Lucky billion players, you've never seen one before / I can accumulate my own luck

Fan Xiao: "..."

Goodness... this guy's survivability has hit the ceiling!

No wonder he dares to call himself "The Immortal".

"Do you really think you can just blurt it out like that, you idiot?"

Mercury rubbed his forehead.

After complaining about his colleague, he took out a soundproof device, activated it, and explained to Fan Xiao, "Old Luo used to be quite smart, but after consuming the genes of three different insects in a row... you know that when the number of alien genes increases, it can cause a decrease in intelligence, right? Unless he goes to eat people..."

"In short, most demi-human players can only obtain two genes at best. Lao Luo only managed to survive with the help of the Special Affairs Bureau."

Van Shaw was a trustworthy man—Mercury was quite certain of that.

It wasn't that he had a keen eye for people, but rather that the players on the "cooperation list" selected by the Special Affairs Bureau had all undergone rigorous vetting. Only those whose backgrounds, ideologies, and origins were beyond question for more than a decade could be included.

He may not trust his own judgment, but he trusts the Secret Service.

"Aren't you revealing more than I have?"

Upon hearing Mercury's words, Luo Hao revealed a look of displeasure.

Fan Xiao suddenly asked, "You're from the military, right?"

Luo Hao asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

"A straight spine... that kind of bearing," Fan Xiao replied. "Besides... creatures like planarians and tardigrades aren't something the average person can handle..."

[Attention player "Seal": The D-level dungeon "Hope Middle School" is a separate space dungeon, not connected to Zone 001. Players cannot find its exact location on their own. Teleportation is about to begin, please be prepared.]

Fan Xiao paused for a moment.

Mercury was taken aback.

Luo Hao's surprise deepened.

The three of them received the game notification at the same time.

"It seems that the investigation into District 001 will have to be postponed."

Mercury sighed.

Fan Xiao asked, "You're here to investigate 'fantasy matter,' right?"

"No wonder he's on the list, he's got a good head start."

Mercury nodded.

But just as he was about to say something more, his vision suddenly began to shake.

After regaining their senses, the three found themselves in a spacious area.

Underfoot was a dusty artificial lawn, surrounded by a rubber running track, and in the distance were facilities for some kind of sport.

If nothing unexpected happens, this should be the playground of "Hope Middle School".

Fan Xiao looked around and counted the number of players present. He found that there were quite a few people. In addition to the three of them, there were 12 other players present.

The instance is not open at the moment, which means that some players have not yet arrived.

Fan Xiao became slightly wary.

Based on his personal experience, the more players participate in a dungeon, the more dangerous that dungeon becomes.

Even if the dungeon quest itself is not very difficult, there can still be a lot of potential dangers.

For example, the dungeon boss is actually very powerful, but because of the dungeon level restriction, it cannot directly attack.

The larger the size of a copy, the higher the potential danger.

This can be considered a hidden pattern.

Mercury also noticed this and increased his vigilance accordingly.

"Let's team up for now," he suggested. "This dungeon is probably quite difficult."

"Don't rush," Fan Xiao said. "Let's wait until the instance opens and see the specific rules before making any decisions. Sometimes, acting in a group isn't necessarily better than acting alone."

After he finished speaking, he glanced discreetly to his side.

The "random entrance" to Fairy Tale Town was always in a state of constant summoning, and Yan Keke was standing next to him, curiously observing her surroundings.

Besides her, four other girls also ran over.

Having been isolated from the world for so long, everything outside was incredibly alluring to them.

As time went on, the number of little girls gathering around Fan Xiao increased.

Because of the illusion of invisibility, this scene is invisible to others.

It felt like a scene from a horror movie.

More than an hour later, the number of players on the playground reached 20.

At this point, the game prompt finally appeared on the player panel.

The D-level dungeon "Hope Middle School" is now open.

[Background Information: Hope Middle School is a boarding school with military-style management that has helped countless troubled students get back on track and become good children in their parents' eyes.]

[The school's reputation has grown with each successful intervention, making it increasingly popular and highly regarded by parents.]

However, one day, a strange thing happened at Hope Middle School.

Suddenly, all the teachers and students disappeared, and the once bustling middle school became an empty school in an instant.

Outsiders intervened in the investigation, searching every corner of the school, but still couldn't find any clues.

Meanwhile, the investigators began to disappear one after another, and Hope Middle School gradually became a forbidden place that was sealed off.

【hint:】

[1. This is an abandoned school. If you see any life other than players or stray cats inside, remember to get away immediately and do not make any contact with them.]

2. Be wary of illogical things.

3. Be wary of companions you've lost touch with; they may no longer be your companions.

4. If you hear children laughing, please find a stray cat within 10 minutes; it can protect you.

5. If you see many living beings other than players and stray cats, please get to the school swimming pool as quickly as possible, make sure the 3D projector inside is working properly, then leave the swimming pool, find your student ID, hold it in your hand, and do something appropriate for your current identity.

6. Accepting things that don't make sense.

[Instance Quest:]

[1. Survived for four days]

2. Escaping Hope Middle School

[Note: You can clear this dungeon by fulfilling any of the mission requirements.]

The instance has been opened.

Fan Xiao looked around and found that Yan Keke and the other little girls had all disappeared.

He also lost the ability to create illusions.

When the instance is activated, it will be completely disconnected from the outside world in terms of time and space.

Under these circumstances, he could no longer use himself as an anchor point to summon the "random entrance" to Fairy Tale Town.

Because he had expected it, Fan Xiao was not surprised and quickly accepted the fact.

"The game is warning me something's not right."

At this point, Mercury frowned and said, "Hint 2 and Hint 6 contradict each other. On the one hand, they warn us to be wary of illogical things, and on the other hand, they tell us to accept... Should we be wary or accept?"

"I'm a little hungry."

Fan Xiao said.

"..." Mercury: "You're jumping the topic a bit too fast."

"The game hints do seem contradictory, but... it might not necessarily be contradictory. Perhaps the prerequisites for each are different. Let's not jump to conclusions and wait until we've explored the school before making any decisions."

Fan Xiao said, "Besides... I'm really a little hungry, how about you guys?"

"If you say so..."

Mercury touched his stomach and said in surprise, "I think... I'm a little hungry too?"

“Me too,” Luo Hao nodded, “I suddenly feel like eating something.”

The three exchanged a glance and fell silent.

There can be no hunger without warning.

Chapter 159 Look, she's getting anxious.

Hunger—if nothing unexpected happens, this should be the effect of the "Hope Middle School" instance on their bodies.

Fan Xiao subtly glanced at the other players, memorizing their appearances while carefully observing their reactions.

Some players frowned, and some subconsciously touched their stomachs.

"It seems that we're not the only three feeling hungry; the other players are too."

Fan Xiao whispered a reminder to his two companions.

"Mass starvation... Do you think this might be the instance deliberately instigating infighting among players?"

Mercury guessed, "Our hunger is most likely caused by the dungeon, but the dungeon can't affect us for no reason; there must be a reason."

“Human players and demi-human players can eat the food they carry in their storage space to fill their stomachs, but cannibal players don’t have such ‘light’ appetites. If these beasts can’t stand the hunger, there’s a high probability that they will attack the other two types of players.”

"The survival time is only four days, so it's not like they can't stand the hunger. Unless the cannibal player never intended to suffer the injustice of starvation."

Fan Xiao said, "Or... our hunger will increase over time."

It is not difficult to deduce this.

Besides the three of them, many of the remaining seventeen players have also realized what was happening.

The players all showed wary expressions and became more cautious of unfamiliar players around them, keeping a certain distance from each other.

Soon, a handsome male player with a good temperament stepped forward and said, "I'm feeling an abnormal hunger. What about you?"

"It seems I'm not the only one who feels this way."

"So we're all the same after all."

"What on earth is going on? Is it the dungeon's doing?"

Many players responded to him.

The handsome player continued, "Putting aside the cause of hunger for now, we should be more concerned about the consequences of being hungry."

"I brought some food in my storage space, enough to feed myself for four days. I think most people are in the same boat."

"But... the cannibalistic players probably won't be as patient as we are."

After saying this, the handsome player first stepped back a little distance from the crowd, and then suggested, "Let's all show the color of our player IDs. It will be good for everyone to know who the werewolves are in advance."

"I'll start by showing you. Mine is white, and I'm a human player."

He raised his arm so that other players could see his white number.

Upon seeing this, many players' expressions immediately turned rather grim.

A male player with a scar on his face sneered, "Player ID colors can be faked. What's the point of doing that? Maybe yours is fake. You're just pretending to be harmless to fool us."

"Whatever your intentions, stop framing me. How about you show me your own number first?"

The handsome player cast a wary glance at the scarred man.

"Kid, don't look at me like that," the scarred man said fiercely. "You think I won't kill you right now?!"

After he finished speaking, many players moved away from the scarred man, keeping a safe distance.

The handsome player, unfazed by the scarred man's threat, sneered and said, "Come and try if you dare! Do you think I'm easily intimidated?"

"I advise those who want to make excuses to think carefully beforehand. While numbers and colors can indeed be disguised, disguise tools are not something that everyone has."

"Such an obvious and lame excuse, don't bother arguing about it. No matter how much you say, it's more practical to just show us your number color!"