Chapter 94: The Reserve List

Moon Fox went on, “According to the data from the Evolution Center, the second batch of advanced Evolution Orbs worldwide should number roughly over a million. The vast majority of them are of the E, D, and C ranks, and they mainly fall into three types of instance. The first is the survival-and-treasure-hunting type, such as battle royale survival, wilderness survival, monster survival, desert treasure hunts, mummy expeditions, and so on. In these maps, you generally have to evade the pursuit of zombies, beasts, monsters, and other strange beings, while also battling other players. This is also the most common type of instance, the one you are most likely to encounter.

“The second type is the puzzle-and-logic instance. This kind does not demand strong combat ability from the players; instead, it requires them to cooperate and work together to solve the riddles, clear the stage, and explore for treasure. However, though these instances may seem harmonious, in reality someone will usually have a special mission, such as assassinating a certain target, framing a certain target, or finding a way to make everyone fail their mission. So you must still be careful.

“The third type is role-playing. This is the most interesting kind, and also the most difficult. It requires players to play a specific role, within a specific time and space, and a specific background story, in order to complete a particular mission. Such an instance may be a solo advanced instance, or it may be a multiplayer instance. It is very complex, but the mission rewards are plentiful.”

After hearing the introduction to the three kinds of instances, the students’ eyes all shone. It sounded far too fascinating, thrilling, and dangerous.

One student timidly raised a hand and asked, “Instructor, will there be danger to our lives?”

Moon Fox nodded. “That’s right, and that is exactly the key point I want to stress! At present, judging from the feedback gathered from instances around the world, there will be no danger to life. If you die, you will be sent back to the instance hall. But there are special cases—for example, in survival instances, every player can activate Kill Mode. In Kill Mode, all your attributes are doubled, the rewards are doubled, the points are doubled, and even the luck involved in triggering hidden missions and obtaining hidden chests is doubled! But if you die in Kill Mode, then you die for real. No need to doubt the truth of this: at another school in our Star City, Mingde High School, an advanced instance opened yesterday. It was wilderness survival. Thirty students ignored the instructor’s warnings and privately activated Kill Mode. As a result, they were killed, and then they never came back out of the Evolution Orb again!”

Ah—

The students of Peaceful Etiquette Middle School drew a cold breath. Although they had already prepared themselves mentally for the dangers of the Evolution Orb, they had not expected the danger to be so close, right before their very eyes.

Moon Fox spoke with deep sincerity. “Students! I know you all yearn to grow stronger and to improve, but you must never rush for quick success or do foolish things. Our school has already applied to the Evolution Center in Star City. Starting this week, we will have one chance every week to follow the Shadow Legion into an advanced instance. By then, every student who goes along will be eligible to enter the advanced instance. So do not think this is your only chance. There will be plenty more opportunities in the future! Therefore, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely do not activate Kill Mode!!”

Before Moon Fox had even finished speaking, Chen Mo had already crouched down with a grave expression and seized Ning Xuan’s little arms. “Ning Xuan! Listen carefully! No matter what happens, you are not allowed to activate Kill Mode! Do you hear me!”

“Brother! You’re hurting me!” Ning Xuan tried to wrench herself free from Chen Mo’s grip, only to find that he was holding her tightly. “All right, all right, Brother. Your sister isn’t stupid. How could I possibly activate Kill Mode? If I died, what would happen to my dress? What would happen to my Pikachu? What would happen to my brother?!”

“Swear it!” Chen Mo said with utter seriousness.

“Fine, fine, I swear. If I activate Kill Mode, then I’ll be disfigured and become an ugly freak, and everyone in the world will despise me!”

For Ning Xuan, this vow was already vicious enough. In truth, given her personality, she would never do such a foolish thing, but Chen Mo wanted to hear her promise with his own ears before he would feel at ease.

Moon Fox continued, “All right, I won’t waste any more words. This is your first time entering an advanced instance, and it is extremely important. It will affect the assessment of your power level, so all of you must do your best! The instance you are most likely to encounter will be a survival type. Remember, stay calm, do not act impulsively, and surviving is your greatest victory!”

Chen Mo looked puzzled. “Instructor, you’re not going in with us?”

Moon Fox shook his head. “I’ve already been in once. As a member of the White Cloud and Gray Dog, I’ll have plenty of chances to enter advanced instances in the future, but that’s much harder for you. So if there’s one more slot, let the students have it!”

“Instructor!!” Quite a few students were moved to the point that their eyes reddened.

Moon Fox laughed heartily. “What’s with all of you? It’s not like we’re parting forever. Just treat it like a beginner instance and do your best! Everybody, cheer up, children!”

“Yes, Instructor!!” After learning that their instructor had given up this precious slot, the students were deeply moved, and their fighting spirit surged. They resolved to perform well and not let the instructor down.

“So great!” Looking at Moon Fox’s figure, Chen Mo felt an emotion he could not easily put into words.

Clap clap clap!

Moon Fox clapped his hands once more. “All right, students, all of you come forward and get close to the Evolution Orb. Once the minimum number is reached, the Evolution Orb will automatically open!”

Different Evolution Orbs required different numbers of participants; some required ten people, some a hundred, and some special instances could even be opened by a single person.

The students gathered around the Evolution Orb. Hum—

A piercing sound rang out!

The Evolution Orb was like a sleeping god opening its eyes, releasing brilliant blue light that covered the entire cafeteria.

Hum hum hum!

The eyes of the Evolution Orb opened, and a rift appeared in space.

The moment someone reached out and touched that rift, they would be instantly sucked inside!

One, ten, a hundred!

The students were drawn in one after another.

Chen Mo took his sister’s hand and moved toward the rift together. Then the two of them suddenly sank and fell into a spatial vortex.

Inside the vortex, Chen Mo gripped Ning Xuan’s hand tightly, unwilling to let go. Yet a tremendous force violently tore their hands apart. Chen Mo could even see Ning Xuan being forcibly sent into another passage, parting ways with him!

Amid the cry of seagulls, Chen Mo’s body landed on the ground, and he arrived in the instance hall.

This was a completely new instance hall, no longer the ancient Greek temple style of Temple Run.

It stood instead on a vast island, surrounded by tropical rainforest and a sapphire sea. The island was large, with many ruined buildings scattered about.

At the same time, a streak of blue light fell beside Chen Mo. Thinking it was his sister, he looked on full of anticipation.

The one who arrived was not Ning Xuan, but Shangguan Chaoyue, whom Chen Mo had defeated and demoted to Class D.

“You?” Shangguan Chaoyue and Chen Mo said in unison.