Yue Shi concealed all his presence, entering the main area of the Temple in a state of perfect hiddenness.
He moved along the shadows of pillars that were as wide as city thoroughfares, his gaze sweeping over people dressed in various styles of attire.
Soon, at the base of a giant pillar supporting the dome, he discovered something strange.
It was a glowing stone tablet suspended in mid-air, with text and patterns constantly refreshing on its surface.
A dozen or so people were scattered around the tablet. Some were talking in low voices, while others stared silently at the stone, their fingers occasionally tapping the air as if operating an interface.
Yue Shi approached quietly, standing at the edge of the crowd.
His eyes fell on the tablet as he listened to the fragmented conversations of those around him.
This stone tablet was used to post missions.
People here could accept various tasks to earn points.
The mission content was mainly divided into three categories, distinguished by different colors.
The first category consisted of daily missions.
These included scouting the stability of game instances, patrolling and recording abnormal fluctuations, and tallying player survival rates.
This category had the largest number of missions and simple descriptions.
However, the points awarded were pitifully low, usually in the single digits and rarely exceeding five points.
The second category consisted of cleanup missions, which offered quite generous point rewards.
These involved clearing out illegal intruders—like Yue Shi—as well as dealing with abnormal players who discovered and exploited bugs for illegal gain.
Additionally, there were missions to eliminate traitorous GMs.
The third category was the most special: designing and constructing game instances.
This required considering the core theme of the instance and providing a complete design proposal.
It had to include basic game rules, scene architecture, balance parameters, innovation, and an estimated death rate assessment.
These missions were the rarest and had the most demanding requirements.
The key issue was that a significant number of creative ideas had already been used by others.
Attempting to create a new game instance was extremely difficult.
Most of the onlookers were focused on the first two categories.
Occasionally, someone would complain in a low voice about the low rewards for daily missions or discuss the difficulty of a particular bounty target.
Others simply shook their heads and sighed at the mission panel.
Yue Shi noticed a high-reward bounty pinned to the top of the mission panel.
【Handle the traitorous GM "Death Knell." This traitor was last seen in the "Flourishing" instance and his current whereabouts are unknown. Reward for valid leads: 1,000 points. Reward for kill: 300,000 points.】
Points. Yue Shi silently noted the frequently appearing word.
Was it the currency here?
But what exactly could these points be used for?
He didn't linger long in front of the stone tablet. Following the mark he had left on the GM, he began to navigate through the Temple.
The sensation from the mark fluctuated in strength, indicating that the target was also on the move.
After a while, the mark finally stabilized in a relatively remote location.
Yue Shi arrived at the outer area of the Temple.
The scale of the buildings here was still immense, but there was far less decoration, making the area feel much colder and more desolate.
He stopped before an ordinary-looking door. The source of the mark was inside.
With a slight shimmer of his body, he passed directly through the door and entered.
Inside was an empty room, roughly half the size of a football field.
The furnishings were extremely simple: a large mattress spread haphazardly on the floor, a curved metal desk that looked like a workbench, and a bathroom in the corner.
The room lacked any sense of warmth or life. Compared to the magnificent armor the man wore, this living space was truly pathetic.
The GM was standing with his back to the door at the workbench, busy with something.
He had removed his armor and changed into relatively simple clothes, making him look far less flamboyant than before.
“Your living conditions are quite mediocre.”
Yue Shi’s voice suddenly rang out behind the GM.
The GM’s entire body jolted violently. The color drained from his face, and his eyes were filled with horror.
He recognized the voice immediately. However, he couldn't see anyone else in the room besides himself.
“How did you find this place so fast? This is inside the Temple!” His voice cracked slightly.
“Keep quiet and cooperate.”
“I ask, you answer. Do you understand?”
Yue Shi’s voice spoke again.
The GM’s throat bobbed as his pupils shook.
After a moment of silence, he suppressed his agitation and said, “I understand. I’ll cooperate. What do you want to know?”
Yue Shi noticed his agitation and narrowed his eyes. “What can points be used for?”
The GM replied, “Points are everything here. You can exchange them for anything.”
“Including basic survival supplies, better living quarters, and more powerful costumes and items.”
“Costumes are things like armor and robes. They aren't just for decoration; they provide abilities like attack, defense, flight, and teleportation. They require points for upgrades and maintenance.”
“Most importantly, points can be exchanged for enhancements—all sorts of enhancements.”
“Permanent attribute increases, experience packs for combat techniques, and even bloodline and ability templates from fictional works!”
“Anything you want is available, though the prices for those things are astronomical. But theoretically, as long as you have enough points, you can obtain any power you desire here.”
At this point, the GM’s mood turned somber. “Points are the money here; they are the hard currency.”
“Without points, you can't do anything. You’ll never see a shred of hope. You’ll live a life more miserable than the beasts of burden outside.”
After listening, Yue Shi surveyed the bare room once more, his gaze landing on the GM’s face.
“It seems you’re quite frugal. Are you that short on points?”
The GM’s mouth twitched as he fought the urge to roll his eyes, his expression a mix of helplessness and exhaustion.
“I am indeed a pauper. The points I earn from daily missions barely cover my living expenses after deducting the maintenance fees for my costume. I can't save anything at all.”
“Bounty missions are too risky. None of the intruders are easy to deal with—you should know that better than anyone.”
“Unless I have no other choice, I won't take a bounty mission. And dungeon design? That’s far beyond my capabilities.”
Yue Shi clicked his tongue in wonder, his eyes looking at the man as if he were a specimen in a zoo.
“You’re already this poor, yet you still insist on wearing that gold-plated armor? You even go out of your way to spend points on its maintenance?”
The GM shook his head. “You don't understand. Even if you’re so poor you’re eating dirt, you have to dress decently.”
“Uh, I really don't understand,” Yue Shi said, spreading his hands.
The GM explained patiently, “If you don't have a costume, you’ll be mocked and ostracized.”
“Have you heard of the broken windows theory?”
“Once I fall into a state of being mocked and ostracized, it gradually evolves into bullying. Life only gets worse from there.”
He sighed, his eyes turning hollow as he lowered his voice. “I don't know where these strange social trends came from, but those are just minor troubles.”
“Poverty isn't the real problem either. As long as you’re diligent, you can slowly accumulate points.”
“The real trouble here is that the Temple is not safe.”
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