Chapter 1: Dungeons and Dragons
It's so hot.
This was Zhu Yuzheng’s first reaction.
The hot air was like an invisible giant hand, sticking tightly to her skin.
What the hell is this place?
This was Zhu Yu’s first reaction after opening his eyes.
When she saw the familiar buildings, she first thought she had returned to a city in real life.
Until she noticed the weathered and pitted exterior walls, the rusty steel bars, and the collapsed billboards everywhere. The words and images on them had long faded, and it was impossible to tell the message they once conveyed.
On the road, abandoned vehicles were half-swallowed by the desert, with the exposed roofs or rears like stranded fish bones, covered with a thick layer of grayish-yellow dust. The windows were filled with sand, and some were completely sealed.
There was no one around.
This is a dead city.
"Host, the outdoor temperature is detected to be 52 degrees, and the ground temperature is 80 degrees. Are you sure you want to continue lying on the ground?"
The ball of light from System 996 came close to Zhu Yu and nudged her nose. There was undisguised doubt in her voice, as if suggesting that her brain might have been burned by the heat.
"Ah! It's so hot! No wonder I smelled something burnt!"
Zhu Yu jumped up and performed a breakdance for System 996 on the spot.
She hurriedly took off her warm cloak, sweater, snow boots and other clothes that were about to be burned, and cursed the ancestors of the game with gritted teeth.
"No, it's still too hot, 996, we have to find a suitable place to escape the heat."
Zhu Yu desperately fanned himself with his hands, trying to relieve the scorching heat, but beads of sweat continued to roll down his forehead, drip down his cheeks, and evaporate on the scorching ground.
She had only taken a few steps when she felt as if her feet were stepping on a red-hot iron plate. Every step was accompanied by a tingling sensation, as if she would be turned into charcoal-grilled pig's trotters in the next second.
Just when she couldn't help complaining, her body suddenly felt lighter and the burning sensation under her feet disappeared.
The ball of light from System 996 suddenly expanded with a "bang", and the soft light was like a layer of gauze, wrapping her up completely.
“duang——duang——duang——” The ball of light jumped like a spring ball.
"996, be steady. I feel like vomiting."
Zhu Yu screamed and quickly reached out to grab the edge of the ball of light, fearing that he would be flung away.
System 996 immediately slowed down and regained its balance, but continued to bounce happily, carrying its host forward.
******
At the same time, in an abandoned building in the distance, several figures were observing the surrounding environment with binoculars.
"Brother Jiang, a player seems to have appeared out of nowhere at the twelve o'clock position. Uh, her behavior is very strange."
"What?"
Everyone here was wearing a black dust mask, except for the man called "Brother Jiang".
"Appearing out of thin air means that the other party is either a space-related mutant or has space-related props."
Jiang Dong, holding an unlit cigarette in his mouth, pushed aside a few people who were in the way, walked to the edge of the broken window and looked down.
He recalled everything in his mind, and his expression became a little serious:
"Could it be someone from the Eternal Night Lighthouse or the Red Leaf Umbrella Union?"
"I don't know. Our information can't possibly leak out, right? Should we inform the higher-ups?"
"No hurry, just observe first."
Jiang Dong took the cigarette out of his mouth, put it under his nose and sniffed it hard, then reluctantly put it behind his ear.
"Brother Jiang, look quickly. This player seems to be a summoner. She has summoned her companion pet and is heading in the target direction."
Seeing the opposing player moving towards the target location without hesitation, Jiang Dong no longer hesitated and immediately turned on the bracelet to make contact.
"Report, there was a little surprise in the plan. A suspicious player suddenly appeared in the north of the Lost City. The other party may have learned our news and moved directly towards the ruins of Huayuan University."
The density of monsters in the Lost City is relatively high, and it is considered a medium to high-risk area in the game.
Since it is relatively close to the gathering places of several guilds, there is a steady stream of players coming here to take risks and challenge themselves.
However, there is an A-level monster guarding each of the four corners of the city. Players are usually very cautious and never go deep into the city alone.
However, as the player level gradually increases, the resources here begin to attract more and more attention.
The union that Jiang Dong belongs to took a lot of effort to get rid of some big monsters in the North City area. Now they are only one step away from getting that A-level sand anaconda.
Unexpectedly, at this critical moment, other unions learned the news in advance and tried to intercept it. The person on the other end of the bracelet was obviously shocked for a moment:
"Follow them first, but don't act rashly. The union's people are on the way. Wait for them to contact you before executing the next plan."
Jiang Dong agreed with a "hmm" and asked casually, "Who did the union send this time?"
"It was 'Young Master' who came. He offered to participate in the core part of this operation."
"Why is it that landlord's stupid son?"
When Jiang Dong heard who was going to hand over the task to him, he frowned and couldn't help but complain.
This time, the person on the other side did not agree with him as usual. Instead, he sneered and told him to shut up.
"He was just promoted to A-rank a while ago, so he's very reliable. You better control your attitude, or he'll see you and beat you up."
After saying that, the person on the other end hung up the call.
"What! When did this happen?!"
After hearing the last sentence, the people surrounding Jiang Dong all looked at each other in surprise.
Although Jiang Dong was warned, he didn't take it seriously at all, and even had a smile on his face.
He put the cigarette in his mouth again, flicked it lightly with his fingertips, and a cluster of flames jumped up and lit the cigarette butt.
The smoke slowly dissipated in the dim space. He squinted his eyes, as if enjoying the premonition of victory, and whispered to himself:
"Heh, now our guild has three A-level players. The application for the elite guild is inevitable, and the last spot in the four elite guilds will definitely fall to our Oasis."
After a moment, he twisted the half-burned cigarette in his palm, then raised his hand and waved, leading the team members to quietly evacuate from the building.
******
"996, let's stop here."
Zhu Yu lay on the light ball of system 996, checking the map.
After confirming that the address was correct, she called to stop system 996 and rolled down smoothly from the ball of light.
As soon as his feet touched the scalding ground, Zhu Yu, who was only wearing a pair of ordinary sports shoes, immediately retracted his feet and rolled back onto the ball of light of 996.
"Well, the dungeon that's bound to me on the map is nearby. Can you help me look for it?"
Zhu Yu wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and tried hard to pretend nothing had happened.
She patted her head, trying to clear her mind which was dizzy from the scorching sun, and directed 996 to jump a short distance north.
"Host, checking the dungeon entrance... Hey, I found some abnormal fluctuations."
The ball of light from 996 flickered and floated around a seemingly ordinary pile of sand.
This time Zhu Yu had to jump off the ball of light.
She saw a rusty lamppost stuck in the center of the sand pile, with a street sign on it whose original color was almost unrecognizable. She could barely make out the words "Gymnasium", "Zhiyuan Building" and "Science Lecture Hall".
Could it be that the underground city is located in this university town?
After guessing where he was, Zhu Yu pushed the lamppost with his hand.
Unexpectedly, the lamppost suddenly shook with a "click" sound, and the surrounding sand and soil immediately slid down like water, revealing a rotating gear structure.
Accompanied by a creaking mechanical sound, a silver-gray metal suspension platform slowly appeared.
A circle of blue-purple light is suspended around the platform, and dynamic geometric lines can be vaguely seen crisscrossing and flowing.
In the central area, there is a tall holographic projection device, which projects three three-dimensional floating characters: [Dungeon]
There is also a flashing red arrow below the font, pointing to the center of the platform.
"Zhu Yu, the entrance to the dungeon has been detected. It is recommended to activate it immediately."
The brightness of 996's light ball increased a little, and it circled around the floating platform twice like a little guide.
Zhu Yu shrugged his shoulders and walked onto the metal platform with a try-it attitude.
As soon as I stepped on it, I heard a slight mechanical sound:
"Welcome to the city lord. The dungeon system has been initialized successfully. Please confirm the first-level permissions and explore the underground space."
City Lord? That title sounds pretty good.
Zhu Yu was about to say something when suddenly his eyes went dark, as if he was enveloped by light and shadow and entered a special passage.
After a moment, the light flooded in again, her vision cleared, and she found herself in a completely different world.
The scene inside the dungeon made her stop in her tracks.
The entire space is divided into multiple floors, extending downward in a circular shape, with each floor surrounding the hollow cylinder in the central area to form a spiral structure.
The scorching sunlight shines through the transparent glass cover at the top and becomes soft and warm after being filtered by special materials.
The ground is paved with smooth stone slabs, with neatly arranged green plants and tall trees planted on both sides.
Every few meters, there are gurgling artificial streams, and the air is fresh and cool, which is in sharp contrast to the scorching heat on the surface.
"Is this the underground city? My god, this is too high-tech."
The shock in Zhu Yu's eyes has not completely dissipated. Please forgive her, this country boy. You know, she originally expected the underground city to be a dark and damp place, but she didn't expect it to be like an underground garden.
She looked around and found that there were suspended elevators between the floors. They had a streamlined appearance and emitted a faint blue light, looking futuristic.
Zhu Yu's heart moved, and he quickly walked to the nearest elevator and pressed the button tentatively. However, a cold prompt popped up on the screen:
[Second level permissions have not been unlocked and are currently unavailable]
"Tsk, still so stingy."
Zhu Yu sighed, then looked up at the surrounding floors, with a helpless smile on his face.
"It seems that this city lord is just like the owner of the hot pot restaurant. He also has to start from scratch step by step."
After adjusting her mood slightly, she turned and walked towards the center of the first floor.
Not long after she walked, she was attracted by a road sign that was about two meters high and made entirely of some translucent alloy material.
"Host, please place your hand on the road monument to synchronize. You will obtain preliminary permissions for the current dungeon."
996's ball of light floated slowly beside her, with some anticipation in his tone.
Zhu Yu raised his hand hesitantly, and finally closed his eyes and placed his palm on the surface of the road sign.
The cold touch startled her slightly, and the next second, a slight electric current came from her fingertips.
She closed her eyes and suddenly felt a strange perception flooding into her mind - as if every corner of the entire dungeon was unfolding before her.
Countless invisible lines extended around like blood vessels, but most of them were dim and dull. Only one line was flashing with warm light, converging at the foot of her feet.
"It seems that most places have not been unlocked yet. This bright place is..." Zhu Yu murmured softly, then slowly opened his eyes.
The original runes on the road sign disappeared, replaced by a projected map interface.
There is a location marked with a green arrow, and next to it it is clearly written: Fruit Tea Shop (please name it) directions.
"Fruit tea shop?"
The sun is scorching, and this is when we need a fruit tea shop to attract players.
Zhu Yu typed in the name of the fruit tea shop: Cool Rest.
Following the instructions, she soon arrived at the fruit tea shop.
The store is not big, but the decoration is surprisingly exquisite. "Cool Rest" is written in soft fluorescent words on the door.
Pushing open the glass door, the store's decoration is simple and modern. The combination of white and light wood makes the whole space look fresh and natural.
There is a fully automatic cash register on the counter, and the screen shows:
[Current menu: Lemon Tea (activated) (unlimited supply). Other drink functions to be unlocked]
Zhu Yu stood in front of the counter and tentatively ordered "Beat Lemon Tea". The system prompt immediately popped up:
[Shop owner's identity is confirmed, you can place an order for free]
Zhu Yu had been walking for such a long time that he was already very thirsty, so he decisively decided to place an order.
The production machine next to it started immediately. A robotic arm quickly grabbed a transparent cup and accurately added ice cubes and lemon slices into it. Then a mechanical hammer swung down quickly, smashing the lemon and ice cubes with a "bang bang bang" sound.
Along with the sound of ice cubes and lemons being hammered open, a refreshing lemon scent gradually filled the air.
A few seconds later, a cup of lemon tea with a slight cold steam coming out of it was brought to Zhu Yu.
Zhu Yu picked up the cup and took a sip carefully.
The cold liquid instantly slid into her mouth. The refreshing lemon flavor mixed with a hint of sweetness immediately dispelled the thirst and heat in her mouth, making her squint her eyes.
"Wow, it's really good, just the right amount of sweet and sour, and even the amount of ice is precise."
She leaned against the counter of the fruit tea shop, relaxed in her chair, and casually called up her personal panel.
At this moment, her personal panel defaults to blue NPC mode.
Her identity is displayed in the upper right corner of the panel: Dungeon Lord/Orchard Manager, and below is the status bar, mall and function options.
Zhu Yu flipped through it casually and noticed the description interface of the new copy.
She clicked it and frowned instantly - unlike the previous copy, there was no main quest to ensure the player's survival rate. Instead, there was a countdown system for side quests.
【Description of branch missions:
1. Each round of tasks contains three small tasks, which must be completed within the specified time;
2. Failure to complete the task will result in a penalty: 60% of the total business turnover for the day will be deducted;
3. After completing each round of tasks, you will receive the following rewards:
- One chance to win a prize draw;
- A random seed reward;
- Fire dragon egg hatching value +20;
4. Complete five rounds of tasks to successfully hatch Charmander.
"What kind of a setting is this? Sales revenue will be deducted?"
Zhu Yu widened his eyes, then took a deep breath and read the contents on the panel line by line.
When her eyes fell on the "Fire Dragon Egg Hatching" part, she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows.
Of course, she did not forget the reminder about her player identity that rang in her ears before the Arctic Disaster Dungeon collapsed.
As a summoner with a fire dragon egg, she was originally wondering how to hatch the egg, and even complained about why the game didn't just give her a dragon.
Now it seems that the answer has been revealed - the game directly ties the hatching of fire dragon eggs to the side quests managed by NPCs.
This means that if she doesn't manage the side quests well, she can forget about having a Charmander of her own.
And if there was no Charmander, wouldn't her identity as a summoner become a complete joke?
People doing things?
However, she understood the chance of winning the lottery and the reward of the fire dragon egg, but what about the random seed?
Just when she was confused, system 996 reminded her in time:
"Host, don't forget to activate your orchard."
"Orchard?" Zhu Yu was stunned for a moment, then found the entrance to the new function on the panel.
She clicked the activation button, and the scene in front of her changed instantly, and she entered a completely new space.
This is a vast countryside with neat fields stretching as far as the eye can see. Each field is divided into regular small squares, with labels floating above to show the planting status.
The sun shines softly on the earth, and when the breeze blows, you can smell the faint scent of earth.
There is a system guide sign in the middle of the orchard, which reads:
Orchard Description:
1. An orchard can grow a variety of fruits, and different fruits mature at different times;
2. After each type of fruit matures, you can harvest the original amount of fruit and get double fruit seeds;
3. The fruits grown in this portable space have additional effects and can be used to make special drinks or other foods;
4. Use fertilizer to speed up the maturity. Fertilizer can be purchased with gold coins or obtained as a task reward.
Zhu Yu muttered the last sentence, his mouth slightly raised: "Isn't this just a farming game? Even the fertilizer mechanism is included."
She opened the planting panel and found that only the lemon sapling icon was lit.
Zhu Yu clicked on the sapling icon, and a quantity selection box popped up.
"There are only 10 plants now, so let's try planting 10 plants first."
After pressing the confirmation button, 10 small saplings immediately emerged in the field, and their tender green branches and leaves swayed gently, as if greeting her.
"Host, the planting is successful. The lemon tree will mature in 4 hours. You can wait for it to mature naturally, or spend gold coins to buy fertilizer to speed up its growth."
996's voice came from the side.
"Which farming game requires you to spend money to buy fertilizer right at the beginning? You think I'm a sucker."
Zhu Yu rolled his eyes and said, "I can wait for 4 hours to see what other surprises this orchard has."
She looked around the orchard and saw that there were still many vacant fields and some unlocked areas, such as a glass building in the distance marked "Greenhouse Orchard" that showed "Unlocked".
In the corner of the orchard, there is a building that looks like a storage room with "Fruit Processing Area" written on it, but it is also locked.
"Hey, it looks like I have to unlock it step by step."
Zhu Yu sighed and casually opened the status panel of the lemon tree he had just planted.
Just like the orchard game instructions she had just read, the panel showed that the expected harvest was 10 lemons and 20 lemon seeds.
She was about to turn off the panel when her eyes were attracted by something not far away - it was a simple small kettle, placed alone next to the field, and it looked like it was specially prepared for the orchard.
"Kettle? Such a ceremonial feeling?" Zhu Yu walked over and picked up the kettle.
It was already filled with clear water, and there was a hint of coolness in it.
"Since everything is ready, let's just pretend."
Zhu Yu brought the kettle to the side of the field with a smile, squatted down, and gently sprinkled some water on the lemon saplings that had just been planted.
"Drink some water and grow up quickly."
Zhu Yu was watering the plants while talking to himself, his tone half teasing and half serious.
"996, am I considered dedicated this time?" She looked back at the lemon trees while carrying the kettle, and she felt inexplicably relaxed.
996's light ball flashed, and there was some sarcasm in his voice:
"Host, your kindness is touching, although they don't rely on this to grow."
Zhu Yu snorted and put the kettle back in its place.
After doing all this, she clapped her hands, stretched her muscles, turned and walked towards the exit of the orchard.
This orchard has a pretty good function. After the first batch of lemons mature, she can start considering how to use these special fruits to enhance the signature products of the fruit tea shop.
As soon as Zhu Yu stepped out of the orchard, he returned to the fruit tea shop.
The atmosphere in the store is still fresh, and the lingering fragrance of lemon tea has not yet dissipated.
She was about to go back to the counter to continue planning what to do next, when suddenly, she felt a slight chill at her collarbone, like a gentle breeze blowing across her skin.
Looking down, she discovered that a thin red rope had appeared on her chest, with a white jade pendant hanging on the rope.
"996, what is this?" Zhu Yu reached out and touched the pendant. It felt warm, like a real piece of jade.
"Host, this is the key to your portable orchard space."
“As long as you have the will, you can enter the orchard at any time to manage and plant it.”
"Such a powerful function?"
Zhu Yu tried to close his eyes and focus on the pendant.
The next moment, her consciousness was gently pulled, and when she opened her eyes, she was back in the orchard. The newly planted lemon saplings were neatly arranged in the field, swaying their tender green branches and leaves.
“It really works.”
Zhu Yu tried again with her mind, and the orchard scene disappeared instantly, and she returned to the first floor where the fruit tea shop was located.
"It is indeed a lot more convenient."
Zhu Yu gently held the pendant in his palm, a smile flashing in his eyes, "Now I don't have to run around, I can take care of the orchard anytime."
996 added: "Host, the portable orchard space is only accessible to you. Other players or objects cannot enter the orchard directly. However, ripe fruits can be transported directly to your store or inventory through the orchard system."
"Well, that's more convenient."
Zhu Yu nodded with satisfaction and returned his gaze to the store menu.
She hasn't put a price on the Beat Up Lemon Tea yet.
In the previous copy, because he needed to ensure the survival rate of the players, Zhu Yu had to carefully calculate repeatedly every time he set the price of the hot pot, for fear that he would accidentally set the price too high and make the players unable to afford it.
Now, without these restrictions, she can finally start normal business operations in earnest.
She entered a number for the violent lemon tea in the menu options, but before she pressed the confirm button, the system immediately popped up a prompt:
[It is recommended that you set the price to: 10-20 gold coins/cup]
"10-20 gold coins?" Zhu Yu took a breath of cold air, "Isn't this just ordinary lemon tea?"
She couldn't help but compare her memories. In the previous copy, a generous portion of spicy beef hotpot only cost 6 gold coins, but this time the system actually suggested that a cup of lemon tea was more expensive than the hotpot?
But then she thought again. She entered the last dungeon at the very beginning. This dungeon has been started for so long, so those players must have some savings in their pockets, right?
Even so, she said the price was a bit unfair.
Then Zhu Yu "accidentally" entered the price of "20 gold coins" in the price box:)
Forget it, since the price has been raised to the highest, she will reluctantly give players a 20% discount for the opening of a new store~
After deciding the price, Zhu Yu suddenly felt sleepy.
You know, from the last day of the previous dungeon, when they were making tea around the fire and the snow mountain collapsed, to now when she entered the new dungeon, she has been working almost non-stop and has not had a good rest at all.
Thinking of this, she glanced at the countdown of the side quest. There were still 48 hours left, enough time for her to get some sleep and deal with it calmly.
She yawned, turned and walked to the back of the fruit tea shop, pushed open an inconspicuous door, and saw a simple lounge.
The layout of the lounge is quite basic: a small bathroom, a single bed against the wall, with only a thin mattress and a gray quilt on it.
There was a small wooden table in the middle of the room, with a chair next to it. There were a few spare plastic storage boxes piled in the corner, and the only light source on the ceiling was a chandelier that gave off a warm glow.
The whole room is clean and has almost no extra decoration.
Zhu Yu stood at the door for a few seconds, then uttered a wail:
"My cabin! My big bathtub! My southern European kitchen! And my mattress! How come they're all gone!"
She held onto the door frame weakly, a look of despair on her face, her mind full of the luxurious shelter she had found in the previous dungeon - a wooden house with large windows, a large bathtub filled with rose petals, a kitchen that could prepare a full set of Western meals, and a top-quality mattress that was so soft that one would not want to get up after lying on it.
But she recalled the scorching hot dead city environment above the dungeon, and her experience of being almost roasted under the scorching sun. She could only sigh helplessly: "Forget it, it's better than being dried into a salted fish by the sun in that damn place."
She locked the fruit tea shop, walked into the lounge and closed the door.
After walking into the bathroom and taking a simple cold shower, Zhu Yu fell on the single bed, covered himself with the quilt, closed his eyes and muttered to himself:
"Just make do with it for one night. Once the lemons are ripe, everything will be fine."
******
In the dark night, Elvira sat quietly beside the bed, holding a glowing crystal ball gently in her hands.
The soft moonlight shone through the curtains onto the crystal ball in front of her. A hazy light flowed in the ball, reflecting the little girl's focused face.
The night sky outside the window was dotted with stars, and the faint light seemed to respond to her gaze.
Elvira leaned forward slightly, and lightly touched the crystal ball with her fingertips. Ripples appeared inside the crystal, as if some unknown power was slowly awakening.
Suddenly, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and a vague light and shadow appeared in the crystal ball, like some kind of guidance.
Elvira stood up suddenly, her skirt lifted slightly, and turned and ran quickly to the next room.
The door opened slightly, revealing a dark red room.
Heavy velvet curtains hung beside the tall windows, blocking most of the moonlight. There was only one candlestick lit in the room, and the flickering flames made the surrounding decorations even more mysterious. A black high-backed chair stood against the wall, and an ancient portrait hung on the wall.
"Brother." Elvira walked to the center of the room and called softly.
In the shadows of the room, a tall figure slowly turned around and his deep eyes fell on the little girl.
His face was hidden in the firelight, revealing only half of his clearly defined profile, as he stared at her silently and calmly.
Elvira walked up to him, raised her crystal eyes, lowered her voice and said, “I have divined your illness…new hope has appeared, in the north!”
The man was silent for a moment, and then a deep voice came from the shadows: "The north... is it hope or danger?"
A mysterious smile appeared on Avella's lips. She shook her head gently, pointed her finger at her crystal ball, and said in a firm and calm tone:
“Hope and danger always coexist, but its light will guide us to find the answer.”
The man's eyes slowly moved to the crystal ball that Elvira's fingertips touched.
The light and shadow inside the crystal rippled like a lake stirred by a breeze, and a picture gradually emerged.
In the picture, a woman lies quietly on the bed. Her black hair is scattered on the pillow like satin, her face is gently covered by a halo, and her slightly rising and falling breathing reveals peace, as if she has fallen into a deep sleep.
"She..." The man bent down slightly and stared at the woman in the crystal ball, trying to see more details about her.
At this moment, a dazzling white light suddenly emerged in the picture. Some kind of power was overflowing from the depths of the crystal ball, disrupting the entire picture.
The light and shadows in the crystal ball twisted violently, and the sleeping figure of the woman was instantly obscured by blurry ripples, as if the picture was abruptly cut off by some external force.
Avella’s eyes widened, and her fingers retracted involuntarily: “This is not right! Brother, this has never happened!”
The man's brows furrowed as he stared at the crystal ball sharply: "Someone is trying to stop me from investigating..."
The light in the crystal ball gradually gathered into a blurry human figure.
The figure was transparent and emitted a faint glow, as if it was made up of countless tiny points of light. The outline could be vaguely seen but the face was difficult to see clearly.
Then a voice with a slight sense of oppression came from the crystal ball:
"Spying without permission will bring unbearable consequences."
The man's eyes narrowed slightly, staring coldly at the light: "Who are you?"
The ball of light did not respond, and white light instantly enveloped the entire crystal ball, completely cutting off the picture.
After a moment, the crystal ball returned to its calm and crystal clear state, as if nothing had happened.
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