Chapter 370 - 360: Roleplaying as a Game NPC 8

The moment Moira Lynch finished speaking, the player across from her received a quest.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the instance: Blackwater Stronghold

Quest: Annihilate all the bandits in Blackwater Stronghold and rescue all the kidnapped people.

Time Limit: 10 hours. If the quest is not completed within the time limit, the system will automatically register it as a failure. At that point, the enraged bandits of Blackwater Stronghold will attack the surrounding villages and towns.

As the one responsible for enraging the bandits, the affinity of all nearby NPCs toward you will drop to rock bottom. Please accept this quest with caution.]

After reading the quest details, the player hesitated for a moment before sending a message about the instance to his guild.

"Chief, get over here! I found an instance."

Even though it was late, that single sentence instantly blew up the chat, waking up quite a few people.

"An instance!!"

"An instance!!"

"Where is it? I’m bringing a team over right now."

...

After a brief exchange, the player decisively accepted the quest. He turned to Moira Lynch and said, "Don’t you worry, ma’am. I’ll be sure to bring your family back."

At his words, Moira Lynch nodded, her face a mask of gratitude. "Thank you, brave soul. I have a map to Blackwater Stronghold here. Please, take it."

With that, Moira Lynch took out a yellowed piece of paper.

Far from being disdainful, the player accepted it with a look of pleasant surprise. "Thank you, ma’am."

’No, I should be thanking *you* for letting me get off my shift early.’

Moira Lynch saw the words "NPC Performance Complete" flash before her eyes and eagerly chose to log out.

The player paid no mind to the old woman’s disappearance, simply assuming she vanished because her part in the quest was over.

Meanwhile, Moira Lynch woke up in her game pod once again.

Just as she reached the door, ready to leave, she overheard two robots talking.

"More and more people are using game pods these days. The game wristbands and helmets we produce are just sitting idle."

The other robot said, "Tell me about it. The warehouse is almost overflowing. I just heard the supervisor order the production lines for the game wristbands and helmets to be dismantled."

"Really? But what are they going to do with all the wristbands and helmets that have already been made?"

"What else can they do? Sell them off at a discount," the robot said with a shrug.

"The problem is, I’m afraid they won’t sell even with a discount."

’Game wristbands and game helmets.’

Moira Lynch knew what those were.

People had gotten them from blind boxes before, but those were long-obsolete models. Their game libraries were limited, yet they were still sold for astronomical prices.

Now that Caelus was blanketed in snow, some people living in the Elf Tree Houses had no worries about food or drink. Besides surfing the web, gaming was their only way to stave off loneliness.

This didn’t include Moira Lynch and her people, of course. They were far too busy for that.

However, the game wristbands and helmets these two robots were talking about obviously weren’t the ones from the blind boxes. They had to be the latest models.

But with the advent of game pods, both devices were gradually being replaced.

Moira Lynch had Patience search for relevant information.

In no time, Patience presented its findings to her.

According to the data, the game wristband was the first gaming device to appear. It was extremely convenient; you just had to wear it on your wrist to play games anytime, anywhere.

The game helmet came next, offering a more immersive experience. However, being a helmet, it could be cumbersome to carry around.

With both the game wristband and the game helmet, users had to log out and rest after a certain period of use.

But the arrival of the game pod instantly blew the wristband and helmet out of the water.

The game pod could not only run every game on the market, but it also provided a fully immersive experience, letting players truly feel the joy of gaming.

Most importantly, the game pod came equipped with a dedicated nutrient liquid. Unlike with the wristband or helmet, users didn’t need to take a break after a certain amount of time to rest, eat, and recharge.

Players using a game pod could stay in the game indefinitely without worrying about their physical condition.

With a full supply of energy, a game pod could keep a player’s body in perfect health for up to six months.

In other words, a player using a game pod could stay in-game for half a year straight.

This was fantastic news for homebodies and professional gamers alike.

Seeing the two robots about to leave, Moira Lynch quickly went after them. "Hello, I’m a Recycler. I couldn’t help but overhear that you might have a problem. Do you need any help?"

Moira Lynch wore a faint, polite smile, and her tone was impeccably courteous.

The two robots stopped and looked at the badge on Moira Lynch’s chest. It was, indeed, a Recycler badge.

They couldn’t help but wonder why a Recycler would be here so late at night.

"Haven’t you gone home? It’s late."

"I was working late, so I haven’t headed back yet," Moira Lynch said casually.

"Oh, I see."

Thanks to the Blessing Badge, the two robots didn’t doubt Moira Lynch’s words at all.

Recalling their recent conversation, one of the robots said, "Well, there is something. But I’ll need to ask my supervisor before I can make a decision on the matter."

Moira Lynch nodded. "Alright, I’ll wait here then."

One robot started contacting the supervisor, while the other began to chat with Moira Lynch.

"What’s your Recycler rank?"

"I haven’t tested for a rank. My family is very poor, and we were hit by the natural disaster. Now I have a whole bunch of people at home waiting for me to bring things back for them."

As she spoke, Moira Lynch put on a heartbroken expression.

Seeing this, the robot thought it had touched a sore spot and said apologetically, "Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to pry."

"It’s okay," Moira Lynch said, shaking her head. "It’s the truth, after all. Nothing to be ashamed of. I’m working hard to improve my family’s situation. It’s not just me; my brothers and sisters are all pitching in, too."

"You have brothers and sisters?"

Moira Lynch nodded. "Yes, I have lots of brothers and sisters—more than I can count. A few of them are a bit rebellious, but most of them are good people."

Hearing Moira Lynch’s words, the robot subconsciously classified her as belonging to one of the more prolific races.

Currently, the most prolific race in the galaxy was The Rabbitfolk. The standing record was one couple who had a thousand children in their lifetime.

However, it didn’t see any Rabbitfolk traits on the person before it. ’Could they be hidden?’