76: A free card?

For the next two days, Cheng Zhen relaxed, enjoying three different delicious meals every day, living a delightful life.

After leaving an instance, the Endless Game grants fifteen days of rest.

Although he could still choose to matchmake for instances during this period, Cheng Zhen decided to take a break first.

To upgrade his membership, he also posted on the forum to acquire points, but he only received a few scattered, small amounts of points.

He estimated that most of them were bought by guild members who specialized in collecting points.

“Ring…”

It was another missed call, but Cheng Zhen was already used to it.

Many schools had called him, similar to the previous ones.

Cheng Zhen was not in a hurry to choose a school; just as his Homeroom Teacher said, as long as he reached number one on the rankings, schools would be begging him to join, so there was no need to waste time on tests.

“Mr. Cheng, it’s truly not easy to get in touch with you.”

The voice from the other end of the phone made Cheng Zhen frown; it didn't sound like someone from an admissions office.

“Who is this?” Cheng Zhen asked impolitely.

“I am a member of the Jing Ci Guild and the Guild Leader’s assistant,” the voice replied.

Jing Zhiyuan had been trying to uncover the true identity of his competitor, ‘advertising space for rent,’ and had sent his assistant to investigate.

But, to his disbelief, among the newly awakened individuals, all the Tier 5s were checked, and there was no match.

With no other option, he lowered the standard and checked the list of Tier 3s and Tier 4s, but still, nothing.

The assistant, who had been investigating for several days, was getting a headache.

It couldn’t possibly be a Tier 2 skill user, could it?

With so many people, how long would it take to find them?

Then, with no other recourse, he used some connections and skill to investigate, uncovering someone who read novels.

After seeing that Tier 1 skill, the assistant fell silent, feeling that if he reported this to his boss, he wouldn’t need to come to work tomorrow.

Left with no choice, he made a transaction in Cheng Zhen's point acquisition post.

Following the transaction account, he confirmed that he hadn't made a mistake; that formidable 250 person was indeed only a Tier 1 skill user.

Is this even possible?

The assistant was greatly shocked.

But no matter what, it was good to confirm the identity.

After the assistant got through on the phone, he stated his purpose: “Mr. Cheng, our Jing Ci Guild ranks among the top ten in strength among all guilds.

We are currently actively recruiting talented and excellent strategists to join…”

“I think I’ve already rejected you, haven’t I?”

Cheng Zhen directly interrupted the other party, “And how dare you cause trouble while simultaneously trying to befriend me?

Don’t tell me there was a communication problem between your two departments or some kind of misunderstanding; even a primary school student wouldn’t believe that excuse.”

The assistant stammered for a moment, seemingly falling into a brief silence because his excuse had been preempted.

“Mr. Cheng, why don’t you listen to our guild’s benefits and compensation before reconsidering?

Because of your outstanding performance in two instances, we can offer you an A-tier contract!

As long as you continue to produce excellent strategies, there will also be commission bonuses…”

Cheng Zhen asked, “Is the money from your A-tier contract more than what I get from selling strategies?”

The assistant chuckled dryly, “You’re joking. No guild’s A-tier contract would offer such a high price.”

“Then if I’m already selling strategies, why would I need your A-tier contract?”

Cheng Zhen posed a profound question: “I make strategies myself and keep all the money.

If I sign with your guild, I’ll have to split the money with you?

So, I’d actually be paying to work, is that it?”

The assistant hadn't expected a student to be so difficult to deal with, speaking very shrewdly, which forced him to change his approach: “Mr. Cheng, the main value of a guild is having experienced veterans who can lead instances, as well as various weapons and items.

You should consider, what if you encounter a high-star, high-risk instance in the future?

Even if you are a genius, are you really going to keep going solo?”

When Cheng Zhen heard the other party say that he could solo high-star instances, he quickly agreed: “It’s a deal, double happiness!”

Assistant: “??? ”

What on earth?

Are all geniuses’ thought processes this bizarre?

Cheng Zhen was too lazy to argue further with the other party and decisively hung up the phone.

Listening to the ‘beep-beep’ sound in his earpiece, the assistant looked up at a certain window, sighed, and said, “What a pity, I’m sorry…”

Then, he took out two items.

One was a tattered doll with small needles stuck in it, and the other was a card.

[Item: 4★+ instance card]

[Effect: After use, the next instance entered will have a difficulty of at least ★★★★]

[Item: witchcraft doll (2/3)]

[Quality: Epic]

[After stuffing the target’s hair into the doll, the doll will bear one externally applied effect for the target within three days.

It can be used up to three times (if it exceeds the target’s tolerance, there is a chance it may fail.

The distance from the target must not exceed 500 meters when used.)]

The witchcraft doll was originally used to resist some unexpected situations, such as the instance BOSS’s sudden charm, hypnosis, or immobilization skills, and it was quite effective.

However, the drop rate for this item was very low, so people usually didn't dare to use it.

Someone accidentally discovered that this witchcraft doll could actually be paired with some cards, which was very interesting.

For instance, now, they used the star-raising card on Cheng Zhen via the witchcraft doll, and the effect was successfully applied, treated as if Cheng Zhen had used the card himself.

The next time Cheng Zhen queues for an instance, he will have a high probability of encountering a high-difficulty instance.

The assistant had quietly arrived at Cheng Zhen’s location yesterday and collected his hair.

The residential area where Cheng Zhen lived was just an ordinary neighborhood with average security, and since Cheng Zhen went out to eat every day, the assistant easily obtained his hair.

The call to Cheng Zhen just now was also a final chance for him.

If he was willing to join Jing Ci, then this method wouldn't be necessary.

If he still refused… then it could only be for Jing Zhiyuan to eliminate a competitor.

Because the reward for being number one on the New Talent Rankings was simply too tempting, even a large guild couldn’t bear to let it go.

Although Cheng Zhen had cleared four-star instances twice, with an impressive record, he was still a newcomer after all.

Jing Zhiyuan didn’t believe that Cheng Zhen could safely navigate high-difficulty instances indefinitely.

He thought that if Cheng Zhen randomly encountered a high-risk instance, he might just be eliminated!

By then, whether Cheng Zhen died or barely scraped by with a low score, he would no longer be a match for Jing Zhiyuan.

If they were to target Cheng Zhen through conventional means, the police were not to be trifled with, and various investigative skills would definitely uncover problems.

But this method left no traces; even if Cheng Zhen died within an instance, they couldn’t be traced.

The assistant looked at Cheng Zhen’s window, sighed as if shedding crocodile tears, and turned to leave.

— [4★+ instance card] successfully used!

Cheng Zhen, who was lying on the sofa scrolling through videos, suddenly received a message and was stunned.

What was going on?

He suspiciously opened his inventory; the [4★+ instance card] he had purchased yesterday was still there, not having disappeared due to use.

He then looked at the Endless Game’s attribute panel.

Aside from the instance countdown, the effect of the [4★+ instance card] was clearly displayed in the status bar.

Cheng Zhen: ?

Did the damn game have a bug? Letting me get a free card??