Chapter 140

"Granted at the system's discretion" meant, I'll satisfy your request, but not completely.

Just like how it moderated the livestream comments, this system was really quite crafty.

But discretionary was fine.

Since she had succeeded this time, next time she would roughly know how to step right on the system's bottom line and obtain what she wanted.

The flickering frozen panel before her finally returned to normal.

Then a flash of golden light appeared, and Li Zhi was pulled into a chaotic scene.

She saw a long flight of steps floating in the air.

Like a stairway leading to heaven, it floated above the clouds. Around it stretched a vast sea of clouds beneath brilliant sunlight.

A familiar figure was climbing the steps.

He walked very slowly, one step at a time, until he arrived before a divine throne at the end of the staircase.

The heavens and earth were completely silent.

Li Zhi tried to move a little closer.

But this was probably what the system meant by granting her request at its discretion.

She could only watch from afar.

She could not hear a single sound.

Li Zhi saw that Li Jianxi's expression was extremely cold.

This was different from the Li Jianxi she knew.

His eyes carried an intense aggressiveness.

But very soon, Li Jianxi turned around.

He began walking back down the stairs.

Countless hands stretched out from the divine throne, trying to pull him back.

But the moment those hands wrapped in black mist touched his body, they were scattered by the golden light surrounding him.

He walked with absolute determination.

Not once did he look back.

Very soon, the sea of clouds disappeared.

He descended from the clouds to the earth.

But the staircase did not disappear.

Step after step, it extended into hell.

Within the gloomy, pitch-black hell, a sea of blood churned while countless ghosts danced wildly.

Ferocious monsters waited at the entrance, staring excitedly and greedily at the figure drawing ever closer to them.

Li Jianxi walked inside.

Countless ghostly hands wrapped around him, dragging him into the bottomless abyss.

The staircase disappeared.

The hell that had swallowed him closed its eyes.

Li Zhi was thrown back out.

A line of text appeared on the panel before her:

The deepest memory of NPC Li Jianxi has been successfully transmitted to the player.

This was the dungeon-clear reward Li Zhi had wanted this time.

Li Jianxi had said that from the moment he became conscious, he had already been an NPC.

But his behavior and habits clearly did not match those of NPCs produced by dungeons.

He could freely travel between different dungeon worlds.

He possessed items that only players had.

He would help players within the limits of the rules.

Everything seemed to point toward one conclusion—

Li Jianxi had once been a player as well.

But for some reason, the system had sealed away his memories and thrown him into the dungeon worlds as an NPC.

Having Li Jianxi recover his memories was probably impossible.

But merely peeking into his deepest memory might not count as violating the rules.

Li Zhi had succeeded.

She had seen the deepest memory that Li Jianxi had forgotten.

One end of the long heavenly staircase was connected to the divine throne.

The other end was connected to hell.

And Li Jianxi had chosen hell.

He truly did have sealed memories.

He truly had once been a player.

After the dungeon-clear reward had been distributed, three random point items appeared on the panel.

Li Zhi withdrew her thoughts and looked at this round's items.

A bloodstained baseball bat.

It could be used both in the real world and inside dungeons.

It dealt massively increased damage to ghosts.

The number of uses depended on the strength of the ghost. It might shatter after a single use, or it might last for a long time.

Cost: 999 points.

A blank map.

It could only be used inside dungeons.

Recite the incantation to the map, and it would reveal the footprints of ghosts within one hundred meters.

Cost: 599 points.

A colorless and odorless poison.

A one-time-use item.

It could be used both in the real world and inside dungeons.

It could only be used on humans.

Drop it into water, and it could kill without leaving a trace.

Cost: 499 points.

Seeing the final item, Li Zhi narrowed her eyes unhappily.

A poison that could kill without leaving any trace only cost 499 points.

With so many players entering dungeons every day, who knew how many dangerous items like this had already flowed into the outside world?

The Ghost Monster system's intention to destroy social order could not have been more obvious.

Li Zhi spent 2.1 million popularity points to exchange for 2,100 points.

After purchasing all three items, the system promptly announced the change to her points.

"Detected that the player's total popularity has been adjusted to 32,855,185. Current world popularity ranking remains unchanged. Please continue your efforts."

The higher a player's ranking, the greater the gap in points between players.

At Li Zhi's current ranking, several million popularity points simply could not affect her position.

After exchanging for the three point items, the panel did not disappear as usual.

Instead, a new notification appeared.

"Congratulations. The player's popularity has exceeded twenty million. A new privilege has been unlocked. You may now freely choose the time of your next dungeon entry."

Two rows of dates appeared on the panel.

Li Zhi swiped through them and discovered that the earliest available time was tomorrow, while the latest could be pushed back as far as three months later.

No wonder those top players were entering dungeons all the time.

So they were actually free to choose when to enter.

Li Zhi asked,

"What happens if I don't choose?"

The system answered mechanically,

"If the player gives up selecting a dungeon entry time, the previous rules will continue to apply. Dungeon entry will be randomly determined according to the player's level of attention."

Li Zhi understood.

After thinking for a moment, she selected a date half a month later.

She did not like entering dungeons too frequently.

Half a month was about enough time to spend with her family and adjust her condition.

After her selection was confirmed, the panel finally disappeared.

Soon afterward, the nine players reappeared inside the safe house.

This time, everyone had earned quite a lot of popularity points and had exchanged them for items.

Especially Owen Dong.

For the first time, he had enough points to spend freely with confidence.

He was also quite considerate.

Knowing that all of this was thanks to Li Zhi's help, he ran over to her and whispered,

"Boss, I exchanged for a pistol and a talisman that repels evil. Is there anything you need? I'm willing to trade with you!"

Li Zhi smiled.

"No need. Keep them for yourself."

Owen Dong nodded.

He glanced at the safe house, where the countdown had already begun, and sighed.

"I wonder when we'll meet again. We don't even live in the same province. Things are so chaotic outside now that I don't even dare travel across provinces to treat you to a meal."

Li Zhi patted him on the shoulder.

"It's fine. If we're destined to meet again, we'll run into each other in another dungeon. You're so lucky. Maybe we'll end up in the very next dungeon together."

Owen Dong beamed happily.

"That's true!"

Owen Dong and You Jingmeng both asked for her contact information, saying they would memorize it and add her on WeChat after they got out.

Han Wenlin watched from the side with obvious envy and muttered,

"You promised to treat me to a meal after we got out, but now you're pretending it never happened."

Li Zhi glanced at him.

Han Wenlin immediately shut his mouth.

He knew Li Zhi was dissatisfied that he had dragged everyone else into his personal grudge against Wei Xiao.

He didn't dare go over to make his presence known in front of her.

Unexpectedly, just before the countdown ended, Li Zhi took the initiative to walk over and said,

"I owe you a meal. If there's a chance after we get out, I'll make it up to you."

Han Wenlin was delighted.

"You're not mad at me anymore?"

Li Zhi said,

"One matter is separate from another."

Han Wenlin was overjoyed.

"Then that means you're not mad at me anymore! After we get out, send me a private message on Douya. Just search my name!"

The countdown ended.

The safe house disappeared.

Li Zhi returned to her own home.

There were clattering sounds coming from the living room, as though someone was packing things.

Li Zhi stood where she was for several seconds, still somewhat unaccustomed to Li Shuang not throwing herself at her in a bear hug.

When she walked out, she saw that the living room was filled with moving boxes.

Aside from a few large pieces of furniture, everything else in the house had already been packed and sorted.

"We're moving?"

"Big Sis!"

Li Shuang stuffed one of her dolls into a bag and rushed over.

Li Zhi hugged her with complete satisfaction.

Then she heard her say excitedly,

"We're moving! The government has established a safe zone! We're among the first group moving in!"

Li Zhi was somewhat surprised.

"The safe zone was built this quickly?"

Previously, when she had met with Tan Manyu's superior, Fang Yangxing, they had discussed this matter.

Director Fang had said they had discovered that whenever players were pulled into dungeons, the magnetic field around them intensified.

Because of this, they concluded that the system's activity was actually a form of magnetic field activity.

The authorities had been researching a shielding device capable of isolating this magnetic field activity in order to establish safe zones unaffected by dungeons.

Li Zhi had originally thought it would still take some time before construction was completed.

She had not expected the authorities to move so quickly.

Once the safe zones were established, players and ordinary people would be completely separated.

After moving in, life would return to normal, society would become stable again, and people would no longer have to worry about their lives amid the chaos.

Since the authorities had already notified them to move, the management system inside the safe zone must already have been fully established.

After speaking with Shang Jinru for a while, Li Zhi returned to her bedroom and called Yao Mingfeng.

After several rings, the call connected.

He asked with a smile,

"You've come out of the dungeon?"

Li Zhi smiled.

"Yes. My family said we're among the first group moving into the safe zone?"

Yao Mingfeng replied,

"This batch is being prioritized for people who have contributed to the country. Naturally, your family is included. But the safe zone is very large. Our city has established both eastern and western districts, so everyone else will be able to move in afterward."

What Li Zhi cared about most was her family's safety.

The appearance of the safe zone had completely relieved her biggest concern.

However...

She asked,

"Can people who have already become players move in as well?"

Yao Mingfeng answered solemnly,

"You've hit the key point.

"We conducted experiments. Players with fewer than one hundred thousand followers who have only entered one or two dungeons can be protected by the shielding device after entering the safe zone. The Ghost Monster system can no longer pull them into dungeons.

"But players whose popularity exceeds one hundred thousand will still be pulled into dungeons even after entering the safe zone. Moreover, the conflict created when the magnetic field resists the system also damages the shielding device."

It was essentially a tug-of-war.

One side wanted to pull them out.

The other wanted to drag them back.

A sophisticated instrument like the shielding device was extremely expensive to manufacture and produced in very limited quantities.

It certainly could not withstand that kind of strain.

Li Zhi sighed.

"The areas outside the safe zones will become even more chaotic in the future, won't they?"

Yao Mingfeng replied helplessly,

"There's nothing we can do about that. All we can do is protect the safety of ordinary civilians.

"Items are everywhere outside now. Modern firearms stand no chance against those dungeon items. Even if we deploy military forces to maintain order, they won't accomplish much."

"However, anyone entering a safe zone must give up every benefit related to dungeons.

"We've tested it. Dungeon-produced items cannot be used inside safe zones.

"We need a society that functions normally."

Li Zhi said,

"I understand."

Players had their own means of survival.

Ordinary people had their own way of living.

Until the Ghost Monster system was completely driven out of this world, safe zones were the only way to ensure that society continued functioning in a healthy manner.

There would certainly be people unwilling to enter the safe zones.

Great wealth came with great risk.

Besides, foreign countries had long since become apocalyptic playgrounds.

After hanging up, Li Zhi walked out to help pack the luggage.

This apartment had been bought by her father and mother together before her father passed away.

They had lived there for more than ten years.

Now that they were moving away, it was difficult to part with every corner of it.

Shang Jinru held Li Zhi's hand, looking worried.

"Zhizhi... will it be very difficult for us to see each other from now on?"

Her daughter's popularity was so high that she would definitely have to remain outside.

The tall man who had come to notify them about the move last time had said that entry into and exit from the safe zone would be subject to extremely strict screening.

If they wanted to see their daughter in the future, it would probably be as difficult as reaching the heavens.

Li Zhi bent down and hugged her.

"It won't be too long, Mom.

"I promise."