"Player Light Evening Breeze has initiated a trade request. Do you accept?"
"Yes." Bai Mu accepted the trade. He and Light Evening Breeze added each other as community friends. Fifty hours of Community Time were deducted from his account, and a new mail notification chimed at the same time.
Attached to the mail was the Key to the Lost Backyard. He had purchased a two-hour ownership of this key. Two hours later, whether he used it or not, it would automatically return to Light Evening Breeze's inventory.
"A pleasure doing business with you," Light Evening Breeze said, his smile widening. "I've included a detailed clearance guide in the mail. As long as you follow the instructions, you're guaranteed to get a random Plant Card as a baseline reward. As for how much you actually walk away with in the end, well, that depends entirely on your own capabilities."
"I have a question, though it's not about that Adventure Script. I wonder if you could answer it for me, Mr. Light Evening Breeze," Bai Mu said. "If there's a fee, then never mind."
Light Evening Breeze rested his hands on the table. "Now that we've done business, we can be considered friends. Let's hear it first."
"It's regarding the Main Scripts. I'd like to know, will my next Script be completely random? As a beginner, if I'm thrown into a high-tier Script by chance, does that mean... I'm guaranteed to die?"
"That's not exactly a secret. Paradise matches Scripts based on your Player Grade. Normally, you'll only be matched with Scripts close to your own Grade. Your Grade will only increase after you successfully clear three Main Scripts in a row. However, you absolutely cannot drop your guard. The survival rate of Players and the danger level of a Script aren't perfectly aligned. Even high-grade Players can die in low-level Scripts if they take a single wrong step."
"Normally I wouldn't be matched with high-tier Scripts. Does that mean there are abnormal circumstances?"
"I see you have a knack for grasping the main point, Bai. Originally, this kind of intel would cost you, but since we get along quite well, I'll make an exception and tell you for free this time."
Light Evening Breeze lowered his voice.
"You guessed right. There are indeed unusual circumstances. According to the patterns I've observed, Paradise seems to assign an internal hidden score to every Player. The exact formula is still a mystery, but to put it simply: when Paradise feels your performance is too outstanding, it will appropriately increase the difficulty and set up obstacles for you."
"So, playing it safe and adopting a mediocre playstyle in the Scripts might be a better choice?"
"No, no, no, you are completely mistaken." Light Evening Breeze wagged his index finger. "Bai, you have to understand that Players can only obtain rewards and grow stronger by clearing Scripts. The law of Paradise is the survival of the fittest. The strong seize more resources to become even stronger. As for the weak... when they fail to face their inner fears and choose to cower, death becomes a blade hanging right over their heads."
"Take the streetwalkers out there, for example. Every so often, the faces in that alley change completely. This is my advice to you as a veteran: find ways to improve yourself using every possible method at your disposal. Only then can you live longer."
Bai Mu remained silent for a few seconds before replying, "I understand. Thank you for the advice."
Light Evening Breeze glanced at his watch. "Look at the time, I should be going. It's been a pleasure talking with you. I hope we'll have a chance to meet again."
"Goodbye." Bai Mu finally looked up, meeting Light Evening Breeze's gaze.
Light Evening Breeze chuckled. "Nice look in your eyes. I bet you'll live for a very long time."
He pulled out his Room Card. His body blurred into a phantom before vanishing from across the table.
Bai Mu glanced at the empty seat, then took out the Room Card printed with "K8107" and silently commanded it to return.
The next second, Bai Mu was back inside his windowless, sealed room.
This meeting with the community administrator had been incredibly fruitful. He now possessed a much clearer understanding of his current situation and the future he was about to face.
He knew exactly what he had to do. Just as the man had advised, he needed to exploit everything at his disposal to grow stronger.
Right now, he had one such opportunity.
He materialized the key, gripping it tightly in his palm as he carefully read over the guide.
The guide was incredibly detailed, specifying exactly what he needed to do at every single step.
'The danger grade is D, which is two levels higher than Deserted Island, but if I follow this guide perfectly, it actually looks easier than an F-grade beginner Script.'
'However, the most conservative method of clearing it yields far too few rewards.'
'This is probably my biggest chance to gain a massive boost before the next Main Script. I have to find a way to squeeze every last drop of value out of it.'
Bai Mu spent the next hour memorizing the guide, burning it into his mind. Whenever a part seemed vague or unclear, he sent a private message to Light Evening Breeze via the friend list.
The other party was obligated to answer his questions; that was the rule they had established before the trade.
He learned all the crucial details backwards and forwards.
When only five minutes remained on the key's ownership timer, he opened his inventory.
"Would you like to use the Special Item: Key to the Lost Backyard?"
"Yes."
[Special item use detected. Teleporting...]
[Current Mode: Single-Player (Adventure)]
[Script Name: Dave's Backyard]
[Current Script Danger Grade: D]
[Preparing to play the Script introduction...]
His vision plunged into darkness, and the menu became inaccessible. After a brief moment of disorientation, a large screen lit up in the black void. It was incredibly similar to what he had experienced when entering the Deserted Island Script.
Coming to this space for the second time, Bai Mu was much calmer. He focused all his attention on the glowing screen, needing to confirm whether the Script's introduction matched the information he had bought.
[You live in a peaceful suburban town, enjoying an ordinary but stable life. That is, until one day, a horde of zombies suddenly invades your land.]
[This is your first time seeing real zombies. According to historical records, zombies appeared a mere thirty minutes after the dawn of humanity. In 431 BC, zombies stole a catapult from a civilized kingdom, sparking a brutal war. In 180 BC, a super-zombie named Deadus Zombius ate a king's brain and became the de facto ruler of the nation.]
[The last war between humans and zombies erupted in 1976. As a human born in a new era, you have only ever heard of zombies on television programs.]
[In a short span of time, these sudden invaders have eaten the brains of many town residents.]
[You have heard of a man named Dave who cultivated miraculous plants to fight off the zombies. Fortunately, you picked up the key to his lost backyard and found Dave.]
[Dave has invited you into his backyard, asking you to help him defend against the zombie assault.]
[Main Quest: Defend the backyard from the zombie horde. Do not let the zombies eat your brains.]