There Must Be Something Wrong With This Game!

In a villa in downtown Love City, Nemo brought glasses of water to Duan Fei and the Lone Ranger, then said with a wry smile, "Duan Someone, I just asked you to wander around today and write a report on anything you found, not to go and smoke out the undercover agent."

"Correction. I exposed myself," the Lone Ranger said coldly.

The Lone Ranger was dressed in a white hooded robe, his face obscured, revealing only a firm chin.

He crossed his arms and propped his feet up on the coffee table, looking quite stern and arrogant.

The hooded robe seemed to be a psychological switch for him; once he put it on, he became a completely different person.

Nemo conceded with a sigh, "Fine, you exposed yourself. But you were still forced out by Duan Someone, right? I’ll go apply for a reward from the guild leader and have it sent to you."

"Hmph!" The Lone Ranger scoffed in displeasure.

Nemo stood blankly for a moment, apparently contacting the guild leader via private message. He then sighed and said to Duan Fei, "Sorry, it seems the guild leader agrees this counts as him exposing himself, so you only get half the reward—one thousand Abyss Coins."

"Your guild leader is a real piece of work."

Though he hadn’t met the man himself, Duan Fei’s impression of the Icefield Walker’s guild leader had already hit rock bottom.

’How did such a nitpicky guy ever become a guild leader?’

Nemo nodded with another wry smile. "It can’t be helped. The guild leader is very capable in other areas, so we just put up with it. Mr. Lone Ranger, you’re a star player. I’m very glad to see you’ve come over to our side. That said, I’d like to ask, are you available for hire?"

"I was with Eternal Night just a moment ago," the Lone Ranger sneered.

"Talent is what matters most. Besides, you’re a Shadow Assassin capable of sensing Shadow Energy, so you must have already noticed this place is full of Ghosts. To be frank, your kind of expertise is exactly what we need."

The Lone Ranger leaned back against the soft sofa and thought it over.

’After exposing myself, I can forget about getting paid by Eternal Night.’

’But I need Abyss Coins to craft my own exclusive weapon, and I’m short on funds right now.’

’As a Shadow Assassin, I frequently use Shadow Energy.’

’Shadow Energy has special effects like corrosion and weakening, but that influence goes both ways.’

’It doesn’t just affect enemies; it affects me and my weapons too.’

’I’m immune to Shadow Energy, but my weapons need a Shadow Affinity affix or something similar, otherwise they’re basically useless.’

’And that kind of rare affix can only be obtained by crafting with Shadow Ore. Each ore costs at least a hundred thousand, and you have to keep crafting to reroll for the right affix. The amount of Abyss Coins you have to sink into it is a terrifying figure.’

’Thinking about it that way, accepting Nemo’s job seems like a pretty good option.’

So, he took his feet off the table and said seriously, "Fine. I’ll accept your offer."

"Then, about our contract..."

"I don’t sign contracts. I don’t like being tied down. You pay me when the job is done. If it’s not, you don’t owe me anything. Of course, you can choose not to pay me even if I succeed... but then I’ll hunt down every last member of Icefield Walker, and I won’t stop even if you disband the guild."

Nemo looked at the Lone Ranger, knowing it wasn’t a threat, but a statement of fact.

The man had the strength to back it up.

In fact, the Lone Ranger had shot to fame because of his revenge on a mid-sized guild.

The guild had hired him for a job, but not only did they refuse to pay him afterward, they also set a trap and nearly killed him.

In retaliation, the Lone Ranger waged a month-long campaign of revenge. He would log on every day and immediately start hunting their members, staying online for sixteen hours a day. On average, each of their players was killed thirty-seven times.

It was worth noting that there was normally no penalty for death in Abyss, unless someone, like the Lone Ranger, specifically wore Cursed Equipment for the purpose of killing, which would cause the victim to randomly drop one item from their backpack upon death.

Thirty-seven deaths was enough to basically empty a player’s entire inventory.

His rampage only ended after the opposing guild formally apologized and its leaders announced they were quitting the game.

From that point on, the Lone Ranger’s reputation for always getting his revenge was firmly established. But no one knew it was all a publicity stunt he’d orchestrated to hide his Talent.

Star players, after all, were the best of the best among tens of millions of players. None of them were simple.

Snapping out of his reverie, Nemo swallowed hard and said with a smile, "Understood. Don’t worry, Icefield Walker won’t treat you poorly."

"Good. Then let’s discuss the details."

Without needing to be told, Duan Fei tactfully excused himself and waited by the door.

’The Lone Ranger has his own special mission. A little Level 7 player like me shouldn’t get involved.’

Before long, the Lone Ranger walked out of the room looking pleased. It was clear he’d reached a satisfactory agreement with Icefield Walker.

But the moment he stepped out the door, the pleased air about him suddenly vanished.

Staring at Duan Fei playing rock-paper-scissors with Yan Yuan by the door, he asked, annoyed, "Why are you still here?"

"I was planning to team up with you to farm some experience. Look at me, I’m only Level 7. I can’t even go into the city."

"And why would I team up with you?"

Duan Fei sighed. ’This guy’s brain is about the size of a quail’s egg.’

Patting the man’s shoulder, Duan Fei said, "Do you have any idea how much dirt I have on you?"

"...Damn it!"

"I’ll give you one chance to rephrase that."

The expression under the Lone Ranger’s mask twisted. After a long moment, he lowered his head and said, "Duan Someone, may I please request that you team up with me to complete the mission?"

"Attaboy. Lead the way."

"I’m going to kill you one day," he muttered under his breath.

"Hm?"

"Eat a good lunch. Don’t make your parents worry."

"Are you implying that sooner or later, I won’t be able to eat well?"

"Nope."

Traveling with the Lone Ranger, the two of them soon arrived at their destination: a villa that bore the clear marks of a fire.

Along the way, the Lone Ranger had explained the situation to Duan Fei.

The Otherworld Machine affects the Y chromosome, causing it to gradually degenerate and eventually disappear.

However, it also affects the X chromosome, creating a pair of recessive genes.

The effect of these genes allows some women to exist for a time in a Shadow form after death. The more intense their emotions were before dying, the higher the likelihood of them turning into a Shadow.

"You can think of these Shadows as Ghosts. The presence of Ghosts interferes with the Otherworld Machine’s operation. The contract Icefield Walker has here is to provide a large amount of Romantic Energy and help clear out the Ghosts at night, in exchange for support from Love City’s leadership. I don’t know the exact exchange rate of Energy and eliminated Shadows for support, but I imagine it’s no small number."

Duan Fei nodded. This information seemed to align with his previous deductions.

Pointing at the gloomy villa before them, Duan Fei asked, "So, there’s a Ghost in there?"

"Yeah, and a pretty strong one. I can feel her presence even from the doorway. I’m afraid she’s an opponent on par with me. You stay put. I’m going to take her out. This is a side quest from the Love City leadership, so you can leech some experience."

"Oh, try not to die. Actually, never mind. If you die, you’ll just respawn as good as new."

"If you don’t have anything better to say, then shut up."

After checking his gear and ensuring his Sleeve Sword, Sleeve Arrows, and other items were in optimal condition, the Lone Ranger moved with an eerie gait and drifted into the villa like a wisp of fog.

With nothing else to do, Duan Fei leaned against the doorway and went back to playing rock-paper-scissors with Yan Yuan, but then he heard a series of "POP... POP... POP..." sounds.

Turning his head, Duan Fei saw the streetlights overhead go out one by one, plunging the entire street into darkness.

But in the darkness, a tall figure glowing with a faint white light approached from the distance.

POP.

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