In Peach Blossom Land, players can use their abilities, but they cannot use item cards. These items can only be used inside instances.

However, some daily instances have an extremely small chance of dropping special effect cards. These cards have no offensive power and can only assist players with certain tasks. They can be used outside instances, but they are extremely expensive and exceedingly rare. They were cards that exist in name but are almost never available on the market.

The card in Sheng Yan's hand was one he had purchased at a high price after his ability was sealed, specifically to find a powerful teammate who could help him clear an instance.

Unfortunately, Sheng Yan himself was already among the strongest of beginner-level players. Who would dare team up with someone like him, who would increase instance difficulty while being unable to use his ability?

Intermediate-level players were stronger than him, but even if his ability hadn't been sealed, teaming up with Intermediate-level players would still be a near-certain death sentence. Joining them was basically a suicide.

Sheng Yan searched for eight days without finding a teammate until he met Mo Bai, a player who could raise instance difficulty even more than he could.

Mo Bai took the card and saw the text written on it:

 

[

Name: Bundled Sale

Type: Special Card

Rank: None

Effect: Allows 2–5 players to enter an instance as a team

Usage: After forming a team, the team leader registers for the instance

Uses: 1

Details: The most hated card of the Main System. Instance bosses don't like this card either. But everything exists for a reason, and existence itself has value. The world does not operate according to the system's preferences. The world has order and follows certain rules. Just like how players dislike having to buy Product A to purchase Product B, yet such sales models undeniably exist.

]

 

The card itself wasn't particularly special, but its description was intriguing.

It clearly revealed one thing: even the Main System was not omnipotent in this world. It, too, could only act within the rules.

But who made those rules?

Perhaps no one did. The rules probably existed since the birth of the world itself.

No one knows how the universe came into being, yet it undeniably operates with order and laws that no one can fully comprehend.

"You're the team leader," Mo Bai said, handing the card back to Sheng Yan.

This forced instance was primarily Sheng Yan's responsibility. She was merely assisting.

Sheng Yan opened his light screen, added Mo Bai as a friend, formed a two-person team, and then tapped the glowing red forced instance icon to initiate it.

Soon, both of their wristbands received a system notification from the Main System.

 

[

Instance Name: Biological Research Institute No. 7

Objective: Assist the researchers inside Biological Research Institute No. 7. The contract you signed with the institute lasts ten days. Please complete the ten-day research period.

Duration: 10 days

Rank: B (Mutated)

Number of Players: 7

Survival Rate: 30%

Start Time: 24 hours later

Background: Biological Research Institute No. 7 has made tremendous contributions to the world. The nutrient solutions and healing potions beloved by players were all developed here. However, in recent years, the institute has changed. While its funding continues to rise, it has failed to develop anything useful for several years and appears to be conducting some kind of secret research. Can players uncover the institute's secret? Can players still leave the institute in human form?

]

 

"Ten days, and only a 30% survival rate," Sheng Yan said nervously. "That means only two out of seven people will survive. This is the hardest B-rank instance I've ever seen. I really hope the two survivors will be us."

Mo Bai's focus was elsewhere. She checked her own screen and asked, "You're the team leader, does your screen show how many people have already signed up?"

"Yes," Sheng Yan replied. "There were five players before we registered. After we joined, the instance was filled up."

Hearing that number, Mo Bai's expression grew even more serious.

"Are you worried about Phantom Butterfly?" Sheng Yan asked. "Will it be hiding among the players again this time?"

Mo Bai sighed. "The Phantom Butterfly follows my scent. It only enters an instance after I register. Since there were already five players assigned before I joined, and it didn't know I would enter this instance, it definitely wouldn't be among those five. We registered together and filled the last two slots, so the Phantom Butterfly won't be among the players."

"Isn't that good?" Sheng Yan said. "At least we don't need to watch out for it among the players."

"That makes things worse," Mo Bai replied. "If I knew it was among the players, I'd only need to observe seven people. But now that it isn't, and since it can transform into anything to enter the instance, it could be an NPC, an object, or something insignificant. A tree, a flower, a blade of grass, a brick. Any of them could be the Phantom Butterfly in disguise. That's much harder to identify. And…”

She paused, rereading the instance description. Then she tapped the word Mutated next to the rank and asked, "You've been in the Infinite World for three years, so you must have cleared hundreds, if not a thousand, instances. You've done forced instances every three months, too, so over ten of them. Have you ever seen an instance mutate?"

"No," Sheng Yan shook his head. "Not me, and not even my brother. None of the A-rank instances he cleared had a 'mutated' tag."

"Which means it'll be hard to find any intel on mutated instances," Mo Bai said pessimistically. "We should check the trading market later and see if there's any information."

"Now that you say it, this instance is really strange," Sheng Yan said, rereading the description. "But as long as we buy enough high-attack cards, we should be able to clear it, right?"

"I'm not lacking high-attack cards," Mo Bai said, opening her inventory for Sheng Yan to see. At this point, they were bound by life and death, so there was no need to hide her card information.

When Sheng Yan saw Mo Bai's two A-rank cards, his eyes went wide. "How do you have so many A-rank cards?!"

"Good luck in the last instance," Mo Bai said lightly.

The calmer she sounded, the more convinced Sheng Yan became that he had found an incredibly strong teammate. "Then our chances are even better! This is a spatial ability!"

"Is that so?" Mo Bai said. "I actually think that because I'm here, the instance difficulty might have been pushed into the 'mutated' category. In some ways, it might even be more dangerous than a regular A-rank instance."

"How could that be?" Sheng Yan said confidently. "You really think your trouble-making ability is stronger than mine? I'm a Natural-type ability user."

Seeing his optimism, Mo Bai felt it was necessary to explain her concerns.

"Let me tell you how I see this instance. First, and this is very important, I don't think I can deal with Phantom Butterfly through expulsion this time. I suspect the system has sent me straight into Phantom Butterfly's base."

"Why would you think that?" Sheng Yan asked. "My ability is sealed, yet you're more pessimistic than I am."

"I'm not pessimistic. I'm just making a reasonable inference," Mo Bai said. "You remember how Phantom Butterfly targeted me, right?"

"You killed a B-rank monster it was raising," Sheng Yan said.

"Yes. That monster was called an Enhanced Mutant. According to the information I got, Phantom Butterfly loves raising all kinds of mutants, manipulating their emotions, and feeding on their despair. So let me ask you, where do all those mutants come from?"

"Based on games, movies, and novels I've seen," Sheng Yan said slowly, "mutants usually come from scientific experiments or secret research facilities…"

He stopped mid-sentence and looked at the instance name: Biological Research Institute No. 7.

"…It can't be that much of a coincidence, right?"

"I've been in this world for a short time," Mo Bai said calmly, "but I've learned one thing: nothing that happens to me is a coincidence. If I guess the worst possible outcome, I'm usually right."

"But it's just one Phantom Butterfly," Sheng Yan argued. "You said it isn't a combat-type monster. Its troublesome abilities are disguise and emotional manipulation. If we buy a card that dispels illusions and emotional control, and as long as we can identify it, it shouldn't be hard to deal with."

Sheng Yan had immense confidence in his combat ability.

Mo Bai shook her head. "If Phantom Butterfly managed to lure so many mutants into a biological research institute, I suspect it has some form of domain ability there. Maybe not a full domain, but at least partial control.

And my second concern is this: since this B-rank instance is labeled 'mutated,' I don't think there would only be one A-rank monster inside. There may be several, and all with domain abilities. The Phantom Butterfly might just be one of them."

Sheng Yan fell silent.

He had never encountered an instance like this.

"Of course," Mo Bai added, "this is just the worst-case scenario. There are many clues pointing this way, but it might not be true. In the next 24 hours, we need to gather as much information as possible on mutated instances. You still have enough points, right?"

"Over two million points," Sheng Yan said after checking. "That should be enough."

He didn't even bother mentioning the extra digits after two million.

Mo Bai felt a brief surge of resentment toward the rich.

Suppressing her emotions, she continued, "Good. I've seen some rare, special-effect item cards on the trading market before. They're expensive, but you can afford them. Now, for my third point—"

"There's a third point?" Sheng Yan interrupted in shock.

He was already a little unwilling to listen to Mo Bai's analysis. The more he listened, the more desperate the situation became.

Mo Bai insisted on continuing, "My third concern is that even if we survive all ten days, we might not leave the instance in human form."

Sheng Yan: "……"

"I don't know if you've ever seen mutants," Mo Bai continued. "But based on my experience fighting them, I believe they were once humans who were changed by experiments. The instance background hints at this too."

Sheng Yan stared at the line 'Can players still leave the institute in human form?' and felt his vision go dark.

"I think that line specifically targets my Blessing of the Puppets card," Mo Bai said. "When I first got it, I wondered why a one-time-use card could be A-rank. The system sells healing potions, and most injuries can be healed with those. On the surface, this card overlaps with healing items. So why is it A-rank?

Only after seeing this instance description did I understand its true value.

Healing potions restore bodily injuries, but does mutation count as an injury? From my experience with the Enhanced Mutant, mutation isn't an injury. If we're subjected to inhuman experiments and turned into mutants or failed experiments, healing potions won't save us. Only this card will.

But there's only one such card between us. I promise you this: whoever mutates first gets the card. That's the fairest solution. As for the second person... life or death will be up to fate.

However, I have one condition. If you're the one who uses the card, you must pay me its full market value in points."

Sheng Yan had already lost hope for this forced instance, yet Mo Bai's calm, methodical planning gradually steadied him.

He nodded in agreement and looked at her intently, as if trying to understand how a girl as delicate as a porcelain doll could remain so unshakably calm, and how she could possess such iron will.

She hadn't spoken words of encouragement, yet her actions carried immense strength, igniting the deepest spark of hope.

"Why are you so… resolute?" Sheng Yan asked quietly. "Don't you ever feel despair?"

"I have," Mo Bai said. "I've been desperate."

She had spent over a year in despair, cursing the heavens countless times for not letting her die back then, questioning fate endlessly. But despair brought nothing except pain and self-pity.

"Because I've known despair," she said softly, "I know it's useless. Instead of blaming the heavens, it's better to act. Even if you fail in the end, at least you fought against fate to the very last moment. That process itself is full of hope."

She had long understood how small she was. Unable to change the world, others, or even her circumstances. The only thing she could change was her heart.

Look at the sky with sorrow, and it will be cloudy blue. Look at it with optimism, and it will be clear blue.

The sky never changed. Only her heart did, and with it, the world.

If you want to change your environment, you must change yourself first.

Xiao Qi heard Mo Bai's thoughts and suddenly sighed for no reason.

Coming from a sweet, childish voice, the sigh was oddly cute.

"What's wrong?" Mo Bai asked.

"I think I finally understand why your ability is so special," Xiao Qi said, as if enlightened. "Maybe it's because you have a heart like this."

"Who knows how the Main System assigns abilities?" Mo Bai replied indifferently.

After giving Sheng Yan a powerful emotional boost through both words and actions, the two of them began to move.

Mo Bai first sent Mo Xiangyou a message, asking if he knew anything about mutated-level instances.

Mo Xiangyou replied: "You're helping Sheng Yan clear a forced instance, and you come to me for information? Did you forget we're enemies? What do I gain from helping him survive?"

Mo Bai shamelessly replied:

"I have no choice. You're my only contact among Intermediate-level players."

There was no response for a long time.

She thought for a moment and added:

"I suspect Sheng Lei's death may be related to you, but it definitely wasn't caused by you. There's no real hatred between you and Sheng Yan. Your hostility isn't directed at him personally, but at all combat-type players. Sheng Yan just became a scapegoat."

Still no reply.

Mo Bai sent one more message:

"Don't you want to see how I clear it?"

Just as she was racking her brain for what might move him, Mo Xiangyou sent an encrypted email titled "Mutated Instance Intelligence," with the note: "500,000 points for the password."

Mo Bai waved at Sheng Yan. "Transfer me 500,000."

Sheng Yan, utterly unconcerned about points, sent it over without hesitation. Mo Bai paid while asking, "How many points do you have left?"

"Still over two million," Sheng Yan replied.

Mo Bai: “……”

How could he still have over two million after spending 500,000? Just how many digits were there after that number?!

After receiving the password, Mo Bai opened the email.

"Mutated-level instances are instances in the process of evolution. Normally, instance ranks are fixed. B-rank stays B-rank, A-rank stays A-rank. They do not cross tiers.

However, in the Infinite World, all change is possible, so a tiny chance of mutation exists.

The stories behind forced instances are interconnected. A change in one story can trigger changes in others like dominoes. These changes are initially within the system's calculations, but once the chain reaction grows too large, mutation can occur.

Mutation is not fixed. A B-rank instance might evolve into A-rank, jump directly to S-rank, or even degrade into C-rank.

As long as it remains labeled B-rank, its current difficulty is still B-rank. But that can change at any moment. It may become S-rank midway through the run, or the boss may self-destruct and downgrade it to C-rank. Anything is possible.

If a player is unfortunate enough to encounter a mutated instance, they must act proactively and search for the source of mutation. Otherwise, they may become its sacrifice.

We cannot place our survival in the hands of luck."

At the end, Mo Xiangyou added: "Information sourced from players in Neverland."

"Neverland. That place where rent costs 300,000 points a month? Even Advance-level players struggle to survive there," Mo Bai said. "No wonder this information is so expensive."

She had no idea how Mo Xiangyou got access to Neverland intelligence.

"So this instance could even downgrade to C-rank!" Sheng Yan said happily after reading it.

Mo Bai forced a smile, reached out to pat his slightly prickly hair, and perfunctorily said, "You're so adorable."

Adorable in a naïve, innocent way.

Sheng Yan didn't feel happy at all. It felt like he was being petted like a big dog.

Mo Bai had no energy to think about Neverland's absurd cost of living, as her mind was fixed on the mutation.

This instance's mutation direction was absolutely not optimistic. They had to prepare for it to mutate into S-rank.

"Once we enter, we absolutely cannot sit idle," Mo Bai said. "If there's any chance, we must investigate the instance's secrets and stop the mutation from escalating."

At this point, Phantom Butterfly was no longer the main difficulty.

"Let's go buy cards at the trading market," Mo Bai urged.

But Sheng Yan said, "Before that, take a look at the cards I've accumulated. My brother and I gathered quite a lot over the years. Most were sold, but we kept some rare ones. We designated each other as primary heirs. After he passed, I inherited the house, points, and cards."

With that, he returned to the room where Mo Bai had woken up, opened the bookshelf, and took out a thick album, handing it to her.

Mo Bai opened it. Every page held four cards.

Mo Bai: “……”

She really wanted to rob him. This was basically an armory.

Xiao Qi complained resentfully, "I told you. You asked for too little. You should've demanded more points."

Mo Bai rubbed her temples and stubbornly replied, "I admit that I regret it, but I'm still sticking to my principles!"

Each of them could bring three cards into the instance. Mo Bai's two A-rank cards were obtained in an instance and weren't restricted by level, leaving her with one slot for either a B or C-rank card.

Most of Sheng Yan's cards were self-earned; only a few were purchased. Each card was carefully labeled: "Sheng Yan's," "Sheng Lei's," or "Bought."

That level of care clearly wasn't Sheng Yan's doing, so it had to be Sheng Lei.

What a good older brother.

In theory, Sheng Yan could fill all three slots with B-rank cards.

There were a few A-rank cards in the album, but unfortunately, they were obtained by Sheng Lei, so Sheng Yan couldn't use them yet.

They didn't need to visit the trading market at all.

Mo Bai selected four cards and handed three to Sheng Yan. "Take these three. I'll explain some precautions and our recognition code. Phantom Butterfly can imitate others, so we must verify the code whenever we meet."

Sheng Yan looked at the four cards she'd chosen and pointed to the one she kept. "Why did you choose a C-rank card?"

"Then why did you keep a C-rank card in your collection?" Mo Bai countered.

Sheng Yan coughed awkwardly. "I like Transformers. Anything that can transform, I keep it."

"I'm different," Mo Bai said. "I like wheelchairs."

The card she kept was Windfire Wheelchair, which was a C-rank card. The wheelchair could transform into a one-person vehicle capable of 150 km/h. Just starting it immediately deducts 500 points, and after transformation, it consumes 500 points per 100 km. Just as costly as the Gluttonous Messenger Pigeon.

Mo Bai could walk now, so the wheelchair couldn't be counted as part of her body and wouldn't be directly brought into an instance.

Her Agility was only 41, and her walking speed was barely faster than a toddler's. She could walk, but her leg muscles weren't strong enough to run.

For now, moving by wheelchair was still much faster than walking.

With this card, Mo Bai could continue to disguise herself as someone with impaired mobility within the instance. She could mislead enemies, especially Phantom Butterfly, who knew her well, while also reaching speeds her legs couldn't manage. For her, it was more useful than many B-rank cards.

After choosing their cards, Mo Bai and Sheng Yan simulated several crisis scenarios to improve their coordination.

Only after covering everything she could think of did she finally have time to consider something else.

Looking at the player count, she said, "Both of us are already highly unusual players. Being assigned to a mutated instance like this is bad luck. But we didn't activate this instance. What kind of hidden prodigies are among the five players before us that could trigger a mutation like this?"

Sheng Yan couldn't answer.

He could only say, "Probably another troublesome player."