| WRIAWW | Promising Future | 11
These past few days have been particularly tough for Wen Pushi.
Ever since it was revealed that the person he teamed up with for the subway station mission was the talented newcomer, he’s been targeted by the three major guilds.
First, the news somehow leaked to the Madame Spider’s Merchant Guild.
Madame Spider is the largest information broker and mercenary organization in the Infinite Space, notorious for doing anything as long as the price is right.
Once the Merchant Guild released the information, what was once a tightly kept secret spread like wildfire. Now, all the major guilds know that he’s the only one who can contact the talented newcomer.
As a result, they’ve all sent their agents to approach him, hoping to get the newcomer’s contact information from him.
But here’s the problem: Wen Pushi never added that newcomer as a friend!
Because of this, Wen Pushi has been beating himself up over it these past few days. He’s regretted countless times that if he had just added Zong Le as a friend back then, he’d now be holding onto a monumental achievement. Joining any guild would’ve been a breeze!
But no, he was so blind that he let the opportunity slip right through his fingers.
Just as Wen Pushi was wallowing in regret, Liu Jianhua, whom he had previously added as a friend, came back to him.
Liu Jianhua said meaningfully, “I know you’re feeling lost and regretful right now. But I can point you in the right direction.”
Wen Pushi was overjoyed. “Please, tell me, boss!”
Liu Jianhua then briefly explained the plan that the higher-ups of the Spiritual Guild had discussed in the meeting room of the Eternal Night Castle. However, after hearing the details, Wen Pushi’s expression turned uneasy.
“It’s not that I don’t want to agree, but asking me to deceive the Watchtower Guild... Those people are all smart. If I’m caught, I won’t be able to survive in the Infinite Space.”
“You don’t need to completely fool them. You just need to buy us some time.”
The Spiritual Guild never intended to entrust a major task to someone like Wen Pushi, who only knows how to flatter and curry for favor. Besides, the three major guilds all have their own strategists.
If they had laid out a grand scheme from the start, it would’ve been easily exposed. It was better to focus on delaying the other guilds, which had a higher chance of success.
“This mission will definitely benefit you. If you succeed, you’ll get 1,000 survival points and a pre-qualification to join a guild. So think carefully.”
Hearing these benefits, Wen Pushi’s eyes lit up. There was no way he’d refuse now, and he eagerly agreed.
“Alright, alright, leave it to me.”
After taking on the task, he immediately contacted the Watchtower Guild, using the script provided by the Spiritual Guild.
“Here’s the thing. The newcomer and I had some friction with the Spiritual Guild during that D-level subway mission, so their recruitment efforts are currently at a standstill. You know how it is for someone like me, I just want to get as much benefit as I can. That’s why I’m reaching out to you...”
After some negotiation, Wen Pushi finally managed to get a start on the task assigned by the Spiritual Guild.
The Spiritual Guild’s request wasn’t actually difficult. They just wanted to spread the news that “the Spiritual Guild doesn’t have the newcomer’s contact information” tightly under wraps.
Then, they planned to spread the rumor that the newcomer might be interested in joining another guild to confuse the other two guilds. This way, they wouldn’t find out the truth and start counter-attack
"Alas, you can't keep a lid on this forever. If that newcomer is really that talented, it won't be long before they make a name for themselves in the Infinite Space. But whatever, at least I got some benefits out of it."
Wen Pushi muttered to himself while feeling a sense of imbalance.
Why was it that, the other guy was being eagerly sought after by major guilds, but when he was newcomer who had just entered he had to cautiously run errands for others just to scrape by and beg for favors?
Of course, despite his resentment, he still had to keep an eye on the situation until things were settled. So, Wen Pushi resigned himself and clicked into the forum and started browsing the posts.
The Infinite Space had many survivors, with tens of thousands active on the forum every day.
Most of the recent news revolved around discussions about the "talented newcomer." However, just as Wen Pushi finished a meal, a new hot post popped up on the forum.
[Anyone want some fresh melon? Breaking news: Qin Man from the Watchtower Guild is critically injured and hanging by a thread!]
There was an unspoken rule on the forum: any post related to the three major guilds would never lack attention. When one guild faced trouble, the other two would pour oil on the fire, not to mention the countless melon eaters who would flock to the scene.
Sure enough, the post quickly climbed to the top of the trending list.
Curious, Wen Pushi clicked in to take a look.
The original post wasn’t long. The OP simply mentioned that they had just completed a B-level mission and happened to encounter Qin Man from the Watchtower Guild during the task.
Unexpectedly, a fatal error occurred during the mission, leaving Qin Man severely injured and barely alive. He was now urgently sent back to the Infinite Space, likely heading to the Temple for healing.
The replies below were enthusiastic, eager to dig out more information from the post.
[Here we go, the melon eaters have arrived!]
[Wow, karma’s a bitch. Who would’ve thought that even the infamous dandy would have a day like this?]
[Exactly, why even save him? Scum like him should die sooner rather than later.]
[Don’t even mention it. He’s not going to die anytime soon, especially with his dad being the guild leader.]
[Never have I wished so much for Joshua to refuse treatment.]
[Sigh, don’t get your hopes up. Joshua is known as the Infinite Space’s saint. In all my time here, I’ve never heard of him refusing to help anyone. What a shame!]
[But then again, I remember the Watchtower Guild always assigns bodyguards to their young master. I once had the misfortune of being assigned to a mission with him when he had just reached C-level, and his bodyguards were all A-level. How could an A-level fail a B-level mission? It should’ve been a walk in the park!]
In just the first ten replies, more than half were negative. While some of it might have been stirred up by the other two guilds, it was clear that Qin Man was far from popular in the Infinite Space.
By the 53rd reply, another insider suddenly appeared, reigniting the crowd’s gossip fervor.
[Isn’t it Qin Man’s own fault? He kept bullying a D-level survivor. He’s been arrogant and domineering for so long, relying on his father’s influence. But this time, he messed with the wrong person and got what he deserved!]
[Another eyewitness has appeared! Brother, please share more details!]
It was clear that the insiders were also fed up with this spoiled brat from the Infinite Space, and as soon as the crowd started egging them on, they began spilling the beans.
[Actually, there’s not much to say. Take this mission, for example. As soon as we entered, Young Master Qin demanded that solo survivors and low-level survivors pay him protection fees. It’s common practice for big guilds to contribute effort and low-level survivors to contribute protection fees, but he demanded a high cut—60% from C-level and 90% from D-level in a B-level mission. We were all furious but didn’t dare speak up. Then one D-level survivor stood up to him and refused to pay the protection fee. Qin Man didn't like his defiance and assigned that D-level survivor the most dangerous task. Surprisingly, the D-level survivor survived by sheer luck, while Qin Man himself ended up failing.]
[Damn, taking such a high cut in a B-level mission? Is he insane? Other guilds aren’t that ruthless. If everyone took cuts like that, we might as well stop taking missions altogether.]
[This jerk pockets all the cuts for himself and doesn’t hand them over to the guild. As they say, having a powerful father means no one dares to hold him accountable.]
[LOL, serves him right.]
[666, that D-level survivor is a role model for us all.]
[A D-level survivor daring to stand up to a guild? This kid has a bright future. I used to have that kind of fire too, but alas, it’s gone now.]
[How exactly did he fail and get seriously injured? I’m not short on theories, spill the details!]
Many solo survivors had long been resentful of the guilds’ exorbitant cuts. While they often complained on forums, they never dared to speak up during missions, as taking on an organization as an individual was like an ant trying to shake a tree. So now, they were all cheering with both hands and feet.
With this, the post quickly skyrocketed to over 500 replies. It even brought out many unfortunate souls who had been bullied and oppressed by Qin Man in past missions.
[But even so, with an A-level bodyguard on a B-level mission, how could he possibly fail?]
[True, I’ve been wondering the same thing. The Watchtower Guild specializes in combat strength and is famous for their fighting prowess. How could they fail to protect someone on a B-level mission?]
[Well, it’s because the mission encountered overlapping weird domains.]
This comment immediately set the entire post ablaze.
[Another insider has appeared!]
[What?! Overlapping weird domains? Wait, did I hear that right? Overlapping weird domains in a B-level mission?]
[Holy cow, isn’t that something that only appears in large-scale missions with thousands of people?]
[Not just large-scale missions—weird domains are usually only encountered in A-level missions.]
[No way, as an A-level survivor, I have to chime in. While weird domains are common, overlapping weird domains are rare! Unless it’s a large-scale A-level mission with a huge number of participants, overlapping weird domains are something I’ve only heard about from top 100 S-level legends. Apparently, it’s routine for them.]
[An A-level big shot has appeared! If that’s the case, Qin Man was pretty unlucky.]
More and more high-level survivors came forward to corroborate, and the number of replies began to skyrocket at an alarming rate.
In the Infinite Space, the difficulty of each mission is clearly defined. Now that everyone has just entered the ultimate dungeon, they’re still in the exploratory phase regarding its difficulty.
The last time a B-level mission encountered a weird domain, the post about Taikang Yongle Hospital reached nearly 10,000 replies. After all, an overall increase in mission difficulty affects everyone’s safety, and for the survivor community as a whole, it’s definitely not a good thing.
[What? A layered weird domain appeared in a B-level mission? Shouldn’t everyone in that mission be dead by now?]
Soon, the post attracted the first S-level survivor to reply, with the shining title of "10th" behind their name.
In the Infinite Space, S-level survivors are undoubtedly at the top of the pyramid.
Out of tens of thousands of survivors, only the top 100 on the leaderboard can be crowned with the S-level title. Once they fall off the leaderboard, they are demoted back to A-level. Therefore, every time an S-level survivor posts on the forum, they are given a special red name tag to signify their prestigious status.
Not to mention, this particular S-level survivor is a well-known figure, Zhou Ke'er, ranked 10th.
Zhou Ke'er is famous for their lightning-fast internet speed and is one of the most active S-level survivors on the forum.
As expected, the moment Zhou Ke'er replied, countless responses flooded in below: [Big Boss Zhou Ke'er.]
[Taking a photo with the big boss for keepsake.]
[Big Boss, I’ve liked you for a long time, give me a chance.]
[Big Boss, do you like men? I can even change my gender for you,] and so on.
Fortunately, the main system is quite intelligent and recognized these as spam, folding them all with a single click to prevent the thread from derailing.
But today, it seemed like S-level survivors were gathering in droves. After dozens of replies, another one appeared.
[Indeed, the intensity of a layered weird domain would be a lowered difficulty in a B-level mission. By that logic, Qin Man shouldn’t just be severely injured—he should be dead. But judging from the OP and other bystanders’ comments, they successfully passed the mission?]
With the second S-level survivor’s comment, the onlookers also noticed the blind spot and called for the OP and bystanders to return and update the thread.
After hundreds of replies urging them, the OP finally showed up.
[Sorry, guys, I’m from the Merchant Guild and was just called back to write a mission report, so I’m only getting online now. You’re all so enthusiastic and already filled over ten pages with replies! So I won’t hold back either. Honestly, this whole thing feels weird to me too, and I wanted to get everyone’s thoughts on what might have happened. Qin Man’s bodyguard is Zuo Wenxuan, an A-level survivor and a seasoned veteran. He personally confirmed it was a layered weird domain, so there’s no doubt about it—he’s seen it firsthand. But for some reason, just as Zuo Wenxuan came out of the layered weird domain and asked for our help, the weird domain suddenly disappeared.]
[Huh? Disappeared??? Are you sure?]
[Of course, I’m sure! Absolutely certain. There were nearly ten pairs of eyes watching it, and it just vanished! And it wasn’t just us small-time mercenaries—Strategist Yu Anlian was also on the scene and witnessed the whole thing.]
After mentioning the Strategist’s name, everyone knew this was pretty much confirmed.
But even with everyone brainstorming, the onlookers couldn’t figure out why the weird domain disappeared.
[I’ve never heard of a weird domain just vanishing on its own. If the weird couldn’t handle it, that would make sense, but it was a layered weird domain, and Zuo Wenxuan even came out to call for reinforcements, so it’s clear he couldn’t handle it.]
[Is there something wrong with the weird domain mechanics in the ultimate dungeon? That hospital weird domain also suddenly shattered before.]
[Is it possible that the weird in the building was just bluffing? After all, it’s only a B-level weird, so maybe it could only maintain the weird domain for a short time and couldn’t sustain it for long.]
[+1, that seems to be the only explanation that makes sense now...]
However, these were not the most bizarre aspects of the mission.
The strangest part was that after the overlapping weird domain was removed, the side task of Building 4 was still completed.
But the people in the forum thread didn’t seem too concerned about this issue. Their attention was entirely captured by the fact that a B-level mission had triggered an overlapping weird domain.
As she browsed the trending posts on the forum, Yu Anlian lightly tapped the floating holographic screen, and the forum page instantly went dark. Exhausted, she leaned back in her leather swivel chair, her index finger pressing against her throbbing temple. Memories rewound like film reels, rapidly flashing through her mind.
The timeline of the mission she had recently completed in Ankang Community rearranged itself, scenes swiftly passing by. In her mind, she seemed to detach, observing everything from a third-person perspective.
Only high-level mental resilience survivors could achieve this.
Mental resilience enhancement didn’t just improve a survivor’s sensory abilities; at higher levels, it also boosted memory, cognitive thinking, and more.
Survivors in this category typically followed the path of mediums. The Spiritual Guild, one of the three major guilds in the Infinite Space, was the stronghold of mediums, and its leader, 9th Shu Xingwen, was one of the best.
Although the mental resilience enhancement path was inherently weak in the early stages, once one mastered the abilities of a medium, their survival and mobility would significantly improve.
Strictly speaking, Yu Anlian wasn’t a medium type. She followed a rarer, more precious path—pure mental resilience. While mediums also needed to enhance their agility and a small portion of their physical strength, she had abandoned other enhancement routes to focus solely on mental resilience, taking an unconventional approach.
This rare path had another name—the Brainpower Faction.
The Brainpower Faction was exceedingly rare in the Infinite Space because it has to be inversely proportional to become a powerful ability, its combat capabilities were almost nonexistent. Those who achieved even minor success in this faction were often prominent figures.
For example, Yu Anlian’s idol, the top-ranked 1st Joshua, or the strategists of the three major guilds, or even herself, who was just beginning to make a name for herself.
The higher the level of the mission, the more troublesome the weird became. High-level weirds had unpredictable killing conditions that often caught people off guard.
At such times, the presence of a Brainpower Faction member in a large team became crucial. By deducing the rules of the weird domain from subtle clues, they could effectively ensure the team’s survival rate and improve mission evaluations.
The fundamental reason for the scarcity of the Brainpower Faction was the excessively harsh conditions.
Most newcomers rarely chose this enhancement path, as its early-stage return on investment was hard to see. Even if they did, most would stop after enhancing their mental resilience enough to grasp medium abilities. But the Brainpower Faction required one to walk this path to the very end.
However, Joshua’s existence was the best beacon for the Brainpower Faction, giving them the confidence to follow this path.
Relying on her Brainpower Faction capabilities, Yu Anlian repeatedly scrutinized the situation, yet she couldn’t find anything amiss.
She had wanted to figure out whether Zong Le was truly that genius D-level survivor, why the overlapping weird domain had suddenly been removed, and why the task in Building 4 had been inexplicably completed.
But in the end, she was still filled with confusion.
In fact, Yu Anlian had had a premonition ever since the Ultimate Dungeon was activated.
The Infinite Space had been running for who knew how many years, and during that time, dozens of dungeons, from S-level to D-level, had been opened. But never had there been a dungeon as elusive as the Ultimate Dungeon, one that caused so many problems even before it was officially opened.
Yu Anlian would always remember that one month before the ultimate dungeon opened, the third-ranked Black Witch on the leaderboard abruptly fell into a deep slumber. This incident caused a huge uproar on the forums at the time.
The Black Witch was a long-standing high-ranking regular on the leaderboard. In recent years, the top ten members had hardly changed, and she had consistently held the third position without fail.
However, unlike Joshua, the top-ranked survivor who was always helpful and would unfailingly appear at the temple to preside over rituals on the night of the full moon, the Black Witch has always been a mystery and rarely showed herself in public.
Even when she did appear, she was always veiled in black, and no one knew her real name or true appearance.
Regulars on the leaderboard were bound to have some tricks up their sleeves, let alone the Black Witch, who had firmly held the third spot.
Her strength and power came from her prophetic abilities.
The Black Witch could see into the future for a certain period and make prophecies about events further ahead, presenting them in the form of poetic verses. It was precisely because of this extraordinary ability that she had almost never faced danger during missions.
However, the flaw in her prophetic ability was equally significant. The slightest misstep could lead to backlash, and seeing too much was equivalent to inviting karma, with severe cases even risking death.
According to the Black Witch's habit, she would compose a prophetic poem before each new dungeon. Over the years, apart from the temple dungeon where she had fallen into a three-day coma after making the prophecy, the backlash from the ultimate dungeon's prophecy was the most severe.
The Black Witch's sudden backlash-induced slumber caused quite a stir at the time, and Joshua even personally activated the Twelve Star Chart Formation in the temple, but to no avail.
Just as the incident was reaching its peak, the main system suddenly issued an announcement.
【After clearing the ultimate dungeon, all survivors can return to the real world】
Upon receiving this news, the survivors were overjoyed and ecstatic, no longer paying attention to the news of the Black Witch's slumber.
There was a simple reason for this. Previously, only survivors who had collected one million survival points could exchange for the qualification to leave the infinite space. But now, as long as they could clear the ultimate dungeon, everyone could leave the space and return to the real world.
With this promise, even though everyone knew that the ultimate dungeon might require more bloodshed than the temple dungeon, they still eagerly anticipated it, willing to make any sacrifice.
Unlike others, Yu Anlian wasn't feeling happy but rather deeply concerned.
When something unusual happens, there must be a reason behind it.
Taking Joshua as her guiding light, she also started a thread on the forum, attempting to analyze this dungeon, hoping to provide some help with her limited strength.
Take this B-level mission, for example.
The entire mission seemed shrouded in a layer of mist. Yu Anlian's intution told her that there must be some earth-shattering secret hidden behind this mission, perhaps something crucial to the ultimate dungeon, or something else entirely.
However, no matter how hard she searched, it was like trying to see flowers through fog—she couldn't grasp the essence.
"If there's only one suspicious point, it might be this..."
Yu Anlian remembered that before the mission started, Zong Le had walked to the gathering point from the residential area.
"But this doesn't mean much. Some survivors have the habit of using the waiting time to search for information after arriving at the mission location. Although it's rare for D-levels, it still doesn't explain anything."
Thus, the situation reached another impasse.
After a while, Yu Anlian let out a heavy sigh.
She entered the forum again, opened that familiar thread, and once more began her daily research.
【Prophecy of the Ultimate Dungeon】
Main post: Black Witch 3rd
[When the final bell rings
The garden of thorns and death opens
The traveler holds the last handful of first snow
The hometown is hidden in the moon swaying at the well's mouth
The twins of light and darkness exchange thrones
One falls into the abyss in glory.
The other is forced to dance with shackles
The circling shadow whispers softly
Plotting identity, weaving lies
The truth lies on the first page
Yet we always search for the prologue
At the end of the story]
...
On the other side, Zuo Wenxuan also brought Qin Man back to the infinite space as quickly as possible to seek help.
Strangely, Qin Man had no open wounds, nor was he missing any limbs, yet he remained in a deep sleep. After being examined by the Watchtower Guild's medic, it was determined that he must have been hit by some special and weird curse. The black aura swirling at his forehead was still expanding, was clear evidence of this.
In this situation, no one could help except Joshua.
So he hurriedly traveled through the teleportation array to another space—the Temple dungeon.
This dungeon, true to its name, stood majestically by the Aegean Sea. The main body of the Temple was constructed from countless pure white celestial pillars, with liquid golden patterns flowing on their surfaces, outlining the zodiac constellations on the dome.
Whenever the Aegean Sea's tides rose and fell, the light points on the pillars would naturally emit a soft fluorescence, like the whispers of gods, signifying supreme protection and grace.
NPC priests in white robes, holding golden cups and plates, moved silently through the Temple, softly guiding every survivor who came seeking healing.
"Hello, I'm looking for Lord Joshua."
Zuo Wenxuan anxiously stepped forward, showing the Watchtower Guild's token.
The priest in charge of reception gently said, "I'm sorry, the the Patriarch is not in the temple."
How could he not be here?! Zuo Wenxuan panicked: "Then do you know when Lord Joshua will return? I have several injured patients here, their situation is very critical, and I need his help urgently."
The Temple dislikes making exceptions. If it's just one person in trouble, the chances of Joshua personally intervening are slim. Zuo Wenxuan could only exaggerate the situation and hope that the 1st would consider his friendship with the guild leader.
"This..." The receptionist priest wore a troubled expression. "The Patriarch accepted an S-level mission yesterday. As you know, S-level missions are inherently challenging and usually take several days to complete. Moreover, the time flow in dungeons and spatial dimensions differs, so it's truly impossible to determine the exact time."
"It's over, everything's over..." Watching the priest pour healing spring water over Qin Man's head and chant prayers while he remained unconscious, Zuo Wenxuan felt as if the last ounce of strength had been drained from his body.
He leaned against the sacred pillar and slowly slid down onto the gleaming floor of the Temple.
It was only then that Zuo Wenxuan remembered something. Before accompanying Qin Man on the B-rank mission, he had heard that Guild Leader Qin Ye was planning to team up with the top-ranked survivors to explore a S-level mission in the ultimate dungeon.
And as everyone knew, Joshua rarely ventured into dungeons alone unless someone organized a group.
Given the current situation, it was highly likely that this S-level mission was the one holding Joshua back.
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