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Chapter 19: Leading People and Lobbying

Editor: Larbre Studio

"Night Ghost, I've already entered the instance."

"Alright, I'm on my way." Chu You glanced and then headed uphill.

As Chu You got closer to the instance, the chance of being spotted by other players increased. To normal players, they are quite 'enthusiastic' towards players in Red Name State.

Chu You was well aware of this.

For players who couldn't join a team and were bored, they might choose to level up nearby. But where was this? This was a Level 4 monster area. Those low-level players had nothing else to do besides forming a team to enter the instance.

In no time, Chu You stealthily bypassed some players and appeared on the hill behind the instance.

Seeing that there was no one in the front, Chu You quickly went forth; Before long, Chu You appeared high up in the forest above the instance. He looked down from this cliff which had a high fall; jumping down from here would lead to instant death.

Chu You looked at the terrain, feeling reassured. Taking a deep breath, he jumped off.

A large red shadow leaped down from above. Chu You's body followed the cliff, his eyes firmly fixed on a certain spot, then his feet landed precisely on a slightly protruding rock - a health loss of 400 appeared, now Chu You was very close to the instance below.

At this moment, players below, especially those near the instance's entrance, received a system notification indicating a nearby Red Name player. They are vigilant and looked around anxiously.

But looking around, there was no Red Name player to be seen.

Could it be an assassin with stealth skills? Just when the new players were guessing,

some player was the first to spot Chu You above, immediately pointing at the cliff-clinging Chu You and shouting loudly.

Suddenly, almost all the players below raised their heads to look.

They saw Chu You take a few more leaps downwards, then he lay down, his hand pointing towards the top of the instance's gate, initiating the instance's progress.

The distance between Chu You's position and players below was 25 meters, exceeding the maximum distance of long-range professions.

Then, under the stunned gaze of the players, Chu You turned into an illusory shadow and vanished.

"I'm here, sorry to have kept you waiting." Chu You greeted Lin Luor, who was eyeing the surroundings.

Lin Luor turned around, she indeed waited for 20 minutes, shook her head, "It's okay, but something seems off here." Lin Luor had no idea how difficult it was for a typical Red Name player to enter an instance.

Seeing Chu You losing health, she immediately cast a healing spell.

Chu You walked over, arriving at an entrance where Lin Luor was standing, took a peek inside, revealing a nonchalant expression.

I'd say what instance is this... this is a novice testing instance.

In front of the two was a long hallway extending inside with various traps in motion. One misstep could lead to unexpected weapons inflicting damage, leading to death.

In other words, this is a training ground to get players to adapt quickly to the game rules, providing insights for the players and honing their reaction skills, laying the foundation for the future... national battles.

In their previous life, these traps have been made into simulators by many powerful guilds and workshops to train their professional players.

This instance, truly, the fewer people, the better.

"Glittering Night, look at your upper left viewpoint, do you see a timer?"

A timer showing 00:00 appeared in the upper left corner of Chu You's view.

Lin Luor nodded nervously.

"In this instance, based on the information I got, it means the faster you pass the instance with higher difficulty, the more experience you will gain." Chu You casually told Lin Luor some information he knew about the instance.

"There are two keys here, indicating one for each of us, luckily we didn't invite others or it would've been troublesome... not really troublesome, we could just kick them out."

In a wooden box on the left of the entrance lay glowing keys, where Chu You picked up one and motioned for Lin Luor to do the same.

"There are some monsters inside that can't be killed, just find the knack and you'll be fine."

Seeing Lin Luor's apprehensive face, Chu You couldn't help the corner of his lips twitching into a smile.

"Don't worry, don't panic, follow me, this instance is not difficult."

In his past life, Chu You had traversed through countless, more difficult instance dungeons.

"Are you ready?"

Lin Luo took a deep breath and nodded.

"You're the team leader, press this button and we'll begin."

Gazing at the glowing green button on the side, Lin Luo pursed her lips and pressed it.

Suddenly, a translucent layer in front of them disappeared, their weapons automatically went into their backpacks, and at the same time, a timer started.

"You jump first, pay attention to the distance, jump forward when you're 1 meter away from the platform." Chu You had already made a judgment when he was explaining earlier.

Lin Luo looked at an automatically moving rock and nervously propelled herself forward, successfully landing on the floating rock. What surprised her was that Chu You moved at the same moment she did.

The two of them were on a small, aerially moving rock. Ahead of them was a long hallway filled with numerous mechanisms, and beneath them was a bottomless abyss.

"Jump." Seeing that they were about to reach the opposite side, they once again leapt forward simultaneously.

"Follow me, run." Chu You controlled his speed to stay in sync with Lin Luo.

The two of them instantly dashed towards the hallway.

"2 meters ahead, sprint and jump." Chu You accurately judged.

The two launched into the air, as the ground beneath them collapsed. Then, once again, they landed on a moving aerial rock. Beneath them was an abyss shrouded in darkness.

"Get down." At this moment, Chu You shouted.

They both immediately lay flat on the moving rock, as arrows were shot out from both sides.

At this point, the rock beneath them started heating up. They both began losing health points and ahead of them, two colossal chains swung menacingly back and forth. If one were to get hit, they would be cast directly into the dark abyss beneath the rocks.

Chu You quickly stated, "1.5 meters ahead, we jump forward at the same time and grab hold of the swinging chains. After 1.5 seconds, we leap towards the platform ahead."

The chains swung at an extremely high speed. Novice gamers couldn't possibly figure out their pattern. If they stayed on the rock, they would be burned to death.

"Hold on!" Chu You once again roared.

At this moment, they both leaped and a chain that had just swung upwards suddenly appeared in front of them. They firmly grasped onto it and were quickly swung towards a platform 1 meter ahead with the momentum. If they didn't jump at this moment, they would be cast into the dark abyss by the chain.

"I say 'release' and you let go of the chain, trying to move your body forward." The chain had reached a critical point in an instant. Chu You had just finished speaking.

"Release!" Chu You's voice boomed like thunder.

They both let go simultaneously. Just barely landing a foot on the platform, they were right on the edge above the dark abyss with chains swinging behind them.

"Feeling dizzy?" The previous events were akin to riding a roller coaster. Players who were not used to it might feel symptoms such as dizziness.

Lin Luo didn't respond verbally, just shook her head. Her eyes appeared blank as though she was wholly under Chu You's command, like a puppet.

"Heal up, you're doing really well," Chu You observed, hinting at a good chance at completing the instance in one try.

They recovered their health points, stepped onto the platform, and went through a door.

"Look, the endpoint is straight ahead. There are 5 monsters attached to pillars on either side, and floating, moving rocks beneath your feet. There are 10 rocks, each moving independently. If you're not careful and miss a step, you'll fall to your doom. The rocks may seem to move irregularly, but that's not a problem. The main thing is to avoid the energy balls that the monsters above are shooting."

"This is the Nightmare Instance; the damage dealt is quite high. Also, pay attention to the distance between you and the moving rocks ahead. Remember, the closer you get to the end, the more monsters there will be attacking you from the pillars. I'll go first, just watch."

A demonstration was necessary this time as this stage was designed to train the player to spot shortcuts in combat and required high self-awareness.

Chu You was ready, glanced at Lin Luo, and saw that she was fully focused on him.

"Relax, watch me." After saying this, Chu You started running forward. Since he was demonstrating for Lin Luo, he removed his speed-boosting shoes and tried to match the speed of a beginner player.

He stepped onto the first moving rock, and the monsters perched on pillars 10 meters away on both sides immediately stood up and shot a purple energy ball at Chu You.

At this moment, the rock Chu You was standing on was moving forward, and two more monsters had started attacking him.

Chu You had immediately evaluated the trajectory of the light ball and dodged it. He saw two more light balls heading toward him out of the corner of his eye. The speed of the light balls was not very fast. With his extensive experience, Chu You could easily predict their path.

Chu You reached the second moving rock platform, at this moment, 4 monsters were still firing light balls at him.

Lin Luo was dumbfounded as she stared at his retreating figure. She could not comprehend how Chu You was so skilled in the game. His gameplay was beyond what any high-level player could compare to. Observing his posture, his stride, and his awareness, Lin Luo who had a gaming foundation and was once a top achiever in the once-popular Xiong League, was astounded.

Experts see tricks, while laymen watch the fun. Lin Luo gradually realized that Chu You was not simple. He had slain six enemies without taking any damage, had exaggerated weapons, unique upper body armor, and now he was crossing the wide array of obstacles with a graceful demeanor. Lin Luo couldn't help but affirm her suspicion that Chu You had played this game before it was even launched.

Otherwise, it couldn't be explained. Chu You had said before that he had not entered this instance before, which indicated that this was his first time. But he was so awesome at his first attempt? Who was he kidding...

Finally, Chu You leapt onto the sturdy platform, walked over, and inserted his key into one of the slots. The slot instantly lit up, and his timer stopped ticking. The time was 5 minutes and 27 seconds.

Then Chu You returned to Lin Luo's side. Seeing the odd expression in Lin Luo's eyes, Chu You looked confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Have you played this game before?"

Chu You was taken aback for a second before he put on a look of sudden understanding. "Yes, why is that surprising? Who am I? The CEO of the CNMLGB Group, the invisible hand behind one of the world's top 300 corporations. When you were still looking forward to this game, I had already been playing it."

"Celestial World" is simulated by a top-level artificial intelligent mainframe with a variety of sub-mainframes. There was no so-called internal testing. The game was issued directly after it was made. This game embodies the crystallization of all human sciences, so it doesn't need internal testing, and it's full of confidence.

Rebirth sound absurd. This secret, Chu You can only keep it to his grave.

Lin Luo suddenly looked enlightened. She looked somewhere and muttered to herself, "No wonder."

Raising her head, she looked at the tall Chu You with a smile on her face. "So, I've found the right person?"

"Of course." Chu You's expression suddenly changed before he continued, "And Lin Luo, I'm going to tell you something. According to my reliable information and the consensus of my risk assessment team, the world is going to experience a great upheaval. So... I think you should stop studying." He said seriously to the increasingly shocked Lin Luo, "Come here, I'll provide you with a top-level gaming pod. All you need to do is play this game well. Of course, I'll pay you a salary."

Chu You wanted to win over this divine-level milk mother completely.

"So... I just need to play the game well?"

"What else? You must have heard of the Xiong League. As long as you play the game well, I can satisfy all your needs, just think about it. If it works for you, I'll send someone to sign a contract with you."

Only by doing this can he tightly bind the heart of this divine-level milk mother. If he tries to give her charity, it might backfire, considering Lin Luo's stubborn nature from his previous life.

Lin Luo was a bit hesitant, her look indecisive and her body restless. She was intertwining her fingers, showing inner turmoil.

"You don't necessarily have to answer me now, I'll give you time to think about it, now, let me demonstrate it again, watch carefully."

After a while, Chu You came back and initiated a trade with Lin Luo, "Can you see it clearly? I have a potion here. If you're confident, drink this potion, and then start the challenge. This way, the chances are a bit higher."

In the end, Lin Luo indeed had talent in games, and she didn't disappoint Chu You. She passed the final challenging level at once. However, her HP was very low, and she was on the brink of death. Upon reaching the platform, she immediately cast a healing spell on herself.

"Don't heal anymore, just insert the key quickly."

Upon hearing Chu You's words, Lin Luo's cheeks turned red. She immediately ran over and inserted the key into the hole. As the two holes lit up, the compass underneath started to rotate.

System Prompt: Congratulations! According to the timing, you have achieved an S-rank speed; the difficulty you passed was: Nightmare Level. You are hereby awarded a Green Prince Level Treasure Chest. Enjoy your game!

System Prompt: Player Night Ghost received +6000 XP.

System Prompt: Player Luoshui Huixi received +4500 XP.

System Prompt: The Trial Instance is a one-time instance, designed to train players to quickly adapt to Celestial World. Trial Instance will still be open to players, but there will no longer be any XP bonuses or rewards.

At this moment, a mechanical sound sounded from the middle of the platform, as if something was being opened. Then a treasure chest emitting a green radiance rose from inside and finally stopped half a meter above the ground.

"Go open it." Chu You suggested. Lin Luo ran over immediately to open the treasure chest, but she didn't see that Chu You had a cunning look in his eyes and a smirk. Chu You just wanted to see how black Lin Luo's hand was. If it was cursed, he wouldn't let her touch any more corpses or open treasure chests in the future.

"Chu You, there's a skill book for you."

What the fuck! She actually got a skill book? Was there a lucky aura around this girl?!

Chu You was shocked. He knew very well how rare skill books were in "Celestial World". They were things that accompanied players for a lifetime. To put it bluntly, they were worth more than the Red Duke weapons in their hands.

"Oh, really? Show me." Chu You said nonchalantly.

Name: Sweeping Blow

Type: Third Tier Skill

Required level and class: All warriors, Level 5 or above.

Skill Description: After every three normal attacks, the user can execute a sweeping blow with their weapon, causing damage to up to 8 enemies within a radius of 4 meters. Damage output: Personal attribute + 100 Health Skill basic damage.

Proficiency: 0/10000, full proficiency can lead to skill upgrade.

Reading the skill description, Chu You was truly dumbfounded, even his usually steady breaths grew hurried. A range skill that didn't require magic power for activation, that was a truly great Excellent Skill Book.

"Lin Luor... Can I, can I call you baby? Otherwise, I can't express how excited I am at the moment."

"What, is this skill book really that good?" Lin Luor blushed.

"Of course, it's a semi-range skill book, worth a lot."

"Do you really need money?"

"Uh, not entirely, it's just valuable, very rare."

"Oh, I will put it in the treasure chest, you come and take it yourself, there're also silver coins and magic potions in it."

"Take the rest too, Lin Luor, let me tell you, I think you should stop considering and come over here right away. Be my exclusive Divine Level Milk Mother."

Where else could he possibly find a Divine Level Milk Mother possessing such a Lucky Aura?

"You, let me think harder."

Considering the current social situation, if a stable money-making opportunity emerged, most students would definitely abandon their studies.

Lin Luor understood this just fine, she was just somewhat restless, feeling as though Chu You was peering into something deep within her. Unable to shake this lurking sense of dread, she hesitated in making a decision.

But on second thought, thinking about her mother… and the chaos that has invaded her home due to her father, Lin Luor's expression gradually turned cold, going back to its original state.

She thought of those actors in TV shows and movies, and women who rose from nothing to grandeur. They would have endured unimaginable hardships and would have only gotten where they were after a long struggle. As for herself...

She was just playing a game, what could possibly go wrong? If Chu You dared to act out of line, she would...

Coldly casting a glance at Chu You, it was Lin Luor's turn now to venture into the so-called dragon's lair.

Lin Luor stood up boldly and suddenly, surprising Chu You sitting by her side.

What on earth is going on with the sudden cold glare she just gave me…

"Lin Luor, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'll give you my answer tonight."

"Ok, do we sleep now or continue with the other two instances?"

"Keep going!"

Chu You: ....

A moment later, both obtained their own things, leaving the instance one after another.

Soon after, Chu You reappeared at the 'excellent' spot where they had entered the instance. Seeing other players pointing and discussing him again, Chu You casually sat down to rest, not caring at all as his Red Name State sprang back into sight.

"Night Ghost, the second instance is a solo instance."

"Oh, what about the third one?"

A moment later, Lin Luor's voice came through, "The third one is a team instance, but you must have a full team of six people to enter."

"Then let's form the full team."