Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost-Chapter 372: Unique Player Living Area_1
"Are you sure this is the place?"
Wang Linchi successfully infiltrated the third large-scale instance. The Game System did not obstruct him at all, which indicated that the tension between It and the hospital had reached a breaking point.
"Yes, this is the place. The Dean said you won’t be disappointed." The Shadow of Gluttony no longer hid anything and revealed everything outright.
"But I didn’t detect any data from the Erroneous Sin." After entering, Wang Linchi found this instance quite peaceful. There was no trace of the Erroneous Sin in the area. The NPCs lived well, and the Players didn’t need to worry about being attacked by the Erroneous Sin here.
Many of the Players from the two previous instances he had ruined were thrown into this one.
That’s not to say that the Players could just slack off here. Compared to the Players in other instances, this large-scale instance seemed more like a living area where all Players would be assigned to various instances to handle the native Erroneous Sin.
The Erroneous Sin in large-scale instances were manufactured and guided by the Game System, which was in the process of taming them like livestock. However, the other Erroneous Sin born from the world had not yet been exterminated; they were confined in instances, requiring Players to deal with them.
They couldn’t very well expect Players who were breeding and dealing with artificial Erroneous Sin to also handle the native Erroneous Sin. Such an action would be akin to killing the goose that lays the golden egg.
So, this living area was created to address these underlying problems.
"This place is connected to all the instances. Boss, if you just open it, then..." the Shadow of Gluttony began to explain.
But Wang Linchi interrupted him before he could finish: "Then the Game System will immediately turn its attention to me and kill me."
Because there was no Erroneous Sin, this living area instance was completely under the Game System’s control. If he dared to do such a thing, the Game System would likely turn around and eliminate him.
"Your Dean is at a disadvantage and wants me to help draw some aggro, right?" Wang Linchi had no doubt about their intentions.
Having taken such a beating, the Dean must have seen Wang Linchi’s appearance as a prime opportunity. It would be a huge waste not to try and ensnare him.
Wang Linchi mentally filed this away as a grudge. Once he achieved the Golden Pill Nine Transforms, he would visit the hospital, deal with the Dean, and then absorb all the Erroneous Sin there.
The Shadow of Gluttony didn’t dare say a word, simply shrinking into himself.
This whole scheme was too obvious, but he had no choice. It wasn’t that he wanted to; he was under the Dean’s control. If he didn’t comply, his fate would be tragic.
"Not saying anything? Seems like you agree." Seeing this, Wang Linchi didn’t press the issue. "In that case, I assume the Dean has a proper plan? You can’t expect me to go around opening every single channel, can you?"
"I won’t do that. The risk and reward don’t match at all."
It wasn’t that he absolutely wouldn’t do it. The main benefit of this operation lay in whether he could seize control of all the Erroneous Sin from every instance at once. If he could, the payoff would be enormous. Once the corresponding Erroneous Sin entered this living area instance, they would immediately form a rule entanglement. At that point, the Game System would be wary of acting rashly and wouldn’t dare to intervene directly, effectively neutralizing its power. Then, forget just the Nine Revolutions Golden Core; he’d have enough resources to break through his limits. He wouldn’t even need tactics when he went to the hospital; he could just fight his way through.
However, there was a critical problem: how could he transfer all the Erroneous Sin from the connected instances to form the rule entanglement before the Game System could strike him? If he failed or was too slow, Wang Linchi would have no choice but to reluctantly destroy this living instance. In that scenario, not only would he gain nothing, but he would also draw the Game System’s ire. That would be a catastrophic loss.
And the hospital’s Dean? Whether Wang Linchi succeeded or failed, it was a win for him. If Wang Linchi succeeded, even if the Game System didn’t turn back to hunt him down, its power would be weakened. If Wang Linchi failed, it was even better for the Dean. The Game System certainly wouldn’t engage in a life-or-death struggle with the Dean; it would turn around and focus its trouble on Wang Linchi.
Therefore, Wang Linchi faced a situation where the risks far outweighed the potential rewards. Without additional help, he would most likely lose everything. Under such circumstances, he would abandon this course of action and switch to a different large-scale instance.
For Wang Linchi, it wasn’t necessary to fixate on this one area; there were other options available.
"The Dean has already made arrangements. With a little trick from you, Boss, and cooperation from our insider, it can be done easily," the Shadow of Gluttony said.
The Dean, naturally, couldn’t expect Wang Linchi to bear the entire risk. Anyone with a modicum of sense would balk at such a plan without significant backing, so the Dean had to demonstrate sufficient sincerity and offer concrete assistance. It wasn’t as if he could simply command and expect obedience from everyone; not all were patients in his hospital, subject to his every whim.
"And here I thought your Dean was some Gary Stu, expecting me to risk my life for him with just a display of his ’powerful presence’," Wang Linchi mocked. "So, what’s your role in this?"
Wang Linchi was taunting him, but inwardly he felt quite serious. To be able to plant spies right under the Game System’s very nose was truly remarkable. One could be verbally cutting—using disdain or ridicule as weapons to attack an opponent’s composure—but to actually believe his own taunts would mean he had a problem with his own head.
The Shadow of Gluttony acted as if he hadn’t heard the jab and continued, "I’ll bring the person to meet you, Boss."
"Good, that saves me a lot of trouble." Wang Linchi had no intention of personally seeking out the planted operative. Never mind that the Shadow of Gluttony likely wouldn’t reveal the contact’s identity; even if he did, Wang Linchi wouldn’t go himself. He had his own affairs to attend to. As for the plan proposed by the Dean of the hospital, it was worth considering, but not fully trusting. Wang Linchi had to prepare several escape routes for himself, lest he truly be trapped. He didn’t know the full extent of the Dean’s machinations, nor did he need to. As long as he was strong enough, any of their actions would merely be stepping stones for him, not fatal threats.
"How much time do you need?" Wang Linchi asked casually.
"I’ll bring the person to you tonight, Boss. If I don’t return by then, you’ll have to carry out the subsequent plans yourself." The Shadow of Gluttony understood this matter wasn’t simple. It seemed easy enough—just find the insider, especially with information from the Dean to back him up. But he couldn’t forget where this was: one of the Game System’s heavily protected areas. If he, by some misstep, exposed himself, or if the Dean failed to stall the Game System, then the outcome would be self-evident.
"I didn’t expect you to be so dedicated. Don’t worry, if you don’t come back by tomorrow morning, I’ll burn incense for you." Wang Linchi appeared completely unconcerned. In reality, if that fellow didn’t return by dawn, Wang Linchi would bolt immediately, not even waiting until morning. As for the Shadow of Gluttony perhaps being delayed and returning a bit late? What did that have to do with Wang Linchi? Why should the risk be transferred to him? If the Shadow of Gluttony failed in his task, Wang Linchi certainly wouldn’t take the blame. They weren’t even allies, just temporary collaborators. He had always regarded the Shadow of Gluttony, and even the hospital itself, as mere food. He felt no sympathy, empathy, or pity whatsoever.
The Shadow of Gluttony ignored Wang Linchi’s tone. He wasn’t worried that Wang Linchi might kill or torture him at that moment. When he was worthless before, Wang Linchi would act wantonly towards him. Now that he had value, Wang Linchi definitely wouldn’t act rashly, if only to show some face to the Dean backing him.
"Alright, I’ll be back as soon as possible." The Shadow of Gluttony used some sort of item or ability; his body began to writhe and soon took on the appearance of a Player.
Perhaps he even possessed some Player abilities.
After all, the Game System and the hospital had been entangled for so long that both sides had, to some extent, managed to acquire rules formed from the other’s errors.
Patients from the hospital could infiltrate various instances within the game, and conversely, many Players under the Game System’s command might have already infiltrated and lain dormant within the hospital.
The two entities were mutually entangled and infiltrating each other; ultimately, it remained to be seen who would emerge the victor.
Wang Linchi had more faith in the Game System. If the hospital were truly so dominant, it wouldn’t need him to act as their blade.
"This kid hides his depths well," Wang Linchi mused, "but he’s genuinely talented. If he weren’t controlled by the hospital, he would have achieved great things long ago." He could naturally see that the Shadow of Gluttony was not his own master. But he didn’t care. As long as the Shadow of Gluttony could get things done, Wang Linchi wasn’t bothered by such details. As long as his own interests weren’t harmed... at worst, the next time he devoured him, Wang Linchi would just swallow him whole without chewing, granting him a quicker end.
