Fang Zhen was slightly surprised.
âHave I unlocked a new feature?â
The instance settlement screen didnât just let him solidify skills anymore; it also allowed him to upgrade them. However, only some skills could be upgraded, while others couldnât.
âThis gives me even more control.â
He mulled it over and concluded that the Dungeon Life Gameâs logic was simple: the more difficult the instance and the more advanced the worldâs setting, the greater the permissions he would be granted. The system was guiding him to constantly climb and take on new challenges.
There werenât that many skills available to solidify this time, mainly just long-spear combat techniques. This was because his primary offensive method in this instance had been using drones to spread gasoline; he hadnât engaged in much direct combat himself.
He was fine with that.
He had Merit Points to spare, so he chose to solidify them all.
Instantly, Fang Zhen felt a warm current surge through him, and a new sensation washed over his entire body.
The main change was in his mentality.
He had a strange feeling. While other changes werenât obvious, his mentality had undergone a significant shift. He felt a profound sense of calm composure, as if he were observing the constant ebb and flow of emotions and impulses from above, unaffected and immune to the encroachment of negativity.
This wasnât to say he had become emotionless. He could immerse himself in his feelings whenever he wanted, but his underlying state of mind was exceptionally stable, preventing him from experiencing extreme emotional fluctuations or shocks.
This reminded Fang Zhen of something a friend he knew online often said.
That friend often claimed to have the age of a forty-year-old, the body of a twenty-year-old, the soul of an eighteen-year-old, and the mentality of a fifty-year-old.
The "fifty-year-old mentality" referred to a mind as steady as an old dogâs.
As Fang Zhen recalled this saying, he couldnât help but chuckle.
Aside from the age part, he felt he now fit that description quite well.
"The After-Action Report for this instance has been generated. Spend 5 Merit Points to read the report?"
A message box from the Dungeon Life Game popped up.
Fang Zhen clicked "Confirm."
"Transmitting report... Transmitting..."
"Report transmission complete."
"Game Report
Instance: [Fallen Knight]
Difficulty: [Nameless World - Hard]
Clear Time: [9 Days]
Character (Fang Zhen) Behavioral Pattern: [Leveraged technological superiority, cleverly used drones for kills, and exploited natural forces with fire attacks to gain an advantage.]
Maps/Scenes: [Dark Forest, Redstone Town Wilderness, Baron von Valley, Ashton Territory]
Player Teammates/Factions: Marchioness Dalia, Redstone Town Residents (Combat Support)
Instance Clear Process:
Key Event 1: [Incinerated the Montagu Army; solo-killed the Fallen Knight, Montagu.]
Key Event 2: [Battle of the Baron von Territory; incinerated the Von Klei army; killed the Fallen Knight, Von Klei.]
Key Event 3: [Killed the Fallen Knight, Ashton.]
Key Event 4: [Acquired a large amount of resources and Extraordinary Items by cooperating with Dalia.]
Results:
Victor: [Player Fang Zhen and his team]
MVP: [Player Fang Zhen]
Best Teammate: [Player Fang Zhen]
Highlight Reel:
[Highlight 1]: Expanded use of technological products, cleverly creating fire-based attacks with drones.
[Highlight 2]: Forged a deep cooperative relationship with Marchioness Dalia.
Trait Analysis:
[Trait 1]: Base defense remains insufficient.
[Trait 2]: Current vehicle no longer meets requirements.
[Trait 3]: Base attributes need improvement.
Directional Suggestions:
[Suggestion 1]: Improve personal defensive capabilities as soon as possible.
[Suggestion 2]: Acquire a more suitable vehicle.
[Suggestion 3]: Make rational use of Merit Points to obtain more personally relevant game information.
[Suggestion 4]: Shift skill focus from breadth to depth. Raise the level of key skills to prepare for the next stage of instance clearing.
"
Fang Zhen reviewed the report. The most noteworthy points were Suggestions 3 and 4 under "Directional Suggestions."
He now had a surplus of Merit Points, so spending some to buy personally relevant information was necessary.
As for his skills, he already had quite a few. The Dungeon Life Game was clearly hinting that he would need more powerful skills to support him in the future. He needed to focus on their strength and depth, not their breadth.
"During the instance settlement process, it was detected that character âFang Zhenâ triggered a key plot point. The fourth act of the âFallen Knightâ instance can now be unlocked.
The fourth act is a delayed instance and will unlock in thirty-two days.
You may act freely during these thirty-two days, choosing to undertake other instance missions or to rest.
Note: The fourth act is a Nightmare-difficulty instance. Player Fang Zhenâs current power level is insufficient to handle this difficulty. You cannot use the âUnlock Info in Advanceâ feature. Please increase your strength as soon as possible to gain permission to enter the instance.
Note: Upon the first clear of a Nightmare-difficulty instance, you will receive new instance permissions. Please improve your strength and do your best to clear it."
Fang Zhen was quite surprised.
âNightmare difficulty... I wonder how hard it is. I donât even have permission to get information on it in advance.â
It seemed that acquiring permissions in the Dungeon Life Game was not only related to the highest difficulty one had cleared but also closely tied to oneâs own power level.
âIâll worry about that later. First, I need to clear the âBloody Lordâ instance.â
He calculated his current Merit Points.
He had gained 1,059 Merit Points from the Fallen Knight instance and originally had 73 points saved up. He had spent 25 points on information for the Bloody Lord instance, 5 points on the after-action report, and 230 points to solidify his skills.
His final balance was 872 Merit Points.
He pulled up his personal skill list.
After looking it over for a moment, he selected four skills and traits that could be upgraded.
Combat Intuition Lvl 2: Precise Intuition.
Lethal Dodge.
Mind Like Still Water.
Gang Zan Seal.
Fang Zhen selected these four to enhance.
His reasoning was actually very simple. All four skills had one thing in common: they could all be used for survival.