Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 434 - 73. Uninvited Guest

Chapter 434: 73. Uninvited Guest

"This ’Echo of Memories: Underworld Humanity Laboratory’, isn’t it just an instance?!"

A player came to realize and blurted it out, immediately causing a sensation among the crowd.

"Yeah, but isn’t the difficulty classification a bit strange? Why is ’Myth’ the lowest difficulty, and ’Realism’ the highest?"

"You idiot, if it’s truly realistic warfare, you won’t even see the enemy. You’ll get taken out by lasers, artillery, and drones from the other side in no time, with no chance to show off your skills. What you’re playing is all filtered through a Cognition Filter, a lot of the content has been harmonized."

"What, people actually die in wars? I thought blood was green."

"This is the first instance, one that even Azure Star doesn’t have, and we’ve encountered it. Is this the benefit Li Aozi gives us over-version players? Bliss."

The players started chattering among themselves, many posted the news on forums, causing quite a stir.

"Ahhh, it’s sunlight! There’s sunlight on alien planets!"

"Alien grandpa, come back soon. Frost Plated is distributing gold bars, succubi, and fields."

"Advising people to return to Frost Plated? That’s practically as bad as a vendetta for patricide."

"Ah, I want to farm instances. Early gear is so hard to get by, getting a gun permit is even harder than getting a driver’s licence. For Red Arrow, at least you need a Hunter License, Hunter Qualification, a monthly income of 3000 Galun, proof of a permanent residence—damn, I just realized I haven’t even taken my driving test. Don’t come to Red Arrow, it’s all exams here!"

"So Li Aozi didn’t come to meet us because he was preparing instances for us, I could literally cry, tears are being pulled out..."

During the closed beta, there were no instance mechanisms, players had to be very careful with tasks, with no chances to start over, and instances are a major source of material farming in various online games, essential for the livelihood of millions of studios.

Caramel Snail, watching their forum likes and replies soar, was about to lose themselves in the envy of others when Cumin Powder suddenly said, "This instance costs a lot. If you fail halfway, I wonder if you can make back the investment."

"If not, let’s just save some experience before going."

"That’s what I’m thinking too." Cumin Powder gazed at the system panel, deep in thought.

"Underworld Humanity."

Cumin Powder stroked his chin:

"The name sounds so familiar. It’s like I’ve heard it somewhere before."

Caramel Snail browsed through the forum:

"It was mentioned during the closed beta promo video, the place where Li Aozi debuted, and also where Frost Plated conducted human experiments—don’t you watch the storyline?"

"I’m a professional player, the audience comes to see me compete and showcase my skills, not to see how well I understand the game’s background." Cumin Powder said innocently.

The two shared the information with their squad’s group chat, and the chat, which had been busy with tasks and leveling, suddenly became lively.

Night Fighting Sword: "This ’Valenkov’s Winter’ looks really good, great for gathering materials, and you get to play as high-level NPCs. But you have to be level 30 to enter."

Garidon: "It’s like the mechanics of ’Escape from Tower X’ where you can probably acquire a lot of great stuff."

Yutianxiao: "I have to say, the content for open beta has suddenly become a lot richer. We’d better continue with our tasks, the resources here are really abundant. I’m already learning the Baizhu Star language, hoping to communicate with the locals if I get a chance."

The others agreed and went back to their respective tasks.

Caramel Snail wasn’t fond of Yawen, and coincidentally, Yawen wasn’t fond of him either. Since the ’Secret’ obscured the target, he didn’t know how to find out the other party’s favorability rating.

"I want to take on some pioneering tasks."

Caramel Snail approached Yawen, who gave him a cold look and casually tossed a list at him without a word.

Caramel Snail glanced at the list, which was mostly made up of medicinal and ore materials, and casually asked, "Is that all?"

Yawen looked away coldly and turned to Cumin Powder, saying, "Good morning, Descender. Are you here to take on a task?"

"Morning, miss," Cumin Powder cheerfully said, "got any rough tasks for me?"

Yawen propped up her chin and scrutinized Cumin Powder before saying,

"You seem like a Ranger, not yet at Alpha Stage. I think this task would suit you well."

She turned around and produced a list:

"This is the Flying Feather Beast, covered in light white feathers, capable of gliding through the woods. It has sharp teeth and claws, but luckily, it lacks defensive abilities. With your weapon, you should be able to defeat it easily."

"Yay, thank you, Weaving Maiden!"

"It’s my duty," she said.

Having finished, Yawen gave Caramel Snail a cold glance as if to say, ’Why aren’t you off to toil yet?’

The stark contrast made Caramel Snail realize for the first time why it’s said male players from the Frost Plated District often have it rough.

’Tch! Frost Plated women!’

Caramel Snail glared back unabashedly and then turned to follow Cumin Powder on the quest to level up.

As the players gradually dispersed, the ruins were left devoid of people.

"Phew... Finally, that’s all of them sorted."

Yawen turned around and looked at the Memory Crystal placed in the shrine.

"...you still haven’t returned. Li Aozi, what exactly have you gone through?"

Yawen reached out toward a crystal.

"If I were you, I wouldn’t touch a spacetime fault Crystallization," a playful and frivolous female voice interjected; Yawen’s fingertips hovered in the air, her peripheral vision catching a glimpse of the unexpected visitor.

A newcomer had entered the ruins.

She leaned against the Gate, caressing a Seven-stringed Zither with one hand, eliciting a series of clear and melodious rhythms. Tall and slender, her glossy, silk-like black hair draped over smooth shoulders. A one-shoulder top accentuated her ample curves, with azure crystals scattering dazzling lights. The woman wore a thin, slit skirt that revealed her plump and delicate white skin, a stark and healthy contrast to the sun-deprived complexion of Azure Star People.

Feeling Yawen’s gaze, the woman slightly lifted her head, her snow-green eyes locking with Yawen’s.

Thump—

The woman gently strummed the strings and began to sing:

"A maiden lost in thoughts of spring often mistakes others’ concern for love. The lily, it’s only when pure does it earn praise, not when plucked."

Her lyrics were unremarkable, and her rhyme rather poor, yet her voice was as clear and pristine as crystal. Accompanied by her zither, Yawen, for some reason, felt a strong resonance in her heart.

The woman took a delicate sniff, as if she could scent the aura emanating from Yawen.

"Love is but a cage. It may hold a butterfly but never a spider. If you wish to dance gracefully and soar freely, never enter this tomb-like trap."

The woman’s snow-green eyes gazed at Yawen, mirror-like, reflecting Yawen’s visage: ugly and foolish, like a great evil spider.

"Once you fluttered like a blue butterfly, embracing flowers and gentle breezes. If you persist down this path, you’ll be doomed forever."

After finishing her song, the woman put away the zither, stood up straight, and approached Yawen. She raised her hand and said in fluent speech,

"Verimia Aeliria Saint Valendino—currently aspiring to become a Bard, an Adventurer. You may call me Vellia."

She introduced herself using a secret tone.