Yu Deng looked at his pitiful legs and angrily stomped on Cheng Chaolin's abdomen.
However, he was really uncomfortable, his legs were still trembling, and the force of the stomp wasn't as heavy as a kitten scratching.
Yu Deng shed a few more tears, sternly commanding, "This is terrible... Quickly clean it up for me!"
Cheng Chaolin nodded slowly, "Alright."
Although he hadn't completely imparted his own scent on Yu Deng both inside and out, it was still a kind of marking.
"Darling..."
The ghost gazed at Yu Deng obsessively, his eyes carefully tracing that delicate and elegant face, as well as the fair waist and legs.
"...Hurry up." Yu Deng urged impatiently.
Cheng Chaolin replied, gently and meticulously cleaning up Yu Deng - although the ghost didn't really want to erase these marks.
Yu Deng still felt some pain and grumbled at Cheng Chaolin in a resentful tone.
Realizing how agitated he had been earlier, Cheng Chaolin, acknowledging his fault, tenderly comforted Yu Deng for a long time.
"I'm sorry, my dear. I'll be more careful next time."
...If there is a next time.
The dark mist carefully adhered, healing the small abrasions on Yu Deng. The coolness of the mist provided some comfort to Yu Deng.
[Host, you have exceeded the additional stay by five hours. You can now exit the instance.]
Yu Deng wiped the dampness from the corners of his eyes, his voice soft and hoarse, "Cheng Chaolin, I'm leaving."
"...Alright," the ghost pleaded, "My dear, don't forget about me."
The ghost willingly submitted to Yu Deng, becoming an obedient and loyal companion.
Yu Deng looked up, "Hmm." He would try to remember.
Cheng Chaolin gently kissed Yu Deng's eyes.
"I submit to you."
A light golden thread appeared again, emitting a faint light, enveloping them together.
Cheng Chaolin transformed into a dark mist, shrouding around the faint figure of Yu Deng, tenderly embracing him.
"My dear, farewell."
The ruins fell silent, and the ghost vanished.
The ferocious ghost now belonged to Yu Deng.
...
Yu Deng felt a dizzy spell, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a small room of about twenty square meters.
The room was well-lit, furnished, and had a private bathroom.
"Hmm, is this... where I'll be staying next?"
[Yes, this is currently your residence. Welcome to the Player Center. It's safe here, and you can rest assured.]
Yu Deng immediately relaxed.
After exiting the instance, the minor wounds from the instance had disappeared. Yu Deng quickly checked himself, ensuring he was unharmed, and then lay down on the bed.
Exhausted, he had no energy left for thinking or taking a bath. His eyelids felt heavy, and after a few seconds of trying to keep them open, they closed.
[Ding, now proceeding with point settlement for the "Cheng Mansion" instance.]
[...]
Yu Deng had already fallen asleep, unaware of the notifications.
Curled up in the center of the single bed, wrapped in the blanket, Yu Deng slept restlessly, muttering dreamily at times and faintly calling out for his brother.
System 01 fell silent and quietly closed the curtains in the small room.
[Sleep tight.]
...
Yu Deng slept almost the whole day.
He dreamt vivid and bizarre dreams, feeling surrounded by two men in the dream.
Suddenly waking up, his mind still foggy, Yu Deng realized he was in the Infinite World.
Yu Deng sat dumbfounded for a while, then slowly came to the realization. He had successfully completed an infinite instance while alive and had now arrived in a safe place.
However, there was only him here... He longed to go home, to see his brothers.
Feeling down, Yu Deng slowly filled the bathtub in the bathroom and soaked himself in it.
[Host, you can now proceed with points settlement.]The system reminded.
"Huh? Then let's settle."
A light blue interface projected in front of Yu Deng, accompanied by an electronic sound.
[Player Yu Deng, ID A3270, performed as follows in this instance:
Main quest completion: 100%, rewarded 10,000 points doubled due to the instance turning into hard mode.
Additional quest completion: 100%, rewarded 20,000 points.
Special quest completion: 100%, rewarded 50,000 points.
Instance exploration: 100%, ranked first in overall contribution, point coefficient x3.
Also, gifts from the livestream viewers will be converted at a ratio of 10:1, totaling 150,000 points.
Total points obtained in this instance: 420,000 points.]
[Congratulations to Player Yu Deng, the instance rating is S.]
Yu Deng was stunned.
So many points? What kind of rating was that?
After a moment of shock, Yu Deng's eyes lit up.
So many points, such a high rating, he was amazing!
"So the overall contribution affects the points." Yu Deng muttered as he scrolled through the settlement interface in front of him.
No wonder the veteran players always told them to search for clues.
[Yes, points are tied to contribution, and an important metric for contribution is exploration rate.] The system explained, [Players with higher contribution have a higher chance of obtaining dropped items within the instance. So, players are encouraged to actively participate in tasks.]
Yu Deng, who had always wanted a big boss to guide him, muttered, "..."
ಥ‿ಥ, stop scolding.
[By the way, Host, in this instance you have obtained items and activated a skill. You can click to view.]
Huh? There are items and skills?
Yu Deng hurriedly clicked to view, starting with the skill.
[Active Skill: Prison.
Level: C (upgradable)
Effect: Unleash an area to immobilize all creatures at the same level or below, within a radius of one meter, for ten seconds. Cooldown time of twenty-four hours. This effect is governed by causality.]
Yu Deng blinked.
Hmm, this skill seems somewhat similar to the special power he used in the first instance.
It seemed quite powerful.
Yu Deng didn't immediately understand how to use this skill specifically, so he clicked on the items. The next moment, two paper slips popped up in front of him, along with a description.
[Item Name: Paper Doll x2
Level: B (upgradable)
Function: These little paper dolls can do a lot - gather intelligence, disguise as someone else, and most importantly, they can intimidate people. Of course, there may be other functions that players can explore on their own.]
The sudden appearance of the two paper slips resembled mini versions of the paper dolls Yu Deng had seen in the mansion, with vivid features, one in red and the other in green.
As soon as the paper dolls appeared, Yu Deng found himself standing in a bathtub full of water. He hurriedly shook off the water, flustered, and scrambled to get out.
Yu Deng stared at them for a moment, thinking they didn't seem very clever. "Can you really do many things?"
The paper dolls were only palm-sized, but their level was currently higher than his skill level.
The red-clothed paper doll, upon hearing the owner's doubt, sulked for a moment. To demonstrate its abilities, it leaped to the corner of the bathroom and broke one of the chair legs with a punch.
The chair, which was fine moments ago, now had a broken leg and toppled to the ground with a clatter.
Yu Deng was stunned, unsure how to react.
The green-clothed paper doll, a bit more sensible, punched the red-clothed one, then skillfully bent down to fix the broken chair leg.
After completing these actions, the two paper dolls stood side by side in front of Yu Deng, like students ready for reprimand.
Yu Deng stuttered, "You seem... quite powerful... but you're quite scary."
As soon as he saw them, some unpleasant memories started to surface.
The red-clothed paper doll looked heartbroken as if about to collapse.
"Can you make your facial features less human-like?" Yu Deng said.
The two paper dolls looked at each other, hesitating before changing their appearances to a more cartoonish style.
Yu Deng breathed a sigh of relief, "That looks much better."
The red-clothed paper doll was quite pleased with its new look, while the green one remained motionless, seemingly clueless and unhappy.
"Do you not have names? Then I'll call you Little Red and Little Green."
Little Red was excited and satisfied with the name, while Little Green nodded silently.
Yu Deng's mood improved slightly as he opened his player interface to check the various things he had gained after completing the instance.
Oh, he also had a Contract Catalog.
[Player Cheng Xiao: Contract signed.]
[Sinister ghost Cheng Chaolin (from "Cheng Mansion"): Contract signed, currently sealed.]
It seemed to record his special task targets, though he didn't know their purpose.
[Host, the System Store is now open. Would you like to view it now?]
"Let's see!"
The System Store interface appeared in front of Yu Deng.
It displayed a variety of items, including daily necessities, various foods, and predominantly a wide range of tools and potions.
Yu Deng focused on it for a while, then glanced down at the prices.
Even the cheapest medicine cost 10,000 points, basic items started at around 30-50,000 points, intermediate to high-level items started from six figures, and even everyday items and food cost a few thousand points.
Oh, he also noticed the rent. Staying at the Player Center for a day would cost a thousand points.
Yu Deng was shocked by the prices and fell into silence.
Even though the System Store could easily take players' points, it still provided some items.
"Really, sometimes I really feel like complaining..."
[.]The system expressed understanding and changed the subject, [After completing the beginner instance, you can stay in the Player Center for five days. You can rest or go out for a walk.]
Yu Deng became slightly interested in going out for a walk.
[Host, fighting is not allowed in the Player Center. You can safely go out, but your appearance is too conspicuous. It is recommended that you do some disguise.]
...
Although it was called the Player Center, it was actually a huge city. It was surrounded in concentric circles, with the outer ring for beginner players enclosing the central area.
The streets here appeared similar to the real world, with various shops lining the streets, and the aroma of a hot pot restaurant was particularly enticing.
Yu Deng donned a cloak and wore a small fox mask as he leisurely walked the streets, occasionally stopping to observe his surroundings.
Indeed, he had spent three thousand points to acquire a cloak and a clever-looking fox mask to disguise himself.
Initially worried that his attire would appear odd, he soon noticed many others dressed similarly, quite discreetly.
"There are so many people here."
[Yes, there are over a million players in the Player Center.]
Surprisingly, so many people were drawn into the Infinite World.
"Hey! Are you a newcomer?" A greeting suddenly came from behind Yu Deng.
Yu Deng turned cautiously, to see a handsome young man smiling at him.
The young man said, "Don't be afraid. You can't fight in the Player Center, and I mean no harm. You're a newcomer, right? Hello, congratulations on surviving your first instance."
Yu Deng politely nodded, "Ah, yes. Thank you."
The young man smiled, feeling curious.
Oh, how cute this newcomer is, very polite.
"Well, my name is Zhou Ji, and I'm here to recruit for our guild."
Yu Deng tilted his head, "Guild?"
Zhou Ji explained, "Yes, veteran players form guilds to guide newcomers in tackling instance challenges together. I'm from the Wind Lamp Guild. After each batch of beginner instances, I check to see if there are suitable new recruits."
Especially with the difficulty of these new beginner instances, those who survive have some advantages.
"Our guild leader is really powerful, ranking in the top three on the leaderboard."
After boasting, Zhou Ji paused, a fleeting concern flashing in his eyes.
"We have many experienced players in the guild who can team up for instances, share clues and items. Would you consider joining our guild?"
Yu Deng pondered for a moment, understanding. It was like a guild in a game.
He was quite tempted, almost nodding in agreement, but then remembered he was a special missioner(player), so he reluctantly declined, "Never mind, I'm not in a convenient situation."
Even though Yu Deng wore a mask, his voice was soft, and a faint sweetness emanated from him, making it impossible for people to dislike him.
Zhou Ji's patience doubled, "It's okay if you don't want to join. I can still give you some information about the Infinite World."
Yu Deng looked up in surprise.
"Consider it helping out a newcomer, we are all in the same boat - unlucky souls who help each other out." Zhou Ji smiled, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
Yu Deng thought for a moment, "What did you mean by the leaderboard you mentioned earlier?"
"Each central street in the area has a leaderboard, see, it's right there, with real-time updates." Zhou Ji pointed to a nearby location.
There were several large screens displaying different leaderboards. There were rankings for total points earned by players, overall strength rankings, guild rankings, livestream popularity rankings, and even rankings for newcomers.
Yu Deng first glanced at the total leaderboard, where the top three players were listed by code names. Following them were ninety-seven players with their actual names displayed, with points starting in the millions. The top five players had astonishingly high points.
Looking at the guild leaderboard, Yu Deng noticed the Wind Lamp Guild in the third position.
Impressed by the Wind Lamp Guild's strength, Yu Deng's gaze shifted to the adjacent livestream popularity leaderboard, where he froze.
Yu Deng's name appeared in ninth place on the livestream popularity ranking, with a notation that he was the most popular of the week.
The newcomer ranking was even more astonishing - he dominated the top spot directly, with his name followed by a golden "S".
Is this his name? He's so amazing?!
Yu Deng stared blankly, looking down a few names, and saw Cheng Xiao's name as well.
Following Yu Deng's gaze, Zhou Ji spoke.
"Oh, that Yu Deng appeared just yesterday, having only completed a beginner instance and already soared to ninth place in livestream popularity and first among newcomers. Many guilds are looking for him, hoping to recruit him."
Yu Deng was suddenly grateful for following the advice to disguise before going out.
After Zhou Ji expressed his thoughts, he suddenly asked, "So, you're also a newcomer from this batch. Have you met Yu Deng?"
Yu Deng quickly lied, "I haven't seen him."
Disappointedly, Zhou Ji sighed, "I guess so. I've been wandering around all day and still couldn't figure out what he looks like. Do you think, what kind of person is Yu Deng?"
Yu Deng: ?
[Host, protect your personal information.]
Eh? Then How should I respond?
[Host can provide misleading information.]
"I see..."
After a few seconds of hesitation, Yu Deng struggled to speak under Zhou Ji's eager gaze, "This Yu Deng... must be a strong and muscular person, probably around 1.8 or even 1.9 meters tall, with very solid muscles."
Zhou Ji seemed a bit uncertain, "Is that so?"
Yu Deng, standing at 1.75 meters, peeked at his slender arms and legs behind the mask, speaking with great assurance, "He must be like that! Why else would he attract viewers and have such high points?"
Zhou Ji suddenly nodded in agreement.
It made sense, very convincing.
To shine in the first instance, he must have real strength.
As everyone knew, the audience in the Infinite Stream enjoyed watching violent scenes, so Yu Deng must be a skilled fighter.
Little did they know, the real Yu Deng was a delicate and pretty young man who was prone to tears.
Yu Deng looked at Zhou Ji, who seemed to buy his nonsense, feeling a bit embarrassed as his ears turned slightly red. He continued with a trembling voice.
"Well...Yu Deng is definitely very powerful, capable of taking down ten enemies with one punch!"
T/N: I apologize for the many grammatical errors. I'm too lazy to revise it.