bayedsolid Chapter 747 Challenge Dungeon 3
Chapter 747 Challenge Dungeon 3
He was the only one left on the stage, and the spotlight pierced down like a sharp sword.
A confident smile curved Xia Wanqi's lips—his previous life's experience in live streaming was perfectly integrated at this moment.
He stepped to the beat of the drums, gliding into the center with a single step, his body moving like a dragon in motion.
His movements were crisp and clean, his eyes subtly provocative, and every pose he struck precisely for the camera.
Screams erupted from the audience, and virtual gift effects exploded all around: [Heart of the Universe x10!] [Galaxy Battleship x5!]... He was intoxicated by this sense of control.
Just as he landed after performing a difficult backflip, the system notification flashed again:
[Player Task 1: Please complete a special check-in at the top of the 'Tower of Light' within 24 hours. Failure to check in will result in the release of your coordinates to the investigators.]
Xia Wanqi's movements froze almost imperceptibly for a moment, then he covered it up with even more passionate dance steps.
His gaze swept over the blurry work area on the side of the stage—he needed to hide himself and find that tower while enjoying the stage.
In a dimly lit monitoring center, five investigators in black uniforms simultaneously opened their eyes.
This is the "command center" prepared for them by the dungeon—a windowless room filled with screens, the air thick with the low hum of electronic devices.
The lead investigator, codenamed "Night Owl," stood before the control panel, his voice cold beneath the metal mask:
"Target area locked: Neon Street and its attached live streaming area. Total population is approximately 1200, including NPCs and 15 hidden players. Initial permissions granted: can access public surveillance footage (3 times per day), but cannot directly tag players."
A giant map on the wall lit up, with red circles covering the entire entertainment area—from Xia Wanqi's "Starry Center" to Yun Chu's hidden "Starlight Convenience Store."
A young investigator slammed his fist on the table:
"Finding fifteen people out of a thousand! Is this like finding a needle in a haystack?"
"Calm down." Night Owl opened a mission panel, and a holographic projection appeared:
[Investigator Team Mission Begins:]
Task A: Investigate the 'Starlight Street Unusual Power Outage Incident' (0/1) → You will receive 1 player clue upon completion.
Task B: Crack the 'Starry Stage Backstage Mysterious Code' (0/1) → Upon completion, you can locate the skill type of one player.
Task C: ...
“We’re not relying on luck.” Night Owl’s finger swiped across the screen. “Each person chooses a mission. Remember—the more panicked the players are, the bigger their openings will be.”
Rookie investigator "Falcon" silently accepted mission A.
After accepting the assignment, he set off to investigate.
The player who plays as the Falcon is named Long Ning. He has already completed the dungeon ten times, making him a veteran player.
This is his second time entering the role-playing instance. Last time, he was assigned the role of a player, but this time he is an investigator.
Because of his experience as a player, he also has his own speculations about the roles players play.
For example, in this task A, there must be players within the scope of the investigation, and he thinks they are the owner or employees of Starlight Street.
Therefore, these are the key targets of his investigation.
Arriving at Xingguang Street at this time, many shops were closed, with only a few late-night restaurants, convenience stores, and bars open.
Therefore, there aren't many people you can ask.
This abnormal power outage occurred two days ago. Players have no memory of what happened two days ago, so they will definitely be able to find out by asking.
Soon, Falcon arrived at the Starlight Convenience Store.
"Hello, this is from the neighborhood management office. Are you aware of the power outage?"
"The power outage two days ago, around 2 a.m.? I remember it so clearly. I was organizing the shelves when the power suddenly went out, and I knocked everything over... It kept me busy for ages..."
"There was a power outage without any prior notice. Your street management office has failed in its duty..."
Falcon's gaze lingered on the slightly tired female clerk's face for a few seconds. The way she complained, with its matter-of-fact tone, a hint of impatience at being disturbed, and the specific time period and trivial details that came out of her mouth, revealed no flaws.
She even casually wiped the cash register, her movements practiced and natural.
"Okay, sorry to bother you. If you remember anything else, you can contact the street management office." Falcon finished his inquiry in a formal manner, closed his notebook, nodded, turned around, and left the convenience store.
The "ding-dong" sound rang out again, and then silence returned.
The slight displeasure on Yun Chu's face from being disturbed gradually faded, returning to her usual calm.
She watched the young man in casual clothes, with his straight back, disappear around the street corner, a smile playing on her lips.
To better understand the instance, she released Fire Iron Flying Ants an hour ago to monitor events within a radius of several kilometers of the instance.
When this person appeared and began investigating the power outage, she already suspected that he might be an investigator.
She knew all about his conversations with other NPCs through the Fire Iron Flying Ants, so she could accurately recount the conversations when they asked her about them.
She's already sent a fire-iron flying ant to track them, which will allow her to see what the five investigators look like. That way, she can avoid them a bit.
Time slowly slipped by as they occasionally received a few customers.
Around five or six in the morning, elderly people who get up early to exercise and office workers rushing to work start visiting the store, making it briefly bustling with activity.
Yun Chu routinely handled the cashier duties, restocked the store, and heated up breakfasts, playing the role of an ordinary night shift clerk.
At 7:50 a.m., the colleague who was supposed to take over the early shift arrived on time. He was a young man who looked a little tired. He yawned and gave Yun Chu a brief handover.
Yun Chu took off her dark blue uniform and changed into her own casual clothes—an inconspicuous gray tracksuit. She casually tied her long hair into a low ponytail and put on a mask and baseball cap.
At eight o'clock sharp, she pushed open the back door of the convenience store.
The morning air was slightly cool, carrying the unique freshness and desolation of the city before it awoke.
Her "ride"—a slightly worn light blue electric scooter—was parked next to the employee passageway.
She skillfully unlocked the door, straddled it, and turned the key.
The electric scooter emitted a soft hum as it merged into the still relatively sparse traffic of the early morning.
Yun Chu did not drive directly towards the known "Tower of Light," but instead took a detour, passing through several small streets.
After confirming that they were not being followed by any suspicious vehicles or pedestrians, they changed direction and headed towards "Starlight Park," which is located slightly east of the city center.
Based on the scattered information and city maps previously collected by Fire Iron Flying Ants, the "Tower of Light" is not a real skyscraper.
Instead, it is a landmark observation tower in Starlight Park, about fifty meters high, with a streamlined shape. It has a light show at night and is a regular tourist spot during the day.
The park is open to the public free of charge all day, and early morning is the time when people gather to exercise.
About twenty minutes later, Yun Chu parked her electric scooter in the designated non-motorized vehicle parking area outside the park and locked it.
She pulled her hat down low and walked slowly into the park like an ordinary morning jogger.
There were already quite a few people in the park.