As Zhou Qi’an was about to close the window, he received Yuan’s message.
After seeing what she sent, he paused, then continued to stand by the window.
“I’d better keep getting some air.”
He was about to enter an instance. Getting too closely entangled with the Whaler’s Association, what if it brought even more bad luck? This string of ill fortune was never-ending.
“Targeting friends and family.”
After a moment, Zhou Qi’an let out a mocking laugh. Using such low-handed tactics, he didn’t know if it was the personal doing of an association member or the president. If it was the latter, he could burn some incense in advance; with that level of vision and skill, they were nothing to fear. After a brief moment of thought, a grave expression appeared in Zhou Qi’an’s eyes.
“Someone probably acted on their own.”
From the design of the Cyclamen instance, it was clear that there was an extremely meticulous mind within the Whaler’s Association.
“Sooner rather than later.”
Shen Zhiyi was still in the game’s main world; he had to enter an instance as soon as possible. Zhou Qi’an took out his phone again and began sending group messages, arranging to meet the next afternoon to team up and enter an instance.
Nothing else happened that night. Throughout the night, however, Zhou Qi’an was startled awake from his dreams several times, each time feeling as if he heard his phone ring, telling him something else had gone wrong.
He woke up with a start again before seven, staring listlessly at the ceiling.
“This is torture.”
His body and mind were clearly still exhausted, but he couldn’t fall back asleep. Recently, he had been running nonstop, both in instances and in reality. Even an evolver wasn’t a machine; Zhou Qi’an’s biological clock was completely messed up.
He resignedly sat up, turning his head to look out the window. The first light of dawn broke through, and the cold morning light sent a chill through his bones. Zhou Qi’an closed his eyes. Too many images were intertwined in his mind… the Whaler’s Association’s spiritual questioning, the sound of his mother’s blood flowing as she lay in a pool of it, and the horrifying scene of devouring the Taisui.
All the noise was eventually drowned out by sounds from the real world. The gurgling of the fish tank in the living room overlapped with the ticking of the wall clock. When Zhou Qi’an opened his eyes again, not a trace of fatigue or complexity remained. A moment later, he got out of bed and, for the first time in a long while, stood before the mirror wearing glasses. Due to the lack of rest, his slightly pale lips moved:
“This time for sure.”
Since he was entering an instance, he didn’t have to go to the company in the morning. Although he couldn’t sleep, Zhou Qi’an eventually went back to bed, lying awake in frustration. Lying in until noon was a sign of respect for his day off.
The fog was thick outside, and weather warnings kept popping up on his phone. His mother had gone out at some point, leaving food and a note on the table: Mom’s going to the home appliance store with Auntie Wang.
Zhou Qi’an’s vision went dark. He hoped she wouldn’t bring back another rice cooker. After a simple meal, around one o’clock, Zhou Qi’an changed his clothes.
The young man in the mirror wore an old but neat long robe, very plain with no decorative details besides the black Pankou knots. His hair was loosely held in place with a wooden hairpin, neatly switched to black, the ends falling softly at his waist. The old residential building had poor lighting; in the semi-dark environment, he looked like a solemn and beautiful mortician.
“Whaler’s…”
A smile slowly stretched across Zhou Qi’an’s lips. Who was hunting whom was still uncertain.
One should have a sense of ceremony. Black was suitable for seeing someone off, and he would give the Whaler’s Association a proper funeral.
The foggy weather made driving difficult, so Zhou Qi’an arrived at the meeting point half an hour early. He thought he was early enough, but to his surprise, Red Hood was already there. When she saw Zhou Qi’an, Red Hood couldn’t help but be taken aback. It was truly difficult to connect the listless player she first met with this devastatingly handsome person now.
The two briefly discussed the instance.
Zhou Qi’an: “The instance entrance announced by the Whaler’s Association and the one announced by the game are off by one subway station.” He wasn’t sure if it was related to the instance they would be matched with this time. Anyway, he had a feeling they were connected.
“Could it be related to the subway this time?”
Red Hood shook her head. “When it involves modes of transport, it’s usually more abstract. It can only be related to the central information point of ‘going out’.”
The two stood quietly in their respective spots, not speaking again. A few minutes later, the university student also arrived. He was startled to see Red Hood.
Zhou Qi’an: “She’s entering the instance with us.”
The university student lightly slapped himself. After confirming he wasn’t dreaming, he didn’t ask any pointless questions. He stood quietly to the side, occasionally sneaking glances at Zhou Qi’an. Brother Zhou has a different aura with every outfit change, amazing!
Ignoring the university student’s marveling, Zhou Qi’an passed the boring wait by playing on his phone. Halfway through a game of Pictionary, Yuan sent him a private message asking if he was preparing to enter an instance soon, and if so, they might as well team up. Zhou Qi’an was about to refuse, but after some consideration, he sent his location instead.
Yuan had forwarded the Whaler’s Association’s screenshot, causing their reputation to be completely ruined. It was too dangerous for her to enter an instance alone now. Teaming up would allow them to look out for each other. The Whaler’s Association wanted to kill him, kill Ying Yu, and kill Red Hood; they were too busy. Staying in such a team, Yuan would be much safer.
Ying Yu arrived right on time. Seeing that Zhou Qi’an had found other teammates, he didn’t say much. Red Hood, however, took the initiative to greet Ying Yu, her arrogant demeanor slightly restrained.
Yuan received the location late, so she was inevitably a bit late. In the faint mist, when the little girl walked out of the thick fog with her hound, everyone except Zhou Qi’an couldn’t help but take a second look.
“I don’t like owing favors.” The little girl stopped in front of Zhou Qi’an. “Last time, my soul was injured, and I basically got a free ride through the instance thanks to you. This time, I’ll help you as much as I can.” Yuan really hadn’t expected Zhou Qi’an to enter an instance today. She secretly thought that this person must have a very strong heart to be able to work at such high intensity. A natural-born wage slave.
Unaware that he was being harshly judged, Zhou Qi’an keenly sensed that Yuan’s aura was stronger than the last time they met. “Yesterday’s post has already…”
Yuan interrupted, “That was my favor. The dog’s hasn’t been repaid.” One thing at a time.
“…”
Zhou Qi’an was silent for a moment, then gave her a thumbs-up.
Everyone was still sizing up the hound, but soon, another figure walking out of the fog attracted their attention. Red Hood’s expression upon seeing the boss was the same as the university student’s when he saw her. She clearly hadn’t forgotten his brutal performance in Jinxiang Building.
After a cutting gaze swept over everyone, the boss’s eyes finally locked on Ying Yu. Among them, only he looked like a leader. “Hello, I’m Little Zhou’s superior.” The boss gave a friendly smile, his crimson tie fluttering unnaturally. The bloody light deep in his pupils couldn’t even be hidden by the lenses. The boss proactively extended his hand.
Ying Yu gave it a light shake. The temperature of the completely non-human skin made it feel like he was facing not a person, but a well-camouflaged lizard from a tropical rainforest. He couldn’t help but glance at Zhou Qi’an.
—”Working diligently and living my life, it’s already impressive that I haven’t gone insane.”
Only now did Ying Yu truly understand the weight of Zhou Qi’an’s words.
No one was fond of small talk. Once the team was assembled, Zhou Qi’an directly took out the team-up item. There was a hint of uncertainty in his expression. The limit of the most powerful team-up item was seven to eight people at once. With Shen Zhiyi in the game’s internal world, it was still unknown if the team-up would succeed.
“I’m starting activation,” he announced in advance. Everyone nodded.
Just as Shen Zhiyi had instructed, Zhou Qi’an first matched the other’s player ID. A few seconds later, everyone received the team-up invitation prompt at the same time, and they all chose ‘Yes’ at roughly the same moment.
[Team-up successful].
As the four-word prompt sounded, Zhou Qi’an breathed a sigh of relief. However, the system did not immediately send a map and assembly time as it would in a normal team-up. After waiting for several minutes with nothing happening, the university student asked hesitantly, “Did it work, or not?”
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the scene before them abruptly changed. The world plunged into a silent darkness. Everyone felt as if they were pinned down, unable to move at all. A few wisps of pale green fog drifted in the darkness, spreading over the players’ bodies, causing them to collectively sink into a deeper chaos of consciousness.
The feeling of being bound lasted for a long time. During this period, Zhou Qi’an had the strange illusion of being stared at by countless pairs of eyes. He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he faintly smelled a certain rotten stench. The smell was sometimes distant, sometimes near, accompanied by the sound of pecking. The nauseating salty, fishy smell grew stronger. Just as he was about to suffocate, his own consciousness slowly revived.
A notification sound, different from the usual mechanical one, rang out:
[Instance: Silent Museum
Instance Difficulty: Unreleased Beta Instance
Main Mission: Will be announced after players enter the museum.
Instance Time: Will be announced after players enter the museum.
Number of Participating Players: Will be announced after players enter the museum.]
Comical, disjointed, distorted. The tone of this prompt was extremely uncomfortable. Combined with the rotten smell in the air, the feeling of dizziness intensified. Zhou Qi’an had a familiar feeling of being deprived of his five senses. He tried to open his eyes, once, twice. His thin eyelids felt as heavy as lead. After who knows how many failed attempts, finally, the moment he lifted his eyelids, a thin, withered ghostly figure instantly filled his vision.
“What the hell!”
Zhou Qi’an stumbled back a few steps, his balance unsteady. Remembering the instance’s name, he relied on his speed and swallowed the curse that was on the tip of his tongue.
After steadying himself, he looked around. It was already late. People were standing under several nearby trees. The trees were short, their lowest branches at human height. Crows were pecking at carrion on the side. In the swaying darkness, the figures standing below looked like dried human bodies hanging from the trees.
There were also crows and carrion at Zhou Qi’an’s own feet, likely the source of the stench he had smelled in the chaos earlier. He subconsciously took a few steps back. The moment he moved, a crow suddenly flapped its wings and pecked at him.
In a contest of speed, Zhou Qi’an was faster. The crow flew low, trying to peck out his eyes. Zhou Qi’an grabbed it first, then slammed it hard onto the ground. The crow hit the carrion and was knocked unconscious.
“Trying to mess with me?”
If his mom were here, these birds wouldn’t even have a chance to take off.
When he spoke, the few figures still in the darkness were slightly surprised. The voice indirectly confirmed his identity. Soon, the university student was the first to run over, followed by Ying Yu and the others. The boss was even more brutal than Zhou Qi’an; any crow that tried to peck his eyes was not only slammed to the ground but had its internal organs stomped out.
“Silent Town.”
Red Hood saw the stone tablet ahead and finally understood why Zhou Qi’an dared to speak. They were currently standing outside Silent Town and didn’t have to follow its rules. Her pale white skin didn’t deliberately hide her confusion. She subconsciously looked at Ying Yu, who should know the most here.
“Unreleased Beta Instance? Has anyone heard of it?”
Yuan was the first to shake her head. The silence from the others also provided the answer. The unknown always made people feel uneasy.
Just as the atmosphere grew tense, Ying Yu pondered for a moment. “A game usually goes through a closed beta before an open beta. Perhaps before the game was officially launched, a group of closed beta players was selected.”
Zhou Qi’an’s eyelids twitched slightly, but he pretended to be nonchalant and continued listening.
“Literally, ‘unreleased beta instance’ likely means it was a instance created during the closed beta but, for some reason, was never opened.” Ying Yu got straight to the point. “There are only a few reasons for it not being released: too many loopholes, incomplete design, or the difficulty being too high or too low. Correspondingly, the danger and uncertainty we face in this instance should far exceed a normal high-difficulty instance.” He paused. “Of course, this is just my speculation.”
High risk?
Zhou Qi’an’s eyes narrowed. Shen Zhiyi had specifically stayed behind this time so they could be matched to the instance where the Whaler’s Association was.
Finally… have we arrived at their main camp?
Just as Zhou Qi’an couldn’t help but look at the mission prompt again, he felt a strange gaze from the darkness. His sharp eyes swept over the few unmoving figures under the trees. His newly acquired spirit body was unusually sensitive. Zhou Qi’an could vaguely sense that one of the gazes was filled with strong malice, but when he looked over, the figures standing there all seemed to be looking at the stone tablet. He couldn’t pinpoint which gaze was problematic.
Finally, those figures walked over, each one highly vigilant. Four of them walked together, looking familiar and close with each other. The other three, after seeing the tablet, no longer deliberately remained silent and began talking in low voices. It looked like they had also entered as a team, just like them.
While everyone was sizing each other up, someone suddenly said, “The staff is here.”
A strange sound of footsteps came from the distance.
Clack-clack, clack-clack.
The sound was peculiar.
In the darkness, a blurry silhouette gradually became clear. A goat-headed, human-bodied staff member approached them from inside the town, walking with a bizarre gait. A red museum guide tag hung on its chest, not fluttering at all in the wind, as if it were a solid gold pendant. As it got closer, one could see many deep scars on its goat horns. The goat-headed person stood behind the stone tablet, staring intently at the players.
Zhou Qi’an was closest to the town entrance. Seeing that the staff member had no intention of coming out, he simply walked straight in. The moment he stepped in, the urge to escape the town nearly boiled over. Zhou Qi’an forcefully suppressed it and brought his other leg in as well.
Everyone had a similar feeling, the difference being that it was particularly strong for some. The moment everyone entered the town, a chilling prompt sounded in their ears again:
[Welcome to Silent Town]
[You are one of the tourists who have come to visit the Silent Museum. As you have arrived after dark, you need to stay in Silent Town for one night]
[Please note]
[The residents of Silent Town do not like to talk. When you speak, there is a certain probability of meeting your death]
A faint, gamey goat smell wafted over. Zhou Qi’an was closest to the staff member. The goat-headed person was exceptionally tall, rivaling Mr. Si in height. Its eyes were heavy with a twilight aura, appearing very sinister. It stared fixedly at Zhou Qi’an, seeming to smell something special on him. Gradually, a touch of greed colored the goat-headed person’s eyes. Its gaze swept over Zhou Qi’an’s chest from time to time, as if there was something there that attracted it.
The other players couldn’t help but cast strange glances upon seeing this.
“One wave hasn’t subsided, and another has risen.”
The trouble from the Whaler’s Association hadn’t even arrived, and he was already being targeted by the staff.
Zhou Qi’an’s expression remained unchanged, but in his mind, he was already planning a full goat feast. Just as he was thinking about how to shake off the goat-headed person’s attention, the next second, the tall goat-headed person was suddenly pushed aside. A familiar figure appeared where the staff member had been, looking at Zhou Qi’an with a gentle expression.
Shen Zhiyi?
Zhou Qi’an’s eyes lit up. He had just looked around but couldn’t find any trace of him and was wondering where he was. Shen Zhiyi pointed to a tree inside, indicating that his teleportation point was there. He was in the town.
Zhou Qi’an used sign language to indicate that as long as he was okay, that was all that mattered.
Shen Zhiyi smiled faintly, but his eyes were practically glued to the young man before him—clad in black, with cold white skin, exuding an ascetic aura. His gaze held a questioning look.
Zhou Qi’an made an “OK” gesture, indicating everything had been fine during this period.
The others: “…”
Even the strangers couldn’t help but want to remind them, where did these two instigators come from? Did they not see the expression on the face of the staff member who had been pushed aside? The fur on that goat face looked like it had turned black!
Standing on the same horizontal line, it was hard to give Zhou Qi’an a meaningful look. The university student could only blink desperately at Shen Zhiyi. The latter was in a good mood and rarely responded, giving a noble and slight nod to indicate he had a sense of proportion. After looking for a while longer, Shen Zhiyi reluctantly ended this “reunion.”
The air was terrifyingly silent. The goat-headed person stared coldly at Shen Zhiyi, but the target of its gaze didn’t spare it a single glance. After a moment, as the other players felt suffocated, the goat-headed person finally resumed its duties, turning to lead the way again.
A barely perceptible suspicion was hidden in its rectangular pupils. A moment ago, it hadn’t even noticed someone behind it. Even more bizarrely, a player had been able to push it?
Apart from the players who had teamed up together, the rest wanted to stay far away from these two weirdos. Everyone’s thoughts returned to the instance, and they eagerly began to observe the environment.
After walking just a few steps, Zhou Qi’an’s heart suddenly tightened. It was just a town for a night’s stay; logically, the danger level shouldn’t be too high. But the temperature of the entire street was bizarrely low. The slightest rustle of leaves from the roadside trees created the illusion of being enveloped by a sinister wind. Silent Town was larger than expected, with a chaotic layout resembling crisscrossing fields and dark alleys everywhere. The houses on the street were very old but had an antique charm.
The goat-headed person stopped and knocked on the courtyard gate of one of the houses. The gate soon opened. The aura inside the courtyard was very chilly. A woman with a weathered face appeared.
The goat-headed person rasped out three words: “You go first.”
The players looked at each other, not understanding who it was referring to.
The goat-headed person had originally wanted to keep them in suspense, torturously dragging out the time. But by the time it finished its slow-motion gesture, Zhou Qi’an had already walked in.
“You…”
The hand it was about to point at the young man was raised and then lowered again.
Zhou Qi’an sneered at those rectangular pupils. Selling your ancestral grave? For something like this, what’s the suspense? It’s always my turn anyway.
The moment he saw the woman’s face, Zhou Qi’an’s expression became unnatural for a second. It was a very ordinary face, but he felt exceptionally awkward looking at it, a very uncomfortable feeling. Miraculously, it also made one want to linger.
When he truly walked in, the yin energy in the house was so heavy it felt like a morgue. Zhou Qi’an could feel many players’ gazes focused on his back, but he didn’t turn around, remaining constantly vigilant of this strange woman.
With a couple of creaks, the door slowly closed by itself. There were two brick houses in the courtyard. The woman led him to the one on the left. “Here.” Without another word of explanation, she silently turned and walked to the other room.
Zhou Qi’an stood alone at the door. The layout of the room was clear at a glance: only a bed, a table and chair, and a greasy teapot on the table. The walls had many chopping marks, and the floor, needless to say, looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in a long time. Broken tiles and garbage were piled up there.
He walked over and suddenly his nose twitched.
“Perfume?” Zhou Qi’an was surprised. It was a floral scent, leaning towards rose. There was also a long strand of hair by the pillow.
Zhou Qi’an didn’t believe anyone in this lifeless town would use perfume, and the woman earlier had no floral scent on her. Obviously, a player might have been here before him. Whether they were dead or alive was hard to say. The prompt only said the town was a stopping point, meaning they hadn’t yet reached the core map of the instance. Even the evolution organs hadn’t been filled out yet, which would probably happen when they got to the museum.
Just as he was checking the area around the bed for any remaining traces, the prompt came again—
“Side Mission–Lodging has been initiated.”
[Mission Content: Among the thirteen tourists who came with you, one is a ghost in disguise. Tonight, it will go to the back mountain to ask a sealed powerful ghost about the location of a treasure. After obtaining the treasure, the mole will gain the qualification to randomly kill one player per day.
Friendly Reminder: After midnight, you can play a game with the sleepwalking hostess to get clues about the ghost, but be careful not to get chopped to death.
Friendly Reminder: After midnight, you can make a deal with the crows outside to get clues about the ghost, but remember not to let them eat too much of your body tissue.
Friendly Reminder: After midnight, you can try to find the night watchman in the town to get clues about the ghost, but by all means, do not get trapped by a ghost wall.]
[Note, you only have one chance to report the ghost. If you fail, you will be the first to be targeted for killing by the ghost.]
[Mission Reward: Stop the ghost from killing and receive a VIP museum tour ticket. Do you know how much waiting time a VIP ticket can save you?]
Zhou Qi’an frowned. Among the thirteen people, six were his teammates. Based on his observation, the others had also come in teams. Before entering the instance, there was a period when his consciousness was quite blurry. The possibility of someone being replaced by a ghost couldn’t be ruled out.
In fact, the risk of reporting was greater than not reporting, since the ghost could only kill one person a day.
“Who else but me.”
According to his luck, if the ghost really succeeded, under the random probability, he would probably be the first to be killed.
The Whaler’s Association, the goat-headed person, the ghost in the team, and… Zhou Qi’an’s gaze darkened. What he cared about most was that the prompt clearly stated that the specific main mission, number of participating players, etc., would be announced upon arrival at the museum tomorrow. Combined with the situation in the room, it was possible that other players would appear at the museum. It takes all kinds to make a world. If the number of players was even greater than now, there would inevitably be a few with greedy eyes on the holy artifact or the Death Curse Bone.
Surrounded by danger, Zhou Qi’an took a light breath, trying to calm himself. He treated it like work. Work is endless, and so are troubles.
“One thing at a time.”
First, he had to deal with the ghost in the team, get the VIP museum ticket, and gain some advantage in this special instance.
The temperature in the room plummeted. A strange sound from outside suddenly interrupted his thoughts. Zhou Qi’an walked over and carefully opened the door a crack. In the dim night, he saw the hostess of the courtyard sitting on a small stool.
The sinister wind blew her dry hair. The woman’s hands rested on the blade of a knife, facing his room, repeatedly sharpening it. As if sensing something, the woman’s sharpening movements paused. She slowly raised her eyes, her gaze fixed on the crack in the door. Through the tiny gap, their eyes met.
The next moment, the blade and the wet whetstone scraped heavily against each other. A drop of water splashed onto the corner of her mouth as the woman pulled a chilling smile.
Scrape scrape.
Scrape scrape scrape.
The sound of sharpening grew more and more urgent.
Zhou Qi’an took out the [Little Alarm Clock] he hadn’t used in a long time.
23:56.
He had no doubt that as soon as the clock struck midnight, the sleepwalking hostess from the mission would rush into his room with a knife and go on a mad chopping spree. Similar things must have happened before; there were many suspicious knife marks on the walls.
Zhou Qi’an was silent for a moment.
The next second, he hooked the chair behind him with his foot, pulling it forward, while simultaneously grabbing the teapot from the table with one hand. Then, he picked up the broken tiles piled in the corner and placed them in front of the chair.
He poured the cold tea onto the tiles. Zhou Qi’an mimicked the woman’s posture outside, placed his holy artifact on it, and began to sharpen the fishing fork.
Scrape scrape scrape.
Scrape scrape scrape.
Golden light streamed out from the doorway. Zhou Qi’an stared straight at the woman, his fork-sharpening rhythm matching hers, a slow smile also stretching across his lips.
