Putting aside her various thoughts, Bai Ci spent a bit of time thinking about where to allocate the attribute point she had gained from this level-up.
First, she naturally ruled out Physicality.
She currently had almost no combat capability, being a squishy support at best.
Adding a single point to Physicality wouldn't change the fact that she would still get one-shotted when she was supposed to.
Even if she managed to hold out a little longer, what difference would it make to the overall situation if her chip damage was slightly higher or lower?
Besides, when it came to holding out longer, wouldn't allocating the point to Agility to escape have the same effect?
When an opponent's attack targeted one's mental state, having a slightly higher or lower Spirit attribute made a world of difference.
As for whether to put this final point into Agility or Spirit, Bai Ci couldn't make up her mind for the moment, so she decided to set it aside.
Anyway, with several days left before the next instance, she had plenty of time to weigh the pros and cons.
Once she finished her thoughts, Bai Ci closed her personal information page and opened the forum.
Even though she had cleared this instance easily, she still maintained her usual caution.
Browsing the forum after completing an instance had already become a habit for her.
For one, it allowed her to identify her own blind spots and study other players' approaches to clearing instances, expanding her own thinking.
Secondly, and most importantly after this instance, it helped her understand the conventional ways of breaking through the scenario, validate her own path to completion, and accumulate more experience for dealing with future challenges.
When she typed “Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency” into the search bar, only a few related posts appeared.
The handful of scattered threads merely complained about the instance's content, and the replies beneath them were in the single digits—miserably few.
After a brief thought, Bai Ci quickly realized she had arrived too early.
Fewer players participated in single-player instances compared to multiplayer ones. Moreover, she hadn't rested at all this time, opening the forum shortly after her return.
The timing was too tight; the relevant threads hadn't had time to brew yet, so naturally, not much analytical content had leaked out.
Bai Ci glanced over them casually and was about to close the page when a recommended thread titled “You Might Be Interested In” appeared at the bottom of the search results.
Based on her long experience browsing the forum, these kinds of recommendations usually featured rants or analyses of other instances released in the same batch as the one she searched for.
Seeing that this recommended thread already had over thirty replies in such a short time, Bai Ci grew curious and clicked on it.
Since the discussion on Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency hadn't picked up yet anyway, she might as well read something else to pass the time.
General Discussion-Instance Rants
RantI'm so done. What on earth is this “Yuexian Shrine” instance? I just got an E-rank evaluation for the first time.
ID: I Won't Sleep if the Moon Doesn't Sleep
I am seriously having a breakdown.
I've been in Anomalous Infection for two or three years now and have tackled both high and low difficulty instances. Aside from when I was a clueless newbie at the very beginning, I now consistently get A-rank evaluations. Even when I encounter an instance type that doesn't suit me and I perform poorly, I can still get a B.
I never imagined I'd ever get an E-rank evaluation. Even my very first terribly played instance was a D. This time, I've hit a career low.
What kind of cursed mechanics does this Yuexian Shrine instance have? My mind is completely broken.
Floor 2 OP: Since I'm here to rant, I'll briefly explain the background of the instance to give some context to the brothers who haven't entered it yet. (No making fun of the logic in this sentence.)
Floor 3 OP: First of all, our identity in the instance is an intern matchmaker at the Yixianqian Matchmaking Agency. The core quest is to play matchmaker and pair up all sorts of ghostly NPCs.
According to the store manager's requirements, you only get promoted to a regular employee after successfully closing one contract. This is also the basic requirement to clear the instance.
I originally thought this was a casual instance that relied purely on smooth-talking, but as soon as I got to work, I was completely dumbfounded.
The ghostly NPCs are absolute weirdos. They're so ridiculously picky that it's impossible to match them up at all.
Floor 4 Milk Tea is My Lifeblood: Bro, how did you crash and burn?
For a tongue-tied noob like me, the harder I tried, the sadder it got. Not only did I fail to matchmake several times, but I also ended up breaking up a few couples managed by other staff in the store. The store manager got a headache just looking at me.
Even after doing all that, I still got a D-rank evaluation. How did you manage to get a straight E?
Floor 5 OP: Don't even get me started. The more I think about it, the angrier I get.
The first male ghost I was assigned to handle was a purely greasy, creepy guy. He was ugly but extremely overconfident. The female ghost he was set up with chatted with him for a few sentences before making an excuse to slip away to the restroom.
Then this guy started staring at me, trying to strike up a conversation, and getting handsy. The harassment was endless.
With my short temper, I really couldn't take it anymore. I just lost it and beat him half to death.
And guess what? The guy filed a complaint against me, and the matchmaking agency immediately ruled that I had maliciously damaged cooperative resources and fired me on the spot.
Floor 6 Milk Tea is My Lifeblood (Reply): Wait, bro, I recall you being a guy?
Floor 7 OP (Reply): Of course I'm a guy! Why do you think I beat him half to death? He disgusted the hell out of me.
Floor 8 Sunfish Never Flops: The danger level in the early stages of this instance is quite low. At this point, the store manager is basically the player's protector.
The OP could have chosen to endure it for a bit, and once they gathered evidence, preemptively report it to the store manager. You'd get to see the manager kick the customer out.
...
Floor 12 Forever Single Duck: Speaking of which, is there any veteran who can clear things up?
The name of this instance is Yuexian Shrine, but I worked at the Yixianqian Matchmaking Agency the entire time. I never saw a shrine, nor did I hear anything about a “Yuexian.” What does the instance name even mean?
Here's a piece of trivia—whether it's common knowledge or not: instances in Anomalous Infection are never named randomly, metaphorically, or abstractly.
Most are names of locations, a few are names of key items, and in very rare cases, they are named after specific special dates, like “Graduation Day.”
So Yuexian Shrine must be a clue that will eventually appear, and it looks like a place name.
So, where on earth is this thing?
Floor 13 Strawberry Hard Candy: I know this one.
After I successfully matched three ghostly couples, the store manager awarded me the title of “Outstanding Intern.”
Outstanding Interns receive exclusive training, and the training location is right there at the Yuexian Shrine.
Floor 14 Are You on the Atmosphere Level: Doesn't that make me the chosen matchmaker? I only matched two couples and became an Outstanding Intern. My talent is seriously maxed out; I'm the rising star of the matchmaking world.
Floor 15 Evening Breeze: Show us your skills, Floor 14. I have a male ghost here who is bald, commits domestic violence, and cheats. Let's hear your introduction for this male guest.
Floor 16 Are You on the Atmosphere Level (Reply): That's easy.
“This is an exceptionally brilliant, intellectually mature male guest. He loves fitness, is highly protective of his partner, has a wide network of friends, and is, above all, sincere and reliable.”
Floor 17 Someone is Here to Buy a Watermelon: Help! Floor 16, doesn't your conscience hurt when you say that? A matchmaker's tongue is truly full of lies.
Rate on N.U.
