There Must Be Something Wrong With This Game!

The Pollution Invasion was an event type, and the content of the event would be slightly different each time.

These differences included the instance’s structure, the strength of various elements, and whether the instances were interconnected.

However, the officials would never reveal these differences, stating that it was part of the event’s gameplay. If you didn’t like it, don’t play.

In response, the players took to the forums to curse out the dev team’s entire family tree. Even the devs’ neighbors weren’t spared from the verbal abuse, and countless players received temporary bans.

This time, nearly a hundred players had entered this instance. Furthermore, third-party communication tools were blocked, and no reason was given.

"I think the dev team for Abyss is getting a little full of themselves," Bald Qiang said, annoyed. "This instance has no description at all. They couldn’t even be bothered to give us a basic introduction."

"That’s because you don’t know how to gather intel," Lone Ranger said coldly. "We entered the instance yesterday. I’ve already secretly acquired some books, including a local map and some of the Church’s Holy Scriptures. I’ve been able to learn some information about the instance from them."

Hearing that Lone Ranger had already gotten his hands on some intel, Shadow God grew interested. He put down his phone and asked, "Interested in sharing?"

"No. Intel is best kept to oneself."

"You’re such a scumbag!"

"I just love the way you all hate my guts but can’t do a thing about it."

"Lone Ranger, you’re the absolute worst."

Lone Ranger reveled in being despised.

After all, they were despising the character he was playing. The more they hated him, the more it proved his acting skills, giving him a sense of moral superiority.

Besides, with so many players this time, he could go on a killing spree after the main quest was complete. That would be another great harvest.

Letting out a couple of sinister chuckles, Lone Ranger suddenly felt someone staring at him.

Looking up, Lone Ranger saw Jinghong looking at him and holding up three fingers.

This was an internal code for the Salted Fish Inn, indicating that Jinghong needed the intel and was willing to trade three days’ worth of her Energy rations from Love City for it.

Lone Ranger shook his head, took out his phone, and with a flick, sent the collected intel to Jinghong’s phone via Bluetooth.

Although he presented himself as a scumbag to the outside world, Lone Ranger treated his own guild members quite well.

Plus, the brand-new phone he was using had been a gift from Duan Fei. This generosity had greatly increased Lone Ranger’s loyalty to the guild, so of course, he would send the information for free.

Even though he and Jinghong were in the same guild, Lone Ranger never announced it publicly, always hiding his guild name within instances.

He had made too many enemies, after all. Advertising his affiliation would only bring unnecessary trouble to the other members of the Salted Fish Inn. When they ran into each other in an instance, they would only exchange a brief, noncommittal greeting.

Jinghong picked up her phone and switched it to privacy mode. This way, anyone peeking would only see a preset screen and have no idea what she was actually looking at.

The latest technology from Rongge Company was just that impressive.

It was a bit strange to be looking at a phone in a medieval-themed instance, but it was part of the gameplay—a sort of built-in cheat that no player would refuse.

Jinghong and the others had arrived here last night, around the same time as Duan Fei.

Since they all entered via sleep mode, this instance was likely a long-term one, though not necessarily eight days long.

However, this was a rare large-scale instance with nearly a hundred players active. There was also no guarantee that other players hadn’t entered, gone off on their own, and were now moving in the shadows.

After entering, they were received by the Church and called Angels, which was probably a title similar to Descender.

After resting for a night, they were told that the "pollutant" they were looking for was likely in the south, and that the outbreak of a plague was probably related to it.

Opening her phone, Jinghong saw that Lone Ranger had already photographed and categorized the books he found last night. The game’s built-in translation system had translated everything.

’Is this the Holy Scripture... This Holy Scripture is so improper. I bet Duan Fei would love it. But it doesn’t have the content I’m looking for, so I definitely can’t let him see it.’

’Gods... prayer... Divine Grace... the price of Divine Grace... So this world has supernatural power, but it requires a price? Of the two paths, Divine Grace consumes health and lifespan, while Magic Power alters one’s physical characteristics, with random results. Neither seems like a good option.’

The back of the Holy Scripture recorded several Divine Arts, which seemed to allow one to trade for certain powers through prayer.

After a moment of thought, Jinghong sent a message to Lone Ranger.

Lone Ranger glanced at it. After reading the message, he didn’t act immediately. Instead, he waited until the carriage stopped for a rest and the other players began searching for information. Only then did he dissolve into a shadow, envelop Bald Qiang, and drag him to a secluded spot.

Dropping Bald Qiang, Lone Ranger crouched down and said, "I have a few questions for you. You..."

"I’m a Daoist, not a Monk, and certainly not a Priest," Bald Qiang said righteously.

"...I haven’t even asked my question, but you’ve already managed to insult two Professions, and you’ve even insulted me."

"My master always says I’m not good at much, but I’ve got a sharp tongue."

"Alright, back to business. You’re a Daoist, so can you use Divine Arts?"

Bald Qiang frowned at Lone Ranger. "What are you thinking? Can Satan ask King Yama to release a soul?"

"I’ll give you a copy of the intel for free. You just need to try it."

Bald Qiang thought for a moment and felt it was a deal he couldn’t lose.

After reading the information Lone Ranger gave him, Bald Qiang rubbed his bald head in thought for a while, then said, "It looks similar to Summon God, but the process is far more sinister."

"What do you mean?" Lone Ranger asked, his interest piqued.

He needed to fight against different Professions, so learning more about their combat styles would be very helpful in the future.

Bald Qiang wasn’t so calculating and thought Lone Ranger was just interested in Summon God, so he explained, "Orthodox Summon God rituals call upon True Gods who have been officially deified and are worshipped with incense. Before the summoning, you need the corresponding incantations and sometimes offerings. However, offerings for a True God are usually just incense and fruit, while a greater deity might require the three sacrificial animals."

Tapping his phone, Bald Qiang continued, "But this Divine Art doesn’t require external objects; it requires Life Force. From the looks of it, this ’god’ actually takes the Life Force of the person performing the Divine Art and then transfers a portion of it to someone else. This proves that this being isn’t a god at all, but some kind of malevolent entity, because it possesses no divine Power of its own."

After studying it a little more, Bald Qiang shook his head. "Nope, I don’t dare summon this thing. You can have the intel back."

"Why not?"

"Once you summon it, you can’t get rid of it. This thing is seriously evil. If the entire Church worships this entity, then I might have to consider defecting to the other side."

Letting Bald Qiang keep the intel, Lone Ranger looked up at the sky, feeling a sense of unease.

The azure sky was clear and vast, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was floating up there, watching the world below with cold indifference.

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