Chapter 284 MVP: Lin Chen

【The “Wraith” instance True End—”Subduing the Tiger” has been recorded】

【MVP Player: Lin Chen】

【The “Wraith” instance has been permanently closed due to force majeure】

【Last player to clear: Lin Chen】

In the Ruins of the Sunset, a new record appeared on the massive stone tablet, like a pebble falling into a pond.

No special events occurred, and there weren’t many players wandering the plaza. At this moment, a fair number of busybodies gathered by the stone tablet, buzzing with discussion.

“Another instance has been permanently closed. Was it bombed? I remember the last permanently closed instance was ‘Carnivore’.”

“The name ‘Wraith’ sounds familiar. If I remember correctly, a lot of people have already died in there. That Lin Chen’s strength is no ordinary feat.”

“The name Lin Chen sounds a bit familiar too. Isn’t he that slaughter-path player who was exposed on the forum before?”

While people with good memories weren’t many, they weren’t few either.

Someone pointed to a stone tablet in the corner: “Look at the rookie rank, Lin Chen is a ranked player.”

Players gathered over one after another.

On the rookie rank stone tablet, a name had surged up a significant distance.

【30. Lin Chen, Male, instances Cleared: 5】

Having cleared only five instances, he was ranked in the top thirty, looking completely out of place sandwiched between a bunch of names with ten instances cleared.

The players’ discussions grew heated.

“He climbed to thirtieth so fast. Reaching rank one should only be a matter of time; it’ll probably only take two or three more instances.”

“I remember when the God Fu and the recent Chang Xu cleared five instances, their rankings were around this position too, right? He’s basically a lock for the future rank one. Once the people ahead of him leave, it’ll eventually be his turn.”

“There have been more and more powerful rookies lately. Maybe the Final Dungeon is about to open.”

Most players active in the Ruins of the Sunset had decent psychological resilience, treating the standout rookies merely as gossip for after-meal chats.

Someone thought of something and murmured: “The clearing time for the ‘Carnivore’ instance was March 12th. Today is April 16th, exactly thirty-five days apart. Calculated at one instance every seven days, that’s five instances…”

Another player clapped their hands and added: “It all matches up! Do you think there’s a possibility that the one who bombed the ‘Carnivore’ instance was also Lin Chen?”

The new topic quickly attracted everyone’s interest, and players began discussing it one after another.

“No way, how could it be such a coincidence? Bombing one is one thing, but bombing two?”

“Yeah, the person who cleared the ‘Carnivore’ instance was confirmed to be a heinous slaughter-path player. How could he expose his real name? Maybe ‘Frog Hospital’ was also an alias.”

“Don’t be so sure. Maybe he has a desire for performance and is doing the opposite?”

A suspicion spread among the players. Although most laughed it off, the seeds of doubt were nonetheless planted.

However, having experienced the recent public opinion offensive against Fu Jue and the Jiuzhou Guild, the mindset of the player community had undergone a subtle transformation.

They no longer held a contemptuous attitude toward Slaughter-path players. Instead, they harbored a secret yearning—

If they also acted without scruples, would they be able to survive better?

“So noisy. If it weren’t for Jerusalem being too chaotic and the Game Space being too stifling, I really wouldn’t want to come here for a nap…”

In a corner, a young man in a suit lay on the roots of the World Tree, his face covered with a baseball cap as he dozed.

When the players scattered, he took off the cap, stretched his limbs, and stood up.

He walked toward the trunk of the World Tree and stopped before the rookie rank stone tablet, staring at a name on it.

“Lin Chen? Even the characters for the surname and given name are exactly the same… although this name is pretty common…”

“Survivor of ‘Rose Manor’, accomplice to the villain in ‘Frog Hospital’, MVP of the ‘Wraith’ instance… it couldn’t really be such a coincidence that they’re all the same person, right?”

“Involving a Contract skill, could it be what I’m thinking? ‘Zhou Ke’ and ‘Lin Chen’ are both two characters; that counts as a connection…”

“By the way, if I just ask him directly when the time comes, I won’t be killed to keep me quiet, will I?”

The young man put the cap on his head, his gaze slowly moving up, skimming over the records on the list.

【1. Chang Xu, Male, instances Cleared: 8.】

【2. Mu Chuqing, Female, instances Cleared: 10.】

【3. Dong Xiwen, Male, instances Cleared: 9.】

“I actually made it into the top three without realizing it. Looking at it this way, I’m still somewhat strong.”

The young man smiled freely and reached up to press down the brim of his hat… In the temple-decorated Game Space, Qi Si opened his eyes on the high-backed chair.

Silver-white settlement text refreshed before his eyes.

【”Wraith” Evaluation Grade: S, Reward Points: 5000】

【”Wraith” True End line cleared, Reward Points: 5000】

【Worldview Decryption: 100%, Reward Points: 5000】

【Completed main quest of own faction, Reward Points: 10000】

【Completed main quest of other faction, Reward Points: 10000】

【Assisted in completing other faction’s side quest, Reward Points: 2000】

The Eerie Game was exceptionally generous with the reward points for this instance.

Perhaps considering the difficulty, both the “Wraith” faction’s task to “Eliminate all humans” and the “Human” faction’s task to “Kill the Tiger Demon” rewarded a significant amount of points.

Even half-deceivingly coercing the “Human” faction into completing the side quest to “Find the Wraith” was settled with reward points, though not many.

【Unlocked achievement “Arsonist” (Committed arson in the instance with serious consequences), Reward Points: 1000】

【Unlocked achievement “Pretender” (Assumed another’s identity in the instance without being discovered), Reward Points: 1000】

【Unlocked achievement “Intern Savior” (Successfully played the role of a “Savior” once), Reward Points: 1000】

【Total Reward Points: 40,000. Given that you are deceased, reward points will be frozen and cannot be deposited into your account】

No wonder the points were given generously; it was because they didn’t have to be handed over to the player… What was this? Let you have a look, then “pop,” they’re gone. Was it playing with people?

Qi Si knew that participating in the game as a “Ghost” meant he couldn’t get points—it was written in the rules—but he still felt the Eerie Game’s full malicious humor.

However, he wasn’t too disappointed. It didn’t matter if he couldn’t earn points; as long as the tool could earn them, it was fine.

Moreover, while the Eerie Game listing the point categories was irritating, in a sense, it also provided useful information.

Qi Si looked at the three bright achievement icons and fell into thought.

The first two achievements were understandable, corresponding to his destruction of Yanghua Town and his assuming the identity of the Taoist.

As for “Intern Savior”… Qi Si believed that whether from motive or result, his entire being had nothing to do with the words “Saving the World.”

So, where exactly did this achievement come from?

“Using the means of sacrificing individuals to let the group continue, paired with a set of high-sounding rhetoric? Then eliminating the culprit in full view of everyone, staging a play of punishing evil and promoting good? Is it that ironic?”

Qi Si recalled the progress of the “Wraith” instance and could only think of the above possibilities through strained interpretation. Which one it specifically was remained unknown.

It was… quite abstract.

Fortunately, the achievement icons only appeared during point settlement and wouldn’t be displayed normally, nor could they be summoned.

Anyway, they weren’t an eyesore. If there were points to be had, it would be a waste not to earn them.

【Congratulations on perfectly clearing the “Wraith” instance. Obtained reward item: Azure Underworld Lantern】

The system’s electronic voice coldly read out a line of text, and a phantom of a green lantern floated before Qi Si.

The shape of this lantern wasn’t much different from the lanterns in the instance, but the color was sufficiently strange and ugly, like a lake surface with excessive sewage discharge or rotting moss.

Qi Si looked at it with some disdain, paused for two seconds, and called up the description text.

【Name: Azure Underworld Lantern】

【Type: Item】

【Effect: When walking at night with the lantern, bodily functions will infinitely approach those of a ghost, and you will be treated as one of their kind by most Ghosts.】

【Remarks: Be careful, pay attention. Don’t walk and walk only to step onto the Yellow Spring Road and truly become a ghost!】

This item didn’t provide much of a combat boost; it leaned more toward the puzzle-solving and survival side. Its main use was likely to pose as a ghost to collect clues in dangerous places or to avoid sudden ghost-related death points.

It only worked at night, had to be held in hand at all times, and had a negative effect: if used too much, one might accidentally be assimilated into a ghost, just like Qi Si was now.

Worse still—the effect of this item overlapped with 【The Undying】 and the 【Book of the Dead】.

Setting aside that Qi Si was already in a ghost state, even if he weren’t, with the 【Book of the Dead】—an item with smaller negative effects and a wider range of application—why settle for second best and use this 【Azure Underworld Lantern】?

Carrying an ugly green lantern wasn’t convenient or pleasant at all.

Qi Si sighed and muttered to the invisible presence: “Are you sure there’s no behind-the-scenes manipulation? Working hard to clear an instance and getting nothing useful is a bit much.”

Including the “Frog Hospital” instance, where the reward item was covered by the 【Directors Special Pass】, Qi Si had essentially gone two consecutive instances without getting anything good.

Of course, the inheritance from other players didn’t count.

Tang Yu’s 【Ink Soul Scroll】 was still with him; he hadn’t returned it and didn’t plan to.

Since Tang Yu was destined to stay in the instance, rather than taking this item to the grave, it was better left to someone in need.

“Could it be because I took other players’ items that you’re deliberately withholding rewards to balance power? You really are fair and just.”

Qi Si made a sarcastic remark and reached out to grab the handle of the 【Azure Underworld Lantern】.

The phantom solidified the moment it was touched, feeling bone-chillingly cold to the touch.

Two lines of silver-white text popped out:

【Detected that this item can be fused with your item ‘Book of the Dead’ to form a new item】

Qi Si was slightly startled but quickly grasped the meaning behind it, letting out a soft click of his tongue: “Is this a case of suppressing before praising?”

Both the 【Book of the Dead】 and the 【Azure Underworld Lantern】 were useless to him; even throwing them away wouldn’t be a loss. Generating a new item, regardless of its effect, as long as it was different from before, could be called “turning waste into treasure.”

【Would you like to fuse immediately?】

Qi Si took the 【Book of the Dead】 out of his inventory and nodded slightly: “Yes, fuse immediately.”

The human-skin-textured book lay quietly on the bronze long table.

The green lantern shed its paper shade, revealing a candle reflected blue-white by the flame, suspended above the book.

Two golden vines appeared out of thin air, piercing into the book and the candle respectively.

Under the shimmering golden light, wax dripped down the candle body, flowing slowly over the surface of the book, evenly applying a layer of lustrous wax.

Once the entire candle had melted away, the vines quietly faded and vanished.

The human-skin book lying flat on the table was unrecognizable. At first glance, it even presented the texture of a stone slab, with cracks on the surface forming crooked characters of an unknown language.

【Name: Netherworld Guide】

【Type: Item】

【Effect: Consume one page to transform any existence into a ghost. (Duration: 60 seconds, number of pages refreshes once per instance)】

【Remarks: Hold the Netherworld Guide, manage the affairs of the underworld. Whomever you say is a ghost, is a ghost.】

This item was much more useful compared to the 【Book of the Dead】 and the 【Azure Underworld Lantern】; it was a world of difference.

In a second, Qi Si thought of countless interesting ways to play with it, including but not limited to killing with a borrowed knife and calling a stag a horse.

He rubbed his chin composedly, put the newly generated 【Netherworld Guide】 into his inventory, and closed the settlement interface.

The temple was calm, silent as death.

The 【Sea-God Scepter】, having undergone the detoxification process in “Frog Hospital,” now stood quietly to his right, diligently maintaining the operation of several Soul Leaves and the World-Fruit in the Game Space.

Qi Si reached out and grasped the scepter. Information he hadn’t yet acquired was automatically organized and flowed into his mind at a speed the human brain could accept and process.

He had just checked the scepter’s operation before entering the instance, and the instance didn’t take up real-world time, so there wasn’t much new information.

First was a message from Dong Xiwen: “Brother, can I ask what your real name is? I signed a Contract and can’t say it anyway. No other meaning, just curious.”

Qi Si knew that Dong Xiwen sending a message at this time meant he had likely seen something in the Ruins of the Sunset.

The name Lin Chen set for the ranking record was “Lin Chen,” which corresponded with the post exposing him in “Frog Hospital.” Being noticed was part of the plan.

Qi Si calmly replied with two words: “Zhang San.”

Then there were the rewards settled after Lin Chen cleared the “Wraith” instance.

【”Wraith” Evaluation Grade: A, Reward Points: 3000】

【”Wraith” True End line cleared, Reward Points: 5000】

【Worldview Decryption: 100%, Reward Points: 5000】

【Completed main quest of own faction, Reward Points: 10000】

【Completed medium-difficulty side quest, Reward Points: 5000】

【Unlocked achievement “Erudite” (Provided three or more pieces of important off-field knowledge in a single instance), Reward Points: 1000】

【Unlocked achievement “Strange MVP” (How did you become the MVP? A certain existence glanced at you strangely), Reward Points: 1000】

【Total Reward Points: 30,000】

Qi Si’s gaze fell on the “Strange MVP” achievement, lingering slightly.

How did Lin Chen become the MVP?

It was simple. Only two people survived this instance, and one of them was a ghost who couldn’t appear in the ranking records.

As the instance was about to end, Qi Si told Lin Chen the entire worldview background, causing his worldview decryption to reach the minimum requirement for the MVP… if he wasn’t the MVP, no one was.

Qi Si extended a finger to touch the blood-colored leaf, calling up Lin Chen’s inventory to check.

There was already a new item there. The icon was a green tiger made of straw, undoubtedly the clearance reward for the “Wraith” instance.

【Name: Straw Tiger (Consumable)】

【Type: Item】

【Effect: Summons a tiger that obeys the item holder. It exists continuously until killed.】

【Remarks: A certain evil god, in a state of extreme boredom, became obsessed with handicrafts, using paper and straw to make countless strangely shaped animals and casting them into various worlds. Although they are discarded works, they still contain extraordinary divine power.】

After reading the effect, Qi Si fell into a long silence.

Clearly not having put in much effort, yet the item obtained was surprisingly good… what kind of luck was this?