Wen Nan finished speaking and his gaze returned to the robotic floor cleaner.
It was larger than most robotic floor cleaners Wen Nan had seen in the real world, estimated to be as big as a stone table in the park and just below knee height.
Judging by its design, from the rotating discs forming its body to the rollers and rows of tight little brushes at the bottom, one could instantly recognize it as a robotic floor cleaner. Given its model, it didn't look like a household device; it might have been used in public places like malls or streets.
On top of the robotic floor cleaner, two small round signal lights were embedded with two pinhole cameras, probably serving both illumination and image signal reception functions.
As Wen Nan stared at it, those two "beady eyes" lifted and gazed back at Wen Nan, like a tortoise staring at a green bean. The person and the machine had a staring match, then "click," the robot retracted the brake on its rollers and rolled towards Wen Nan.
Wen Nan stepped back, trying to avoid being hit, but the round robot was determined, chasing his shoes until it cornered Wen Nan against the wall. It began bumping back and forth against his shoe tips like a happy little puppy. If it had a tail, Wen Nan suspected it would be wagging so hard like a propeller that it would lift itself into the sky.
Guo Xiaofu scratched his head sheepishly, "This robot may not look smart, but... it really did help me a lot."
Actually, when Guo Xiaofu first found this robotic floor cleaner, he didn't believe it could help him get out of that trial map.
Back then, when Guo Xiaofu first entered this world, he was terrified, especially of long-haired female ghosts, so much so that he didn't even complete the first main mission. Instead, he hid in the school's equipment room, planning to wait until the timeout and be directly delisted to the waiting zone rather than be scared to death by a ghost.
And it was then that the robotic floor cleaner broke through layers of garbage and appeared before Guo Xiaofu.
At that time, the robotic floor cleaner was far from looking as neat as it did now. It was covered in sticky phlegm, chewing gum, animal droppings, and was wrapped in dust, dirty, and stinking like a walking public trash bin.
The rollers and brushes below were entangled with hair like water weeds, and the two "beady eyes" emitted a dim red light. At first glance, Guo Xiaofu thought it was a disc-shaped long-haired ghost.
Seeing it approach, Guo Xiaofu kicked it in a fright, "crack," and directly knocked it over.
The rollers underneath kept turning. The robot, like an overturned turtle, couldn't move and, from the center of its dirty spinning disc, ejected a small screen displaying a large scarlet word –
Guo Xiaofu was timid but soft-hearted.
Seeing the word "Save," he couldn't help but use the system scanner, receiving feedback that it was a special tool, but its name, purpose, and level were all unknown.
After confirming it wasn't a ghost, Guo Xiaofu stepped forward, enduring the pungent odor, and set the robotic floor cleaner upright.
The power signal light beside the robot flashed warning red, indicating not enough battery for less than an hour of normal operation.
Soon, the small screen in the center of the disc changed from "Save" to a line of small words: [Connect me to the instance system server, I need energy...]
Guo Xiaofu wanted to assist, but he dared not leave and didn't know where this server was.
Guessing Guo Xiaofu's thoughts, the text on the small screen changed again – [Save me, I can help you leave this instance.]
The temptation was too great for Guo Xiaofu, and he was moved.
After the robotic floor cleaner informed Guo Xiaofu of the system server's location, confirming it was less than a five-minute walk from where he was hiding in the equipment room, Guo Xiaofu gritted his teeth and helped it.
At that time, Guo Xiaofu was just taking a chance, not really believing this dirty, stinky robotic floor cleaner could help him leave the instance.
However, unexpectedly, it worked.
Guo Xiaofu managed to survive until the end reward calculation phase, unexpectedly passing the trial in such a haphazard manner.
Upon entering the game lobby, he realized he had stumbled upon a great treasure – this was practically a perfect cheat device!
He wanted to bring this treasure into the next instance to help cheat again, but was informed by the system that it could not be stored in the equipment reserve bar and thus couldn't be brought into the instance.
Guo Xiaofu, helpless, stored it in a public market locker and reluctantly left.
Unexpectedly, the robotic floor cleaner, which was half-dead in the instance and could barely cling to life within the instance system server, became sprightly upon reaching the game lobby.
During the time Guo Xiaofu spent in the instance, it cleaned itself inside the small locker from head to toe, removing the dirt, dust, and hair, seemingly polishing and waxing itself, and even coating itself with a bright, colorful film?
When he returned to the locker, at first glance, seeing the pristine white disc, Guo Xiaofu nearly thought his cheat device had been swapped.
Not until the screen beneath its beady eyes popped up a line of text – [Dear Rescuer, are you taking me home?]
Did Guo Xiaofu confirm it was indeed the robotic floor cleaner he had brought out, just with a shiny new appearance.
After explaining this whole story to the guild leader, Guo Xiaofu squatted down and reached out to the robotic floor cleaner.
The robotic floor cleaner, busily polishing Wen Nan's shoes with its brush head, obediently retracted its brush and rolled to Guo Xiaofu. A line of words lit up on its small screen – [Dear Rescuer, thank you for your help!]
Seeing this title, Wen Nan raised an eyebrow, "Rescuer?"
It was hard to associate this name with Guo Xiaofu.
Guo Xiaofu chuckled awkwardly, "It seems its built-in AI isn't very smart, always choosing strange names."
"Is it?" Wen Nan glanced at the little eyes of the round disc, casually asking a question.
The robotic floor cleaner sensed the gaze, immediately spinning 180 degrees, returning to Wen Nan's feet, and popping up a line of text on its screen –
[What can I do for you, Father!]