Did I Just Break the Instance Again?

After Yun Ze and The Collector had taken their seats, Wu Wang took a map from the nun's hands. It recorded the locations of the six remaining people.

This was the nun's home turf, after all. She could clearly sense the exact location of every foreign aura in the town.

When Wu Wang first learned of this, he couldn't help but feel fortunate for the other players. If he hadn't dealt with the nun, they wouldn't just be facing the town's Fierce Ghosts for seventy-two hours. They would be facing the High Priest of Suffering, who could track their positions at any moment.

But then, the nun mentioned something else.

The current chaos was most likely because the gaze and power of the 【Lord of Suffering】 had vanished from this place. On top of that, Wu Wang had taken the seed of the 【Tree of Sighs】 that had shackled their bodies. This combination was what led to the riot of the townsfolk's souls.

He shut his mouth.

In other words, if it weren't for him, players in previous 【Instance Scrambles】 would have simply snatched 【Relics】 from each other in the town that sealed the 【Day of the Twisted】. Then they would return, rest for three days, and leave.

Besides the restriction on player abilities, the greatest danger in this instance should have come from other players.

Crap. It seemed he was the one who had cranked up the instance's difficulty.

It was just as Wu Wang had told the first player who sought refuge in the church.

"I will save you from fire and water, but don't ask why you fell into them in the first place."

He was there to support a falling mansion, to turn the tide. But as for why the mansion was falling or why the tide had turned, Wu Wang didn't say a single word.

Guided by the nun's map, another two hours passed. Wu Wang brought the remaining five people back to the church.

One other person's life signs vanished from the map before he could find them. It seemed they had unfortunately met their end.

As for the players from the Abnormal Affairs Bureau, they had already set up camp on the other side of town in a unit of thirty. It looked like they would have no problem surviving the three days, so Wu Wang didn't bother with them.

He didn't mention the contract's hidden clause either. Doing so would only arouse suspicion.

Just as the clause had automatically appeared when The Collector violated the contract, it would work the same way for these players.

When they left the instance and returned to reality, any attempt to sell or report information about the 【Spirit Venerable of the Sea of Desire】, 【Yan Shuangying】, or 【Pending Death】 would trigger the clause. It would force them to be careful with their words and actions.

Only then would they feel that the 【Spirit Venerable of the Sea of Desire】 had truly come to the real world and was still constantly watching over them.

As for whether someone might find a way to break the contract, Wu Wang had already discussed it with the Black-hearted Penguin. The Penguin had sworn it was impossible.

Its original words were firm.

“Once my Transaction Contracts are signed, even the Five Great Venerables have to obediently abide by them. It is absolutely impossible for you Descenders to unilaterally terminate it. The game code is written this way!”

Wu Wang was inclined to believe the Black-hearted Penguin. At the very least, he could tell the creature was powerful. Anyone who could travel through various instance worlds to make deals was clearly strong.

He also couldn't forget that the Penguin's warehouse lottery was a reward mechanism from the Spirit Calamity Game itself. This meant it had a connection to, or could even make deals with, the game. The value of its Transaction Contracts was therefore beyond question.

And so, the players spent a three-day vacation in the church.

During this time, not a single Fierce Ghost dared to cause trouble. To keep his clients, or rather, his suckers, in a good mood, Wu Wang even took out mahjong and poker cards from his backpack for their amusement.

As for why he was carrying those things, it was better not to ask. His backpack was full of even stranger items.

However, everyone found something else very strange.

"Why does Boss Yan keep jumping around every day? Is this some kind of weird ritual?"

Among their many speculations, no one ever imagined that Wu Wang was simply completing the evolution condition for 【Cloud-Stepping Steps】.

It was the same condition he had failed to complete during the 【Masquerade Ball】. Now, with three uninterrupted days, success was guaranteed.

On the third day, a system notification appeared, reminding the players they could now leave the instance.

Under the name 【Yan Shuangying】, Wu Wang set the "debt repayment time" for three days later at the 【Continental Hotel】, promising to inform them of the room number beforehand. He also took the opportunity to add everyone as a 【Player Friend】.

In the real world, any one of these players would be considered a valuable "connection." Yet here they were, smugly pleased just to be able to add 【Yan Shuangying】 as a friend. The scene was utterly absurd.

They believed that more contact with 【Yan Shuangying】 might give them more opportunities to learn about the Five Great Venerables.

Little did they know, this idea played right into Wu Wang's hands.

What aspect did they want to learn about? He'd just need them to tell him in advance.

That way, he'd have time to make something up.

After all the other players chose to exit the instance, Wu Wang didn't leave. Instead, he waited in the church for the remaining time to run out.

The once-lively church was suddenly left with only the nun, Mary, and Wu Wang.

"Sir, are you leaving?" the nun asked, looking at Wu Wang with reluctance.

In her heart, he was the benefactor who had saved her from Suffering. The small things she had done for him in town felt completely insufficient to repay his kindness.

"This is not my world. I have to go back eventually," Wu Wang said with a comforting smile.

"Besides, didn't you and Mary already discuss this?"

Hearing this, Mary stepped forward and curtsied, holding the hem of her skirt.

She smiled.

"Sir, during that brief century, I told Lilith all about your concept of free will."

"After you came out of the cave and caused that huge explosion, she finally understood. She decided to cast aside the torment of 【Suffering】 and embrace the ocean of 【Desire】."

"Her desire is now the same as mine, to spread your free will forever."

After Mary finished, Lilith stepped forward. She wore the same pious expression she once had when worshipping the 【Lord of Suffering】 and was about to kneel in reverence.

But just as she bent down, a pair of strong hands landed on her shoulders, steadily helping her back to her feet.

She looked up in surprise, her gaze meeting Wu Wang's firm expression.

He spoke in a powerful and resonant voice.

"You don't need to kneel to me, nor do you need to kneel to anyone or any god."

"The 【Lord of Suffering】 forced you to kneel with the Authority of faith and an empty title. I want you to stand up."

"Be reborn in freedom, for all the world to see."

Tears welled up in Lilith's eyes. The residents of the town truly adored her, but no one had ever told her that gods did not need to be worshipped.

She trembled and said softly, "Do you agree to let me board the Mary, this sail of freedom, and forever follow in your free footsteps?"

Wu Wang had anticipated this. After all, Lilith and Mary were inseparable.

That tsundere Mary had even dared to whisper of free will in the ear of the 【Spirit Venerable of the Sea of Desire】. After a century of listening to her, Lilith's ears must have grown calluses. The current situation was simply the natural course of things.

He patted Lilith's shoulder and joked.

"Who you follow is your own choice. That's freedom. But you'll have to ask Mary about getting on the ship."

"It's her ship. Even I have to keep her happy to get aboard."

Wu Wang was obviously referring to the time he had summoned the Mary to board it. Mary's smile didn't waver in response. She didn't seem awkward at all, but rather a little proud.

The countdown was drawing ever closer.

Wu Wang waved goodbye to them.

He still had a lot to do back in the real world.

Contact Wan Shitong.

Deal with Zhuge Yue.

Scam high-level players out of their items and equipment.

As for 【Aiguyi Town】... this was its final swan song.

The seed of the 【Tree of Sighs】 and the High Priest of Suffering had both been abducted by him. This instance would probably disappear soon, never to be opened again.

Wu Wang complained to himself helplessly.

"Heh, did I just break the instance again?"

First, there was his Novice Instance, where he faced the Abyss God and blew the whole thing up. Then came the 【Chronicle of the Desolate Village】, where he released the Yin Fate Saintess and turned the past into a ruin. After that was the 【Masquerade Ball】, where he took Mary and sailed off with the entire ship.

And now, he had caused Aiguyi Town, the venue for the 【Instance Scramble】, to be reduced to dust.

It was as if every instance he experienced was a one-time thing.

Wherever he went, it collapsed.

"Is this my fault?"

"Obviously not."

"It's the Abyss God's fault."