Chapter 87: Non-Subjective Intentional Behavior
[Desert of Sector 888, District 88]: @Old Hei of District 44, Zone 444, a system assistant interfering in a player duel is a direct violation of protocol! I have already submitted a formal report to the General Manager. Just sit tight and wait to be suspended and investigated!
[Old Hei of District 44, Zone 444]: @Desert of Sector 888, District 88, hehe. Some people had the nerve to take dirty bribes first, so what I did doesn’t even register on the scale. Besides, while I was chewing you out, I just happened to bump the open mic for my zone’s players. It was a complete accident! Even if the General Manager shows up in person, I’ve got nothing to hide!
[Desert of Sector 888, District 88]: The instance assignment card was earned by the players through their own efforts. It had nothing to do with me! If you don’t believe it, file a report yourself!
[Old Hei of District 44, Zone 444]: @General Manager Qi Chi Yu, I want to file a report too! I’m reporting Desert for taking bribes and abusing administrative privileges!
[Juan Er of District 11, Zone 111]: Everyone, please stop fighting! Harmony brings good fortune, remember?
[Orange Seat of District 23, Zone 233]: It wasn’t your zone’s champion who got butchered, so of course you can preach about harmony! My district’s rank one and rank two are both dead… both wiped out! Waaaah! All my hard work and performance metrics just went down the drain!
[Desert of Sector 888, District 88]: Old Hei, the top seeds from two whole districts were eliminated in minutes, and both were leaderboard champions for the entire server! You carry the primary blame for this disaster. I am taking this complaint straight to headquarters!
[Old Hei of District 44, Zone 444]: Go ahead and complain! Do you think I’m scared of you?! Do it right now—if you back down, you’re a coward!
[Old Hei of District 44, Zone 444]: I’ll say it again: even if you ask me ten thousand times, it was an honest mistake! When I was cursing your pathetic face, my finger accidentally brushed the broadcast switch. Pure accident! It was entirely non-subjective intentional behavior! Do you even know what that means?!
[Old Hei of District 44, Zone 444]: If your tiny brain can’t grasp it, go jump in a ditch! Either way, your district’s rank one is six feet under, which means you have no champion left. When the next server merge hits, your sector won’t even keep its number. You and your precious Sector 888 can go collect dust in the headquarters archives!
[General Manager Qi Chi Yu]: @Old Hei of District 44, Zone 444, mind your tone. Personal attacks against colleagues are strictly prohibited.
[Old Hei of District 44, Zone 444]: Hmph! Considering his top player just died, I was already holding back.
[Desert of Sector 888, District 88]: General Manager Qi Chi Yu, please don’t let this slide. I am formally reporting Old Hei for illegally coaching players and directly sabotaging a sanctioned duel.
[General Manager Qi Chi Yu]: @Old Hei of District 44, Zone 444 @Desert of Sector 888, District 88, I have reviewed both of your claims. Following an internal audit, neither party was found to be in breach of core protocols. Both reports are dismissed as invalid.
[Juan Er of District 11, Zone 111]: See? Since Grandfather Qi has spoken, let’s just drop it, okay?
[Orange Seat of District 23, Zone 233]: Grandfather Qi~ My top seed is gone… does that mean my year-end bonus is gone too? Waaaah…
[General Manager Qi Chi Yu]: @Orange Seat of District 23, Zone 233, if your remaining survivors win during the district merge, you still have a shot at the bonus pool. Keep your chin up!
[General Manager Qi Chi Yu]: That is all. The instance is nearing its final phase. Return to your posts. Dismissed!
While the system administrators were bickering behind the scenes, Lin Huai had already guided the survivors of Zone 444 to the outer perimeter of the true Ghost Mother’s Lair.
The closer they drew to the main cavern, the thicker the swarms of monsters became, their attacks growing faster and more aggressive.
By the time Lin Huai’s convoy pulled up, several other squads were already locked in desperate skirmishes. The broad, sandy clearing before the cavern mouth was littered with ruined, unmanned vehicles, smoking scrap metal, and abandoned corpses.
If she hadn’t been worried that cracking the jade coffin’s lid might let the Infant Spirit slip away, Lin Huai would have happily spent twenty minutes harvesting the fallen bodies for cremation rewards.
The genuine Ghost Mother lurking within this cavern was far more lethal than the decoy Birth Ghost. However, Lin Huai had successfully cleared this trial in her past life with only a handful of allies. Facing it now with an entire coordinated battle group, defeat was out of the question.
She raised an arm, signaling the drivers to prepare for the assault.
Her clear, steady voice carried through the comms channel: “Listen up, everyone. Once we cross the threshold, do not attack the silk cocoons hanging along the cavern walls. Those sacs hold the Ghost Mother’s unborn brood. If a cocoon ruptures, more monsters will hatch and swarm the room, dragging us into an endless fight.”
“Every creature inside this dungeon was spawned directly by the Ghost Mother. As long as we cut her down, every single minion will dissolve on the spot.”
“Brother Long will walk everyone through our tactical formation.”
With her warning delivered, Lin Huai slipped away for a moment to strip the surrounding wrecked vehicles for spare parts. Dragon Emerging from the Sea keyed his mic and took command: “Once we locate the Ghost Mother inside, all drivers with high-output weapon systems must focus their fire entirely on the boss. Drivers with heavy armor and shield builds will form a perimeter to keep the minion waves from flanking our shooters.”
“Keep in mind: the moment the Ghost Mother takes damage, the surrounding monsters will enter a frenzy, doubling their attack power. We have to finish her fast.”
“Lawyer He, your assignment stays the same. Stay in the rear to guard Milk Tea and Sparkling, monitor the local frequencies, and make sure no stragglers from other zones try to blindside us.”
He paused, his voice turning crisp: “Does everyone understand?”
A resounding chorus came through the radio: “Understood!”
Lin Huai returned to her cab after storing the salvage into her spatial bangle. Tapping the gas, she took the vanguard position. “If you’re ready, let’s move in!”
Twenty minutes later.
[Ding! Congratulations to players Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice, Dragon Emerging from the Sea, If You’re Bad, Practice More, Old Wang from Building Materials, Cute and Sparkling, and Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar for achieving the First Kill of the Ghost Mother!]
[Congratulations to District 44, Zone 444 for successfully clearing the Ghost Mother’s Lair instance! The instance has concluded. All surviving players will be forcibly transported out in one minute. Please prepare for extraction.]
“We did it!”
“Boss Bone Ashes is invincible!”
The moment the system broadcast echoed through the cave, deafening cheers erupted from the ranks. Every survivor from Zone 444 looked toward Lin Huai with unreserved admiration and respect.
Lin Huai smiled softly, waving a hand toward the crowd. “This victory belongs to all of us. It was everyone’s teamwork and coordination that got us through, not just my efforts.”
Dragon Emerging from the Sea stepped out of his cab, a rare grin breaking across his rugged face. “In this trial, the other districts took catastrophic losses. Only our Zone 444 walked away almost completely intact. That’s entirely thanks to your leadership, Boss.”
Old Wang nodded vigorously from the driver’s seat of his heavy hauler. “He’s right, Boss—don’t be so modest! With the sheer volume of rewards we’re about to collect, our hands are going to cramp just unpacking the crates, and you’re the one who made that happen!”
At the mention of the payout, every driver’s eyes lit up with excitement.
Lin Huai let out a light laugh. “After this trial, every district took a heavy beating. Our zone still has 4,238 active drivers left, which is almost certainly higher than anyone else’s numbers. Once we’re pulled out, we should be headed straight into the regional hub town for the district merge.”
She smiled warmly at the crowd. “I’ll see you all in town! First round of hotpot is on me!”
The mention of the town sent another wave of cheers rippling through the convoy. They all remembered the steaming, fragrant meals from their last hub visit, and everyone had specific shops they were eager to browse. Before the extraction countdown had even finished, the squad was already chattering about what they planned to buy.
Cute and Sparkling and Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar skipped over hand in hand, looking up at Lin Huai with bright, hopeful eyes. “Boss, the two of us really want to pick up a tailored set of burial shrouds this time! Are those allowed?”
