Zuo Chengan pointed at the screen and spoke the words Zheng Ren and Li Yueqiu least wanted to hear.
"This instance has been attempted six times, but no one has cleared it yet. If we take it on, the rewards will be huge."
Both of their hearts sank in unison. Half-praying it wasn't true, they looked up at the screen. The words were displayed clearly:
[2-2887 Sunlit Resort]
A Level 2 instance with such a recent serial number—and no record of it being cleared—meant this was a brand-new dungeon, not recycled from the Tower of Ascension. There wouldn't be a single reference for the correct strategy.
Instances recycled from the Tower of Ascension—having been cleared at least once by higher-ranked players—would display "Clear Count: 1" in their info.
If players didn't opt for confidentiality, their names would also be recorded for admiration.
These trailblazers were revered as pathfinders, the ones who carved out winning strategies.
Whether inside the Tower of Ascension or at home, the dungeon hall would broadcast their names in congratulations from time to time.
Of course, the prestige of these pioneers was tempered by the fact that higher-ranked players could easily carry teams through lower-tier instances.
Generally, attempting a dungeon that no one had cleared yet was referred to as "pioneering."
As long as the instance had once retired from the Heavenly Tower, clearing it usually guaranteed high ratings, thanks to hidden bonuses for map exploration and plot discovery.
It was said that First-Clear Rewards were extraordinarily generous.
But for later players, achieving high ratings became much more difficult. Once the maps had been fully explored and all hidden storylines uncovered, there were few opportunities left to earn extra points.
After all, this wasn't a newbie dungeon, where leniency was as vast as the sea.
In Safe Zone 7, apart from a few famous lone wolves, only the three major guilds had the strength to pioneer these dungeons.
Dawnmoon and Tidal Surge often competed to secure more first clears.
The six failed attempts at Sunlit Resort had all been logged by the three major guilds.
Over time, these guilds had amassed a wealth of unpublished dungeon strategies, using them to attract a continuous stream of fresh blood.
Of course, they didn't hoard these guides forever.
Only after their members had thoroughly farmed the dungeons did they consider selling or freely releasing their strategies.
This way, ordinary players could obtain dungeon guides at the cheapest price.
By then, however, the instance would have been picked clean, and earning a high score—or good Attribute Points—would be nearly impossible.
…
Zuo Chengan had chosen Sunlit Resort largely out of necessity.
He had scoured the Instance Hall, but most Level 2 instances either had small serial numbers—implying they were well-explored—or required too many participants.
Out of all the options, Sunlit Resort was the most viable.
Its identifier was new, it had been attempted but not cleared, the first-clear rewards were still available, and it only required seven players.
Most importantly, the promotional banner caught his eye:
[Ten days, nine nights! Luxurious accommodations! Bonfire parties! Jungle exploration! Exotic creatures! Discover a lost civilization!!!]
The slogans were bold, and the photos flashed enticingly on the screen—sprawling rainforests, mysterious stone statues adorned with strange symbols...
It looked promising.
Li Yueqiu, too, was intrigued.
Influenced by countless travel bloggers, she had always dreamed of exploring hidden gems.
Unable to travel in real life, she saw this as a chance to live her dream in the game.
After a brief struggle, she agreed to join the instance.
As for the "2" in the identifier... ignorance was bliss.
Having never attempted a Level 2 dungeon, she couldn't imagine how difficult it could be.
With two votes in favor, Zheng Ren couldn't object. Reluctantly, he followed them into the glowing circle.
Inside, two players were already waiting.
Judging by their insignias, they belonged to Tidal Surge.
Seeing Zuo Chengan's group, one of them—a man with a thin mustache—scowled and snapped, "Who let you in? Didn't you see that this instance is claimed by Tidal Surge?"
Among the three major guilds, Dawnmoon was the benevolent one, offering the most freely available dungeon strategies.
Kilohunt, while the strongest on average, was also the most eccentric. It was unclear if "social phobia" was their recruitment standard, but their members were increasingly reclusive, preferring to act alone.
Tidal Surge, however, was the most domineering, unilaterally setting many of the game's unwritten rules.
One such rule was that if a Tidal Surge player stood inside an instance's matching circle, it was considered claimed—and others were forbidden from entering.
It was completely unreasonable, but the other two guilds simply ignored it.
Ordinary players had gotten used to it, too. There were plenty of dungeons to choose from—why risk offending Tidal Surge over one?
But Zuo Chengan's trio were complete newcomers, oblivious to such customs.
Even if they had known, they wouldn't have cared.
Finding a suitable instance was hard enough; they weren't about to give it up.
Shortly after the trio entered, five more Tidal Surge players arrived, ready to fill the remaining slots.
But upon seeing only two spots left, they froze.
Who dared to defy Tidal Surge?
Inside the circle, the mustached player waved impatiently. "Just get two people in here. We need to start the dungeon soon—the sooner we go, the sooner we return. I'm in a hurry to claim my merits."
The guild members outside exchanged glances.
Pioneering a Level 2 instance wasn't just an achievement—it came with bonus credits and even a share of strategy sale profits.
That was something that could feed you for a lifetime. A good investment for retirement.
After a heated discussion, a tall man and a petite woman stepped into the circle.
Since servants didn't count toward the player limit, their entry filled the slots.
In an instant, the seven players—and one dog—vanished.
…
[Instance: Sunlit Resort]
[Identifier: 2-2887]
[Objective: Survive until the instance ends and complete at least three tourism activities.]
[Duration: Ten days, nine nights]
[Background: Sunlit Village, a remote settlement on the outskirts of the Heavenly Tower, has decided to develop a unique tourist resort to alleviate poverty. As project evaluators, you are invited to experience their offerings firsthand!]
[Hint: You are professional evaluators hired by the village chief. If you fail to provide constructive feedback, he might not be pleased.]
[Game Start!]