“That array of yours did make up the bulk of it,” Pei Tinglan remarked.
Cen Yao blinked.
“Do you guys really think it's fine for me to be first?”
Pei Tinglan looked up.
“Why?”
“Do you want to give your points to me?”
Cen Yao immediately looked away.
“No need for that.”
Pei Tinglan scoffed.
The System panel continued to flash.
【Player Cen Yao has received base clear points: 1,500 points.】
【SSS-rank dungeon rating bonus: 2,500 points.】
【Special dungeon hidden event bonus: 1,000 points.】
【Player Cen Yao has received a total of 5,000 points from this dungeon.】
【Obtained item: Permanent Team Card ×1.】
A card glowing with a dark golden light slowly drifted down from midair.
Cen Yao reached out and caught it.
The card was as thin as a metal sheet, yet it did not feel cold.
The front had no intricate patterns, only three blank slots side by side, and a line of small text.
【Permanent Team Card】
【Special dungeon limited reward.】
【Upon use, a permanent team relationship can be established with designated players.】
【The probability of permanent team members entering the same dungeon is significantly increased.】
【Permanent team members can share certain team channels, quest information, and special dungeon permissions.】
【Note: Once bound, it cannot be unbound.】
Cen Yao held the card, her eyes slowly lighting up.
This was the special reward the System had mentioned when she first drew the Cat Cafe dungeon.
The Permanent Team Card.
Back then, the System had stated that the reward for the top contributor of a special dungeon clear was a Permanent Team Card, which had never appeared in the game's reward pool before.
Now, it had truly landed in her hands.
Cen Yao looked at those six blank slots, suddenly understanding why this reward had been placed in a special dungeon.
Normal temporary teaming was merely a cooperation of interests within a dungeon.
Once the dungeon ended, the team disbanded.
But a permanent team was different.
It meant that in future dungeons, members would have a much higher probability of being grouped together by the System.
It meant shared information.
It meant that their lives and choices would gradually be bound to the same thread.
More importantly, it meant the game was actively encouraging players to form teams.
This trend itself was more important than a high-level item.
Zhu Lingxi looked at the card, a hint of curiosity appearing in her eyes.
“Permanent teaming.”
“Do we have to write our names on it?”
“Probably.”
Cen Yao flipped the card over.
On the back was an extremely thin silver pattern, the ends of which stopped at six blank spaces.
It looked as if it were waiting for someone to write.
Pei Tinglan glanced at the card, his expression unchanging.
“Keep it for now.”
“Once this thing is bound, it can't be undone. Don't use it on a whim right now.”
Cen Yao: “?”
“When have I ever acted on a whim?”
Pei Tinglan looked at her.
“During the day, when you turned into a cat.”
Cen Yao: “...”
Zhu Lingxi nodded very honestly.
“Miss Cen is indeed a bit cuter during the day.”
Cen Yao took a deep breath.
“Lingxi.”
“Yes?”
“Don't start talking like Pei Tinglan.”
Zhu Lingxi nodded immediately.
“Okay.”
Pei Tinglan sneered.
“Hopeless.”
The System's voice continued to ring out.
【Player Zhu Lingxi, contribution rank: 2nd.】
【Obtained base clear points: 1,200 points.】
【SSS-rank dungeon rating bonus: 1,800 points.】
【Special dungeon hidden event bonus: 700 points.】
【Player Zhu Lingxi has received a total of 3,700 points from this dungeon.】
【Obtained item: Soul-Soothing Incense ×3.】
【Item Description: Once lit, it can soothe wandering souls within its range, weaken resentment and pollution, and increase the stability of supernatural arrays.】
Three slender incense sticks appeared in Zhu Lingxi's hand.
The body of the incense was of a nearly ink-black wood, but the tip glowed with a warm, gentle golden light.
Zhu Lingxi held the incense and leaned down to sniff it.
Her normally calm eyes lit up slightly.
“It is good incense.”
Cen Yao leaned in.
“Is it very powerful?”
Zhu Lingxi nodded seriously.
“Very powerful.”
“It's even richer than the soul-soothing incense we use for the Nuo altar at home.”
She reached out to trace the patterns on the incense sticks.
“If we had this yesterday, the children would have been much more comfortable.”
Cen Yao patted her shoulder.
“We'll have even more in the future.”
Zhu Lingxi gave an “mhm” and carefully tucked the Soul-Soothing Incense into her sleeve pocket.
【Player Pei Tinglan, contribution rank: 3rd.】
【Obtained base clear points: 1,000 points.】
【SSS-rank dungeon rating bonus: 1,200 points.】
【Special dungeon hidden event bonus: 500 points.】
【Player Pei Tinglan has received a total of 2,700 points from this dungeon.】
【Obtained item: Echo In-Ear Monitor.】
【Item Description: Once worn, it automatically records valid sounds heard within thirty seconds and can perform a lossless playback when necessary. This item can generate a special resonance with sound-type Talents.】
A black ear monitor appeared in Pei Tinglan's palm.
The design was very simple, but the outer shell of the ear monitor seemed to have a layer of flowing water ripples.
Pei Tinglan pinched it and took a look, his tone completely flat.
“Not bad.”
Cen Yao looked at him.
“Does this count as getting a reward tailored to your profession?”
“Barely.”
“Then when are you going to sing a song for us to celebrate?”
Pei Tinglan looked up, a faint trace of mockery appearing on his face.
“Do you think I'm a street jukebox?”
“But wasn't your former profession singing?”
“That was the past.”
“And now?”
“Now, I'm in charge of muting you.”
Just as Cen Yao was about to speak, Zhu Lingxi looked at Pei Tinglan and added very seriously.
“Master Pei's voice is indeed very beautiful.”
Pei Tinglan's movements paused slightly.
Unaware, Zhu Lingxi simply continued, “That chant during the farewell felt as if all living things had been given a soul.”
Pei Tinglan fell silent for two seconds.
He turned his face away and put the ear monitor away.
“You heard wrong.”
Zhu Lingxi was puzzled.
“But I didn't hear wrong.”
Cen Yao almost burst out laughing.
Pei Tinglan's face grew even darker.
The System panel shifted once more.
This time, the basic information of the three appeared floating in midair.
【Player Cen Yao】
【Current Rank: C-rank Player.】
【Overall Dungeon Performance: Excellent.】
【Current points balance has been updated.】
【Player Zhu Lingxi】
【Current Rank: C-rank Player.】
【Overall Dungeon Performance: Excellent.】
【Current points balance has been updated.】
【Player Pei Tinglan】
【Current Rank: A-rank Player.】
【Overall Dungeon Performance: Excellent.】
【Current points balance has been updated.】
Cen Yao stared at her rank for a moment.
C-rank Player.
She was finally no longer the rookie who had just been dragged into the Horror Game, having to figure out the dungeon rules bit by bit.
Pei Tinglan was still A-rank, which meant the highest-level dungeon he had experienced was A-rank.
He was unwilling to bring up the past.
So Cen Yao didn't ask.
She simply stared at the words “A-rank Player,” silently keeping it in mind.
Seeing her own rank, Zhu Lingxi also seemed slightly lost in thought.
She reached out, as if wanting to touch the translucent text, but stopped in midair.
“I'm C-rank now.”
Cen Yao looked at her.
“Are you happy?”
Zhu Lingxi remained silent for a moment.
“A little.”
The light above the pure white space suddenly retracted.
Rate on N.U.
