“The truth Aoto Games is hiding?”

Nana Toki eyed the System’s main quest, her brow arcing like a crescent blade over still water. “Is it what those two mods said—player consciousness trapped in-game?”

“Correct.”

The System’s voice dropped like a pebble in a pond, brief and clean.

“Since the host currently resides on a low-tier plane, no hidden quest will trigger. However, the host’s reward for completing this main quest will be doubled in Luck Points.”

A sly thrill rippled through her chest like dusk wind through bamboo. “Huh—low-tier planes come with perks now?” Nana half-lidded her eyes like a cat basking on a windowsill and hummed, silk-thin and teasing. “Did you do something behind my back, feel guilty, and try to patch it with Luck Points?”

System: “...”

The System’s pause stretched like frost on glass. Host, be normal.

“This reward exists because the Master wished to console you, since you can’t meet Nesting Phoenix for a while,” the voice continued, calm as moonlight on a quiet river. “It’s a one-time exception. Don’t expect another.”

“...”

Damn. Stingy as a winter sparrow pecking crumbs.

...

After maintenance, the official announcement fell like a dry leaf: an in-game data bug, compensation distributed, end of story. The servers hummed back to life like lanterns rekindled at dusk. Players trickled online like fish nosing up a stream.

Because the video of Treasure Imp vs. Leisurely Mistcatcher had exploded like fireworks against a night sky, people still chatted about it in the World channel after the patch smoke cleared.

[World] ChirpsAndTrills: “That Treasure Imp’s a monster, like a knife through paper—one-shot a level 70 god. Thankfully it was a bug, or that god’s face would’ve cracked like thin ice! Haha.”

[World] PrettyAndRuthless: “Haha, getting bug-killed once? God-tier got a dose of humble pie, like rain on a bonfire!”

[World] ObedientCookie: “You didn’t see it—maintenance ended, god logs in, storms like thunder and asks where Treasure Imp went!”

[World] GojiTeaForever: “Hahahahaha, so mad he didn’t even read the patch notes? lmao, like a bull seeing red.”

[World] Ma Jinhua: “By the way, why hasn’t Moonlit West River shown up today?”

Usually, when the game lit up after a patch, Moonlit West River flooded World chat like a noisy market. Today? Quiet as snow.

[World] LittleStoneChronicle: “Oh, I just saw them queue for the Divine Demon Tower.”

Divine Demon Tower was a party dungeon, rich with rewards, old as launch-day stone. One hundred floors, each boss mean as a steel trap. No one had cleared it. Leisurely Mistcatcher had once led Guild [Langya] up to Floor 78, like climbing into stormclouds.

[World] FishAndPantiesBoth: “Place your bets! How many team wipes will Moonlit West River rack up on Floor Ten this time? Lay ’em out like cards.”

[World] SpringSetsTheYear: “Six wipes. They’re stubborn as oxen, never bring healers. The river runs dry without rain.”

[World] DulyInstructed: “Their guild’s loaded like a treasure vault. Won’t whale on gear, but piles of Revive Tokens! I say ten wipes, all thunder no rain!”

[World] MonaLisasGoofyGrin: “Seven!”

[World] KindaBald: “Eight, eight, must be eight! Like drums rolling to doom.”

A few lines, a few laughs, and the topic drifted like smoke in wind. Treasure Imp vanished from their mouths like a sparrow slipping from a branch.

Hiding behind a fake rock mound, watching the World feed roll like a river of text, Nana Toki’s mood soured like tea left overnight. They promised to savor my highlight reel—why the swerve?

She flicked open the input bar, fingers poised like dragonflies over water. A pop-up slapped her view like a cold wave: [Shout Horns depleted. Purchase?]

“...”

An NPC needs a special item to talk in World?

Nana’s jaw dropped like a stone from a cliff. This company’s heart was a brick in winter.

She tapped Confirm like a knuckle on wood. Another pop-up flashed like lightning: [Not enough Gold!]

Nana: “...”

All right, you win. Ruthless as a hawk over a field.

They even want an NPC’s lunch money.

She dismissed the window with a brusque swipe, lifted her gaze to the sky like gauze over sun, and thought about mugging a few players to fatten her coin pouch. Just then, a nearby tower flashed blue like a sudden wave, and four player-looking folks tumbled out in a heap like dice from a cup.

[Nearby] ThisNameIsHard: “Damn, wiped again. Kua Fu’s overtuned like a mountain—delete it already.”

[Nearby] NamingIsHard: “Can’t help it. Our guild leader never brings sustain. Bad footwork plus no heals? A wipe’s like rain after thunder—inevitable.”

[Nearby] HardToNameThis: “Feels like we’re feeding Revive Tokens to the Divine Demon Tower like grain to a hungry mill. It’s the leader’s stash, sure, but my heart still pinches.”

[Nearby] NeverSayQuit: “...”

We figured more Revive Tokens, fewer healers, more DPS—like trading bark for fruit. What’s not to love?

“What are you doing?” Curiosity bubbled in Nana Toki’s chest like spring water as she sidled over.

Divine Demon Tower? That’s what World chat buzzed about, like bees in wisteria. Rewards sounded juicy enough to bite.

Maybe enough gold to buy a Shout Horn.

Nana’s need to speak on World burned like a lantern wick.

[Nearby] NeverSayQuit: “Whoa, Treasure Imp?!”

Chatting at the Tower’s edge with three teammates, NeverSayQuit froze like a deer in white light when her voice cut in.

“Weren’t you fixed as a bug?”

Why are you still here, like a shadow after noon?

“Those little coders think they can fix me?” Nana’s disdain slid sharp as a blade’s reflection. “You’re underestimating this Imp.”

[Nearby] NeverSayQuit: “...”

Terrifying NPC. Sharp as frost on iron.

[Nearby] ThisNameIsHard: “Who’s this? You know her?”

[Nearby] NamingIsHard: “You don’t read forum posts? Treasure Imp’s that savage loli NPC who stabbed Leisurely Mistcatcher dead with one dagger, clean as a moonlit ripple.”

[Nearby] HardToNameThis: “Heard her Attack passed five thousand, like a hammer cracking stone. If we could hire her to carry us through the Divine Demon Tower, we’d be golden.”

[Nearby] ThisNameIsHard: “?”

[Nearby] NamingIsHard: “You in an MLM or what?”

“You want me to carry you through the Divine Demon Tower? Sure.” Nana’s smile curved like a crescent moon through cloud. “Pay me, and I’ll get it done.”

[Nearby] NamingIsHard: “?”

“You take our money and you can really carry us?” NeverSayQuit couldn’t hold the question back; it popped like a bubble. NPCs do this now?

“Of course. One hundred gold per floor.” Nana’s tone was calm as a still lake, but her eyes glittered like stars over snow. “You can even lie down and count floors for me.”

[Nearby] NeverSayQuit: “...”

[Nearby] ThisNameIsHard: “Why does it feel like this loli’s pitching us a pyramid scheme, like honey hiding a hook?”

[Nearby] NamingIsHard: “I feel that too. Sweet words, sharp teeth.”

[Nearby] HardToNameThis: “She won’t take us for fools, right? Like moths to a flame?”

Monsters in the Tower weren’t simple. One per floor, yeah, but each was a brick wall—thick HP like a sea of grain, high attack and defense like stone plates. Each boss had three nasty signature skills, not fit for humans, like storms with teeth. The Tower made players want to log off and lie in the grass.

And this imp said she’d breeze through? Sounds like bragging, like wind in an empty gourd.

“How about this.” Nana’s gaze stretched far like a road under starlight. “I’ll clear one floor first. If I do, you pay me after.”

[Nearby] NeverSayQuit: “...”

[Nearby] ThisNameIsHard: “...”

[Nearby] NamingIsHard: “...”

[Nearby] HardToNameThis: “...”

A chain of ellipses hung there like beads in rain.

This NPC seemed serious as winter stone.

“But a party can only take four. If you join, who do we kick?” NeverSayQuit, guild leader of Moonlit West River, steadied fast like a spear after a wobble. Sharp question, clean cut.

Result:

[Nearby] ThisNameIsHard: “Ding—”

[Nearby] NamingIsHard: “Ding—”

[Nearby] HardToNameThis: “Ding—”

[Nearby] NeverSayQuit: “H-hey, what are you doing? I’m the guild leader! Even if someone gets kicked, it shouldn’t be me! Like rain falls uphill?”

“Leader, your DPS is always the lowest, like a candle in noon sun.” ThisNameIsHard spread his hands, helpless as reeds in wind. “Sir, if you won’t follow the team’s arrangement, you’ll make it hard for us.”

“Yeah, exactly.” NamingIsHard and HardToNameThis echoed like twin pebbles skipping water.

“...”

Then:

[Ding! System Notice: Player NeverSayQuit has been removed from the party by vote. Party Leader role transfers by default to player ThisNameIsHard.]

“All set. Let’s enter. If she works out, we’ll settle up with the leader after,” ThisNameIsHard gave Nana a big thumbs-up, bright as sunlight on steel, not sparing a glance for NeverSayQuit’s face, cracked like dried mud.

Nana Toki: “...”

Poor guy. Tossed like a leaf in a stream.

...

The designers knew the Divine Demon Tower was tall as a thundercloud. No one could clear it in one breath. So the Tower let each run start from the current leader’s highest floor, like climbing back to your last notch on the tree.

With the NamingIsHard trio, Nana entered Floor Ten. She moved like a fresh player, eyes roaming like swallows, taking in every corner.

“Quick question,” she asked, voice soft as rain. “Does this floor’s boss have any forced displacement skills?”

“No,” said ThisNameIsHard, his tone even as a flat road. “Low floors have things like defense and HP buffs. We can’t chew through, so we get dragged to death like boats in mud.”

“How much defense and HP?”

“Defense twelve hundred. HP thirty-plus thousand, like a small hill.”

“Oh. Manageable.” Her smile flicked like a blade catching dawn.

“?”

Is that human talk?

They walked and paused, steps echoing like taps on stone. At the deepest part of Floor Ten, the wall split open like a cracked shell. A monster roared from within, heavy shackles clanking like thunder, jaws yawning like a cavern as it lunged.

“That’s the boss! Can you—”

Whoosh—!

Nana flashed past them like a gust through tall grass. ThisNameIsHard’s words died like a candle. The charging humanoid shrieked, high as a hawk’s cry, then crashed to the floor with a dull thud, tripped by Nana’s darting foot like a snare string.

“Pft!”

A point of white light winked like a firefly. A slender dagger bloomed in Nana’s hand like a silver reed, and she drove it into the monster’s forehead with lightning speed, too fast for thunder to answer.

Before the trio could blink, the body burst into white light and vanished like frost in sun.

The whole thing took less than ten seconds, quick as a swallow’s flight.

“Done,” Nana said, voice smooth as still water. “Remember—you owe me a hundred gold.”