Chapter 3Widowed Innkeeper NPC

Justin had just cleared a brutal four-star dungeon when he saw the notice about the Rosewood Inn. It was rated negative stars by the veterans.

Ever since he started playing this survival game, he had known about the notorious "trash dungeon" that the top players warned everyone to avoid. He had planned to visit it one day out of sheer curiosity.

Now that it was closing, he had to act fast. As a dedicated completionist, his fingers flew across the screen, instantly hitting the application button.

Before he could even log out, his inbox began to flash violently.

"Bro, are you selling your Rosewood Inn slot? I'm serious. Name your price."

Justin figured it was another completionist.

"Sorry, man. I'm trying to collect all the dungeon achievements. I want to experience it myself."

Almost instantly, a voice message popped up.

"Bro, I have the completionist trophy for this dungeon. I can trade it to you right now, and I'll throw in ten thousand points. Just don't go in."

Justin paused. If the guy already had the achievement, why was he buying a slot? And why was he offering such an insane amount of points?

Something felt off.

He exited the chat, only for his screen to freeze. In a matter of seconds, his pending messages and friend requests skyrocketed to 99+.

He scrolled through the requests. Every single one was trying to buy his slot for the Rosewood Inn, with each offer more absurdly high than the last.

What was going on? He had assumed he would be the only player in this dead dungeon.

If the reviews were so terrible and the widow NPC was so annoying, why was everyone desperate to get in?

He navigated back to the community main page.

The forum was flooded with high-value bounty posts. The authors were all top-ranking players on the global leaderboard. Their words were frantic and polite, a stark contrast to their previous cold warnings.

They didn't sound like players looking for a quick trial. They sounded like frantic husbands offering rewards for a missing wife.

The top pinned post, which must have cost a fortune in points to secure, caught his eye.

"Trading my entire point balance for a slot in the final round of the Rosewood Inn. Beyond points, I will fulfill any condition, or carry you through any five-star dungeon of your choice."

The author of the post was Jimmy.