Welcome to Rule City

In the days that followed, Mu Ai stayed put in the villa, behaving like a proper lady, not stepping out until she managed to stabilize her Contamination Value at the auspicious number of 18 by diligently munching on cookies every day. Only then did her companions allow her to leave the house and explore the outside world.

Of course, Mu Ai wasn’t idle during these days. Under Meng Hao’s guidance, she familiarized herself with fitness equipment she had only seen but never used before. She accompanied Anton to review the various Instance materials compiled by Under the Bronze, listened to Fu Xi discuss the properties of various herbs and their chemical effects when combined, learned close combat techniques from Sano, and studied the principles of trajectory and ballistics with Ivan amidst the scent of vodka.

Ah, what a fulfilling and busy week it was.

Mu Ai’s schedule was packed, yet she didn’t feel tired at all. Like a sponge that never gets saturated, she absorbed and digested all the knowledge she wouldn’t normally encounter.

The Item Card given during the Mysterious Sunburn Island Instance settlement turned out to be something not very useful in the Instance but extremely handy in reality.

[Seafood Picnic Basket

Every 24 hours, you can pull out a fantastic seafood package from it, enough to satisfy 8 people. No one knows what you’ll get, but even if it’s just seaweed, it’s the tastiest one!]

Once Mu Ai revealed this item, everyone except Fu Xi hailed it as the “God Card,” insisting on not wasting its cooldown and having a feast every day.

As for why Fu Xi wasn’t interested, it was because he had a recent seafood allergy, and it would take at least a month for the debuff to clear, meaning he’d miss out on 30 days of seafood feasts.

Fu Xi wasn’t happy, but there was nothing he could do.

Once Mu Ai’s Contamination Value was low enough for her to go out, she and Sano headed to the Commercial Street. After navigating through several twists and turns, they found a tailor shop named “Unassuming” and spent a fortune ordering several new outfits.

“Sportswear is convenient for movement but not durable,” Sano explained to Mu Ai while they waited. “The ones you bought are cheap, lacking in protection and warmth, and their loose fit can hinder your movements.”

Mu Ai nodded, having noticed that the other members of Under the Bronze wore special outfits when going into Instances, unlike their casual home attire.

“Our combat gear is custom-made here,” Sano said, gesturing at rows of finished clothes before turning to Mu Ai. “You should also modify your storage bag here, turning it into another accessory on your clothes-it’s too conspicuous and could easily become a target for someone with ill intentions.”

The crossbody bag wasn’t bound, and Mu Ai usually took one into Instances, leaving two spares at home. While useful in most Instances, it was indeed a potential target, as Sano pointed out. Most people would instinctively assess their temporary teammates upon entering an Instance, and if they noticed the bag, Mu Ai wasn’t confident she could keep it safe.

There’s no such thing as being a thief for a thousand days, nor guarding against one for a thousand days. Thinking it over, it seemed wiser to have it modified, at least to avoid being immediately targeted.

But what should it be transformed into? The tailor shop only offered modifications related to clothing, so turning it into a space ring or bracelet was out of the question. Despite being a space bag, it was still made of fabric, and couldn’t leap from cloth to metal.

“How about a belt?” Mu Ai suddenly thought of that late-night wanderer with his versatile black belt. “Like Batman’s, but made of fabric.”

Sano, having seen DC comics, thought it was a great idea. “And if someone sees you taking things from the belt, as long as the size isn’t excessive, you can say you’re paying homage to Batman.”

Mu Ai nodded enthusiastically. She’d been night patrolling enough to pay homage already, so why not add this belt? Perhaps she should make her combat gear all black too, with a bat emblem on the chest.

Sano, seemingly reading her thoughts, crossed her arms in a gesture of refusal. “No way, absolutely not.”

Mu Ai was curious. “Why not?”

Sano glanced at Mu Ai and coldly replied, “You don’t have the chest to pull off the emblem; it wouldn’t look good.”

Mu Ai felt a surge of frustration, caught between spitting it out or holding it in like Schrödinger’s cat.

Amidst their banter, the combat gear was completed-three sets in total, providing both replacements and backups, costing Mu Ai 3000 Purple Coins.

When she asked the one-eyed tailor to modify her space bag, she handed over another 1200 Purple Coins with trembling hands, feeling her wallet rapidly deflate and once again lamenting how money was never enough, no matter where you were.

At least the equipment was upgraded. Mu Ai consoled herself with this thought. The new combat gear was indeed worth the price, looking no different from ordinary clothes on the outside but lined with Kevlar-level material inside, significantly reducing damage from normal attacks.

After leaving the tailor shop, Sano and Mu Ai indulged in a full-body spa to relieve muscle fatigue from training, then, refreshed, they completed the required number of store visits on Commercial Street before stopping at the last shop for afternoon tea.

“Completely bulletproof isn’t feasible, at least not at this price,” Sano commented on their combat gear. “To upgrade, you’d need special materials, which are known to randomly appear in Instances or be purchased from vending machines, making them valuable and rare. Don’t focus all your energy on this.”

Mu Ai sipped a drink called “Celtic Elf’s Tears,” its taste peculiar yet remarkably addictive, each sip offering a different flavor she couldn’t quite describe.

“Don’t worry, I’m content with these three sets,” Mu Ai said, comparing her previous cheap sportswear to her newly acquired combat gear, feeling like she’d upgraded from a slingshot to a cannon. “The Instance Day is approaching, and this time I plan to act alone, clearing a Fixed Instance.”

Sano understood, sipping her translucent pink drink through a straw before speaking softly, “Need any help?”

Mu Ai shook her head. “With the intelligence you all helped gather and that card, I can handle it myself.”

Jin-Ge was a threat. Ever since being tricked into an Instance, Mu Ai had no intention of letting him off the hook. But her strength was too weak before, and she didn’t understand him well enough, so she had to suppress her thoughts of revenge.

When Mu Ai chose her mask, she already had a preliminary plan. After joining Under the Bronze, the others learned about her grudge with Jin-Ge, and Anton helped gather relevant information, including but not limited to the “Scarlet Moon” clearance method and Jin-Ge’s general actions within.

With this information and an Item Card Mu Ai bought from the “E-Level Card Specialty Store” on Commercial Street, she was fully prepared, just waiting to enter the Fixed Instance to complete her Revenge Plan.

As for whether this would anger “Number,” Mu Ai didn’t care, and the others in Under the Bronze didn’t mind either. Their actions ensured they could only be enemies, not friends.

Is making the enemy angry a hassle? If so, then the more of this hassle, the better.

[Ultra Strong Setting Spray Sample (10ml)

Want to attend a party but fear your meticulously applied makeup will smudge? No worries, just use our setting spray, which guarantees 24-hour smudge-free wear, as if it were your natural face.

Notes: Spray at least 2ml each time; those with larger faces, please adjust accordingly.]

Mask + Setting Spray was a crucial part of Mu Ai’s plan, then selecting someone who registered for the Fixed Instance, transforming into them, and replacing them in the “Scarlet Moon” Instance.

As for the person being replaced, they wouldn’t lose out either. Meng Hao and Ivan volunteered to take people to another Fixed Instance of the same difficulty to earn points-of course, if they preferred something simpler or opted to pay a fine, they wouldn’t object.

Why not discuss it in advance? Naturally, it was to prevent that person from backing out last minute, fearing Jin-Ge more and leaking the plan to him. So it was better to do it secretly, and Mu Ai was confident she could make everything seem natural.

Entering a Fixed Instance is different from entering a Random Instance. Fixed Instances have fixed entrances and require a “key” held by the team leader to open. Mu Ai was very grateful for this, otherwise, she’d need to find a “Forced Team Card” to bind with Jin-Ge when entering the Instance.

The opponent couldn’t refuse such forced teaming, but it would also expose Mu Ai’s presence, which didn’t align with her plan to quietly hide and strike when the time was right, increasing the risk significantly.

Thank goodness Jin-Ge always led a team to clear Fixed Instances, giving her the opportunity to strike. Hehehe~

Everything was ready, just waiting for the right moment. After Mu Ai and Sano returned from shopping, they patiently waited for a few days until this month’s Instance Day arrived.

The plan went smoothly, everything unfolding as Mu Ai had anticipated. She successfully replaced a newcomer who had just entered the Instance and was eager to be Jin-Ge’s sycophant.

In exchange for entry into the Instance, the newcomer desperately flattered Jin-Ge, even sacrificing his wife who happened to enter the Instance with him, pushing her into Jin-Ge’s arms against her will.

Upon learning of this, Mu Ai informed Meng Hao and the others to change the plan. Such scum didn’t deserve compensation. After contacting the wife and seeking her opinion, Ivan carried the scum and threw him into a bin marked “Special.”

Ivan wanted to toss him into the non-recyclable bin, but Guize City’s Resident Notice No. 18 stated: “Do not litter; strictly adhere to garbage classification. If you have items like living creatures or corpses, please dispose of them in the special bin.”

The guy was still alive, so he could only be classified as special. Ivan had his opinions on this, but Guize City didn’t have a suggestion box, so he could only leave after disposing of the trash.

Meanwhile, Meng Hao and Ivan dealt with the scum, and Mu Ai followed Jin-Ge’s team into the Instance.

Scarlet Moon Village, with a red crescent moon hanging in the sky, emitting an eerie glow.