Chapter 147: Decadent Melodies

No, seriously, why does this side quest sound so indecent?

First only the main quests went off the rails. Now even the side quests are pushing the boundaries?

Panting? For five whole minutes? While in the middle of a conference call?

It’s got every questionable element imaginable, doesn’t it?

Wen Nan stared at the quest panel floating before him and fell silent.

…

…

[Make sure you watch Big Boss Night’s livestream. There’s good stuff here.]

[Come on, come on, don’t miss out! Follow the channel so you won’t get lost.]

[How much did the Winner Guild pay you? I’ll give you twice as much! — Wind-and-Water Dissipation]

[I’ve gradually forgotten what this game is even supposed to look like. This has to be a racing game wearing a horror-game disguise.]

[Confirmed: racing game. If you can’t hit two hundred miles per hour, you don’t even deserve to say you have a license.]

[No, but seriously, isn’t this side quest a little too intense? What about the guy who died on this map? Come out and say something. Did anyone get a side quest like this back then?]

[Give it a rest. Back then, we couldn’t even finish the main quest. The entire army was wiped out. Who could possibly have triggered a side quest?]

[Come to think of it, this side quest seems to have a loophole. It only says you have to pant; it doesn’t say why you have to pant. Night Nine Times could just tickle the CEO’s most sensitive spots, or squeeze the soles of his feet. If he pants for five minutes, that should still count as clearing the quest, right?]

[What kind of loophole is that?! Who would want to exploit it? Ugh!]

[Heretic! Report that comment immediately! Conduct a thorough investigation!]

[Damn, deleting it myself isn’t good enough?]

[Guys, is no one concerned about that silver-haired assassin from dinner just now? Everything was perfectly normal, but the moment the side quest turned into a race, you all went completely off topic.]

[I’m genuinely curious! Who exactly is that person, and how did they enter this map? Is she like Jun No-Life, a Gold-ranked player using a character account? There are only a handful of Gold-ranked experts, and they’re all famous enough to be recognized. It should be easy to dig up her identity.]

[Buddy, you’re the one going off topic now.]

[When there’s a show like this, who cares who the assassin is? We’re all already dead anyway. It’s not like we’re afraid of dying a second time.]

[Exactly. In my experience, this livestream is about to be blocked. Enjoy it while you can.]

【Sensitive imagery has been detected in Night Nine Times’s livestream.】

【In accordance with the livestream’s fundamental principles of cleanliness and harmony, any content involving sexual material, violence, gore, or other discordant elements will automatically be blocked.】

[?]

[Spoken words have become law?]

[Well, now there’s nothing left to watch.]

[No, if you’re going to block the picture, can’t you at least leave the sound on? I just want to hear the CEO panting. What’s the harm?]

[Exactly. I’m going to write a suggestion to the administrator right now.]

[I’m dying. If you can get in touch with the administrator, please ask him to revive us first. I’ve been dead in this audience for three years already. Three years, and then another three years—when is this going to end?! Damn this system! Damn this game! Damn the management! Damn this world!]

【Inappropriate remarks have been detected from Participant 88886. The system has muted the participant for 365 days.】

【Maintaining harmony in the livestream is the responsibility and duty of every viewer. Please cherish your viewing privileges. Do not make extreme remarks.】

[…]

[Rest in peace, brother.]

[So, can we discuss that assassin now? The stream’s blocked anyway…]

[*Short Fatty*: Um, have you ever heard of the Silver Thorn?]

[No. What is it?]

[It sounds vaguely familiar. Wasn’t she from the Ghost Tamer Alliance?]

[*Short Fatty*: That’s right. To quote the guild master himself: “The Silver Thorn is the fiercest little wild horse I have ever tamed.”]

[Holy crap, she’s a female ghost?]

[No wonder Jun No-Life said earlier that she definitely didn’t belong to this map, yet was certain she wasn’t a Gold-ranked player using a secondary account.]

[It actually makes sense now.]

[So she’s a female-ghost boss of at least ten stars, one that can be tamed? Your guild master tamed her and brought her out of the map? That explains how she could enter a dungeon that didn’t belong to her. It really is a privilege reserved for攻略 characters above ten stars.]

[I remember the Ghost Tamer Alliance only has one female ghost with a golden taming crest. The information is listed on the guild’s introduction page, and she isn’t this “Silver Thorn.”]

[Then a silver taming crest?]

[A silver taming crest only lasts for an hour, doesn’t it? Once it expires, it has to be activated again, and the female ghost has to be beside the player. She’s been in this map for so long. Shouldn’t it have worn off?]

[*Short Fatty*: Once you’ve entered advanced dungeons, you’ll discover that there are countless items like the Tear, which have stacking and delayed effects.]

[All right.]

[The big shot is showing off again.]

[Why would the Ghost Tamer Alliance send a female ghost into this dungeon? Could it be that another fragment of the Divine Staff has appeared here?!]

[No way. There are only twelve fragments in total. Each of the nine legendary experts has one, and one was used the last time the crest was replicated. That leaves only two. There’s no way we could encounter another one here. I refuse to believe in an event with odds that low.]

[But if it isn’t a Divine Staff fragment, what other treasure could be worth the Ghost Tamer Alliance taking such a huge risk to enter this place?]

[This is only a beginner map. What risk could there be in sending a high-star female ghost inside?]

[The risk isn’t the female ghost herself. It lies in the consequences of allowing a female ghost or player to force their way into a map where they don’t belong.]

[I don’t understand.]

[Characters or players who enter outside the normal parameters have their systems and equipment restricted. They lack risk-warning functions, and many of their actions may not be bound by the rules of the map.]

[It’s like a patient who can’t feel pain. They’re far more likely to get injured than an ordinary person. Players or characters like that are also far more likely to violate the rules of the game.]

[Everyone who knows, knows what happens when the rules of the game are broken.]

[I know this one. I’m a living example. I died on the second beginner map. I had already cleared the map, but after the settlement, I got careless and secretly brought out a fully blue claw knife. Before I could even enter the game lobby, I was blasted straight into the audience.]

…

…

While the livestream remained blocked, the quest continued to unfold inside the CEO’s office.

The meeting was going badly.

Something had gone wrong within the Eileen Group, and it was becoming impossible to keep the matter under wraps. The investors had bluntly raised the possibility of withdrawing their capital. Eileen Guan did her best to soothe them, but she knew perfectly well that unless they laid the problem bare and offered a clear solution, they would not be able to bluff their way through it.

With her brows tightly drawn, Eileen Guan spoke until her throat was dry. She reached for her glass of water, only to find it empty.

The next moment, a steaming cup of coffee was placed beside her hand. She looked up and saw the man standing at her side. His handsome face was like a bright moon suspended in the night sky; a single glance at him was enough to dispel much of the gloom weighing on Eileen Guan’s heart.

The tension at the corners of her lips slowly eased into a faint smile. She picked up the coffee and took a small sip.

Just then, one of her technical directors dropped a bombshell into the conference system—

“President Guan, we suspect that a serious bug has appeared in that laboratory, causing the servers throughout the entire group to malfunction. And this bug may very well be related to you.”

Her hand trembled. Dark brown coffee spilled across her chest.

She had no time to clean herself. Leaning toward the microphone, she said coldly, “What exactly are you implying? You were sent there to exchange technical knowledge, not to change sides. If you think the air over there smells sweeter, I have no objection to setting you free to enjoy it.”

The technical director immediately backed down. He gave two nervous chuckles.

“President Guan, please don’t get angry. I was only repeating what others have said. They’re all rumors. My position has always been firmly on the side of the Eileen Group.”

After speaking, the technical director waited anxiously for a response.

But the other end remained silent.

Just as every participant held their breath, waiting for President Guan to speak—

“Mm…”

A soft, breathy moan came through Eileen Guan’s microphone.

(End of Chapter)