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Anchor Hall
Chapter 527: Stealing sunshine
Inside the cabin, the phone screen was the only source of light, the time on it clear and glaring.
11:58.
Two-minute countdown to the start of the reality show.
“Wai… wait a minute! You, you listen to me…”
In the darkness, the rustling of fabric mingled with the young man’s deliberately lowered, hoarse voice.
His voice was intermittent and panicked.
“The time is almost—”
Suddenly, without warning, a familiar system voice sounded in the cabin:
“Dear anchor, hello…”
“?!”
Wen Jianyan’s pupils quaked. He took a sharp, hissing breath and, without thinking, subconsciously raised his hand, yanked the blanket up, and shoved Wu Zhu underneath it.
Wu Zhu, who had been unceremoniously stuffed under the blanket: “…?”
As if unaware of Wu Zhu’s presence, the mechanical voice continued:
“…The Nightmare Reality Show will begin in three minutes. To ensure a smooth broadcast, the live streaming room will now announce the relevant rules in advance.
Since the location of this broadcast is not an instance, and to provide you with a certain degree of privacy and autonomy, you can decide when to start and stop the broadcast yourself, as long as you meet the required total daily broadcast time.”
“The required broadcast time for regular anchors is twelve hours, for intermediate and advanced anchors it is eight hours, for the top ten on the Nightmare points leaderboard it is five hours, and for the top three in Nightmare it is three hours.”
Wen Jianyan was startled.
So it was a tiered system.
In that case, he only needed to stream for five hours?
“If you fail to complete the required broadcast time, corresponding points will be deducted as a penalty.”
Hearing this, Wen Jianyan couldn’t help but frown.
Even in an instance where they could die at any moment, all of them were exposed to the live camera twenty-four hours a day. There was no reason they wouldn’t be able to complete the corresponding broadcast time outside of a dangerous instance.
Even taking a huge step back, an anchor could simply turn on the stream while they slept at night, and the time would naturally be fulfilled by the time they woke up.
But now Nightmare was mentioning a penalty… Could it be that…
As if to confirm Wen Jianyan’s suspicions, the voice in the cabin continued.
“During the reality show broadcast, the live streaming room will continuously issue tasks to you.
Tasks are divided into two types: public tasks and private tasks. Public tasks are issued uniformly to all anchors by the live streaming room. If not completed, the corresponding broadcast time will be forcibly deducted.
Private tasks are issued by the audience for a point reward. The content and amount are determined by the audience. You can decide whether to accept them or not.”
“There is no upper limit to the number of private tasks you can accept, but there is a lower limit related to your broadcast time.
Regular anchors have a broadcast time of 12 hours, with a minimum of 12 private tasks. Intermediate and advanced anchors have a broadcast time of 8 hours, with a minimum of 8 private tasks… and so on.”
“If the number of private tasks accepted is below the minimum, the corresponding broadcast time will be deducted.”
“For example, if a regular anchor has a broadcast time of 12 hours and accepts 11 private tasks, the final settled broadcast time will be 11 hours… and so on.”
“…”
As expected.
Wen Jianyan’s heart sank.
He knew it. Anything produced by Nightmare would never be as harmless as it appeared on the surface.
And the situation he had worried about earlier would clearly be catalyzed by this system.
Compared to entering an instance and facing death, earning points in the anchor hall seemed so tempting—even if it meant completing some tasks given by the audience, so what?
“Your point ranking is seventh on the overall Nightmare leaderboard. You have certain privileges in this reality show. You have the right to waive three tasks—both public and private tasks are applicable—and your broadcast will be pushed to the audience in the best-traffic recommendation slot. We hope you will continue your efforts and present more exciting entertainment content to the audience!”
…Privileges, huh.
Wen Jianyan lowered his eyes, lost in thought.
Indeed, this reality show was not harmless. The various rules hid many tricks. But, from a broader perspective, it was still a form of benefit… What should he do next?
Deep in thought, he almost forgot that he was not alone right now.
Under the blanket.
It was pitch black beneath the thick, dense fabric.
Wu Zhu allowed himself to be hidden under the blanket, remaining motionless, seeming very well-behaved and honest. However, his gaze was the complete opposite of his actions.
The darkness posed no obstacle to his vision.
The youth’s body, radiating vigorous warmth, was close at hand. Due to the struggle just now, his already loose-fitting pajamas had completely opened up, revealing his rising and falling chest and abdomen.
Nightmare’s threat was formless and shadowless, yet it was everywhere. Wen Jianyan himself probably hadn’t noticed that even at this moment, his body was still unconsciously tense, like a drawn bowstring.
It was unclear if it was from the recent exertion or if it was too stuffy under the blanket, but the rich citrus scent of his shower gel was activated by the heat, steaming up a dizzying mist.
The human youth also seemed to feel the rise in temperature. A light sheen of sweat appeared on his fair chest, shimmering slightly with each breath. Large patches of his skin glowed in the darkness.
In the dark cabin, the system’s emotionless voice sounded.
“First, the first public task will be announced to you in advance.”
【Public Task: Please give a self-introduction to the live camera for no less than three minutes】
【Reward Points: 2000】
【Failure Penalty: 12-hour broadcast privilege revoked】
As the first public task for the reality show, its content was very normal and ordinary, almost a giveaway question—if an anchor couldn’t even get this reward, they would be too much of a failure.
“Please prepare yourself. The reality show broadcast will begin at any time.”
Wen Jianyan lifted his eyes, looking towards the sky.
He steeled himself and took a long, deep breath.
“…”
Wu Zhu’s gaze grew deeper, his roaming path more and more audacious.
The youth’s chest rose and fell with his deep breath.
Due to his consistent fitness routine and disciplined lifestyle, Wen Jianyan had pectoral muscles, and their shape was very beautiful.
The edges were slightly raised, looking quite soft in their relaxed state. If you pressed a finger on them, it would sink in easily. The color of the skin deepened towards the lower center, but because his skin tone was naturally very fair, even at its darkest, it was just a small, pitiful-looking pink.
It seemed…
Very suckable.
In the place deeply covered by the thick fabric, far from Nightmare’s probing, the darkness that was the source of power seemed to feel an invisible stimulation and began to churn.
One tendril wrapped around Wu Zhu’s fingers, sharing a distant memory.
A scene from before the Yuying Comprehensive University instance had ended began to emerge vividly.
The blood-seeping bite mark that had firmly covered the entire area, made scorching hot by ruthless sucking, had finally swelled up pitifully, turning a very delicious, red-hot color.
“………………”
The aberrant god’s eyes flickered, the gold in them being encroached upon by a darker, more profound color.
The beast was battering against its cage. His already almost non-existent self-control was beginning to crumble.
And the human whose head was exposed outside knew nothing of this.
A banner promoting Nightmare’s new reality show scrolled across a giant screen. The red countdown to the show’s start was suspended high above the hall, causing quite a stir among the audience.
“Holy cow, a reality show? Something this new? I’ve never seen one before, sounds interesting.”
“Ahhhhhhh! Nightmare, you’ve done well! My favorite anchor hasn’t streamed in so long, I can finally see him again! So moved!”
“I’m also really curious about what my favorite anchor does when they’re not streaming… Ahhh, I can’t wait!”
While some audience members were very excited, others were naturally skeptical.
“Ugh… I don’t get the point of this category. Without the instance rules as a meat grinder, what am I supposed to watch? Watch the anchors eat, drink, play, and sleep?”
“Yeah! Not only is it not exciting at all, but it’s not even a mandatory 24-hour system. The anchors can turn the stream on and off whenever they want. So boring.”
“Does Nightmare even understand why we donate our precious points to those anchors? Our points aren’t for them to sit back and enjoy themselves without any risk. What if they all get used to this kind of life, who will go into the instances to fight for their lives anymore!”
“Whatever, just treat it as some light entertainment.”
Regardless of how much controversy the reality show sparked among the audience, before the broadcast even began, a large number of viewers eager to try something new were attracted, waiting early in the live rooms they wanted to watch.
Although the streams had not yet started, a significant difference in the number of online viewers in different live rooms was already apparent. The live rooms of low- to mid-tier anchors were deserted, with few viewers, while the live rooms of top-ranked anchors with large fan bases—especially those who hadn’t streamed in a long time—were crowded and buzzing with excitement.
“Ahhh, I wonder if the top ten will stream? I’m really curious about what they do when they’re not in an instance.”
“They probably will, right?”
“I think instead of being curious about the top ten, we should be curious about the top three. They have the privilege of not entering instances for long periods. I wonder if they’ll participate in this reality show?”
“Wuwuwuwu, I miss my wife Dan Zhu so much, I haven’t seen her in 106 days and 12 hours!”
“Ahhhh, I’m thinking about the treasure anchor I just discovered!!! Do you guys know Wen Jianyan? He hasn’t streamed at all since his last instance ended. I’m so scared, I’m so afraid he’ll become one of those slacking top ten anchors ahhhhh!”
“What are you talking about, why are you all interested in the big anchors? I’m different, I like the small anchors.”
“Give me a break, everyone already knows how the reality show works. You like small anchors because you can manipulate them with just a few points, right?”
“Hee hee, so what? I just look forward to seeing them work hard to complete tasks. What, is that not allowed?”
During the wait for the reality show to start, the number of online viewers continued to rise.
Finally, under the eager anticipation of the masses, the countdown to the reality show broadcast reached its final stage.
【…20, 19, 18】
That familiar system voice rang out: “Welcome, esteemed viewers! Next, to provide you with better entertainment, Nightmare will present its meticulously crafted new program—the Nightmare Reality Show!”
“You may freely choose a live room to watch the precious leisure time of your favorite anchor. You can also interact with the anchors in real time and issue any tasks you wish!”
“Want to see your anchor surpass their limits? Want to see your anchor complete more incredible challenges?”
“Everything is in the Nightmare live streaming room!”
“We now offer multiple point top-up tiers for you:
Regular Member: Watch one anchor’s live room at a time. Private task reward text is gray.
VIP: Watch three anchors’ live rooms at a time. Private task reward text is black.
VVIP: Watch five anchors’ live rooms at a time. Private task reward text can automatically float to the top, with customizable color effects, making it easier for anchors to pick!
SVIP: Watch ten anchors’ live rooms at a time. Private task rewards *1.5x, customizable text color and sound effects, and a high-level notification upon entering a live room!
In addition, there are various other member privileges such as VIP+, advance viewing, and multi-person sharing for you to choose from!
(Privileges can be stacked)”
【3, 2, 1】
“Bang!” Countless huge fireworks exploded simultaneously on every screen. The voice became even more high-pitched and fanatical, “The show begins!!!”
【Entertainment to the death, the audience is supreme!】
—The reality show had begun.
The top three’s live rooms had the largest influx of viewers.
“Dan Zhu baby! Wuwuwuwu my one and only favorite beauty-anchor!!”
“Ahhhhhhh Yelin Yelin!! The big boss Yelin!!”
“The hell, where’s number one? Why hasn’t number one started streaming? So arrogant?”
“Forget it, forget it, he’s a big shot. He has the most profitable guild in all of Nightmare under him. A small point deduction is probably just pocket change to him, he doesn’t care at all.”
Next were the top ten.
The privileges of being in Nightmare’s top ten were not small. As long as they weren’t eroded by talent alienation, most of them could go for long periods without entering an instance. Except for the vacant tenth spot, basically none of the others had entered an instance.
“…Hugo.”
In the live room of the fourth-ranked anchor on the Nightmare leaderboard.
A man with a stern face looked at the camera and introduced himself with a very cold attitude. He habitually put a cigarette to his lips, lit it with a lighter, and then said no more, seemingly planning to wait out the three minutes like that.
“Ahhh, as expected of my favorite anchor, being taciturn is the coolest!”
“So strong and has such an attitude, wuwuwu bro is so charming.”
“Mmm… a self-introduction, huh. My name is Orange Candy, gender female, birthday is May 1st,” on screen, a little girl swung her two thin legs back and forth and said with a giggle.
“My favorite fruit is orange, and the vegetables I hate the most are carrots, green peppers, and cilantro. Oh right, I hate milk too. Ah, and I don’t really like candy that much, I can only barely tolerate the orange-flavored ones, that’s why I chose this name. Didn’t expect that, did you?”
“Oh oh! My favorite methods of killing, from top to bottom, are skinning, flaying alive, slitting throats…”
As if remembering something, the little girl on screen suddenly became excited, tilting her head innocently, scratching it, and counting on her fingers, meticulously listing them out one by one.
The live room: “…”
Yep, that’s you alright.
The Gentleman’s live room was quite normal. He sat upright, introducing himself briefly in a gentle and polite manner. It was to the point, lasted the right amount of time, and was very perfect.
But precisely because of this, he seemed out of place among his peers.
“Hello everyone, my name is Bai Xue.”
After speaking, the white-haired, black-eyed youth lowered his eyes expressionlessly and said no more, like a doll carved from snow.
“…”
What followed was a long silence.
After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly raised his eyes and said stiffly and seriously:
“The person I’m most interested in right now is No. 07, Pinocchio. If anyone knows what he likes, please tell me in the comments.”
Live room: “?”
Babe?!
Babe, what’s wrong, babe?
Have you been kidnapped, babe???
The one mentioned by Bai Xue was Pinocchio, ranked seventh on the overall Nightmare live streaming leaderboard, currently the hottest anchor.
Although he had only recently been signed by Nightmare as an anchor, he had broken multiple records at an astonishing speed, clearing every instance he entered with a perfect platinum trophy. Not only did he become the strongest of his batch, but he also became the fastest newcomer in history to ascend to Nightmare’s top ten.
Even more incredibly, besides possessing supreme strength, he also had a face and body that could rival a beauty anchor.
Because of this, Pinocchio became the new darling of the entire Nightmare live streaming room. With the start of this reality show, his live room became one of the most watched, pushed to the top of the recommendation list with the highest exposure.
Whether it was viewers who had watched his streams before and liked him, viewers who couldn’t stand him and wanted to see him fail, or just viewers who wanted to watch the drama unfold, they all flocked to his live room, waiting for his broadcast to begin.
Finally, the countdown ended.
After the large banner in the live room gradually disappeared, the screen turned black.
“Integrity First Live room signal connecting…”
“Signal connected.”
“Live broadcast will begin shortly.”
However, to the surprise of all viewers…
The reality show had indeed begun, but the screen in this supposedly most-watched live room was black.
In front of their screens, all the viewers were full of question marks.
“? What’s going on? Did he not start the stream, just like number one?”
“No… that’s not right! The stream has started, look at the red dot in the top right corner!”
“Ah, what’s going on then? Is the anchor still sleeping?”
It was quiet in the darkness, with only a very faint sound audible.
“Ah! …Mmph!”
Those sounds were covered by the rustling of fabric and the regular sound of waves, and soon disappeared completely, not another peep leaking out.
In the “Integrity First” live room chat:
[Huh? Was that a sound?]
[I don’t know? Did you guys hear anything?]
[I don’t think so…]
[Oh oh oh, I hear the sound of waves? Is the anchor on a ship right now?]
Amidst the audience’s discussion, the camera continued to push forward, undisturbed.
As the camera’s night vision mode automatically activated, the darkness that was once pitch-black began to gradually dissipate.
Finally, the master of this live room finally appeared on screen.
Unlike all the other anchors, the young man seemed to have just woken up. He was leaning against the side of the bed, his hair a little messy. It was unclear if it was because he was stuffy, but fine beads of sweat dotted his smooth forehead.
The blanket was pulled up to his chin, covering his body tightly.
“Mmm…, I’m Wen Jianyan… Sorry, I’ve been on vacation on a cruise ship recently, so I slept a bit long. It’s quite late now, so my condition might be… not that great.”
Perhaps due to sleepiness, his voice was still a bit hoarse.
“I hope everyone can understand.”
The audience members all expressed their understanding:
“Ahhh, it’s okay! The anchor has been streaming continuously for so long, you deserve a vacation.”
“Go back to sleep after this is over, it’s alright!”
“…!”
On screen, the young man’s body seemed to jolt violently. He bit his teeth in restraint, lowered his head, swallowing the faint sound back into his throat. He just buried his head forcefully, pressing his sweat-beaded forehead against his palm.
In the live room:
“What’s wrong?”
“Is the anchor not feeling well? Did he oversleep? Or is he too tired?”
“Ahhh, if you’re not feeling well, quickly get Nightmare to fix it!!”
“…Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Wen Jianyan gritted his teeth.
“Just a little tired.”
Damn it.
Three minutes… why is it so long???
With the largest movement he could make without being discovered, he kicked the other’s calf hard.
The force was still too light, not painful at all.
But the other party still stopped.
“Is it my imagination? The anchor’s face is so red… and he’s sweating a lot!”
“Hiss… although the anchor seems to be unwell, I’m inexplicably getting excited. Sorry, I’m a perv!”
“There are still two minutes left in the stream, doesn’t the anchor want to talk to us some more?”
“And it’s so dark in the room. Although the camera has night vision, it’s still a bit hard to see. Can you turn on the lights, please?”
“Wuwuwuwu I haven’t seen you in so long, babe, please interact with us!”
The audience had many requests, but Wen Jianyan acted as if he hadn’t seen or heard them.
He just kept his head deeply bowed.
Ignoring them, turning a deaf ear.
Using the cover of his palm, Wen Jianyan took a deep breath and looked down.
Through the messy fabric, he saw a pair of golden eyes in the darkness staring up at him. Those cold eyes were faintly scorching, holding an intense craving that seemed capable of skinning him, dismembering him, and devouring him whole.
“!”
Even though he had anticipated it, Wen Jianyan was still jolted by the other’s gaze.
Damn it.
This is terrible… this position…
It’s just like having a secret affair.
Wu Zhu mouthed the words:
“You promised me.”
He licked his lips, the tip of his cold tongue wet and bright red.
“When the instance is over, give me my reward.”
“…”
For some reason, Wen Jianyan’s heart skipped a beat.
The spot that had been sucked until it was swollen and almost broken was scorching hot, wet, and cool. Rubbing against the rough fabric, it sent an uncontrollable shiver through him…
It also stirred up long-forgotten memories.
Indeed, in the last instance, he had made a similar promise.
But, but that was just a stopgap measure…!
Wen Jianyan was a little panicked. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but due to the live stream, he had to remain silent, swallowing the words back down.
“Since it’s my reward, I can take it however I want, right?”
The god hidden in the shadows revealed an almost malicious, pleased smile.
“…I’m hungry.”
The golden eyes disappeared.
He slowly and silently submerged.
“!!!???”
Wen Jianyan’s pupils contracted, his back arched sharply. His hands clenched the fabric of the blanket, the veins on the back of his fair hands popping out. His forehead pressed down, and he almost forgot to breathe.
Wu Zhu… he… he actually…
This is a live stream!!!
__
Author’s note:
Ma’am, you wouldn’t want others to know what you’re streaming, would you? .jpg
