Gate of Revelation

GOR Chapter 574 This Instance Dungeon Is Infected

Time is an interesting concept.

The reason why it is interesting, is because the concept of time is always relative. This is something that many people could vaguely sense. However, they would never ponder too much about it.

How long is ten minutes?

Six hundred seconds.

This amount of time may be enough for the heart to beat a few hundred times – most people could probably do that.

However, this 10 minutes’ worth of time, is it long, or is it short?

For a student who loves to play games after feeling tired from studying, if that student were to spend that 10 minutes playing Kings of Glory (Arena of Valour in the West) or some other similar games, that 10 minutes would pass in the blink of an eye.

If he were to study with all his heart, each second would feel like a year.

This is a very strange concept. Many people could vaguely sense it. However, not many would actually try to ponder through it. Whenever they think of this issue, majority of them would use a certain thought to comfort themselves: It is due to the difference in emotional state. When doing something you like, you would feel time flowing quickly.

Is it… …

… … … just because of that?

…

…

[System prompt: Instance dungeon D5093 has begun. Duration for this instance dungeon is 300 minutes. This instance dungeon’s quest is of the confrontation type. Participants will be automatically separated into two factions, the Official Faction and Rebel Faction. Non-Players will be in the Official Faction. Players will be in the Rebel Faction. The confrontation quest is as follows:

[First phase: Be the first to seize the clue items and your faction will automatically obtain advantageous clues. Clue items will be appearing at random within the instance dungeon areas. Both factions are to carefully search for them.

[This instance dungeon is of the confrontation type. Killing off a member of the other faction would give you a special reward. The rewards can be accumulated.

[By exterminating every member of the opposing faction, you will automatically meet the minimum victory condition for this instance dungeon. By doing so, you can complete and end this instance dungeon earlier.

[Countdown: 299 minutes 59 seconds…]

Chen Xiaolian had received this prompt 10 minutes ago.

To be exact, when this instance dungeon started 10 minutes ago, Chen Xiaolian had received the prompt through his personal system.

Back then, Chen Xiaolian and Soo Soo had made their way into Bran Castle. They had just stepped into the hall when the system informed them that the instance dungeon had begun.

At the same time, the entirety of Bran Castle underwent a refresh process.

The scene around them began changing.

The ancient and dilapidated looking castle gradually became new. The positioning of some of the items too, changed.

One of the changes happened in one of the towers in the left corner of the castle hall. That tower had bronze cannons with rusty surfaces. The rust on the surface of the cannons gradually faded away. The fence set up around the castle that had been turned into a museum gradually disappeared.

The pictures and frames hung on the wall to introduce the place also disappeared. In its place were some weapons such as swords, axes, blades, shields…

A weapon rack appeared in the corner and was filled with spears.

The number of tourists in the castle was sparse in the morning. However, they were still there. The instant the instance dungeon began, the tourists inexplicably disappeared.

The instance dungeon had begun.

However, what happened next, shocked Chen Xiaolian to the core…

To be exact, it was at this moment, 10 minutes after the instance dungeon began that Chen Xiaolian entered a state of shock and… … … he also felt a trace of… …

Horror.

There was only one reason for that, the ‘system prompt’ in his personal system.

The first few sentences were not surprising.

What shocked Chen Xiaolian was the final prompt.

[Countdown: 299 minutes 59 seconds…]

Even after 10 minutes, that prompt remained unchanging.

No change!

In other words, the system’s countdown was not ticking down.

…

Ten minutes earlier, the countdown was at 299 minutes and 59 seconds.

Now, ten minutes later, the countdown showed the same thing.

If so…

“A problem, a big problem.” Chen Xiaolian knitted his brows.

…

The system was very powerful. There was no doubt about that. No matter when, going against the system was an impossible feat. As the omnipotent system, it would never make a mistake.

At this moment however, there was a BUG before Chen Xiaolian and Soo Soo.

The system… … … its timer had stopped.

Chen Xiaolian had spent the last 10 minutes leading Soo Soo with him as he made his way through the entire first floor of the castle.

Though, to say that 10 minutes had passed was something of a mistake as Chen Xiaolian’s watch had stopped as well.

All time measuring devices on his person had stopped.

Using his senses, Chen Xiaolian felt that around 10 minutes must have passed. Although it was rather vague, he was still able to more or less gauge it.

However, this was about it. Using this rough method of measuring time may be possible for a short amount of time, but as time grew longer… … it would likely become even more vague.

“A very big problem?” Soo Soo turned to look at Chen Xiaolian.

“Mm.” Chen Xiaolian nodded. Next however, he gave the little girl a smile. “Don’t worry, I am here.”

“I know.” Soo Soo appeared nonchalant about it. However, her small body leaned closer to Chen Xiaolian’s side.

Using 10 minutes, they had searched through the first floor of the castle, but they discovered nothing suspicious – Chen Xiaolian felt somewhat strange. The system had stated that the first phase of the quest was the search for clue items. If so, why…… why could they see no other game participants in the first floor of this castle?

The first floor of the castle was empty. There were only Chen Xiaolian and Soo Soo there. No one else, not even the shadow of a ghost could be seen there.

“Let us go check elsewhere. I recall there being several floors here when we came here yesterday. There is also a basement here. That place is quite spacious. Since we have already checked the first floor, where should we head to next? The upper floor or the basement?” Chen Xiaolian looked at Soo Soo and said with a relaxed tone.

“You decide.” The little girl smiled in response.

Chen Xiaolian grew silent for a moment. “Then… … let us head down. Yesterday, when we came here, many of the places in the basement were dark. There were quite a few places forbidden to tourists. As there were staff members there, I did not feel like trespassing. There were quite a few places there that we did not see. Let us go check up on the basement first. Since this place has a legend of blood-sucking vampires, who knows? The basement might have a concealed coffin with a thousand-year-old vampire sleeping in it.”

…

Phoenix felt as though she was on the verge of going mad.

As a Guild Leader, she had instantly found out that something was wrong. The system’s countdown timer had stopped.

She had participated in many instance dungeons. In all of them, never had a BUG appeared.

At this moment however, there was a BUG right before her.

She found that, not only have the system countdown timer stopped, she herself must have fallen into a very unfavourable situation. This was the biggest concern swirling within Phoenix’s mind.

The reason she came to that conclusion was that she had circled around the castle once. However, she had yet to see any other game participants.

Both Chen Xiaolian and Soo Soo had disappeared – perhaps they have entered the castle.

Here however, Phoenix faced an issue.

She found that she could only move about outside the castle. She could not enter it.

The castle gate was right there, seemingly within reach. However, when she tried to move toward the gate, no matter how much she tried to rush toward it, she was unable to approach the gate.

It was as though the space… … was infected with some malware.

… … this instance dungeon is infected.

Phoenix was unable to stop herself from cursing inwardly.

The area outside of the castle was an open space. Before the refresh process occurred, this place was a garden for the museum. However, the instant the instance dungeon began, the garden disappeared and was replaced by what appeared to be a barracks.

Around and against the tower was a row of wooden houses. The houses seemingly form a barracks. Outside the barracks were firewood, weapons and various other military gears.

There were also casks filled with oil.

Clearly, all these preparations were made for the sake of war.

As for Phoenix, she was trapped in the middle of this empty barracks.

“Is there anyone here?!”

Phoenix circled the place for 10 minutes. Finally, she could not restrain herself from shouting out.

Her voice echoed through the barracks. However, there was no response.

“This instance dungeon is infected!”

…