Ch. 5 - Grave District 13

The livestream chat couldn't quite follow his explanation, but that didn't detract from their awe of his skills.

[WTF! This newbie is the GOAT.]

[Who would've thought that lying would trigger the Player Death Prerequisite! No wonder no one has ever been able to clear this Instance Dungeon.]

[I wouldn't last two minutes if I were thrown into this Instance Dungeon.]

[What a sly dungeon this is! The NPCs are baiting the player the whole time. That part where the man asked about the conversation with the woman? One "nothing much" from Fu Yan, and he'd be instantly toast.]

[So true! Under those circumstances, your instinct is to lie your way through the question since you can't trust anybody.]

[Even though I didn't understand a word he said, I'm still going to be his fan from now on.]

[From today on, he's my GOAT! The greatest psycho of all time!]

[Go on, try calling him dumb or crazy now. Oh wait, you can't, because you got slapped right in the face!]

[Fu Yan, my GOAT, I'm sorry for speaking out of turn just now.]

Chen Sheng's haters, who couldn't stand his attitude, took this opportunity to drag him down in the chat.

[Hey Chen Sheng, aren't you the GOAT? Go on, give your comment on this newbie.]

[Chen Sheng, I bet your cheeks are burning from humiliation!]

[Where is the apology from those phony GOATs who trash-talk the newbie and bluff their way through the chat to gain more fame?]

[If the newbie is so-called brainless, then what about Chen Sheng? His brain must've fallen into a cesspool and filled with crap! LOL!]

These scathing comments had Chen Sheng fuming with all-consuming rage.

The newbie had only gotten lucky and accidentally guessed the prerequisite. No way was he fit to be mentioned in the same breath as him.

He simply hadn't been paying close attention. If he were in the Instance Dungeon himself, it would've been a guaranteed early clear.

Pissed as he was, Chen Sheng chose silence to keep up appearances. Never would he stoop so low as to engage in a mudslinging match with the chat just to talk down on a mere newbie.

His army of fans, however, went absolutely feral, storming Fu Yan's stream in droves and spamming the screen into chaos, sparking intense annoyance among neutral viewers.

Meanwhile, inside the Instance Dungeon, Fu Yan rose to his feet, fished the boy's scarf from his pocket, and slowly walked over to the woman sitting opposite him.

Horrified, the woman's eyes locked onto the scarf as she stammered,

"No, please don't..."

[Ding! Fear Points +95]

Prompted by the Fear Points notification, Fu Yan took a quick glance. His total now sat at a staggering 495, practically the highest number of Fear Points he had accumulated in years as an NPC.

In excellent spirits, Fu Yan flashed the woman a sincere smile.

"No need to be scared. I'll send you to join your family soon."

He stepped behind her, elegantly wrapped the scarf around her neck, then gripped it with both hands and yanked hard.

A loud snap echoed as her neck bone broke.

The light faded from the woman's eyes, and her limbs went entirely slack as she slumped to the floor.

[Beep! Dungeon cleared! Player Fu Yan has successfully completed the 'Who Will You Trust?' Instance Dungeon.]

Following the announcement, a beam of white light shone down, spiriting Fu Yan away from the Instance Dungeon.

At the same time, the cold metallic voice of the game system broadcast across the global chat.

[Beep! Player Fu Yan has killed the Instance Dungeon Boss: The Little Boy.]

[Beep! Player Fu Yan has killed the Instance Dungeon Boss: The Middle-Aged Man.]

[Beep! Player Fu Yan has killed the Instance Dungeon Boss: The Middle-Aged Woman.]

[The bosses of the 'Who Will You Trust?' Instance Dungeons have been entirely wiped out. As a result, this Instance Dungeon will suspend its respawn cycle and shut down permanently.]

The system practically gritted its teeth through those final words. The crowd could even hear the screech of grinding metal, proof of just how utterly furious it was.

[WTFFFF! Fu Yan is the GOAT!]

[Mind blown! First time seeing an Instance Dungeon get so traumatized that it completely shuts down.]

[So happy for future newbies hearing this news. Now that this guaranteed-death dungeon is gone, their survival rates will shoot through the roof.]

[All hail the Psycho GOAT Fu Yan!]

Watching Fu Yan break the dungeon sent the viewers into a frenzy of cheers. The stream might have cut to black, but their excitement couldn't be stopped. This was the thrilling euphoria of witnessing raw power crush the game's rigged system.

At the same time, following a blinding flash of white light, Fu Yan found himself standing before a decrepit, half-built residential block.

Dangling at the entrance was a rusty doorplate engraved with:

'Grave District 13, Unit 52 - Fu Yan'

This was the living quarters allocated to him by the game's system.

Filthy, messy, and completely unlivable.

The impeccably poised Fu Yan completely lost his cool at the sight of this absolute dump.

What kind of shithole was this?

He certainly couldn't tolerate this kind of treatment.

Without a second thought, Fu Yan spun on his heel to leave.

Out of nowhere, a voice rang out, stopping him in his tracks.

"Fu Yan, the GOAT?"

Turning around, Fu Yan was met with a young man of about eighteen or nineteen, sporting a baby face and a smile punctuated by two deep dimples.

"Whoa! It really is you, Fu Yan the GOAT!"

Beaming with excitement, the teenager practically skipped over to Fu Yan's side.

"I just finished watching your stream, and man, you are way too cool! You're my hero! That move where you cracked open a skull single-handedly was awe-inspiring! I was so hyped watching that part that I practically wolfed down five bowls of rice in one sitting."

"You're pretty hardcore, I see," Fu Yan mused.

The boy flashed a toothy grin and puffed out his chest proudly.

"My GOAT, I haven't officially introduced myself. I'm Cui Hao, AKA the Yap Master. I don't rap or dance, but my words can drive people to suicide. Yo, yo, yo~"

"Oh... nice to meet you."

Fu Yan discreetly shifted a step to the side. This kid seemed a little unhinged.

Completely oblivious to his idol's discomfort, Cui Hao immediately closed the distance again.

"My GOAT, why are you here? Which guild did you end up joining? Mind sharing it with me?"

"What do you mean, why am I here? Am I not supposed to be here?"

Stunned by the question, Cui Hao gave an involuntary nod.

"Exactly! Every rookie who clears an Instance Dungeon gets sent to the Beginner's Hall to be scouted by guilds. If no guild wants them after five days, they're assigned to low-level guilds based on their grades."

"Meanwhile, this District 13 is the agreed-upon slum among all the districts. It's worse than even the lowest-tier guilds."

"Someone as elite as you should have top guilds fighting to recruit you, so it makes zero sense for you to be here."

Cui Hao was a fountain of information, answering every question while simultaneously rambling about things nobody had asked.

"Are you just passing through? Me too, what a coincidence! See, we have affinity. Out of millions of players, we found each other."

"If this were a TV drama, we'd be fated by the stars. If we don't swear brotherhood right now, I'd be doing a disservice to the heavens for blessing me..."

His self-proclaimed title was no lie. The kid spat out words faster than a machine gun.

Fu Yan stepped aside, revealing the doorplate his body had been blocking.

"I live here."

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