Volume 3, Chapter 11 – Playing a Game Inside the Game

“You have obtained [Super-Durability Pressure Cooker] x1. Free EXP +250.”

“[Basic Mechanical Theory] has met the requirements to level up and has automatically advanced to Lv2.”

“[Basic Assembly] has met the requirements to level up and has automatically advanced to Lv2.”

“[Basic Mechanical Mastery] has met the requirements to level up and has automatically advanced to Lv2.”

After making a pressure cooker, the game notifications flooded over Anran like a flurry of flying scraps of paper, and she stood there in a daze for quite a while.

The description of [Basic Mechanical Theory] was still rather vague even after leveling up, but the effects of the latter two skills on assembly efficiency and mechanical work were much more obvious.

At Lv1, they increased efficiency by 3%. Once they reached Lv2, that became 5%.

When handcrafting mechanical equipment, and factoring in Anran’s [Dexterous Hands] passive, the three stacked together could increase efficiency by 20%. It was honestly outrageous.

What a huge gain!

Looking at that plain-looking pressure cooker, Anran felt as though it was a symbol of her incredible luck today.

Unlike class level-ups, skill levels could be raised in three ways.

First, by continuously using a skill to increase proficiency.

Second, by investing Free EXP to level it up.

Third, by using skill points for a fast upgrade.

Generally speaking, the second method was the most appropriate.

Anran did not have much EXP in total right now. The reason she was pouring all of it into Mechanic was because she wanted to reach [Basic Mechanic] as quickly as possible.

Otherwise, she could have taken part of that EXP and used it to level other classes, raising her attributes.

The gap between [Basic Mechanic] and [Apprentice Mechanic] was enormous.

An [Apprentice Mechanic] could only make simple mechanical structures, but the programming branch in the [Basic Mechanic] skill tree was what allowed the Mechanic class to truly begin to bloom.

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That was when it started to show what made it different from other classes.

That was also why Anran currently could not make [Shoddy Exoskeleton Armor] and [Flat Robot Vacuum], because she did not know how to program.

A Mechanic who wasn’t a code monkey wasn’t a good Mechanic.

Even a girl Mechanic had to be proficient in programming.

If you couldn’t even mess around with chips, then what kind of mechanical army were you supposed to build?

In Night of the Stars, gender would not become a factor that limited your growth. Personality would.

…

“Research Center, 123 Qiuyang Road. Straight-line distance from Eudora’s home: 4.3 kilometers.”

After looking up the address and route online, Anran set out.

Aila had originally wanted to go along and have a look, but Colin refused, so the matter was dropped.

“First, get familiar with the situation, then make those automated devices start pulling their weight as soon as possible.”

Anran had already made up her mind. Time was tight. She could not afford to waste any more.

Among the player base, there were already players who were close to reaching the peak of the apprentice tier. They were players who had spawned on frontier planets, where war and conflict were the main theme, and they were growing rapidly through constant killing.

It did not take Anran very long to reach Qiuyang Road.

It was a long, narrow street.

It lay by the river, without much of a commercial atmosphere. Green belts lined both sides, and the ground was paved with bluestone slabs, deliberately creating a quiet, tranquil feeling in the middle of the city.

Normally, there should not have been many people around.

But when Anran arrived at Qiuyang Road, she discovered that the street was packed with people. At a glance, there were dozens of them, all gathered in front of a certain low building.

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All of those people had one thing in common.

Each of them had a dark-blue “hat” over their head.

Players!

Why were all these players gathered here?

Generally speaking, places in a game that could attract groups of players were places like this.

A quest point, a field grinding zone, a shop, the entrance to an instance, or maybe even just an extremely charming NPC…

“Nai Knight?”

Anran had sharp eyes. She suddenly spotted a familiar ID.

A tall young man with a sword on his back was speaking quietly in the crowd with a female player named [Qingshuang].

“Hello, may I ask what’s going on here?”

Nai Knight suddenly felt someone pat him on the back.

It was a girl’s voice.

He turned around to look, and his mouth immediately fell open in shock.

He had assumed it would be some player, but the moment he saw Anran’s face clearly, he instantly remembered the bizarre but highly rewarding quest he had done yesterday.

He had thought he would never see this NPC again. Maybe they really were kind of fated after all.

Nai Knight thought to himself.

I wonder if I can get another quest with rewards that good.

Anran felt a little depressed. She had wanted to pat Nai Knight on the shoulder just now, but the height difference had made the motion a bit difficult.

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Whatever. As long as she had gotten his attention, that was fine.

There was no need to worry about the exact method.

“We’re waiting to run the instance!” Nai Knight was still in a daze, and Qingshuang answered first.

“Run the instance?”

Anran echoed back in confusion.

There was an instance to run here?

She looked up at the sign by the building’s entrance: “Nine Songs.”

What the heck was that?

Nai Knight took one look at Anran, who seemed a little blank, and immediately pulled Qingshuang aside and whispered, “If you say ‘run the instance,’ an NPC won’t understand it. I’ve seen this NPC before. She feels pretty mysterious.”

“Oh, got it.” Qingshuang nodded solemnly.

Nai Knight turned back to Anran.

Being very “cooperative,” Anran tilted her little head and said with a “completely puzzled” look, “Instance? What instance? What does instance mean? I don’t understand at all!”

Three questions in a row.

Nai Knight was just about to explain. “An instance is…”

“Boss Knight, what happened?” Three teenage boys pushed their way over from the front of the crowd.

The one who spoke was [Chuuni Soul].

This group really was overflowing with chuuni energy.

This and that…

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Nai Knight explained things briefly.

Chuuni Soul nodded. “I see. Actually, we’re taking Nine Songs’ test. As long as we pass the test, we’ll have a chance to join the Security Department or Nine Songs.”

“What is Nine Songs, and what is this test?” Anran asked.

“I heard Nine Songs is a special operations unit independent of the Security Department,” Chuuni Soul explained eagerly. “The test is to complete a mission. Somehow, Nine Songs got their hands on a very advanced piece of equipment. As long as you put on a specially made headband, you can enter a virtual world to undergo the test. We haven’t taken it yet, but from what people who already have said, it’s a counterterrorism drill.”

Playing a game inside a game?

It felt strange no matter how she thought about it.

Still being very “cooperative,” Anran put on a half-understanding expression. “So that’s how it is! Thank you, all of you.”

Chuuni Soul gave a silly grin.

Nai Knight was a little speechless, while Qingshuang looked at Chuuni Soul with obvious disdain.

After saying goodbye, Anran turned and left.

This Nine Songs outpost was at 97 Qiuyang Road, and the Research Center at No. 123 was just across from it, not far away.

“What a cute NPC! I think I’m in love!” Chuuni Soul said excitedly.

“Pervert. You actually like a pile of data.” Qingshuang took an exaggerated step away from him.

Chuuni Soul was displeased. “What’s wrong with data? Is it a crime to like data? Besides, she’s way prettier than you!”

“Hm!?” Qingshuang’s cheeks puffed up at once. She was angry.

“All right, all right, stop arguing. Let’s hurry up and clear this instance first,” Nai Knight quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

To be honest, he had also tried to harbor improper intentions toward some pile of data.

He just had not found the right target yet.