Chapter 29: Entering the Player Base

He had changed his mind; this April was nothing but trouble and must not be allowed to remain!

Ling Yun raised his hand abruptly, moving quickly to seize April. Seeing his murderous intent, April felt a jolt of alarm and darted into the black vortex. Ling Yun’s attack was blocked by the swirling void.

Duoduo’s small face changed; she tilted her head up, her eyes rimmed with red as she looked at Ling Yun. "Daddy, aren't you coming with me?"

Realizing he could no longer hide the truth, Ling Yun placed his large hand upon her fluffy, small head. "Duoduo, you must walk the path ahead alone. But as long as you are still in the Ghost Forest, we will meet again."

"No, I don't want to meet again; I want Mommy and Daddy to come with me!" Duoduo hugged Ling Yun tightly, sobbing uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Lin Jianyue and Zhang Yangfan rushed forward. "What’s wrong? Why haven't you left yet?" Lin Jianyue asked.

Ling Yun stroked Duoduo’s head, remaining silent. Duoduo continued to cry without a word, which made Lin Jianyue anxious. "Duoduo, you have to go!"

"Wuwuwu, no... I don't want to... I want to be... with Mommy and Daddy!"

"Little ancestor, you cannot stay!" Xu Hetiang was growing desperate. "The 'Sweet Home' instance is about to close. If you stay, you will be erased by the Ghost Forest!"

"That's right, there's no time left. Dear daughter, isn't she from your orphanage? Please, take her away!" Xie Fangyun, having no other choice, pleaded with Dean Zhou.

Dean Zhou felt guilty toward Duoduo. Upon hearing that staying meant death, she disregarded everything else, bent down, and scooped the child up. "Duoduo, we have to go."

"No, I won't go, wuwuwu..." Duoduo clung firmly to Ling Yun’s legs, refusing to let go.

[Duoduo is so pitiful! She just got a family, and now she's being forced to separate from them!]

[That April is truly scum. She said that on purpose just to make Duoduo volunteer to stay in the Ghost Forest and get erased!]

[My instincts are sharp; I knew from the start that April was nothing but trouble! She dares to bully my electronic daughter? Just wait until I get in there, I’ll slaughter her!]

[Ah, I’m so anxious! As much as I hate to see Duoduo leave, I don't want her to be erased by the Ghost Forest! General Ling, please, think of something to help our daughter!]

Comments scrolled rapidly through the livestream room. Everyone was cursing April while simultaneously worrying about Duoduo’s situation. Just as the viewers wished they could jump through the screen to toss Duoduo into the black vortex, a countdown for the stream's end appeared.

[No, don’t end the stream at such a critical moment!]

[Duoduo, go! If you don't go now, you won't be able to leave at all!]

Amidst the frantic messages, Ling Yun clenched his fists and vanished before Duoduo’s eyes. As her hands grasped at empty air, Duoduo cried even harder.

Dean Zhou immediately held her tight and ran into the black vortex.

"Duoduo, I will come to find you, waaaaah!"

Once Duoduo was gone, Zhang Yangfan couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into tears. Lin Jianyue, rarely showing such maternal tenderness, patted his shoulder gently. "It’s alright, we will see each other again."

"Mommy, I don't want to leave you either!" Zhang Yangfan turned and hugged Lin Jianyue. When he was alive, his parents had loved him dearly. Although Ling Yun was cold, he acted exactly like the father who had never known how to express his emotions. He had spent seven days living as a family with Ling Yun and Lin Jianyue. During that time, there were many moments when he thought he had returned to his parents' side. Now that the "Sweet Home" instance was over, Duoduo was gone, and he was being separated from Ling Yun and Lin Jianyue—he was homeless once again!

Seeing Duoduo depart safely, the viewers breathed a sigh of relief. The countdown ended, and the stream vanished.

In a place unseen by the viewers, Dean Zhou carried the sleeping Duoduo onto a street lined with red lanterns. The light from the lanterns illuminated a row of villas ahead. April and the chubby chef stood before them. The chef looked lost and bewildered, while April remained calm and composed. She had lived here for over a decade; having started over, no one understood this place better than she did!

"Where is this?" Dean Zhou looked around, uncertain of where to go. Duoduo had cried in her arms for a long time and had finally fallen asleep from exhaustion.

As soon as she finished speaking, a pale-faced woman approached them with a smile. "Congratulations on successfully clearing the instance and arriving at the Player Base. I have arranged accommodation for you. There are single, double, four-person, six-person, and eight-person rooms available. Only the top ten players in the ranking can occupy single rooms. Single and double rooms cost one hundred points per night. Other rooms cost 80, 60, and 40 points respectively; you may split the cost with your roommates."

"I... I'll take the eight-person room," the chubby chef chose first. The woman nodded, her slender fingers tapping lightly on the chef's watch. The chef looked down to see five points deducted.

The woman retracted her hand and looked at Dean Zhou with a smile. Dean Zhou freed a hand to check the points on her watch. Her initial points were ten, and the room she had chosen—Room 16—was a standard difficulty level. With the 20-point reward added, her total was 30 points. 30 points wasn't much; even if she chose the eight-person room, it would only last her six days. She still needed to eat and drink; the points simply weren't enough.

"Excuse me, what happens if the points run out?"

"You will be erased by the Ghost Forest," the woman answered with a smile. Seeing Dean Zhou’s expression change, she added, "But don't worry, you can choose to enter an instance before your points run out. Food and drink inside the instances cost no points, and if you clear the level, you receive point rewards."

"Fine, I choose the eight-person room."

The woman nodded and looked at the sleeping Duoduo in her arms. "And her?"

"She can stay with me for tonight," Dean Zhou didn't want to wake Duoduo, nor could she make long-term decisions for her. She chose the eight-person room for now, intending to let her make other choices when she woke up tomorrow.

The woman nodded and turned her gaze to April.

Meeting her eyes, April chuckled. "I’ll take the communal floor."

At her words, the woman looked surprised. She hadn't mentioned the communal floor; how did this young girl know about it? "You’re not a newcomer?" The woman’s smile faded as she looked her up and down. "That’s not right. The notification I received said the players coming from the 'Sweet Home' instance should all be newcomers!"

The woman’s brows furrowed with curiosity. Dean Zhou and the chubby chef looked at April in astonishment as well. April was clearly here for the first time just like them; how did she know about the communal floor?

April didn't explain herself, simply smiling at the woman. "I recall the communal floor only costs one point per night, right?"

"That's correct!" The woman nodded, smiling again. "It seems the notification I received was flawed; there is a veteran here tonight!"

April smiled, tacitly accepting the label. Others might not know, but she had spent ten years here and knew the woman before her was a profiteer. If she hadn't revealed that she was a veteran, the woman would have charged her extra even for the communal floor. Only by putting the price out in the open could she avoid being swindled!

"Fine, follow me!" The woman glanced at April, clearly annoyed. Other rooms had set prices; only the communal floor was a grey area. She had intended to tell them about it only when their points were nearly gone, charging them two points a night. She hadn't expected this girl to be so cunning!

Under the night sky, the woman led the way. Dean Zhou followed closely, holding the sleeping Duoduo. The woman’s steps were small and slow, yet in the blink of an eye, Dean Zhou found herself several meters behind.

"Keep up! This place is not safe! If you fall too far behind and get killed by someone, I won't be held responsible!"

As soon as the woman finished speaking, a thick, cloying scent of blood drifted into their nostrils.