C3 Instance Dungeon Mission

Matthew arrived early and discovered that Tina hadn't yet made it, so he took a seat in a corner to wait. Before long, Tina made her entrance, clad in a striking red crop top dress that turned heads as she entered the room. Unfazed by the attention, her face was adorned with a languid, captivating smile. Spotting her, Matthew eagerly waved her over.

Tina noticed Matthew and sauntered over with allure. As she approached, Matthew took the opportunity to admire her. Her fiery red heels and dress accentuated her statuesque figure, her abdomen taut and toned. Her deep purple hair cascaded over her shoulders, perfectly complementing her appearance. Then, the most captivating feature... "Do I look good, big brother?" Tina teased Matthew playfully.

So mesmerized was Matthew that he hadn't noticed her arrival beside him. Internally chiding himself for his lack of composure, he managed an awkward smile and complimented, "Nana, you look stunning, and that dress suits you incredibly well. Where did you find it?" In that moment, Matthew was the epitome of a fawning admirer.

"I picked it up at a boutique," Tina replied, her voice tinged with pride and delight. Despite knowing the flattery from a straight man might be insincere, she, like any girl, enjoyed the compliments. Tina was no exception.

"Alright, let's get down to business. Tell me about the mission," she said.

Matthew recounted the mission details meticulously.

"It's manageable, not too difficult. But you need to be careful. On your first dungeon run, you should aim to pass quickly to secure more rewards. Later, you can take your time to hone your skills. Once inside, opt for spectator mode. The card I've given you is top-notch; it's hard for newcomers to come by. Just let the AI handle it, and you'll avoid any factors that might lower your score. Don't even think about trying a different mode. The stakes are too high for the initial reward. Got it?"

Matthew nodded earnestly, like a dutiful child. Then, thinking of his little Arthur, he blurted out, "The mission lasts five days, but my Demeter only has one hour. That's hardly enough."

"Using cards in the dungeon doesn't deplete them, but outside the dungeon, it's not permitted, hence the energy consumption. The higher the card's star level, the longer its endurance. And a three-star card is adult-sized," Tina explained with patience.

Matthew wasn't thinking about legendary beauties like Pleione or Aphaea; his thoughts were with his dear Arthur, and the pang of regret for mistakenly parting with the orange card washed over him once again.

"Alright, if you're ready, go ahead and accept. Just observe from the sidelines."

Matthew nodded and accepted, feeling a wave of dizziness as his consciousness was transported to a vast forest. To his astonishment, he found himself in a virtual form, akin to being entirely liquefied.

"The dungeon mission has commenced. Please select your battle mode... One, Manipulation Mode, Two, Watching Mode."

Matthew lazily selected Watching Mode, thinking anyone who wasn't lazy when they could afford to be was a fool.

"Please select your hero."

"Demeter!" Matthew called out. The card vanished from his backpack.

"The mission has started. Eliminate 20 Shadow Civets within five days. As this is your first dungeon experience, the difficulty has been reduced by 30%. Good luck..." The system's voice was always so reassuring.

"Dionysos, at your service!" Demeter materialized in a clearing of the forest, while Matthew remained a spectator from above.

"Damn, that's awesome! So freaking cool!" Matthew exclaimed incoherently, wondering if Demeter would be annoyed if she could hear him. Since it was Watching Mode, Demeter wasted no time and began to move. Matthew started to survey the Dark Forest, where the entangled branches created an impenetrable canopy. Despite Demeter's movement, the density of the trees remained unchanged, the sunlight blocked, and the secrets behind the thick leaves remained hidden.

Matthew's observational skills were sharp, especially when it came to gaming. He quickly noticed some rustling in the grass to the left and tried to warn Demeter, but she seemed oblivious to his shouts. He pondered what it would be like in Manipulation Mode.

But Matthew's concerns were unfounded; the AI had its own level of awareness. As Demeter approached within ten meters, she seemed to sense something, launching an ordinary attack to draw aggro. A black rabbit leapt out. Demeter's next move was impressive; she stepped back, and as the rabbit lunged, she unleashed the skill Dragon Soars the Sky, moving out of the aggro range—or perhaps the rabbit was just too low-level, as it hopped back into the underbrush.

The rabbit seemed to be the only highlight of the mission. Throughout the journey, Demeter kept running, occasionally unleashing a skill. Matthew noticed that the manipulation mode was in effect, with the system steering Demeter towards a push strategy—engaging monsters that were part of the objective and avoiding the rest. Demeter sprinted from one end of the Dark Forest to the other in a straight line, then turned around to do it all over again. It was a surefire way to pass the test.

As if to prove Matthew's theory, Demeter suddenly launched the Skywing Dragon skill into a nearby thicket, flushing out a cat-like creature. Its pitch-black fur hinted at a regal bearing, and its erect tail indicated its displeasure. This was undoubtedly the Shadow Civet. Without any hesitation, Demeter landed a basic attack, which dealt extra damage following the use of a skill. The civet, clearly hurt, leapt away, but Demeter was relentless, pursuing it with another skillful strike.

From his vantage point, Matthew couldn't contain his excitement, yelling, "Hit it, hit it, use your skills! Yes, that's it, move, keep moving, to the left, to the left!" Alas, Demeter couldn't hear a word.

True to Tina's words, Demeter, with his dual attributes, easily overpowered the Shadow Civet. It wasn't long before he dispatched it. Matthew noted that Demeter seemed to rely on just one skill, likely due to being a one-star card. He made a mental note to discuss this with Tina later.

Demeter's luck seemed to turn for the better as he soon stumbled upon another target—this time, three at once. Leveraging his high damage and exceptional damage resistance, he tackled the trio of Shadow Civets. The Warrior attribute probably boosted his health, the Assassin attribute his damage, and the Damage Immunity was likely Demeter's passive ability, Matthew surmised.

Matthew watched as Demeter continued his push strategy. Although he would pause to rest when his stamina waned, no minor monsters disturbed him during his recovery—probably the system's doing, or he would have been done for. As the excitement waned, Matthew's attention drifted to the surrounding landscape.

After what seemed like an eternity, a system prompt appeared: "Congratulations, you have completed the mission. Shadow Civet 20/20, time taken: 2 days and 4 hours. Overall evaluation: A. Please choose whether to leave now or wait for the mission reward to be sent to you later. Check your account for details."

Matthew shuddered with realization. Done already? That was surprisingly easy. But in truth, the task wasn't inherently simple; it was the system's way of looking out for newcomers by dialing down the difficulty. Plus, Matthew had played a high-quality card that was typically only accessible after some time in the game, which meant that even in spectator mode, he managed to secure an A rating. With that in mind, Matthew confidently selected 'yes.'