Players, Please Board the Train

That player showed fear in his eyes, but his tone remained forceful. "Am I wrong?"

Xu Huo turned around and went downstairs.

Some players staying on the third floor chuckled and patted that player on the shoulder. "Go ahead and try if you're brave enough. But this is a second-floor matter, not much to do with us third-floor folks. We'll be on our way first."

The other players ignored him as well, brushing past him one after another.

Lu Zhen, having traveled alongside him, stayed behind to say, "Dong Qiu, you really shouldn't say things like that. You'll offend everyone."

The game hadn't clearly stated whether guests who damaged the villa would lose their "temporary master" qualification. Only an idiot would waste their opportunity just to hunt down a "temporary master."

Dong Qiu deflated. "I'm just worried about being the next one killed. Haven't you figured it out yet? We... are probably the weakest among this batch of players. We're likely cannon fodder."

So whether it was to weed out the killer player or stir up infighting among the players, it would benefit them either way.

Lu Zhen was at a loss for words. He wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.

Did he really think everyone else in the game would be an idiot the moment he entered?

What kind of incredible luck would a true idiot need to survive all the way to D-grade?

But Lu Zhen was in the same predicament. She shot an encouraging look at the two fellow travelers, then quickly scurried off to find Xu Huo.

Since they couldn't leave the villa and the game rules were so straightforward, there didn't seem to be much the players could do. Some were trying to cozy up to others, while the rest scattered to the corners, taking positions that were easy to defend. They appeared to be casually killing time, but occasionally their sharp gazes would sweep over the other players, making it clear that no one was letting their guard down.

Everyone was subconsciously on guard against everyone else.

So far, it hadn't been confirmed whether a guest damaging the villa would also lose their "temporary master" qualification. Naturally, everyone had to be careful not to be set up by others, since a single misstep could trap them in this dungeon forever.

Xu Huo took a lap around the first floor.

The first floor had a simple layout: a basic living room, dining room, tea room, kitchen, bathroom, three maid's rooms, a dedicated cleaning room, and an elderly person's room.

This appeared to be a vacant villa. The basic furniture was still there, but the closets were empty, and the kitchen and storage cabinets had no food.

Lu Zhen opened the cleaning room cabinet, pulled out the cleaning solution and other items, glanced at them, then put them back. After this pointless action, she finally couldn't help asking Xu Huo, "Are you looking for something?"

"No, just familiarizing myself with the environment." Xu Huo glanced around briefly before heading to the second floor.

During the day, players could enter rooms occupied by others, but it wasn't clear if those rooms had items set up inside them. And since rooms were locked in once chosen, they effectively became temporary private spaces. Forcing one's way in might spark conflict.

So Xu Huo picked rooms that were unguarded or unoccupied to enter.

The most richly furnished room was the study. For reasons unknown, most of the books in this study were about etiquette-different countries, different races, and even some about animals and plants.

That's right, even animals and plants had etiquette between them. According to the books, this was a strange phenomenon that arose from specially evolved flora and fauna. It wasn't specific behaviors related to reproduction, feeding, or hunting, but rather a way for two different species-or creatures meeting for the first time-to greet each other using special methods while maintaining a safe distance, just like humans.

The author called it "Primary Human Behavior." It was said that long ago, when human society was first establishing order, honesty and keeping promises were the principles people used to regulate themselves. For example, when two countries went to war, they would first send a formal declaration of war to set a time and place. Before actually fighting, they would notify each other, and only when both sides were ready would the battle begin. If one side felt it was inappropriate, they could even postpone it.

Evolved animals and plants had something of this same idea.

Although it was unknown how animals and plants developed this behavior, researchers were still enthusiastically promoting this phenomenon of "intellectualization of flora and fauna."

The results were obvious. They could even write entire books dedicated to the etiquette of how these animals and plants greeted each other or visited one another.

Still, the evolution of these creatures was fascinating. From another perspective, their intelligence was growing, and their methods of spreading their aura were also evolving. Furthermore, these "highly evolved" flora and fauna had not yet appeared in any of the game districts Xu Huo had visited so far.

That meant this dungeon location might come from a game district ranked higher than E27, or even from a different wormhole point altogether.

Inside the study, he found a book about the origin and disappearance of the "Palm Support Greeting."

The Palm Support Greeting, as the name suggested, was when two people met, and the person of lower status used both hands to support the left hand of the person of higher status while bowing their head half a step lower to show respect. This etiquette was originally a specific greeting among the nobility of a certain country. After that country grew in power, the popularity of the Palm Support Greeting rapidly expanded, no longer limited to the nobility but also used by common people.

That was until players appeared. A noble was manipulated upon being touched during a large family gathering, nearly wiping out the entire family tree. This etiquette was then banned by the nobility, and everyone in the country was prohibited from using it ever again. At the same time, the nobility and their bodyguards and maids all had to abide by the iron rule of "three meters distance"-meaning anyone meeting a noble had to maintain at least three meters of distance, or they would be considered an enemy.

Xu Huo wasn't interested in this book because of the unique etiquette it recorded, but because it mentioned a special surname: Fielder. Someone from this country's nobility had married into the Fielder family. In the final part of the book, it was written that this noblewoman, who had married far away, had successfully promoted the Fielder family's etiquette within both her own family and the Game Government.

He had heard the surname Fielder quite a few times now. From the elite descendants of the Fielder family becoming administrative officials in the Skinner dungeon, to the later Super Item relic incident, it seemed this family had a very close relationship with the Game Government, far exceeding the ordinary "prestige of important position holders" level.

The Fielder family's etiquette being promoted within the government of game districts was very telling. He just didn't know what relationship this family had with Stellar Group.

Come to think of it, Xu Huo had yet to encounter Stellar Group or its subsidiaries in any of the game districts he'd visited so far. As for that Stellar Group chairman whose portrait was printed on the White Bills, there was absolutely no information about him.

He urgently needed to raise his player level.

Perhaps after leaving Zone 009, he would increase the number of dungeons he tackled each month.

Putting the book back, Xu Huo turned to leave the study, but he suddenly stopped at the doorway and pulled out the "Crimson Sword."

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