A Comprehensive Network: An Endless Adventure Begins as a Wanderer

Cheng Yi carried his backpack into the house, closed the door behind him, and the old iron door creaked softly.

This is the old house left by my parents, located on the third floor of an old-style residential building in the old town. There is no elevator, the corridor is piled with some clutter, and there are faint mold spots on the walls. The air is filled with dust and the smell of old furniture. It feels both strange and somewhat familiar.

He used to think this place was deserted and preferred to stay in his dorm room, even if his roommates were noisy, it was still better than being in an empty room. But now, this desertedness has become his most valuable advantage.

Cheng Yi didn't rush to study the control panel; instead, he started tidying up the room.

He opened his backpack and took out a few changes of clothes, books, and toiletries. Then he rummaged through a corner and found an old rag he had left there. He dampened it and began to wipe away the dust, one by one. He wiped the old sofa, the wooden coffee table, the windowsill, and the desk, and the originally dusty room slowly began to look cleaner.

He swept the floor briefly and then mopped it twice. As the water stains dried, the room became much brighter.

The master bedroom faces south and is well-lit. He spread out the bed, carefully arranged the sheets and duvet cover, and fluffed up the pillows—simple yet tidy. The second bedroom had some unused boxes piled up. He didn't disassemble them all, but simply gathered them against the wall, leaving a large open space, perfect for practicing his skills—inconspicuous and comfortable enough.

After working for half an hour, Cheng Yi straightened up and wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead. The house wasn't brand new, but it was clean, quiet, and convenient, like a place where he could truly feel at ease.

A slight smile played on his lips, and with a thought, a semi-transparent hand quietly appeared before him. This sorcerer's hand was much more agile than when he had first learned it. Cheng Yi tried to control the hand to reach the empty cardboard box in the corner. With a gentle flick of his fingertips, the box was steadily lifted and slowly moved to the center of the living room.

After practicing for a few minutes, Cheng Yi felt his palms getting slightly warm. The panel displayed "[Mana Points: 3/5]", so he stopped and sat down on the cold floor, opening the network panel.

I was busy moving things and tidying up the house before, so I didn't have time to properly study the dungeon function of the online game.

On the panel's dungeon page, only the "Newbie Trials" icon is lit up. The "Daily Dungeons" and "Weekly Dungeons" are both dimmed, indicating they need to be unlocked through the Newbie Trials. The "Campaign" section is even simply a locked icon.

Beginner Trial: The Three Pigs' Path

Challenge Level: 1

Dungeon Difficulty: Easy

Dungeon completion requirements: Pass through the Three Pigs Trail

Dungeon death penalty: Soul Weakness (lasts one natural day) (Newbie Trial Benefit)

Instance description: An overturned carriage, a man who has been dead for some time, rustling in the grass, and wild boar... or something like that.

P.S.: This is a crossover web game with hidden benefits, based on the underlying code. Newbie, what are you waiting for? ————Scott, the Crossover Web Game Mentor

P.S.: Scott, don't you have a conscience? I *** you *** — [999+ trending comments online]

Cheng Yi stared at those few lines of text and remained silent for a few seconds.

The description is ambiguous, the benefits are described in glowing terms, but the top comments are full of criticism. It doesn't seem like a proper and safe beginner's level at all.

But he had no choice—this was the only instance he could enter at the moment.

The punishment for death was a day of weakened soul, which was relatively mild. But the three words "wild boar...?" in the description made him inexplicably uneasy.

It wasn't a certainty, but rather a questioning tone. That meant that what was inside might not be a wild boar at all.

Cheng Yi rubbed his temples and temporarily put the panel away.

Thinking about it is useless. Without any information, worrying about what's in the instance will only cause more trouble. What he can do now is to prepare everything he can in reality and go in in the safest possible state.

He stood up, walked around the room again, and briefly planned out his future life.

The master bedroom is used for sleeping, the second bedroom is used for storing miscellaneous items and also serves as a practice area, and the living room is used for daily activities. Once the curtains are drawn, it becomes a completely private space that belongs entirely to him. Whether he's practicing skills or entering/exiting dungeons, he doesn't have to worry about being seen.

Once he confirmed that the environment was safe, Cheng Yi took out his phone and opened Taobao.

He had no intention of buying any dangerous items. Given the current situation in China, he wouldn't even consider buying controlled knives. If he actually got his hands on those things, he'd be dead before he even got into the game.

But you can't just buy nothing; you need a set of equipment to run dungeons.

First and foremost, shoes. No matter the terrain of the Three Pigs Trail, quiet and lightweight are always a safe bet.

Cheng Yi picked out a pair of black silent sneakers. The soles were soft, and there was almost no sound when walking in them. They were also suitable for everyday wear.

Then there are thicker work gloves that are wear-resistant and slip-resistant.

For lighting, Cheng Yi chose a small, high-powered flashlight and also bought a black cloth cover. In dark environments, the cloth cover would make it less likely for him to be spotted.

Then came the weapon. As a wanderer, Cheng Yi naturally wanted a dagger, but unfortunately, he couldn't buy one through official channels. So he had to settle for a small kitchen knife.

There were also some nylon ropes, pepper spray, and other miscellaneous items whose usefulness was uncertain.

Order confirmed, expected delivery in two days.

Putting down his phone, Cheng Yi leaned back on the sofa and summoned the Trickster's Hand once more.

This time, he wasn't just moving cardboard boxes.

He manipulated that translucent hand, pulling open drawers, closing cabinet doors, picking up pens, turning books, and gently lifting the cloth on the corner of the table, his movements gradually becoming more stable and precise.

Then the mage's hand grasped the broom, and he began to sweep the house shakily.

From a slight tremor at the beginning, to eventually being completely synchronized with my own hands.

[Mana Points: 2/5]

[Mana Points: 1/5]

[Mana Points: 0/5]

He stopped when a slight emptiness washed over him, then leaned back on the old sofa and closed his eyes to rest.

As the sun slowly dipped westward, the old town gradually quieted down.

He looked out the window; the streetlights in the old neighborhood were dim and yellow, shining through the gaps in the blackout curtains and casting long shadows on the floor.

The room was quiet, with only the old air conditioner humming softly. He leaned back on the sofa, his mind preoccupied with the dungeon run—

No matter what the Three Pigs Trail looks like, as long as you are prepared, there won't be any problems.

Recalling the embarrassing incident of getting 12 ones during his time in the role-playing game, Cheng Yi couldn't help but roll his eyes and mutter to himself:

"We can't afford to mess up again this time; we can't afford to be worse off than rolling dice."

With nothing to do for the time being, Cheng Yi started tinkering with the integrated network panel again.

Then he discovered that this thing seemed to be able to turn pages like a book...

Then, Cheng Yi saw what was displayed above:

[Multiverse Trading Center (Newbie Restricted Area)]

[Non-Anniversary Events on the Comprehensive Network (No events currently running)]

[Multiverse Network Player Forum (Apprentice/Region Locked)]

And then there's the grayed-out [Dimensional Teleportation]...

?

Cheng Yi's feelings were somewhat complicated at this moment. It was roughly similar to the frustrating feeling of discovering there were still questions on the back of the exam paper when the bell rang for the end of the exam in school…