Chapter 313: 100%

Chapter 313: Chapter 313: 100%

But of all things, the reward for everyone surviving this instance was incredibly generous.

’Wasn’t this just forcing them to cooperate?’

Everyone was aware of this. But even so, the promise of a greatly increased reward for everyone surviving was like a tempting piece of bait, dangling before every survivor’s eyes.

Seraphina Sinclair closed the panel and, with a calm expression, began her final preparations.

After sorting through everything in her Silver Moon Earrings, she turned and picked up the Sunflower with one arm.

This Sunflower was really something else now.

A normal sunflower was only so big, but this one was huge and conspicuous. If hers was the only Sunflower like this, it was practically a given that Seraphina Sinclair would be targeted.

Though she felt a bit resigned, Seraphina Sinclair wouldn’t blame her own Sunflower for it.

’It certainly didn’t fit in, but was that its fault?’

’Wasn’t it the other survivors’ fault for not trying hard enough, letting their own Sunflowers get so scrawny?’

Seraphina Sinclair tapped her Sunflower’s pot. The more she looked at it, the more adorable she found her little "child."

Even though the Sunflower hadn’t done anything.

The instance details were out, but it was still a while before the teleportation. With nothing better to do, Seraphina Sinclair opened the Zone channel to take a look.

She expected to find more useless chatter and complaints, but the moment she opened it, she saw something of actual substance.

[Artemis]: This instance is Golden Rank. At this rate, the next one will surely be a higher rank, so everyone should be mentally prepared.

[Artemis]: You’ve all noticed the last line about the rewards, right? I want to stress that your lives are what matter most. Protecting yourself is more important than any reward. Don’t gamble on the character of strangers for some intangible bonus for full party survival. Everyone should understand the true nature of this game by now.

"The expert’s right! Gold Difficulty... just hearing the name makes my legs weak. I nearly died back in the silver one."

"Puzzle-solving and escape... I’m worst at brainy stuff like this. And having to find our way in the dark... I can barely breathe just thinking about it."

"Limited resources, and trust is a rare commodity. The system is obviously trying to make us fight amongst ourselves, isn’t it? I don’t want to be killed by a teammate."

"Shout out to the expert, Artemis! It’s so rare for someone to come out and give everyone a dose of reality like this. Thank you so much, you’re a legend!"

"Blunt but true. The system is just trying to sow discord. Keeping a clear head is what’s most important. Thank you so much, Artemis."

"Got it, got it. Survival comes first! Thanks for the reminder. I might have actually done something stupid for that reward otherwise..."

"Our girl Celeste always comes out to give reminders before an instance. It used to be an exclusive perk for us in Zone 886, but now she’s doing it for everyone!"

"Hey, don’t listen! Don’t look! She’s our expert! She’s ours!"

"Hey, friends from Zone 886, don’t be so stingy. Are there even Zones 886, 887, and 888 anymore? We’re all in Zone 666 now. Enough of this ’your expert,’ ’my expert’ stuff. She belongs to all of us!"

"But all that aside, Celeste really is a good person. Only someone like Artemis would come out to give advice at a time like this."

"Yeah, totally..."

Seraphina Sinclair scanned through the messages, all of which were lavishing praise on Artemis. It was only now that she finally understood how Artemis had built her reputation.

With this in mind, she took another careful look at Artemis’s two messages.

’Isn’t this all stuff anyone with half a brain could figure out?’

Puzzled, she glanced again at the chorus of agreement in the Zone channel.

’So...’

’...unless someone spells it out for them, these people can’t even engage in the most basic line of thought?’

Just as Seraphina Sinclair was feeling exasperated, she spotted a comment that didn’t fit in.

"I used to be in Zone 886, and... not to be difficult, but does Artemis really deserve all this praise? She gave a few pointers, sure, but isn’t it all stuff you can figure out just by reading the instance prompts? I didn’t understand what you all were fawning over back then, and I still don’t get it now."

The replies to this message were highly contentious.

Some said he had a point, while others felt, "In this hellhole, you should be grateful that someone is willing to give you any advice at all."

"Whether it’s useful or not, her willingness to speak up comes from a good place."

At first, the replies were relatively rational and mild-mannered, but they quickly devolved into outright attacks.

As Seraphina Sinclair read through these comments, she suddenly had a realization.

’Someone like Artemis, who is so careful about her reputation, would never allow herself to be blamed for monopolizing the Expansion Crystals.’

’She might have even picked out a public face for it already. As long as she stays behind the scenes, she can reap all the benefits.’

’Most importantly, if Seraphina Sinclair were to make a move against her, it would be seen as an attack on the very symbol of kindness and selflessness held dear by her supporters.’

’The moment Artemis dies, the surviving members of the monopoly would immediately start stirring up public opinion in the Zone channel.’

’Then, all the survivors she had advised, the ones who were so deeply grateful, would automatically brand Blacktiger Ford as an ungrateful traitor, a villain jealous of the virtuous, someone who would harm a good person.’

’No matter what Seraphina Sinclair tried to explain, these incited masses would never believe her.’

’What a brilliant scheme to place herself in an unbeatable position.’

The corner of Seraphina Sinclair’s mouth twitched, but she wasn’t particularly bothered.

’Artemis’s move was indeed a good one, but it would only intimidate those who actually care about their reputation.’

’And for a lone wolf like her, what use was a reputation anyway?’

’Every survivor knew her strength, and they all knew the power of her runes.’

’The business she regularly conducted—selling runes, offering crafting services—never wanted for customers.’

’Moreover, she held an absolute monopoly on both services. For the other survivors, these were essential needs. Would they really refuse to buy runes or pass up on crafting clearly beneficial items just because of Artemis?’

’People are selfish. When so-called "upholding justice" conflicts with their own self-interest, everyone knows full well which one they’ll choose.’

Seraphina Sinclair closed the noisy Zone channel. Holding her Sunflower, she paced a couple of laps inside her mobile cabin. Just as she was wondering why the instance hadn’t started yet, a system notification popped up.

[Teleportation will commence in five minutes. All survivors, please prepare. Those who refuse to participate will receive a penalty of a 100% reduction to All Attributes for one week.]

’100%?!’

The moment that number appeared, the entire Zone channel forgot all about Artemis, instantly flooded by a new wave of angry messages.

"A 100% reduction to All Attributes?! That would just make you a regular person! With the monsters we’re facing now, the system is just sending us to our deaths!"

"The Golden Instance... a 100% Attribute reduction for not participating... Isn’t this just forcing every single one of us to go?!"