly opened. Shangguan Xi flipped up, ready to throw a prop, but stopped when he saw it was Xu Huo. He stood outside the door, and opposite him was the cannibal player who hadn't shown his face during the day—they hadn't seen his face clearly before, and they still couldn't now, because he looked like he was squeezed into a narrow box, limbs twisted, features distorted, and the skin exposed was covered in bulging veins!