Chapter 239: End of Stage B

Whoosh—

Torrential rain cascaded like a waterfall, pouring from a sky heavy with dark clouds.

A deathly silence hung over Baile Manor's Regional Grid.

Both players and Inner World residents stood like statues in the curtain of rain, staring at the man in the Advisor's robes.

He had become the sole focal point of the entire area.

[The commander of Faction No. 7 has died due to force majeure. All operatives of Faction No. 7 are exempt from the death penalty and will instead suffer the punishment of mind deprivation.] At Yan Jing's feet, fog-like Weird Energy rippled around the unconscious Xu Qiao'er and dissipated into the sky. It seemed that something else had vanished along with it.

Yan Jing ignored her and glanced behind him.

Tiger, who had kept his eyes tightly shut, opened them. A trace of profound realization flickered in his gaze.

"Young Master, Old Man, I get it! I finally get it! I was walking the wrong path!"

"It shouldn't be Fear. It should be Fate! I need to walk the pathway of Fate!"

"Just now in my dream, I inexplicably wandered into a palace. There were many people from the Fate pathway inside. Someone dressed like a priest saw me. He looked thrilled but urgent, as if calling me to return!"

"He tapped my forehead with his staff and taught me a few techniques for controlling fate. More importantly, after I told him I was in Minhu, he told me about a path—a route that leads straight to that palace!"

"He said I naturally belong there—"

Tiger looked up blankly. "He told me that Minhu is a central hub for a place called the Beginningless Realm. Thousands of paths are hidden here, leading to other Domains."

"And the route to the palace is located right next to a county town named Luohe County."

"He also helped strip away the Fear Power in my body. He said it was dregs, a blasphemy..."

As if to prove his claim, Tiger reached out and effortlessly snatched a fallen leaf tumbling through the howling wind.

"One of the First Tier abilities of Fate is called Judgment."

"It lets you see the short-term trajectory of people and objects."

He then opened his hand, letting the leaf drop. But a sudden gust of wind kicked up, inexplicably blowing the leaf right back into his palm.

"The second First Tier ability is called Repetition. It means the fate of all things goes through a repeating cycle."

Pausing, Tiger looked up at Old Master Liu and Yan Jing. He suddenly scratched his head and laughed.

"But I think I'll pass on going there."

"I don't know the people or the place. It sounds way too dangerous."

"When it comes down to it, it's better here. The scenery is nice, the people are easy to get along with, and it's safe. Hehe."

While he was giggling, a sudden bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, striking the unconscious Xu Qiao'er nearby. An instant later, the stench of charred flesh spread through the air.

"..."

The group just blinked.

Nice scenery, friendly people, and safe—those three concepts really didn't seem to have anything to do with Minhu.

The Old Man patted Tiger's shoulder approvingly.

"Not bad, Huzi. At least your ability to lie through your teeth has improved a lot."

Tiger flushed red and hurriedly waved his hands.

"No, no, I really think—"

"It's fine, Huzi. Wherever you want to go, Master Liu and I support you one hundred percent."

Yan Jing smiled. "There's still plenty of time. Think it over carefully. Whether you go or stay, we'll be happy for you."

The Old Man nodded firmly, then threw an arm around Tiger's shoulders and whispered, "Go for it, Huzi. I have a feeling it's a good place. Once you make a name for yourself, just remember the rest of us. If the day comes when the world turns upside down, remember to lend us a hand."

"And you know how that kid Yi Ji is. He'll agree with whatever you decide."

"I, I..."

Tiger faltered, suppressing the swell of emotion in his chest. "Old Man, let me think about it a bit more."

"Alright, my time is up. I'm heading back."

As Yan Jing spoke, the pitch-black darkness in his eyes receded. He returned to his usual demeanor, smiling as he looked up at the screen of light in the sky.

The Stage B Monopoly game was drawing to a close, but it wasn't over just yet.

Round after round of dice rolls followed.

The board state had devolved into a five-on-one scenario.

The five factions united to completely crush Bai Qiu.

Achieving this final step wasn't difficult. All Yan Jing had to do was lend a helping hand whenever the other factions fell into a crisis.

So, in the end, Bai Qiu's assets were completely wiped out.

[Faction No. 1 is insolvent and declares bankruptcy.] As the prompt appeared on the light screen, the onlookers seemed to finally come back to life. They cheered and leaped for joy, many hugging each other and weeping. Hovering on the very edge of life and death, never knowing if they were about to die from a sudden bankruptcy, had been sheer torture.

The most ecstatic of all were the players who had been used to pay the penalty fees. They awoke from their paralyzed states. Although they had sustained severe injuries from being immobilized for so long, they had managed to keep their lives in the end.

In stark contrast, aside from the players who had outright died, Shi Le's subordinates were the most pitiful. When Xu Qiao'er woke up, she couldn't even speak clearly. No matter who waved a hand in front of her face or spoke to her, she didn't react. The promising successor of the Precognition Society had been reduced to a complete imbecile.

A system prompt popped up in front of Yan Jing.

[Super-Large Dungeon Bianliu County Stage B completed. Dungeon settlement in progress...]

[Quest "Minhu Monopoly" settled. The player's faction occupied a total of 844 Regional Grids, becoming the biggest winner. Based on comprehensive evaluation, the quest rating is: S+ (highest is S+ tier).]

[Dungeon overall rating: S+]

[Rewards settlement in progress...]

[Basic Reward: 4% Experience, 10,000 Eerie Coins]

[S+ Rating Extra Reward: 40% Experience, 40,000 Eerie Coins, Mental Immunity Potion (bound item) 2, Advanced Healing Potion 6, Inner World Box Key *2 (bound item), God's Candidate Ticket]

[Chaos Mode Extra Reward: 20% Experience, 20,000 Eerie Coins, Lucky Scratch Ticket *1]

[Now issuing Stage C Quest: Quest: Eliminate the Cheat!!!]

[Quest Description: Winning this Monopoly game is already an impressive achievement, but you actually managed to completely wipe out all your "potential opponents" for Stage C during the game. This is simply unheard of!

This has forced the New Era Game Console to make adjustments to Stage C. With strength below the Third Tier, you have caused a Prohibited Item to change its rules—a first in all of history.

Of course, don't celebrate just yet. Your existence has made the New Era Game Console classify you as an uncontrollable variable that affects game balance—a cheat.

Therefore, in Stage C, it only has one goal: finding a way to eliminate you.

So, congratulations. In Stage C, you will once again stand against the entire world.

Fortunately, you're definitely used to this kind of thing by now.

Furthermore, the New Era Game Console has a time limit. You only need to survive until the time runs out.]

[Note: Players have the right to choose whether to join the hunt against you. If they agree, they may receive rewards. If they refuse, they will be temporarily sealed away. While they will safely pass the stage, they will not receive any Stage C rewards, including the final reward (Inner World Box).]

[Note: The assets you won in Stage B cannot fight alongside you, but they also do not have the option to hunt you. They will be sealed away; your victory or defeat will determine theirs.] [Note: The New Era Game Console knows these rookies are no match for you, so it will grant them new powers in Stage C.] [Note: Your commander can also choose whether to hunt you. You may need to secure his allegiance as much as possible before exiting the Inner World.] Countdown to exiting the Inner World: 00:10:00.

This Prohibited Item was actually called the New Era Game Console!

Yan Jing read his quest description and blinked.

Then he looked up at everyone around him.

He found that everyone else was staring right back at him.

He met their eyes; they were definitely people who might get funny ideas about him.

"Everyone, I hope you can make the most impartial choice," he said with a smile, stepping out of the Regional Grid.

The crowd instantly retreated a few steps in sheer terror.

"I-I'm on your side, Brother Yan!"

"Right, right, exactly! I'm one of your assets, Brother Yan. I can't even attack you!"

"Right, I'm your asset too!"

"I'm not, but I absolutely don't have any funny ideas! I know my own level; there's no way I'd dare touch you, Brother Yan!!!"

As they spoke, their voices trembled slightly. They were genuinely terrified that Yan Jing might suddenly attack.

Given the strength Yan Jing had displayed, slaughtering a few dozen people in ten minutes wouldn't be an issue at all. No one wanted to be the unlucky casualty!

Didn't they see how only "half" of Feng Buran was left earlier?

"Naturally, I trust you all."

Yan Jing smiled and nodded.

"Well then, everyone. See you in the next dungeon."

With that, his figure vanished from the spot, heading straight for Bianliu County.

A short while later, after taking care of his business, he exited the Inner World.

The first thing Yan Jing did upon returning to the Surface World was immediately re-enter the Inner World.

Sometimes he felt like a mule yoked to a grindstone; once he started turning, he couldn't stop.

Opening his eyes as Luo Sheng, he found that the New Era Game Console had also issued the quest for commanders.

However, compared to the quest his main body had received, this one was far simpler.

[The Second Stage of the game has concluded. Below is an introduction to the Third Stage:]

[The originally planned Third Stage of the game was for you and your enemies to engage in a final showdown, utilizing the chess pieces in your hands to wager against each other. However, due to a certain chess piece in your possession, the original Third Stage has been canceled. In reality, during the Second Stage, you essentially completed the objective of the original Third Stage. If you were to target those enemies now, you absolutely wouldn't need much effort; they are either dead or have advanced to the Third Tier. However, even if you still wish to take revenge, please wait until the end of this game. Your quest for the Third Stage has now changed:]

[We have determined that the chess piece in your possession may be a game cheat, so it must now be eliminated.]

[If you agree with our assessment, you may join the faction attempting to eliminate the cheat during the Third Stage. You will regain your freedom of movement and temporarily receive power that does not belong to you. If you disagree, please prove it to us. You will be temporarily sealed away, but your power will be lent to that chess piece. After the Third Stage concludes, the victor's rewards will be distributed.] Yan Jing stared at the quest prompt on the crystal panel in front of him, then lifted his leg and walked out the door.

Out in the courtyard, the Old Man, Tiger, and Fei Yu—who had recently woken up from her faint—were sitting in chairs and chatting. Seeing Yan Jing walk out and head straight for the main gates, Fei Yu immediately spoke up.

"Where are you going?"

"Just heading out! I'll be right back!"

"Should I make your dinner?"

"I'll be fast; it'll only take the time it takes you to crack thirty melon seeds!"

Fei Yu didn't believe a word of her young master's nonsense. She turned into a squirrel and rapidly cracked melon seeds, crack, crack, crack. But right as she cracked the twenty-first seed, Yan Jing returned.

Then, he called the Old Man into his room.

Seeing this, Fei Yu cracked the remaining melon seeds while shifting her stool closer to Yan Jing's room.

"Master Liu,"

Yan Jing began, "I think Xiao Yu was right."

The Old Man was somewhat confused.

"Xiao Yu says so many things every day. Which sentence are you saying she was right about, Young Master?"

"She's right about everything, including the part where she said her young master is the most handsome man in the world."

"Did Xiao Yu actually say that?"

The Old Man blinked, then nodded. "She seems to have said that; I remember now."

"Then Young Master, what else was Xiao Yu right about?"

"That you're getting old."

Yan Jing's tone was very serious. Not waiting for the Old Man to defend himself, he added, "If you want to heal, you need some nourishment."

As he spoke, Yan Jing passed four glass bottles through the black Curtain.

Inside each bottle was a black liquid that flowed like quicksand.

They flickered with a dim light in the darkened room.

Advanced Healing Potions.