[3. Score above the passing line for victory! Rewards granted based on ranking. Score below the passing line for failure! 10 random items will be deducted from the survivor's inventory. Reiterating, this dungeon poses no mortal danger.]
[Dungeon Details: Mist]
[Description: You've wandered alone into this maze. Thick stone slabs block paths, heavy mist obscures vision. You sense no danger, but the way out eludes you.]
[Please decide within five minutes whether to participate. Current participants: 0/8213]
8213—her zone's surviving players. Cheng Shuili scanned the system's notice. The light penalty and no-danger mantra screamed encouragement to jump in. Voluntary, sure, but she wasn't fooled. Future dungeons could be mandatory, packing real threats.
Prep or prizes, she was in. She smashed the sign-up button, the count spiking to 6210. Most were game.
The regional channel erupted, messages flying.
[Sunset]: Any big shots with advice? Should we join?
[Xiao Zhi]: I'm watching numbers. If over half join, I'm in.
[Yang Ergou]: I'm sitting out. Fam, avoid penalties by stashing loot with me. No items, nothing for the system to take. Worried? Leave valuables with me, keep ten junk items!
[Unicorn Whale]: Anyone trusting the guy above is nuts. It's a plan, but handing stuff to a stranger? You're this [thumb].
[Lin Shuang Below]: More like this [pinky].
[All Things Floating Ice]: Cut the crap. Any big shots say if we should join? @Glory Shines on Blue Star @Crow Takes Flight
[Antibiotic]: Yeah, speak up! @Glory Shines on Blue Star @Glory Shines on Blue Star
[Glory Shines on Blue Star]: If you're capable, join.
[Little Panda]: Whoa, big shot spoke!
[Xu Lingqi]: I'm sold, joined!
[Slim Fatty]: My buddy's sitting out, so I'll stash with him, keep ten items. If I fail, no big loss.
Cheng Shuili tuned out as the countdown ticked. She pocketed a water bottle and biscuit, her steel dagger a reassuring weight. Trust was a luxury—stay sharp.
Zero hit. Her vision blacked, a force yanking her. Eyes open, she stood on a narrow stone path, fog thick as soup, visibility barely three meters. Damp air, laced with moss and earth, chilled her lungs. Her dagger's grip grounded her—sole weapon.
[Dungeon "Mist" has begun]
[Current participants: 7211/8213]
[Dungeon Rule Addendum: 1. Reach the maze exit to win! 2. Choose the correct path! 3. All players are in separate instances; this is a speedrun dungeon!]
The system's voice rang in her skull. She logged the rules. Choose the correct path? Redundant fluff.
The path split left and right, swallowed by fog. She stepped forward—thud—an invisible wall. Probing, it felt… like an air wall?
Cheng Shuili blinked. "What?"
Testing all sides, only backward was clear. BUG. Air wall BUG. Good or bad, it funneled her one way.
No point standing. She moved, fog slithering around her like a living thing. The path's moss caught her eye—thicker, wetter here. A pattern. The correct path?
No time to waste. She bolted, heart pounding. Speedrun, ranked rewards—she craved first.
Early on, she'd traced air walls, cautious. The moss clue flipped a switch—she sprinted, rounding bends until the fog parted. A straight path glowed ahead, crystal-lined walls sparkling like a fever dream.
Wary, she lobbed a biscuit. No traps. She crept forward, tense but clear.
Stepping out, she froze, dazed. That's it? Too easy.
Back in her cart, the system blared: "Congratulations, player Cheng Shuili, for clearing the maze in 3 minutes 42 seconds, achieving server-wide first place! Announce?"
"You are the current dungeon leaderboard's first, receiving: Advanced Supply Pack x3, Advanced Medical Pack x3, Vehicle Repair Card x1, Vehicle Cleaning Card x1, Free Attribute Points +2!"
"Congratulations, player Cheng Shuili, for earning the first speedrun dungeon achievement, gaining title Speedrun Dungeon Slayer!"
"Title [Speedrun Dungeon Slayer] effect: Agility +15! Equip?"
She eyed the title. [First Slayer]'s 30-point spread trumped this agility-only 15. Pass.
Announce? Her lips curled. Hell yeah.
[Congratulations, player Crow Takes Flight, first to clear dungeon "Mist" with a 3:42 score! All players, life's tough, keep grinding!]
The channel lit up with non-participants.
[Little Panda]: ??? That fast? Should've joined.
[Monkey Sweet]: Dream on, that's boss speed. You'd be stuck all day.
[Pure White]: Channel's dead till Crow's announcement pulls out a few posts.
Cheng Shuili leaned back, smirking. First place, fat loot, and a server-wide flex. Not a bad day.