Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

“That’s right.” Cheng Cheng slowly turned around. “My father sent you to protect me, but you know what I just went through.”

He stared into the bodyguard's eyes, those pale red pupils seeming to harbor a lion:

“I was just kidnapped by cultists and possessed by a demon, so I need to ascertain your loyalty and your ability to protect me. If you hadn’t acted just now, or if you had been even a fraction too slow—”

Cheng Cheng paused, letting the silence linger in the air.

"Then I'll stop. But you reacted quickly, well done."

Fine beads of sweat appeared on the bodyguard's forehead.

He recalled that moment just now—the young lady raised her sword without the slightest hesitation, the angle at which the blade was aimed at her carotid artery was terrifyingly precise, and the force she exerted was definitely not just for show.

But what the young lady said makes sense. After experiencing something like that, it's normal to be suspicious. Testing the bodyguard seems to make sense too.

“Your reaction, judgment, and determination to save me all met the standard.”

He took a step forward and looked up at the Gold-rank expert who was a head taller than him.

"You've passed the first test. You've proven your professional competence."

The bodyguard's Adam's apple bobbed; he felt something was off.

"Then..." the bodyguard asked in a low voice, "what is the second level of the test?"

Cheng Cheng smiled.

That was Sylvia's face, but the meaning in her smile was completely different from that of the seventeen-year-old noblewoman.

"The second test is loyalty."

He stretched out his hand, palm up:

"Lend me one million credits."

…………

"Intimacy Level: 0 → 5 (35% attribute sharing)"

The bodyguard went to pay the bill, but his eyes kept glancing this way, as if afraid that the young lady might do something drastic again and commit suicide.

Seeing that the intimacy level had returned to a positive number, Cheng Cheng breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Thankfully, the explanation worked.

Although Sylvia still had doubts, she at least believed what he said.

“Mr. Mambo…” Sylvia’s voice echoed in her mind, “Will you do this again…? Even though you saved my life, I’m very scared…”

ε=('ο｀*))) Sigh...

Cheng Cheng sighed: "It won't happen again, I promise."

This is the truth.

Intimacy level is too important. Unless absolutely necessary, you should never do something like suicide and reverting to a previous state.

Moreover... to be honest, after spending time with Sylvia, this NPC—no, this living, breathing girl—after dozens of saves, he had developed some kind of affection for her.

As a veteran player in the secondary gaming community, it's perfectly normal to develop feelings for game characters. For example, Seele, Kiana, Bronya, Firefly, Xilian, Kurumi, Funina, Columbia, Aya, Sitley... are all Cheng Cheng's unwavering wives until death.

Naxida was the only exception; Naxida was the mother.

Although Sylvia often nags in your ear and it can be annoying, like Paimon, if Cheng Cheng really dislikes Sylvia, he will also feel very uncomfortable.

“…I’ll trust you for now,” Sylvia said softly, then paused. “Mr. Mambo, where should we go next?”

Where should we go?

Should I continue borrowing money to buy more monsters to kill? Or should I go to the gym to work out?

“Um… Mr. Mambo, if you’re buying a magical pet not to raise, but for battle, to improve me,” Sylvia paused, “I have a suggestion.”

"Let's go to the underground city."

Chapter 16, I'm Building Gundams in the Dungeon

What is an underground city?

On the return trip on the Starr Silver Shadow, Cheng Cheng repeated the word. Sylvia didn't know much about it either, but fortunately, there were bodyguards with her.

“The dungeons are tributaries of the abyss.” The bodyguard explained as he drove, “Ever since the Amber God sealed the entrance to the abyss a thousand years ago, these ‘tributaries’ have appeared all over the world—they spread like tree roots, becoming channels for monsters and demons to descend to the human world.”

Cheng Cheng leaned back in his seat, looking out the car window at the rapidly receding street scene.

Tell me more.

“The closest one is the underground city of Silvershine City, the capital, which has twenty-two levels.” The bodyguard’s voice was steady. “The first level is the shallowest and safest—in fact, it’s now full of homeless vagrants. From the third level onwards, real monsters will appear. There’s a chance of encountering a silver-rank monster on the fifth level. The eighth level… occasionally, lower-ranking demons will climb up.”

A wanderer?

Upon hearing this word, Cheng Cheng immediately reacted.

Isn't the Wanderer just like the Scattered Soldier from our game "Yuanshen"?

This crappy game, Destiny: Immortal Crown, does nothing but plagiarize our game, Genshin Impact!

The bodyguard, unaware of Cheng Cheng's thoughts, continued, "The kingdom's army is stationed on the fifteenth level year-round, establishing a defensive line to block threats emerging from deeper levels. This is what the kingdom refers to as the 'Abyss War.'"

Cheng Cheng raised an eyebrow: "What about floors above the fifteenth?"

"Leave it to the adventurers," the bodyguard said. "The Adventurers' Guild has issued bounties—clearing monsters, collecting materials, and exploring unknown areas will all earn you credits and merits. So, many adventurer teams are active in the upper levels of the dungeon, ranging from newbies below silver rank to powerful gold rank warriors."

"What about floors below the 22nd floor?"

The bodyguard remained silent for a few seconds.

“No one has ever been below the twenty-second floor,” he said. “Legend has it that at the end of the twenty-second floor, you can see the ‘Wall of God’ where the Amber God blocks the entrance to the abyss. Passing through there, you can travel to other dungeons around the world—but that’s just a legend. In fact, almost no one has ever set foot on even the nineteenth to twenty-second floors. It’s too dangerous.”

“Besides, each floor has its own strange ‘rules,’” the bodyguard added, his tone becoming serious. “Like altering the laws of reality, they can enhance the effects of certain magic, or incur unfortunate curses if violated. Miss, you must be careful.”

I see...

Each level has different rules (Blessing of the Abyss Moon), and the further down you go, the more dangerous it becomes (the difficulty increases), and various monsters will spawn...

Isn't this another instance of plagiarizing the Spiral Abyss from our game "Primordial Spirit"?

So this is where the Abyss comes in... The Abyss is usually the arena for max-level players and top-tier players. With Sylvia being less than level 20, can she even clear it?

I examine myself three times a day—Did I pull the main pick? Did I get 2+1? Are all my teammates ready?

Don't venture into the abyss if you don't know it.

As for Sylvia, a beginner-level character, it's too much of a stretch to use her for Abyss runs—especially since her level is so low, her shelf life is probably shorter than a stainless steel basin.

What should I do? Should I level up before attempting the Abyss, or try it out with a beginner character?

Cheng Cheng hesitated.

Just then, Starr Silverslowed down and turned into a quiet street.

At the end of the street, a building that looked like an abandoned mine stood, with fully armed soldiers guarding the entrance.

"We've arrived." The bodyguard stopped the car. "Silvershine City Underground City, Entrance Number One."

…………

Cheng Cheng pushed open the car door and got out.

The building before him was larger than he had imagined. Rusty steel frames supported mottled concrete walls, and huge gears and pipes were exposed, emitting a low hum.

The air was filled with a smell that was a mixture of engine oil, mold, and some indescribable fishy odor.

A huge sign stood at the entrance, with the following words written in scarlet lettering:

Silverlight Dungeon: Entry Requirements

1. Do not elbow the concrete floor from the 28th floor.

2. Do not go to the rooftop to check if you have invisible wings.

3. Your neck shouldn't be involved in a thrilling tug-of-war with the roof beam.

4. Please do not compare the hardness of your wrist to that of a blade, and do not practice holding your breath for three hours in a wild lake.

5. Don't hide next to the national highway and scare the big truck when it comes out.

6. It is forbidden to compete with a train to see who is stronger.

7. Refuse to drink beverages that ensure crops grow normally.

8. Do not sit in a fire to keep warm.

9. Do not sleep naked in the snow.

10. Do not bite or chew on high-voltage power lines.

11. Do not take selfies standing on high-voltage power poles, and do not pose as a lightning rod during thunderstorms.

Note: The above is not a task bar.

Cheng Cheng: "..."

Cheng Cheng: "Is this what you call the bizarre rules of the underground?"

“Only the first floor is like this. After all, after the enactment of the Kingdom City Management Law, many homeless people were forced to live here,” the bodyguard explained. “The curse of the abyss is very weak when it reaches the first floor from the deepest point, but it can still induce humans to commit suicide. That’s why this notice was created—it’s all based on what our predecessors have summarized.”

"The deeper messages are also summarized by predecessors, so they may not be entirely correct, but following them will definitely keep you safe."

nonsense.

It's dangerous for anyone to swing on their neck like that indoors.

Cheng Cheng smirked and entered the underground city under the watchful eyes of the soldiers at the entrance.

The moment I stepped through the dungeon gates, a familiar line of game system text popped up in front of me:

"Special area detected: Silvershine City Dungeon"

"Abyss Mode is now unlocked"

"Note: The dungeon is a separate instance area, with each floor having unique rules and environment. Defeating monsters in the dungeon grants extra experience points, and each floor's boss will always drop rare items. Clearing all threats within a floor or reaching the exit will allow you to enter the next floor."

"Completion Rewards: For each level you clear, you will receive 'Originium' corresponding to that level. Originium can be used to draw characters, weapons, equipment, etc."

"Special Mechanism: Each time a new floor is entered, the character will randomly receive an 'Abyss Blessing' that lasts until the challenge is failed."

"Failure to complete the challenge will revert you to the state before you entered the dungeon."