Welcome to Rule City

Back in Guize Community, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how bizarre the rules within the apartment might be, at least there were no Random Events or descending Evil Gods here, and the Contamination Value wouldn’t inexplicably spike.

“I’ll head up to pack my things and handle the paperwork first. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

Mu Ai now met the conditions to move into the Villa area, and she wanted to do it today. Packing her belongings wouldn’t take long-ten minutes tops. Meng Hao and Anton thoughtfully gave her some space to settle everything on her own.

[Mysterious Sunburn Island (B)]

– Experience Points: 280, Purple Coins: 1000

– Completion Reward: Mental Pollution -10, Enhancement Point x1, Fortune Cookie x2

– Items/Equipment Obtained: Black Stone x1

– Tasks Completed/Accepted: 5/5, Additional Reward: Purple Coins x500

– Achievements Unlocked/Available: 6/6, Additional Reward: Purple Coins x600

– All Achievements Completed, Talent Skill Reward: Experience Points 100, Item Card x1

Instance Level Evaluated as B. Additional Talent Reward: Experience Points x100, Enhancement Point x1

Check for Hidden Achievement: Face Your Fears, Initial Spirit +1

[Settlement Completed.]

“A Hidden Achievement gives Initial Spirit?”

Mu Ai was momentarily stunned by this revelation, suddenly feeling that her previous actions weren’t reckless at all. Fortune favors the bold, after all. Without risk, there’s no reward.

It was worth it, truly worth it.

Only those who have experienced a Cthulhu system instance understand how crucial a high Initial Spirit is. Without it, she wouldn’t have been able to sustain her series of high-risk actions and might have lost her ability to accurately assess the situation halfway through due to high Contamination Value.

“The settlement reward includes Mental Pollution -10, which should theoretically take effect after leaving the instance, regardless of whether I check it or not. So, my Mental Pollution was actually 90 when I exited the instance…”

Mu Ai fell silent for a moment, unable to suppress a shiver as a wave of fear washed over her. How had she been so bold and daring at the time?

…

Something felt off, but Mu Ai couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. She made a note of it, planning to bring it up at the upcoming Post-Mortem Meeting with Under the Bronze.

After reviewing her gains, Mu Ai opened her personal interface. She hesitated for a moment, deciding not to use the two newly acquired Enhancement Points just yet, preferring to hear others’ suggestions first.

[Name: Mu Ai (ID: GZC02206MA)

Age: 23

Talent: Gaming Obsession Lv-3 (1275/2500)

Physical Strength: 3 (+3)

Mental Strength: 6 (+0)

Mental Pollution: 52 (Yellow)

Purple Coins: 5590]

“Wow, I feel like a rich person.”

Mu Ai gazed at the number of Purple Coins for a few seconds, happily contemplating how to spend them. The thought was quite thrilling, though whether she’d actually spend them all as planned… she suspected she’d be too frugal to do so.

Putting away the Rulebook, Mu Ai got up to pack her belongings. She left nothing behind, not even a candle she had bought herself, stuffing everything into her shoulder bag, determined not to leave a single thread for the apartment.

While packing, Mu Ai felt her phone, which she had tucked away earlier, and belatedly remembered that she had forgotten about Chu Tiankuo, who had also entered the instance with her.

Emmm, his Contamination Value wasn’t high, and with the settlement rewards, he shouldn’t be in the same predicament as she was, right?

Feeling a bit guilty, Mu Ai took out her phone and dialed the number they had exchanged earlier. The call was quickly answered, and from the voice and tone, it was undoubtedly Chu Tiankuo himself.

“Sorry for not waiting for you at the cinema entrance,” Mu Ai apologized first, then quickly changed the subject. “How are you doing now? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, really,” Chu Tiankuo’s voice sounded a bit frustrated but otherwise normal. “It’s okay, there were a lot of people when the movie ended, and our seats weren’t together. I couldn’t find you either, and I was just about to call you.”

Mu Ai sensed something had happened and asked, “Did something happen over there?”

Chu Tiankuo replied, “A lot of people went crazy after leaving the cinema. Those who left early like you were fine, but many who came out later got caught in the chaos. It was pretty chaotic, and the Patrol Team showed up. It was quite scary.”

The Patrol Team, Guize City’s law enforcement, was highly skilled and belonged to an unknown faction. They often appeared in full uniform, wearing heavy helmets. No one knew what their faces looked like, or whether they were NPCs or residents with special identities.

If someone caused trouble and got taken away by them, it usually meant that person was doomed, as no one ever returned after being taken away.

Knowing Chu Tiankuo was safe and would be back soon, Mu Ai felt relieved. She continued humming a tune as she packed her things, leaving the apartment without a backward glance.

Whoever wants to live here can have it; she’s moving out!

So happy!

Mu Ai had already learned from Meng Hao how to handle the moving procedures. It was simple: just register the move-out at the Administrator’s room on the first floor, get the relocation permit, and then register the move-in at the Villa area.

The Administrator didn’t make things difficult for residents, and Mu Ai quickly completed the move-out procedures. As she was leaving, she coincidentally ran into Jin-Ge, who looked rather disheveled, a stark contrast to his previous arrogant demeanor.

Mu Ai squinted her eyes and walked towards Jin-Ge. Although she was no longer a tenant of Apartment Building No. 2, she was still under the protection of the rules. Unless Jin-Ge wasted another extremely precious card, he wouldn’t be able to take advantage of her.

Jin-Ge’s steps were a bit unsteady, as if he had just escaped a tough battle and only wanted to return to his room to rest, completely ignoring Mu Ai, let alone plotting against her.

Mu Ai walked out, Jin-Ge walked in, and they passed each other without incident. This was their only peaceful encounter to date, and probably the last.

In the Villa area, Meng Hao was already waiting. Seeing Mu Ai approach, he led her to the registration area. “Anton said he wants to throw you a small welcome party. He went back early to set things up.”

“Wow, such a warm welcome,” Mu Ai raised an eyebrow, her earlier encounter with Jin-Ge forgotten. “Is this a tradition?”

“Yes, it’s a tradition since Anton joined,” Meng Hao nodded with a smile.

Mu Ai curiously asked, “Which member was Anton?”

Meng Hao pretended to think for a moment before answering, “The fifth.”

Mu Ai paused, “I remember you said there were only five people in Under the Bronze before I joined?”

Meng Hao gave her a thumbs-up, “Great memory.”

Mu Ai sighed, “Are you having fun with this?”

“Just wanted you to have a little fun first,” Meng Hao smiled meaningfully. “Enjoy the welcome party; I’m afraid you won’t be smiling during the Post-Mortem Meeting later.”

Mu Ai looked at his smile and suddenly felt uneasy, like a student whose teacher was about to grade her hastily done homework.

Yikes-scary, very scary.

Mu Ai instinctively shrank her neck, knowing the reason behind it. She was confident she could explain herself, but for some reason, she still felt a bit guilty.

This was a novel experience for Mu Ai. Although it disrupted her long-standing lone wolf approach of being solely responsible for herself, the feeling of having people care about her, worry about her, and be tense because of her risky actions was genuinely heartwarming.

Soon, the paperwork was done, and Mu Ai followed Meng Hao to Villa area C, building 211. Her information had already been successfully registered, so she could enter just like she did at the apartment.

“There are three floors in total. The first floor is for social activities, and the second and third floors are for living. There are plenty of empty rooms right now, so pick whichever you like. Once you’ve chosen, just put your nameplate on the door… settle in first, then head to the Leisure Room.”

After pointing out the Leisure Room, Meng Hao left, and Mu Ai went upstairs. She wasn’t picky about her living space and didn’t want to climb to the third floor every day, so she found a sunny empty room on the second floor, took a quick look at the decor, and decided to stay there.

The nameplate was on the room’s desk, initially blank. When Mu Ai picked it up, her name automatically appeared on it. Once she placed it on the door, only she could freely enter and exit the room; others needed her permission to come in.

After setting down her bag, Mu Ai headed downstairs. She didn’t want to keep her teammates waiting too long. Even though she was prepared, she was still momentarily surprised when she stepped into the Leisure Room.

How to put it, the place was decorated like a wedding venue. If she didn’t know it was a welcome party for her, she might have thought someone was getting married today.

Good thing it wasn’t; she hadn’t prepared a wedding gift.

🙂

“The guest of honor is here!” Ivan put down his bottle and started clapping. The burly young man was as excited as a 400-pound child. “Welcome to Under the Bronze, come on, come on, the roast chicken’s getting cold!”

“Hey! I’m the host; you should’ve left that line for me,” Anton complained, but his face was all smiles, clearly not really upset about Ivan stealing his thunder. “Trust me, Mu Ai, listening to Meng Hao’s lecture on a full stomach is a completely different experience than doing it hungry.”

Everyone else joined in the applause, each offering unique words of welcome. Whether they had met her before or not, the smiles on their faces were genuine. They were truly welcoming a new member, not just going through the motions.

“Thank you, I’m glad to join you,” Mu Ai’s words were sincere. For the first time, she was genuinely grateful for her good fortune, for meeting such a group of people who made her happy in such a strange place.

“Mu Ai, come,” as the President, Meng Hao took on the role of introducing the team members. “You’ve met Anton and Ivan before. Let me introduce you to Fu Xi and Sano.”

Fu Xi was a tall, slender young man with gold-rimmed glasses, looking scholarly. Even in a relaxed state, his face showed little emotion. But when Mu Ai looked over, he gave a slight smile, showing his goodwill.

Sano, on the other hand, was a well-proportioned, athletic beauty who was very friendly to Mu Ai. She seemed to be another adhesive force in the team.

After exchanging greetings and introductions, Meng Hao clapped his hands to draw everyone’s attention. “Since Mu Ai has moved in, we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other. Our welcome party will last two hours, so let’s eat, drink, and relax. After that, we’ll meet in the conference room for the Post-Mortem Meeting on Mu Ai’s cinema instance.”

“Got it, Mr. President-”

Anton replied in a mockingly drawn-out tone, making Ivan laugh into his hand, Sano chuckle, and Fu Xi smile faintly. Meng Hao, looking helpless, raised his hands in surrender, indicating he wouldn’t spoil the fun any further.

Mu Ai accepted the drink Sano handed her and the plate of food Ivan offered, wearing a happy smile that matched theirs perfectly.