"I don't know."

Guan Ce shook his head as if it were obvious. "Right now the Rookie King Authority Iron Piece hasn't been used by any newcomer player, so there simply isn't a Newcomer King at the moment."

"If you really want to become the Newcomer King, maybe you should target an administrator or a Reincarnation Ghost's body."

Li Ku wasn't very satisfied with that answer.

But it wasn't really Guan Ce's fault.

He thought for a moment and asked Guan Ce another question: "Among you apartment players, isn't there anyone else who wants to become the Newcomer King?"

"And… where would your strength rank among apartment players?"

"I…" Guan Ce furrowed his brow slightly, seeming to consider how to answer.

After a brief silence, he explained, "It's actually hard to make a direct comparison of strength among us apartment players."

"Some lower-level players think combat power value equals strength — the higher the combat power, the stronger you are."

"But in real combat, many factors decide victory or defeat. For example, there can be counters between innate talents; between different Glyph Pattern abilities there are counters; and certain items can affect the battle…"

"So forcing a verdict on my personal strength…"

Guan Ce weighed his words, seeming to settle on what he considered a fair assessment:

"I can't say for sure about my individual strength, but the three of us as a team are among the top-tier in District A apartments."

"Maybe only teams of strong players from Apartment 9999 could go toe-to-toe with us."

"However, during such matchups, who wins or loses — I still couldn't say for certain."

"Also, players of our level usually have backers."

"Battles between players, no matter how intense, are really just small-scale skirmishes."

"Administrators, though, crush players by authority alone, so…"

Guan Ce trailed off, unwilling to say more for some apparent reason.

He assumed Li Ku would infer the rest.

But Li Ku knew almost nothing about the apartment's internal situation.

He hadn't understood the encrypted conversation between Guan Ce and Jiang Ye earlier, so he couldn't guess.

He was about to frown and ask again when Jiang Ye cut in with a direct guess:

"So — whether it's your powerful three-man team, or the strong players you mentioned from Apartment 9999… your goal isn't fighting other players, but to directly leap up the ranks and become administrators?"

Li Ku was stunned by that remark.

Weren't they just talking about the Newcomer King a moment ago? How did this jump to becoming administrators happen?

Administrators can erase players!

How could players achieve rank ascension to become administrators??

But once that idea surfaced, Li Ku immediately thought of the crucial point —

the Madman Mask!

He had been focused on the Madman Mask as a weapon for Moon People players to resist the Sun People.

He'd neglected the advantage of apartment players holding Madman Masks within this apartment instance.

"So you collected Madman Masks planning to kill administrators?"

"Kill an administrator and take their place?"

At those words, Guan Ce's expression shifted subtly.

He clearly feared Administrator 4444, so he hastily added an explanation:

"Administrators also vary in strength."

"For example, Administrator 4444 ranks near the top among administrators, so naturally no player would dare challenge him."

"But some administrators are soft targets, and might be successfully challenged."

Li Ku nodded in understanding, silently thinking: Why didn't you say that sooner!

If you can kill an administrator, there might be no need to bother becoming a Newcomer King at all.

He asked straightaway, "Between the Newcomer King and an administrator, whose authority level is higher?"

"Obviously an administrator. The Newcomer King has a little authority, but at its core is still an apartment player."

"An administrator is part of the apartment management."

Only now did Li Ku form a preliminary picture of the apartment personnel structure.

He summarized bluntly, "So the hierarchy in the apartment is — apartment players < Newcomer King < administrators."

"The Nomadic Merchant should sit above administrators, right?"

"Probably…" Guan Ce hesitated, then added, "Above administrators is the apartment boss."

"The apartment boss isn't in the Novice Apartment, but in the Doomsday Apartment."

"The Novice Apartment is basically entrusted by the apartment boss to the administrators to manage."

"The Nomadic Merchant's privileges are probably even above the apartment boss."

Li Ku nodded, indicating he understood, then blurted out, "If you kill the apartment boss or the Nomadic Merchant, can you also replace their identity?"

That question left the three tattooed men speechless.

After a moment of silence, they all nodded in unison: "In theory, possibly so."

Li Ku wasn't an idiot; from their expressions he could guess the apartment boss and the Nomadic Merchant were far beyond ordinary players to kill.

Still, since these players dared to hunt for soft-target administrators…

with his strength he should have an even steadier chance.

Provided, of course, he had a Madman Mask.

Then…

Li Ku suddenly recalled when he traded with Administrator 4444 earlier, Guiwen had said administrators couldn't leave their apartment's jurisdiction.

He asked Guan Ce to confirm, and got an affirmative answer.

So…

If he killed another soft-target administrator, he'd be trapped in the apartment where that soft-target administrator operated.

How would he get back?

However, that Administrator 4444 seemed to possess some item that could let one leave their administrated apartment range…

So to become an administrator, he'd also have to obtain that kind of item.

Li Ku asked another question: "I heard you resurrected from the underground Burial Ground. Did you find a hidden underground palace in the tombstone area?"

Guan Ce hesitated. "Our revival was caused by Administrator 4444 opening our coffins."

"The entire underground Burial Ground belongs to Administrator 4444's territory."

"We players, of course, dare not freely explore in an administrator's domain."

"Dare not?" Li Ku lifted an eyebrow. "Now that Administrator 4444 has gone to the mist and isn't at the apartment, would you dare to go check out the Tombstone Underground Palace?"

At that remark Jiang Ye briefly frowned.

If his clone's sensing wasn't wrong…

Administrator 4444 wasn't in the mist right now.

He was in the underground Burial Ground of this 4444 Apartment!

And… probably hiding in that Tombstone Underground Palace Li Ku mentioned!

Jiang Ye suddenly realized — could their every word and action be under the administrator's close observation?

And this Guan Ce…

His earlier comment about only targeting soft administrators sounded like flattery toward Administrator 4444.

Such flattery could be simple respect for the powerful.

But perhaps it also meant…

he knew!

He knew their current words and deeds were being watched by the administrator?!

Further pondering, Jiang Ye also thought of the prison watch…

Although it might grant players like Guan Ce access to the mist, the three of them were all they were.

Their identities were at most the cream of the newcomers.

And by Guan Ce's own admission…

players of their caliber had backers.

Administrator 4444 even opened their coffins when they were reborn from the underground Burial Ground…

So…

Jiang Ye couldn't help but suspect —

maybe Guan Ce was essentially Administrator 4444's mouthpiece!

The one truly trying to trade for lots of prison watches should really be Administrator 4444!

Jiang Ye kept these thoughts to himself.

Faced with Li Ku's "dare to explore the Tombstone Underground Palace" challenge, the three tattooed men showed clear hesitation and fear.

Finally Guan Ce's eyes flicked as if he'd thought of a mischievous idea, and he grinned slyly:

"Exploring dangerous unknown scenes doesn't require our personal presence."

"There are quite a few players in this 4444 Apartment now."

"Especially those from Apartment 4869 — they're perfect cannon fodder."

"Of course, the prerequisite is to open the authority channel so they can be sent to the underground Burial Ground on behalf of an administrator."

He glanced at Jiang Ye as he spoke.

Li Ku pondered this, suspicious that Guan Ce might be working for Administrator 4444 or had other motives.

Still, the suggestion was practical.

They'd deferred exploring the Tombstone Underground Palace earlier because Guiwen seemed to have other plans.

But now Guiwen…

Li Ku glanced at "Ji Zixuan" and felt both headache and helplessness.

He had lent the prison watch to the administrator under Guiwen's guidance.

Now Guiwen remembered nothing and seemed unable to use the body-seizing technique anymore…

It put Li Ku in a very passive position.

He began to suspect —

perhaps the administrator had foreseen Guiwen's plan against him and staged this whole showdown targeting all the monsters in advance?

After thinking, Li Ku told Guan Ce, "If that's the case, let's cooperate —"

"Ji Zixuan will open the permission to go to the underground Burial Ground for you;"

"you get some cannon fodder to scout the Tombstone Underground Palace."

"And I…"

Li Ku paused, stared at Guan Ce's face, and cautiously offered:

"I want to catch a few monsters and toss them into the underground palace to see what happens. What do you think?"

When he said that, Jiang Ye noticed —

the two tattooed men named Azure Dragon and Black Dragon showed pure surprise.

Guan Ce, however, revealed an oddity beneath his surprise!

This guy truly had hidden motives!

But after thinking it over, Guan Ce approved: "If you can really capture uncontrolled monsters, that's worth trying."

"However, monsters and players must explore separately. If you team up, the uncontrolled monsters are too unpredictable."

Li Ku didn't argue. He simply asked, "Do you think I can capture monsters alive?"

Guan Ce stared at Li Ku's scarred body, at the eye made of scars, and said, "You probably can."

Li Ku was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, then act."

"At the latest, meet in the first-floor lobby in half an hour."

Guan Ce nodded, and the two groups went their separate ways.

Riding the elevator down together, Li Ku, Jiang Ye, and Ji Zixuan left from the 49th floor.

The three tattooed men continued downward.

After leaving the 49th floor, Li Ku walked straight toward Room 4906.

He said nothing outwardly, but privately messaged Jiang Ye:

[Do you think if I get a Madman Mask, I could kill Administrator 4444 within three minutes?]

Jiang Ye thought: How would I know? Didn't you say you were eighty percent sure?

Still, from Li Ku's message, Jiang Ye could faintly guess Li Ku's intention.

Clearly, even if he only had eighty percent certainty…

Li Ku's target for killing an administrator was Administrator 4444!

For him, a soft-target wasn't necessary.

But this fusion of 4869 with the 4444 Apartment was the core of the instance as he understood it!

There might be other apartments or more killable administrators…

but this one felt most special to him!

So to kill an administrator, it had to be Administrator 4444 of this 4444 Apartment!

Becoming Administrator 4444 might reveal crucial information about clearing the instance!

Jiang Ye himself…

though memoryless and not powerful, also wanted to kill Administrator 4444.

Not merely watch Li Ku do it, he wanted to try to kill him himself!

And test the "clone kills clone" effect.

After thinking, Jiang Ye didn't answer Li Ku's question but countered:

[If I propose to kill and replace Administrator 4444 myself, would you support me?]

Li Ku replied almost instantly: [Of course.]

Jiang Ye asked again: [If you assist me, how confident would you be then?]

This time Li Ku didn't reply for a long while.

He knocked on 4906's door and, in an experienced tone, called out "Delivery!"

There was no response from inside.

Understandable; the monster had gone out of control, who would answer?

Ji Zixuan's proxy administrator permission could open the door, so with a beep the proxy card stuck to the lock and 4906 opened.

The room looked as if it had been ransacked, belongings scattered everywhere.

Li Ku quickly searched the whole apartment but didn't find the Cardboard Box Monster from before.

He hesitated, then messaged Jiang Ye back:

[If we can use that so-called 'Taboo' method Guan Ce mentioned, I should have a ten-out-of-ten chance of taking down Administrator 4444.]

Taboo method…

Jiang Ye didn't know whether Li Ku himself understood what the 'Taboo' really was, so he asked reflexively: [Do you know how to use the Taboo method?]

Li Ku shook his head helplessly: [I don't even know what the Taboo is, so I certainly don't know how to use it.]

[But I think you might carry some secret related to Taboo.]

[You might have noticed it yourself. Even though you have amnesia, your body could retain certain instincts.]

[Guan Ce mentioned the Taboo and you grasped it instantly.]

[Also, I had no inkling players could kill and replace administrators, but you followed Guan Ce's words and deduced it immediately.]

[So I guess you very well might be that Jiang Ye from the Eighth Day! You and Guiwen lived in this apartment before, so apartment-related information comes to you faster than to me.]

[Therefore I think, since Eighth Day you once used a Taboo method to kill Administrator 4444… the Ninth Day you should be able to do it too!]