The moment the white light engulfed her vision, Cen Yao only had time to hear one final meow.
It was very soft, like the wind bidding farewell.
In the next second, she felt solid ground beneath her feet once more.
Her surroundings were no longer the damp coffee forest, nor were there any iron cages, wooden cabins, or morning mist.
This was a pure white space.
Zhu Lingxi stood to her left.
Her black hair fell smoothly down her back, and the Nuo mask hung quietly at her waist. The scent of incense clinging to her seemed exceptionally clear in the pure white space.
Pei Tinglan was on her right.
He leaned against his backrest, the silver-gray metal glinting coldly under the white light.
“The settlement space.”
Cen Yao looked around and massaged her aching calves.
“Why isn't there even a single chair in this place?”
Pei Tinglan glanced at her.
“You've only just cleared the dungeon, and you're already thinking about sitting down?”
“Duh! You've been sitting the entire time, while I've been on my feet for four whole days. I was either repairing arrays or pushing for the animal protection law.”
Cen Yao spoke with righteous indignation.
“You'd better pray that the rewards are generous later.
Otherwise, I will be very, very sad.”
Pei Tinglan: “What does that have to do with me?”
“I'll take it out on you.”
“...”
Zhu Lingxi stood between them and gave it some serious thought.
“If Miss Cen is truly sad, I can perform a misfortune-dispelling dance for you.”
Cen Yao was taken aback.
“A misfortune-dispelling dance?”
“Yes.”
Zhu Lingxi touched the Nuo mask at her waist.
“It can send away bad things.”
She looked at Cen Yao, very sincere.
“For example, the aura of poverty.”
Cen Yao's eyes lit up.
“There's actually such a good thing?”
Pei Tinglan spoke expressionlessly.
“She is just comforting you.”
Cen Yao: “...”
Zhu Lingxi: “...”
Zhu Lingxi looked at Pei Tinglan with slight disapproval.
“Master Pei, please don't ruin the moment.”
The corners of Pei Tinglan's mouth twitched.
“The two of you are really suited to set up a street stall together.
One to do the scamming, and the other to do the advertising.”
Just as Cen Yao was about to retort, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly rang out from above the pure white space.
【Dungeon completion detected for players: Cat Cafe.】
【Dungeon settlement has officially begun.】
The three of them quieted down at the same time.
A massive, translucent panel emerged in the white space.
At the very top of the panel was a pattern of a crouching cat.
It had a faint scar over its left eye, and its tail was wrapped around its front, as if guarding something.
Cen Yao recognized it at a glance; it was the cat statue Zhu Lingxi had sculpted at the end.
Below the pattern, lines of information slowly unfolded.
【Dungeon Name: Cat Cafe】
【Dungeon Rank: C-rank Special Dungeon】
【Number of Cleared Players: 3】
【Clear Method: Main Quest Completed】
【Main Quest: Escape from the Cat Cafe】
【Main Quest Completion Rate: 100%】
【Hidden Event 1: Uncover the truth of the Cat Cafe. Completed.】
【Hidden Event 2: Rescue the trapped civet cats. Completed.】
【Hidden Event 3: Pacify the victimized animal souls. Completed.】
【Hidden Event 4: Establish an animal guardian deity. Completed.】
【Hidden Event 5: Change the direction of the core dungeon rules. Completed.】
【Final Dungeon Rating: SSS-rank.】
The final line lit up with a golden glow.
The entire settlement space seemed to be illuminated by that layer of golden light for a brief moment.
Zhu Lingxi's eyes widened slightly.
“SSS-rank.”
Cen Yao also stared at those three letters.
Although she knew they had done well in this dungeon, it only felt real once the System officially gave the rating.
SSS-rank.
“It really is SSS-rank.”
Zhu Lingxi had entered the game a month earlier than Cen Yao, so she had seen quite a few dungeon ratings.
Her highest was only an A-rank rating, which she had barely survived the dungeon to obtain.
An SSS-rank rating was something that existed almost exclusively on leaderboards and in rumors for the vast majority of players.
What's more, this was the first SSS-rank rating officially calculated by the System since the arrival of the Horror Game.
She subconsciously gripped the Nuo mask at her waist.
In those eyes that were always quiet and peaceful, a bright, near-radiant luster appeared.
“Miss Cen, you are amazing.”
Cen Yao had been mentally calculating whether she would make a profit this time, but she was taken aback by those words.
Seeing Zhu Lingxi's rarely displayed joy, the ache in her heart over spending three million shock points suddenly eased a little.
“You're amazing too. We all did great.”
Leaning back in his wheelchair, Pei Tinglan kept his eyes on those three letters. His fingers, which had been unconsciously tapping the armrest, had stopped.
SSS-rank.
He had entered more dungeons than Cen Yao and Zhu Lingxi combined.
He had received S-rank ratings, and more than once.
During his wildest, most dangerous, and most reckless period, he had also been just one step away from SSS-rank.
Yet the System had never granted it.
The rating system of the Horror Game was harsh to the point of malice.
Surviving was nothing, completing the main quest was nothing, and even killing the dungeon Boss, conducting extra exploration, and completing hidden quests might not guarantee even an S-rank rating.
As for SSS-rank.
It was almost like something the game intentionally dangled in front of the players, yet never allowed anyone to actually touch.
But now, it hung quietly right before their eyes.
Pei Tinglan raised his eyes and looked at Cen Yao.
His expression was still kept very calm, but the fleeting shock in the depths of his eyes could not be entirely concealed.
“...An SSS-rank.”
Cen Yao blinked.
“Yeah, SSS-rank.”
Pei Tinglan remained silent for a moment before finally accepting this reality, letting out a low chuckle.
“Alright, you're really something.
You really flipped the stage upside down this time.”
Cen Yao immediately turned her head to look at him.
“Are you praising me?”
“You misheard.”
“I clearly heard it.”
“That's just your post-dungeon sequelae.”
“Pei Tinglan, why are you so stubborn?”
“Cen Yao, why are you so free?”
Zhu Lingxi watched their back-and-forth and, a beat too slow, came to a conclusion.
“This must be what they call a bickering couple.”
Pei Tinglan: “?”
Cen Yao: “?”
The two of them turned to look at her at the same time.
Zhu Lingxi blinked, her expression completely innocent.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“Yes!”
Pei Tinglan and Cen Yao spoke in unison.
Zhu Lingxi paused, then nodded in realization.
“Oh.
Then you aren't.”
Her tone was so calm that both Cen Yao and Pei Tinglan were left speechless, not knowing how to respond.
“In any case, getting an SSS-rank is an extremely good thing.”
She paused, then added, “We should offer some candy to the Founder.”
Cen Yao: “?”
Pei Tinglan: “?”
Zhu Lingxi was very serious.
“Whenever a great, happy event occurs at home, we must make an offering of candy.”
Cen Yao immediately agreed.
“Then we'll buy some as soon as we get back to the game space.”
Pei Tinglan leaned back in his wheelchair and closed his eyes.
“...As long as the two of you are happy.”
The System in the pure white space did not give them any more time to chat.
【Now distributing rewards based on player contribution.】
【Player Cen Yao, contribution rank: 1st.】
【Player Zhu Lingxi, contribution rank: 2nd.】
【Player Pei Tinglan, contribution rank: 3rd.】
Cen Yao was startled.
She had originally thought that the top contributor would be Pei Tinglan.
After all, he was an A-rank player. He had controlled all the plantation staff during the day and procured the live stream equipment for them.
Zhu Lingxi was also crucial.
Without her Nuo God Talent, and without her drawing in, comforting, and stabilizing those animal souls, the Karmic Retribution Array could never have been activated in the first place.
While Cen Yao was lost in thought, Zhu Lingxi gently tugged at her sleeve.
“Miss Cen, you richly deserve it.
If not for you, even if these children had grievances, no one would have been able to give them a voice.”
From the side, Pei Tinglan remarked coolly, “Don't be so modest.”
Rate on N.U.
