Downstairs, Han Tiansheng was still shaken with fear. “I really saw him.”
Saying “he went upstairs” wasn’t entirely accurate—Xun Er looked more like a stranded fish, his half-ruined body writhing, or rather, swimming upward. The sight was as grotesque as it was eerie.
With the sun’s unnatural descent, the living room was dimly lit.
Han Tiansheng couldn’t make out all the details, but the blurred imagery only made it more terrifying.
Just moments ago, he thought he was doomed. Fortunately, Xun Er seemed pressed for time and hadn’t even spared him a glance.
Han Li, tense with alarm, asked, “What did he go upstairs for?”
“Not good!”
Before Han Tiansheng could respond, Zhou Qi’an suddenly looked toward the upper floor.
At last, he understood the depth of Xun the Wealthy’s bitter hatred. His tongue pressed against his teeth so hard that he tasted blood.
“Now that it’s dark again… That bastard Xun Er—could he be relying on some kind of escape-from-death trick to go make a wish at the Evil God’s statue?”
The others came to the same realization, their faces turning ghostly pale.
What could Xun Er possibly wish for?
It certainly wouldn’t be for their long lives.
As everyone imagined the worst possible scenario, the system notification dropped like a thunderclap in their ears—
【Evil God’s Blessing.】
【On this day, Xun the Wealthy finally remembered everything.】
The first message alone sent chills down their spines.
But the mechanical voice continued coldly, smoothly—
【Memories of the past cut deeper than knives. Xun the Wealthy is on the verge of dying from the shock.】
Zhou Qi’an felt an almost primal urge to clutch his throat and let out a strangled scream.
He was about to die too!
If Xun the Wealthy had remembered everything, didn’t that mean all the hard-earned favorability he had built up was about to be wiped clean?!
【The past is set, as is the cycle of karma. Xun the Wealthy believes his retribution… is all of you.】
Zhou Qi’an instantly grasped the key takeaway.
“Good, good,” he muttered.
The wording specified all of you, not me personally.
Han Li shot him a furious glare.
【Killing a fellow player grants a chance to redeem yourself with Xun the Wealthy.】
【Xun the Wealthy’s favorability toward all players has been reset to zero. By killing another player, you may inherit their previous favorability.】
From high to low, the emotional whiplash was staggering.
Just as Zhou Qi’an’s mind began whirring with possibilities, the next announcement crushed his thoughts—
【Due to the activation of the Killing Field, the rule—‘Players who kill each other will have their next instance’s difficulty increased by one star’—has been temporarily suspended.】
In a mere few sentences, the game had hung a gleaming knife over their heads, as if that weren’t enough, the system continued—
【Xun the Wealthy is nearing death and will soon transform into a full-fledged vengeful ghost.】
【In ten minutes, the main quest will update from [The Best Heir] to [Survival Challenge].】
【Survive for twelve hours to escape the game.】
【Players, prepare for battle!】
Zhou Qi’an’s gaze sharpened.
So, the three main NPCs of the villa all had paths to evolve.
The female ghost fed on humans.
Xun Er had his mysterious energy cluster.
And Xun the Wealthy? He simply died and ascended.
Beside him, Han Li’s face was ghastly pale.
Survival challenges typically lasted at least three days. A twelve-hour time limit was unheard of—it practically guaranteed no way out.
No… there was still a way.
She glanced at the other players, all fellow schemers.
At the same time, everyone was sizing each other up.
Han Li and Chen Jian immediately locked their sights on Zhou Qi’an.
Killing a fellow player would grant them their previous favorability score.
And Zhou Qi’an had the highest favorability of them all.
The system hadn’t explicitly stated whether multiple players could claim the reward from a single kill, but judging from past cases, as long as they worked together, they would all get a share.
Both Han Li and Chen Jian thought of the same phrase:
“When a whale falls, countless lives are born.”
Sensing the murderous glint in their eyes, the college student swallowed hard.
“Everyone, calm down,” he urged. “Now more than ever, we can’t afford to turn on each other.”
But his voice held little weight.
Instead of pacifying the group, his words only deepened the suffocating tension.
He had been falsely accused earlier, and Zhou Qi’an had even saved his life.
Gritting his teeth, the college student suddenly pointed upstairs. “Look! Xun Er!”
For a split second, everyone’s focus snapped upward.
Seizing the moment, he grabbed Zhou Qi’an and tried to drag him toward the exit.
Pull.
Pull harder.
No movement.
The college student nearly cried.
Zhou Qi’an looked thin, so why was he as immovable as a rock?!
No—wait.
How could he be spacing out at a time like this?!
Zhou Qi’an let out a soft sigh, half mocking, half lamenting as he looked at Han Li and the others.
“You should listen to the scholar. Killing each other isn’t good. When people stand united, they can accomplish anything.”
To the veteran players, those words were nothing but a joke.
Han Li and Chen Jian stepped forward together. Han Tiansheng, though suffering from massive blood loss and lacking tools to fight ghosts, had plenty of tools to deal with people.
Han Li’s gaze darkened. “Sorry.”
She meant it.
People were selfish. She only wanted to survive.
Zhou Qi’an smiled. “No need to apologize. Just turn around first.”
Han Li sneered. “I actually respected you at first. But now, when it’s life or death, you’re acting like that foolish college student? Playing childish tricks—”
Tap.
A numb sensation spread across Han Li’s back.
Something had just tapped her shoulder.
Tap. Tap.
Two more taps.
Chen Jian felt it too, cold sweat breaking out on his face.
He turned his head stiffly—
A massive spider, its grotesque face stuffed full of eyeballs, had appeared behind them at some point.
One of its long, sickle-like legs was skillfully wrapped around a cane, tapping them on the back.
Standing in front of them, Zhou Qi’an smiled faintly. “I’ll give you one more chance to rephrase your words.”
Before them stood the ever-smiling Zhou Qi’an.
Behind them loomed an unknown monster.
“!!!”
They still hadn’t figured out the mystery of the strange woman.
Now, where the hell had this spider come from?!
The monster continued to grow in size.
As it expanded, one of its scythe-like legs hovered menacingly above Han Tiansheng’s throat.
A very clear demonstration of what it meant to take a hostage.
Han Li’s panic rose. Monsters only killed—they didn’t take hostages. Which meant… this spider was most likely under human command.
Chen Jian’s face wasn’t looking great either.
He stared at Zhou Qi’an, his eyes filled with doubt.
But no one asked any questions.
They all knew that no matter what they asked, the other party wouldn’t answer.
And even if they fought, there was no guarantee they could win—especially not with that mysterious woman still lurking somewhere in the villa.
Han Li’s dry lips moved.
She was the first to rephrase her words.
“Unity…”
Saying it felt humiliating, but she gritted her teeth and finished the sentence.
“…is strength.”
Zhou Qi’an nodded in approval. “Now, that’s more like it.”
The multi-eyed spider scuttled over to him and tossed the cane into his hands.
The cane.
Han Li’s eyelids twitched violently.
Damn it!
So after all that circling around—he really was the one who stole it?!
Ignoring the burning resentment in everyone’s eyes, Zhou Qi’an ran his fingers over the cane with satisfaction.
His slender, pale fingers played along the length of the cane, finally pausing at the crane-shaped handle.
In the dim light, the way his fingertips caressed the grooves carried an inexplicable sensuality.
He carefully traced over every ridge and indentation until he stopped at a certain spot.
“Ah. Here it is.”
Click.
His fingers pressed down on a hidden groove.
The elegant crane’s mouth opened—spitting out a small golden key.
【Hidden Item: Key ×1】
【This key unlocks a legendary treasure!】
For the first time, the system’s notification about an item ended with an exclamation mark.
Zhou Qi’an’s mood instantly lifted.
Could there be some grand fortune waiting for him ahead?
The others were still reeling from the fact that Zhou Qi’an had commanded a monster to steal the cane when another system message popped up—
【Player XXX has obtained the key to a 5-star+ legendary treasure! Go congratulate them!】
The college student muttered, “5-star+? What does that even mean?”
He read the message aloud.
Zhou Qi’an’s first reaction—
What kind of brain-dead game is this?!
Why announce it to everyone?!
They might as well just say: ‘Hey everyone, come rob me!’
Zhou Qi’an didn’t know whether this announcement was only visible to players in the same instance or if all players could see it.
If it was the latter, he would spit at the game before he died.
“Unless it’s a true god-tier treasure, it wouldn’t be announced to the entire player base,” Chen Jian said, as if reading his mind. A glint of greed flickered in his eyes.
A treasure ranked higher than five stars—what kind of item could that be?
But that green glow of desire didn’t last long.
The ground beneath them shifted.
The solid cement floor suddenly turned into a pool of flesh.
Their feet sank, their bodies wavering as the sticky, pulsing mass clung to their soles.
The college student let out a startled cry—his shoe soles were melting!
【Time until Xun the Wealthy’s death: 7 minutes 30 seconds.】
【Players, keep pushing forward! Bathe in blood and fight!!】
The second time the system broadcasted “bathe in blood and fight,” the voice carried an unmistakable malice.
Zhou Qi’an could feel the game targeting him specifically.
“Not much time left,” he muttered, yanking his foot out of the fleshy ground with effort. “First, we get the treasure.”
The treasure was undoubtedly that thing—the family heirloom that could even destroy the Evil God’s statue.
If it could counter ghosts, then it was their only hope of survival.
From the way Zhou Qi’an spoke, he already knew where it was.
The others, each harboring their own thoughts, followed him cautiously.
Every step was a struggle.
Everything inside the villa had transformed into bloodied flesh.
Xun the Wealthy hadn’t even died yet, and the entire mansion was already mutating. Once he did—who knew what would happen?
Zhou Qi’an narrowed his eyes.
No wonder this had turned into a high-difficulty survival challenge.
Unlike the female ghost, who was bound to random junk like beds, ceilings, and recorders, Xun the Wealthy was tied to the entire estate.
Soon, Liangye Manor would be completely devoured.
Every living thing inside would become nourishment for the expanding flesh.
Time was already tight, but now, every step was agonizingly slow.
Not wanting to leave an injured man alone in the living room, Han Li supported Han Tiansheng.
At first, she thought her legs were sinking deeper into the fleshy ground because of his weight.
But when Han Tiansheng gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand, she was still sinking just as deep.
That’s when she realized—
“It’s related to how much fish we ate in the villa.”
The more fish someone had eaten, the higher priority they were as a target for consumption.
Zhou Qi’an considered whether to finish her off while she was struggling.
“…Forget it.”
Most of the lights in the villa were already failing.
The only useful resources left were the veteran players’ tools—he still needed them for now.
Adjusting his glasses, Zhou Qi’an’s face was calm and unreadable.
Han Li, still worried he would attack her, suddenly heard him start humming—
“Unity is strength~”
“Unity is strength~~”
Han Li: “…”
Somehow, they barely made it to the second floor.
The pale-gray walls bulged and twisted like giants.
A nauseating stench filled the air, so strong it could knock someone unconscious.
The college student couldn’t hold back—he gagged.
Even Zhou Qi’an wasn’t doing much better.
He had been holding his breath while moving forward, only taking tiny sips of air when absolutely necessary.
By now, his cheeks were flushed bright red from lack of oxygen.
The scene was drenched in blood and terror.
But the horror was somehow diluted—by Zhou Qi’an’s occasional deep breath, followed by another burst of righteous singing.
Han Li finally pieced together his destination.
“The third floor?”
Zhou Qi’an nodded.
Hearing it confirmed, everyone shuddered.
The third floor housed the Evil God’s statue.
Going there now meant risking an encounter with Xun Er.
A person who could die and come back to life—in a way, he was even more dangerous than a regular monster.
No—Xun Er had a grave.
He wasn’t a person anymore.
The staircase ahead looked like melted chocolate, rendering even the handrails useless for leverage.
Chen Jian glanced at the system clock. “Only five minutes left.”
Even if they reached the third floor in time, getting the treasure wouldn’t be easy.
Zhou Qi’an simply said, “One step at a time.”
Given how every literal step was a struggle, the phrase felt almost mocking.
The college student had a strange feeling—
Zhou Qi’an didn’t seem fully focused on the treasure.
It was like he was searching for another way out.
Before this, he had simply been going along with the flow.
For once, the college student was actually right.
Zhou Qi’an knew they were running out of time.
But his main concern was—
How did Xun Er cheat death?
“Hmm… if I kill Xun Er again, maybe I’ll even get some favorability out of it.”
Han Li heard him mutter and looked at him with hope. “If that spider helps…”
Zhou Qi’an immediately waved her off.
The multi-eyed spider was fine for petty theft, but it would never risk its life.
Besides, a monster was always a monster. It could turn on them at any moment.
Just in case, he hadn’t let the spider follow them.
—
At last, they reached the third floor.
The light from Han Li’s tool illuminated the hallway ahead—but it was as if something swallowed the glow, dimming it significantly.
When she finally saw what lay ahead, she instinctively stepped back.
The worst-case scenario had happened—
Before the Evil God’s statue, Xun Er leaned against the altar, dragging his half-ruined body.
His veins, writhing like tree roots, dangled from his wounds.
Torn flesh twitched, growing back, like the budding branches of a newborn tree.
Among them all, he only locked eyes with Zhou Qi’an.
Dragging his mutilated frame, he grinned.
“Good evening.”
The words sent chills down their spines.
Xun Er was smiling, but his eyes oozed killing intent.
“No time,” Chen Jian whispered. “Only four minutes left.”
Unless they were gods, there was no way to settle everything in that time.
Instinctively, he was already thinking about going all out.
Xun Er, still grinning like a demon, dragged himself onto the cushion before the altar—waiting for them to make their move.
The surrounding walls were peeling, flesh-drenched water pooling across the floor.
In the nearby rooms, they could hear the death rattle of Xun the Wealthy.
And directly ahead…
The Evil God’s statue.
Its lips seemed to curl upward in amusement.
This place could very well become all of their graves.
Zhou Qi’an stared at Xun Er for a long moment.
Yet, instead of fear, something else flickered across his face.
Suddenly, a gleam of understanding lit his eyes.
It was as if he had finally figured something out.
Excitement coursed through him—so strong that even his muscles trembled slightly.
A brilliant idea had just taken shape in his mind.
“I see now…”
Very soon—
He could invite everyone to a feast.
