Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 77: Trust

In regard to the “fair competition” proposal, Xu Wang was somewhat confident in Teacher Wei’s team, but he wasn’t sure about Han Buting’s team.

The “forceful breakout” at the amusement park and the “cupid sneak attack” at the villa made it difficult to establish a good impression between the two teams.

Moreover, the lone presence of Chi Yingxue on 6/23, following the events of 3/23, suggested that the atmosphere within Han Buting’s team was probably not great either.

The accumulated grudges were indeed a concern…

“We are on the puzzle-solving line,” Teacher Wei stated earnestly, showing a willingness for peace and cooperation.

With one side declaring their stance, Xu Wang naturally reciprocated.

“We are on the career line,” he said, his gaze sweeping across the room with a calm and confident air.

Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, Qi Shan: “……”

Lying is easy, but only their team captain could make up such stories with such sincerity, down to every hair on his head.

Han Buting pondered for a while.

Li Xia remained typically gloomy, his eyes hidden behind his bangs, making it hard to gauge his attitude.

The two unfamiliar new teammates, one with a serious and calm demeanor and the other indifferent, also showed no specific inclination.

Only Li Zijin, as lively as ever, nearly desperately signaled his disagreement to Han Buting, but the captain seemed not to notice.

Xu Wang suspected Han Buting’s criteria for choosing teammates were “silent + aloof”.

It must be hard for the energetic young Li Zijin to match the team’s “deep” vibe.

“We are on the joy line,” Han Buting finally said after careful consideration.

His words seemed to relax the tense nerves in the room, at least unconsciously.

Puzzle-solving line, career line, joy line.

True or not, at least there were no overt conflicts on the surface.

A temporary peace agreement was reached between the three teams.

Xu Wang and Dark Circles exchanged glances, seeing familiar and bright smiles on each other’s faces.

It was the joy of a successful deal.

Xu Wang was about to high-five the other team when he was suddenly pulled aside by the collar.

“That’s enough,” Wu Sheng said with an aloof face reminiscent of Han Buting’s team. “In case we end up fighting each other later, won’t it be awkward to remember this closeness?”

Xu Wang was bewildered. “Isn’t your definition of closeness a bit broad…”

“Career line captain, I don’t mean to interrupt your… intimate interaction.” Han Buting finally found a word to describe it. “But could you first help us clear up a doubt? I believe the puzzle-solving line captain has the same thought.”

Xu Wang, still rolling his eyes at Wu Sheng, turned to see that the other two teams hadn’t moved an inch, still not in “search for their own clues” mode. All eyes were quietly on them as before.

Wu Sheng released his grip on his team captain’s collar.

Captain Xu straightened his clothes and composed himself, standing dignified like a proper team captain. “Please speak.”

Han Buting: “Each team has five members. Why do you have six?”

Wei Menghan nodded, adding to Han Buting’s question. “And a team mascot.”

Xu Wang turned to look at his team.

The elderly writer smiled kindly.

Xu Wang held his forehead, having completely forgotten they had an NPC with them, and quickly pointed to the wall. “That’s the painting we mentioned.”

The previously quiet elderly man, as if waiting for this cue, immediately went forward eagerly, his cane tapping a rapid rhythm on the carpet, mirroring his inner urgency.

Once in front of the painting, the elderly man stood still, gazing intently and appreciatively.

Xu Wang, seeing the expressions of the other teams, knew no further explanation was needed and simply said, “Mission NPC.” He glanced at the dog beside Qi Shan. “This one is our defense stationery.”

Wei Menghan had no more questions and turned to his teammates. “Let’s get to work.”

His team dispersed, seemingly ready to conduct a thorough search of the room.

Han Buting also didn’t waste more time and nodded to his team.

They sat down in a circle, ready for their task.

Xu Wang, knowing his destination was the painting and seeing that the other teams had no interest in it, was naturally relieved.

However, his teammates couldn’t help but glance at Han Buting’s team as they walked towards the painting, curious about their formation.

“Are they playing poker for the joy line?” Qian Ai was already standing in front of the painting. He was genuinely worried for the other team. “It’s hard to pair up five people for a game.”

Xu Wang looked at the fire in the painting. “Five-player Fight the Landlord, three against two.”

Kuang Jinxin looked at the kissing couple under the tree. “Could it be Werewolf?”

Wu Sheng gestured at the onlookers. “No, they don’t have enough players.”

“….” Han Buting’s team, trying to focus for the 101^st time, failed.

In such a small room, could they not gossip about others unless they’re in the bathroom?!

Li Zijin resisted shouting but couldn’t stop glaring.

And just as he glared, he met Qi Shan’s gaze.

Li Zijin, unfamiliar with Qi Shan, felt uncomfortable under his stare.

Frowning in warning, Li Zijin glared back.

But Qi Shan kept looking.

Li Zijin became irritated. “Why are you staring at me—”

His outburst disrupted the meditation of his four teammates and also stunned Xu Wang’s team.

The two teams glanced at each other and searched among themselves, temporarily unsure who Li Zijin was yelling at.

Qi Shan was already focused on the painting.

“Don’t get distracted,” Han Buting advised Li Zijin tersely, wanting to avoid any unnecessary complications.

Confused and frustrated, Li Zijin reluctantly closed his eyes again and re-engaged in his team’s “mission line”.

This minor incident didn’t affect the main course of action. Han Buting’s team soon entered a focused state, and Xu Wang’s team also began earnestly searching for clues in the painting along with the elderly man.

After ten minutes, nothing happened.

Han Buting’s team still sat quietly, almost making one wonder if their mission line was “yoga meditation”.

Xu Wang’s team scrutinized the painting until their eyes hurt, but the painting remained unchanged, not even showing signs of the “burning” they had experienced before.

Wei Menghan’s team had it even tougher. While the other two teams remained “stationary”, they practically tore the room apart yet found nothing.

All three teams were at a standstill, but none were willing to give up.

The clues clearly pointed to this room.

“Forget the painting.” Xu Wang changed tactics. “Let’s search the room for other clues.”

His teammates agreed and dispersed evenly: one checked the windows, another flipped the carpet, startling Teacher Wei.

“Why are you also turning the place upside down?” Teacher Wei asked warily, his eyes questioning if this was actually their mission line.

“Our focus is really on the painting.” Xu Wang sighed. “But since the painting isn’t responding, we can’t just hang our hopes on one thing.”

Teacher Wei resonated with his words. “Strange, we also followed clues here, but now we can’t find anything either.”

While the two team captains pondered deeply, the eight team members had already begun a thorough search.

Paper Thin Zhu Mo, and Kuang Jinxin both ended up in the same corner, one knocking on the wall, the other flipping the carpet, in good spirits.

Unburdened by the same concerns as his team captain, Zhu Mo was more interested in gossip and whispered to Kuang Jinxin, “Did you guys have issues with them?”

Nodding, Kuang Jinxin honestly replied, “We met them in 3/23.”

Zhu Mo wasn’t surprised by the answer and teased quietly. “How did you make enemies? Did you trick them too?”

Kuang Jinxin, carefully inspecting the lifted carpet without looking up, replied seriously, “We beat them fair and square. We only tricked your team.”

His tone carried no hidden emotions, just a straightforward answer to the question.

Zhu Mo was caught off guard by the response, especially the unabashed honesty of the latter part, and couldn’t help but laugh.

At the bed’s side.

While Xu Wang was re-fluffing the blankets tossed by Teacher Wei’s team, he occasionally glanced at Qi Shan, who was carefully inspecting the window.

It wasn’t that Xu Wang didn’t trust his teammate, but he had observed for ten minutes that Li Zijin’s “Why are you staring at me” was indeed directed at his own teammate.

Qi Shan would glance over at Li Zijin occasionally, seemingly unintentionally. However, having stealthily watched Wu Sheng countless times in high school, Captain Xu was too familiar with this tactic and could easily discern whether it was “unintentional” or not.

His view was suddenly blocked by a figure.

Looking up, he saw Advisor Wu frowning.

“New team members don’t need to be watched like that.” Wu Sheng had been observing for ten minutes, and it seemed like their team captain was about to glue his eyes to Qi Shan.

Speechless, Xu Wang pulled Wu Sheng close, whispering in a barely audible voice only for the two of them. “His gaze at Li Zijin is off.”

Wu Sheng observed Qi Shan for a few seconds. “Looks normal to me.”

“……” Xu Wang gave up. “Forget it. Just focus on finding clues. That’s your strength.”

After a brief silence, Wu Sheng suddenly asked in a low voice, “What’s bothering you?”

Xu Wang looked at him, puzzled.

“It’s not about Qi Shan,” Wu Sheng said. “You’ve been distracted since we left 1829.”

1829 was the room of the girl with the braided hair.

There, Wu Sheng had deciphered the love letter code.

There, Xu Wang was reminded of the five letters from his home.

And he had been preoccupied with it ever since.

Xu Wang’s heartbeat suddenly became erratic, like a disco. He was surprised that Wu Sheng had been watching him and even more surprised that his distraction was so noticeable.

Worse, looking into Wu Sheng’s eyes, he couldn’t think straight. His lie-generating system was crashing.

After a long struggle, he managed a barely convincing, “I’m not distracted…”

Wu Sheng became serious and a bit stern. “I don’t care what you’re thinking about, but from now on, forget it.”

Xu Wang was startled by this response and froze for a moment.

Wu Sheng softened his tone, but his attitude remained firm. “This is both a challenge and a test. We need to be ready for any unexpected events and finish before all the other teams. Any distraction increases the risk.”

“It would be great if this were an exam hall.” Xu Wang sighed regretfully.

Wu Sheng was startled by the change.

Xu Wang gave him a disdainful look that said “stupid”. “If this were an exam hall and we were on the same team, sitting next to each other, I could just copy your answers. We’d finish in minutes and wouldn’t have to be stuck here, right?”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Reason told him he should retort.

Instinct invited him to come over for a treat.

This treat was called “Trust from Xu Wang”. The candy wrapper was colorful, too pretty to unwrap. Just looking at it could sweeten one’s heart.

Kuang Jinxin: “What is the captain and the advisor discussing?”

Qi Shan: “They’re speaking too softly. I can’t hear.”

Qian Ai: “But the atmosphere seems… harmonious?”

Qi Shan: “Why does that sound like a question…”

“Hey—” Phoenix Eyes couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Got it, got it.” Qian Ai hurriedly smoothed things over, shouting to their captain for the second time, “Captain, advisor—”

This time, they finally pulled those two out of whatever dimension they were in.

When Xu Wang looked up, he saw Han Buting’s team standing up, and Wei Menghan’s team had finished searching. The two teams were distinctly separate, but their gazes were unified, all looking towards them.

Captain Xu understood in a flash. “Ready to go?”

Qian Ai, who was about to explain, was shocked by his understanding…

Han Buting remained silent, only acknowledging with his eyes.

Wei Menghan, however, added a few more words. “We can’t delay any longer. We can’t find it here, so we’re changing locations. If we meet again later…”

Xu Wang understood. “It depends on the situation.”

The ceasefire agreement was set by all three parties, and naturally, a mutual heads-up was needed for its termination.

Otherwise, Han Buting and Wei Menghan could just lead their teams away.

Wu Sheng didn’t pay any attention to the changes in the situation here. Having just finished appreciating the candy wrapper, he was now in a fully energized state, with his mind running uncontrollably like a carousel, clicking and moving like a stampede of thousands of horses. From the moment he entered this situation until now, every minute, every second, every detail had been perfectly recreated.

Human aura truly exists.

Like right now.

Everyone felt the unusual flow of air. It formed the words “wisdom” and “intelligence”, swirling around him with his eyes closed.

“Don’t mind us. Our advisor is going through the files.” Qian Ai politely made way for the other teams. “You can leave this way.”

Just as the two teams were about to step forward.

Wu Sheng suddenly opened his eyes and strode forward, heading straight for the white-haired elderly man in front of the oil painting!

Han Buting and Wei Menghan’s teams naturally split apart, maintaining a safe distance, but they were too curious about Wu Sheng’s next move to leave just yet.

“Please take this.” Advisor Wu took out a small card from his pocket and forcibly handed it to the bewildered elderly man. “The questions have been improved, making it easier to start thinking.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

All this fuss just to hand out a flier?!

Han Buting held his forehead, realizing that expecting this team to break the game was wishful thinking.

“When we asked you the first time, you said you wanted to write a novel about revenge.” Wu Sheng suddenly changed the topic. “But when we found you the second time, you said revenge was just one of the novels you were thinking of?”

The elderly man holding the card slowly raised his head. There was a kind look in his eyes now, mixed with something unusual. “Yes, besides revenge, I have conceived another novel.”

Wu Sheng asked, “What’s the theme? Can you tell us?”

The elderly man replied, “Space.”

A hint of surprise flashed in Wu Sheng’s eyes. He had thought the other theme would be key to their mission, but it seemed he was wrong.

But it wasn’t bad.

Wu Sheng: “Can you be more specific?”

Elderly Man: “The recording and reading of space on a medium.”

Wu Sheng: “Can I understand it as saving?”

The elderly man smiled, his voice gentle and warm. “Do you want to save?”

Wu Sheng’s lips curled up. “Of course.”

Xu Wang, Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, Qi Shan: “……”

Han Buting’s team: “……”

Wei Menghan’s team: “You guys must have chosen the VIP route…”

The elderly man tapped his cane on the carpet, and the spot where it touched instantly rippled like water.

However, the two observing teams also moved, each donning their stationery.

Qi Shan’s dog sensed the sudden change in the atmosphere, letting out a powerful bark.

Only then did Wu Sheng come back to his senses, the abrupt change in the situation catching him off guard.

Xu Wang was also confused, but seeing the situation, he roughly understood. “Can only one team save at a save point?”

Han Buting frowned, as if to ask, “You didn’t know that?”

“This level is mostly about exclusive save points.” Wei Menghan’s “friendly explanation” was much clearer, although this “friendship” might be temporarily on hold.

Xu Wang fell silent. Given the current situation, he wasn’t confident about winning against either Han Buting or Wei Menghan. Moreover, while fighting one, he had to guard against the other’s sneak attack.

Should he ally with Wei Menghan first?

As Xu Wang pondered, Wu Sheng also felt frustrated. He was too caught up in the moment, forgetting to be cautious. Having only saved once, their experience was severely lacking, and their analysis of the rules might be biased.

“In the game, everyone can use the save points.” Kuang Jinxin didn’t believe what others said and looked directly at the elderly man for confirmation. “Can you only save for one team? Why is that?”

“There is no why,” the elderly man replied. “For each mission line, only one team can save here.”

Kuang Jinxin frowned. “But our three teams have different mission lines, so why can only one team save?”

“The mission lines are different, so saving does not conflict with each other,” the elderly man explained.

Kuang Jinxin blinked.

The elderly man continued to be benevolent.

Kuang Jinxin turned to Xu Wang. “Captain, I’m a bit confused…”

Xu Wang glanced at the fully armed two teams. “It’s okay. Being confused is better than feeling awkward.”

Han Buting’s team: “……”

Wei Menghan’s team: “……”

This isn’t a VIP line. This is like buying a fast pass…

Without saying anything more, the three team captains put their hands on the elder’s cane to check, and soon the cane emitted a warm light, and the elder nodded in relief. “Different mission lines, can save.”

The cane touched the ground again, and as the ripples spread, the three teams successfully saved.

“Thank you for bringing me to see the paintings,” the elder said to Xu Wang and the others. “Now I have new inspiration and need to go back to create. You can come over for tea again when you have time.”

After speaking, the elderly man left.

The three teams: “……”

Could this exit be any more abrupt!

“Captain!” Li Zijin suddenly stared intently at the spot where they had just sat in a circle. “The Devil’s pattern!”

Han Buting was shocked and immediately led his team over, unable to believe that what they had summoned for so long had just appeared out of nowhere.

“Thump, thump.”

Zhu Mo, who had returned to the corner of the room, knocked on the wall again, confirming his intuition at the end. “Teacher Wei, this is empty.”

Ji Yunlei, the only new face in Wei Menghan’s team, rushed over first, knocked twice, and gave his teammates a confirming look. “It’s definitely here, no mistake!”

A young man in his mid-twenties, with wheat-colored skin, full of vitality, and a wild handsomeness.

Xu Wang could tell at a glance that the two from Han Buting’s team were new members, but this wheat-skin guy was definitely a regular teammate of Wei Menghan’s team, with trust built up over a long period evident in their glances and attitudes.

Wait a minute.

If both their teams had discoveries…

Xu Wang shuddered, looking sharply at his four teammates.

The four teammates nodded solemnly and directed their captain’s gaze towards the painting.

In the painting, the flames became more real.

“Boom—”

Wei Menghan and Ji Yunlei, working together, broke open the wall, and indeed, there was a secret passage.

In the dusty room, Xu Wang raised his hand honestly. “Well, since everyone has found something, we might need to start burning too…”

Han Buting, who was studying the devil’s pattern, looked up. “Burn?”

Wei Menghan turned around. “Burn what?”

The flames in the painting suddenly leaped out, igniting the walls around!

The temperature in the room instantly rose!

Wei Menghan’s team took a big step back in shock. “What the hell?”

They were asking about Xu Wang’s team’s “fire”, but as they spoke, a disheveled woman in white crawled out of the secret passage. When she climbed to the entrance of the cave, she stopped and raised her faceless head.

Wei Menghan’s scalp was about to explode. Unable to think of new words, he repeated, “What the hell—”

“Don’t block us! This is ours!”

Li Zijin rushed over first, followed closely by Li Xia, then Han Buting and the two new teammates.

Wei Menghan’s team was frightened, and Xu Wang’s team wasn’t faring much better.

The fire had already caused panic, and now a ghost too?!

Qian Ai couldn’t stand it anymore. “Aren’t you on the joy line?”

Li Zijin and Li Xia, together, affixed a talisman to the ghost’s forehead, and then, along with Han Buting, who had arrived, quickly arranged a ghost-exorcism formation.

At this point, there was nothing to hide.

Han Buting said, “We are the horror line.”

Zou Jun, or Phoenix Eyes, didn’t care about Han Buting’s line, just asking one question. “Can you get her out first and then deal with it! We need to go through the secret passage!”

Qian Ai: “Even the puzzle line needs to go through the secret passage?”

Wei Menghan gave him a knowing look, “We are in the escape line.”

Qian Ai: “……”

He didn’t understand. What about the basic trust between people?!

Wei Menghan: “Does your career line also need to enter the sea of fire?”

Qian Ai: “Oh, we are in the love line.”

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The author has a message to say:

The three team captain actors express, “What is sharing one’s heart? We don’t understand~~” (～￣▽￣)～

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 76: Tacit Understanding

Beijing time: 01:05.

From 1301 to 1829, then back to 1074.

The teammates spent most of their time hanging out in the corridor. Qian Ai walked to the point of questioning life. “Five minutes of puzzle-solving, one hour of walking…”

Even the [(Defense) Transparent Dream Team] couldn’t hold on. Five minutes ago, its time expired, and it called it quits unilaterally.

Fortunately, they reached 1074.

The least tired among them was Captain Xu. He was immersed in “Letter Memoirs” the whole way. By the time he came to his senses, he was already standing in front of room 1074, embodying the saying, “Close your eyes, and when you open them, it’s dawn.”

His teammates were waiting for him to speak. Xu Wang quickly switched back to “challenger mode”, grabbed the doorknob, and gently pressed.

The door was locked.

Looking left and right, ensuring no colleagues were nearby, Xu Wang gently knocked on door 1074.

As the knock sounded, the lock clicked open by itself.

A dim, strange light shone from inside the door.

The five cautiously entered the room, staying alert and quiet throughout.

Inside, it was pitch black, with no sight of bedding, decorations, or windows—like entering a dark cave, illuminated only by a bright spot in the center. It was a crystal ball on a table, emitting a cold light. Behind the table was a gypsy with her face covered in a veil. The cold light of the crystal ball reflected her snake-like eyes, making it mysterious and eerie.

“Hello…” Xu Wang, leading the team, stood at the entrance, trying to muster a friendly smile, and waved at the woman.

The gypsy lifted her gaze, sweeping it over the five people, remaining silent.

“Can she understand?” Qian Ai murmured softly, then raised his voice a bit. “Nice to meet you!”

Xu Wang: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qi Shan: “Um, what the captain said seems to be in English too…”

“Do you know the girl from room 1829?” Wu Sheng got straight to the point. “We’re helping her find someone to communicate with.”

The gypsy placed her hands on the crystal ball. After a few seconds, a black mist appeared in it.

“Evil spirit.” These were the first words she said as she raised her head.

Her voice was low and husky, not like she was having a conversation but more like chanting a mysterious and ancient spell.

The atmosphere became more oppressive.

“Is there a connection between the evil spirit and the communicator?” Xu Wang asked the key question.

The gypsy didn’t follow up, instead continuing to look at the crystal ball. “The evil spirit is in this castle, day after day, burning with the flames of vengeance. Hatred keeps it alive, and jealousy drives its paranoia. The only way to avoid the evil spirit—”

She slowly lifted her gaze back to them. “Deception.”

Kuang Jinxin: “Deceive the evil spirit?”

The gypsy shifted to his face, finally responding, “Yes. Use a decoy to deceive the evil spirit, let the fires of hell burn the decoy, and you can safely avoid it.”

Kuang Jinxin asked, “What about the decoy then?”

The gypsy woman said, “Endure the pain.”

Kuang Jinxin frowned. “That’s unfair…”

The gypsy woman gently stroked the crystal ball, and the black mist inside slowly dissipated. “Only those who are willing can become a decoy and deceive the evil spirit.”

Kuang Jinxin had no response.

Willingness leaves no room for others to comment.

“What if we don’t want to avoid it?” Wu Sheng suddenly asked.

The gypsy woman paused. A hint of confusion glazed her eyes. Clearly, this was outside her “divination scope”.

Xu Wang spoke for his advisor, clarifying, “We want to eliminate the evil spirit. How do we do that?”

“No, wait.” Qian Ai squeezed between them. “Calm down, you two. No matter how you spin this, this plot looks like it did a 360° to the horror line. We can’t steal someone else’s mission…”

Wu Sheng shook his head. “You need to look beyond the surface.”

Xu Wang looked deeply at him. “Lao Qian, this is about love.”

Qian Ai: “……”

The world is full of dog food. Why must it be eaten in a haunted house?!

Feeling heartbroken, Qian Ai moved away from the two, seeking comfort from Classmate Kuang, only to find him chatting with Classmate Qi.

…Five people walking together instantly highlight the single ones.

Covering his broken heart, Qian Ai couldn’t help but eavesdrop with one ear.

Kuang Jinxin: “This love story is not good.”

He wasn’t sure what was discussed earlier, but this was what Qian Ai heard.

“Game storylines are like this,” Qi Shan said, like an experienced gamer. “They have to be torturous to show depth of feelings.”

“It’s not about torture,” Kuang Jinxin said. “It’s okay for the decoy to be willing, but does the one who avoids the evil spirit know?”

Qi Shan couldn’t follow. “Does it matter?”

“Yes.” Kuang Jinxin nodded seriously. “If the one who avoids the evil spirit also loves the decoy, they wouldn’t agree to let the other suffer.”

Qi Shan: “Maybe they don’t know?”

Kuang Jinxin: “How sad would they be if they found out?”

Qi Shan: “…This love story is indeed not that great.”

Qian Ai listened to the whole process of Qi Shan being convinced. As an “experienced person”, he wasn’t surprised by the outcome.

Although his captain was eloquent, when it came to “preaching”, Kuang Jinxin was the master, silently persuasive as the wind.

Meanwhile, Advisor Wu and Captain Xu were close to making the gypsy cry, but the answer remained the same—she didn’t know which room the evil spirit was in and that it could only be avoided, not destroyed.

“Don’t you have any letters for us?” Captain Xu suddenly wondered.

The gypsy’s expression looked like she wanted to send them away.

Captain Xu sighed and whispered to Wu Sheng, “She’s like a mother to Xiao Kuang, but a stepmother to us…”

Wu Sheng consoled his captain. “You can’t compare yourself to a youth blessed by the gods.”

Captain Xu wasn’t satisfied. “Where am I lacking?”

Wu Sheng asked, “Are you seriously asking?”

Xu Wang: “…No thanks!”

That guy definitely had a stomach full of “harsh truths” waiting for him!

Wu Sheng laughed, unsure why he was happy. Ever since the love line began, he felt great. When he’s in a good mood, his mind opens up. Suddenly, he walked towards the back of the gypsy, and in a few steps, was swallowed by the darkness.

Xu Wang was startled and quickly followed, but after a few steps, the view suddenly brightened.

Wu Sheng turned on the flashlight on his phone.

Now they could see more clearly. There was no dark cave, just an empty hotel room devoid of furniture. The walls were covered with thick curtains, blocking out all light.

Looking at each other, Xu Wang nodded.

Wu Sheng immediately stepped forward and pulled the curtain halfway open!

Bright sunshine flooded in.

The light from the crystal ball was insignificant under the sun. The previously mysterious and oppressive atmosphere vanished.

“We should have done this earlier…” Qian Ai felt the relief of exiting a haunted house and hurriedly pulled the curtains fully open.

Like the room of the girl with the braided hair, behind the gypsy woman was a bright window. Through the glass, one could see the hotel’s expansive lawn and the clear blue sky…

“Ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh—”

Something flew past the window, leaving behind a series of piercing screams.

The five friends were unprepared and were momentarily stunned.

“Ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh—”

That “thing” flew back, still at the speed of light, but this time it circled around outside the window for a while before flying out of view. The friends could now make out that it was a young man riding a broom.

This scene was common in magic movies.

But the magicians in the movies definitely didn’t wear fluorescent green jackets.

The friends no longer paid attention to the gypsy. They all moved past the fortune-telling table to the window and saw clearly that there wasn’t just one broom flying outside, but five.

Their flight path resembled balloons wildly deflating.

Even so, they continued to encourage each other amidst screams—

“Hang in there—”

“Not falling is a victory—”

“My balls hurts. Ahhh—”

“You’ll get used to the pain—”

“No pain, no gain.”

“You fucking chose this line, and now you’re here giving me pep talks*?!”

*Chicken soup. It’s a metaphor referring to things (usually writings or articles) which affect motivation and make you feel good reading them, kind of like how eating chicken soup soothes the soul.

The five friends fell into an awkward silence.

Half a minute later, Xu Wang broke it. “This must be the ‘joy’ line…”

Qian Ai swallowed. “Where’s the joy?”

Kuang Jinxin said bluntly, “The brooms seem happy.”

Wu Sheng and Qi Shan: “……”

The ‘joy’ line made those who didn’t choose it feel a sense of relief from having narrowly escaped death.

After briefly observing the other team’s mission line, the friends were glad they made the right choice. They turned around to search the room more thoroughly but were startled the next second.

The gypsy had disappeared.

Only the crystal ball remained on the fortune-telling table.

Qian Ai’s scalp tingled. “Is she a fortune teller or a vampire…”

As if in response, a small flame suddenly appeared in the crystal ball.

Quickly, the flame turned into four burning numbers—1314.

Qian Ai frowned. “This room…”

Wu Sheng: “We’ve been there at the beginning.”

Xu Wang: “The writer.”

Kuang Jinxin: “Came here for inspiration.”

Qi Shan: “Wanting to write a revenge story.”

…Is there no way out for the underachievers!

The clues were clear, and the five friends immediately set out.

As they opened the door, the team opposite them did the same.

Ten friends looked at each other. One from the opposite team and Wu Sheng immediately raised their arms!

Clearly, teams that had made it this far had tactical rehearsals for sudden enemy encounters. Otherwise, multiple people activating defense stationery would waste a lot of time.

In an instant.

A white railing rose in front of the other team, encircling them like a protective barrier. On Xu Wang’s side, a majestic large wolf dog appeared, sitting in front of the five people, eyeing the other team as if challenging them to try something.

Wu Sheng was startled; this wasn’t his defense stationery.

Xu Wang, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai felt the same, having memorized the equipment list during their strategic planning.

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) Guard Dog] on you~~]

Xu Wang was the first to turn his head, looking at Qi Shan.

Following his lead, the friends realized this was the new teammate’s stationery.

Qi Shan was uncertain if he had done the right thing. He had just been called out before, and any tactic required communication first. But in such situations, it’s all about reflex, with no time to report…

“We are on the escape line.” The person across cut straight to the point, drawing back the attention of the five.

Xu Wang reciprocated. “We are on the career line.”

Twenty eyes met, all proud and upright, creating a harmonious scene.

“We’re heading that way.” Xu Wang pointed in the direction of 1314, speaking the truth this time.

The other team sighed in relief. Though the change in their expression was subtle, Xu Wang still caught it.

“We’ll go the other way.” The other team pointed in the opposite direction.

Xu Wang nodded. “Farewell for now.”

The other team also nodded. “Until we meet again.”

Before real conflicts of interest arise, no one wants to start a fight.

Provoking a third party would be counterproductive.

One group headed east, the other west, retreating face-to-face until the other’s figure was almost indiscernible. Then they each turned around and went their separate ways.

“Impressive,” Wu Sheng complimented Qi Shan sincerely as he caught up with him.

Qi Shan, walking ahead, almost stumbled in surprise and looked at him bewilderedly. “Huh?”

Xu Wang, walking beside them, explained, “His defense hadn’t activated yet, but yours had already appeared. He thinks your reaction speed is incredibly fast, so it’s impressive.”

Qi Shan: “……”

Can one word really carry so much meaning…?

“You’ll get used to it.” Qian Ai shared his experience with the new team member. “There’s a devilish understanding between those two.”

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng: “Your choice of adjectives…”

Qian Ai: “See, here it comes!”

Sheng and Wang: “…”

Qi Shan laughed, feeling more relaxed, and let it slip. “I specifically trained my reaction speed.”

The four teammates paused and looked at him, puzzled.

Qi Shan explained, “I wanted to be a professional esports player.”

Xu Wang: “Wanted to?”

Qi Shan: “Yeah, but although you can train for speed, my awareness wasn’t up to par, so I didn’t make it. It just became a hobby.”

“Can you train for awareness?” Kuang Jinxin asked, not being a gamer and not quite understanding the field.

Qi Shan said, “You can, but those with natural talent work just as hard, so you end up having no chance.”

Kuang Jinxin nodded, indicating he understood.

Xu Wang wanted to offer some consolation, but he quickly realized that Qi Shan’s eyes lacked regret. Instead, they still sparkled brightly. He truly loved esports, so much so that even being a spectator filled him with passion and longing.

Xu Wang decided not to say more. The group, along with their watchdog, proceeded quietly and swiftly to room 1314.

Inside, an elderly man was drinking red tea and watching the wildly flying brooms outside the window.

Qian Ai, trailing behind, carefully closed the room door.

Xu Wang, leading the way, opened with, “We’re back…”

The elderly man was delighted and smiled warmly. “I was just worrying about not having someone to talk to this afternoon, with all the ghastly screaming outside…”

Xu Wang tried to restrain himself from looking outside and asked, “You mentioned before that you were working on a new story about revenge?”

The elderly man clarified precisely. “To be accurate, it’s one of the new works I’m contemplating.”

Xu Wang asked, “Can you tell us more about it?”

When they had previously visited the room, the old man wasn’t so talkative; otherwise, they would have engaged in a deeper conversation then. Xu Wang figured that it must be the selection of their mission line that had truly triggered the corresponding NPC’s in-depth storyline.

“I haven’t really fleshed out the plot yet. I just heard a legend and thought to come here to find inspiration…” the elderly man said calmly, sipping his tea.

Xu Wang eagerly asked, “What legend?”

The elderly man set down his teacup and began slowly. “The legend says that in the Middle Ages, this place was just an ordinary village. Due to the rampant Black Death, anything associated with evil magic was blamed for this terrifying disease. The primary targets were witches, but in reality, those killed were innocent girls…”

The five friends exchanged looks.

Witches?

Coincidentally, they had met one.

Not only met, but also had been “warmly hosted”…

“In this village, there was such a girl who was accused of being a witch. Soon, the villagers executed her by burning her at the stake…”

“But afterwards, real evil spirits began to appear in the village. People died or were injured, and those who were lucky enough to survive quickly moved away…”

“Over time, the village was abandoned. Later, a nobleman who owned this land, for some reason, decided to build a castle here. Once the castle was completed and the nobleman moved in, his family never had peace again…”

“Then it comes to today.” The elderly man sighed, seemingly tired, but his eyes were still ablaze with a writer’s fervent passion. “Although the castle has now become a hotel, it is said that the evil spirit still lingers within, wandering restlessly.”

“Is it room 1310?” Xu Wang, who had been quiet the entire time, asked directly after the elderly man finished.

The elderly man looked bewildered. “What are you talking about?”

Xu Wang honestly replied, “We saw a painting in room 1310, depicting a witch being executed, and the walls had burn marks.”

The elderly man stood up excitedly. “Quick, take me to see it!”

Xu Wang was taken aback. “Huh?”

The elderly man had already firmly grasped his hand. “Quickly, take me to room 1310—”

The five friends: “……”

Shouldn’t he be the one guiding them? What kind of twist is this, where the challengers lead the NPC!

Having no choice, Xu Wang couldn’t bear to shake off the elderly man’s grip—mainly because he couldn’t—so he led the whole team, along with the elderly man, to room 1310.

The door to room 1310 was ajar.

Xu Wang stopped abruptly in front of the door, listening intently. His teammates behind him entered a “ready for battle” state.

The room was eerily quiet, without a sound.

Xu Wang frowned and, after seeking the consent of his teammates with a glance, pushed the door open.

Inside, two teams were in a standoff.

One line stood on the left, the other on the right, tense and alert, their expressions sharp. Hearing the noise, they all turned in unison—ten faces like ten elite monsters.

Captain Xu stopped at the entrance, wishing he could cut off the leg he used to walk in just now.

Behind him, his four teammates, except for the puzzled Qi Shan, understood their captain’s complex emotions.

A chance meeting on a narrow path between two familiar teams…

On the left were Han Buting, Li Xia, and Li Zijin, along with two new teammates they hadn’t met before. On the right were Muscles, Dark Circles, Paper Thin, Phoenix Eyes, and a new teammate.

Han Buting’s trio always looked cold, but their expressions darkened further upon recognizing them.

The expressions of Teacher Wei’s team were much more varied, including surprise, astonishment, squinting, raised eyebrows, and confusion.

Deciding who to greet first was an obvious issue.

But Captain Xu had to first engage in rapid calculations.

In just four days to turn in their submission for the Moonlight Maze, if Teacher Wei’s team had gone back to the first level, they would need to clear two single-level records to catch up—a probability that was just too low. The most likely scenario was that they had saved their progress in the Moonlight Maze.

“Did you save your progress?” Captain Xu directed this opener at Teacher Wei. His smile was warm and familiar, skipping formalities to quickly bridge the distance between them.

In a standoff between two armies, suddenly a third party arrives. Wei Menghan was also glad it was a team they had a “meal’s acquaintance” with. “Yes, did you save too?”

Captain Xu seemed to ponder but was actually continuing his rapid calculations.

If they had saved their progress and entered the Moonlight Maze with the opposing team the next day, then if the other team submitted their work, they would inevitably have to return to the first level. How could they be here on 6/23? It didn’t add up.

Wait, if he could figure this out, couldn’t the top-scoring Teacher Wei as well?

Xu Wang suddenly understood.

What’s most taboo during a three-way standoff? Making enemies.

Understanding but not revealing, they could still be friends…

“Yes,” Xu Wang firmly replied. His head was spinning with logic. What a tough job for a team captain!

Wei Menghan and Xu Wang exchanged looks.

Between the two captains, a silent “exchange of glances” took place.

Wu Sheng: “……”

Is such a simple logical relationship worth such a long stare!

Equally impatient was Han Buting—

“If you want to form an alliance, please hurry up. We don’t have time to watch you cultivate feelings.”

Forming an alliance meant breaking the balance and inevitably starting a battle.

Xu Wang looked at Han Buting, then at Wei Menghan, feeling they probably didn’t want to start a battle either. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have just stood there until his team arrived.

“We just met another team in the corridor.” Xu Wang didn’t pick up on Han Buting’s cue, suddenly bringing up something seemingly unrelated.

Feng Rang, the one with dark circles who had recommended financial products to Qian Ai, immediately understood and asked, “And then?”

Xu Wang: “We exchanged information about our mission lines, so there was no conflict.”

Feng Rang: “So?”

Xu Wang: “We parted ways, happily.”

Feng Rang: “Your point is. If our mission lines don’t conflict…”

Xu Wang: “We go our separate ways.”

Feng Rang: “What if the clues are all in this room?”

Xu Wang: “Find our own. Rely on our own abilities.”

Feng Rang: “I think that’s a good idea.”

With that, the two looked at their surrounding teammates, their smiles warm and inviting. “What do you think?”

This kind of tacit understanding was likely cultivated through selling financial products and real estate.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 75: Letters

With the pop-up of the task line option, the friends retreated back to the empty room 1301 they had initially left.

With the door tightly shut and the atmosphere quieted down, in the first minute, the friends either stared at their arms in deep thought or gazed at the ceiling in contemplation, with no one speaking.

Choosing one out of six wasn’t difficult, but if, among these six paths, some were as blissful as heaven and others as nightmarish as hell, then the choice had to be made carefully.

“Career line seems the safest.” Qian Ai decided first, mainly because he relied on instinct rather than logical analysis. “Who would choose the horror line? And the joy line… Are we sure it’s us who will be happy, not the NPCs?”

“Ah.” Kuang Jinxin felt a bit disappointed. “I actually wanted to choose the joy line…”

Qi Shan also felt a bit down. “The horror line could be quite thrilling…”

Qian Ai, not expecting his words to dampen the spirits of two teammates, hastily corrected himself. “I must have overthought it. The joy line surely means pure happiness!”

Qi Shan: “?”

Qian Ai: “?”

Qi Shan: “……”

Does his choice of the horror line not deserve any comforting reassurance?!

Three people, three directions. Kuang Jinxin decisively asked the leaders. “Captain, Sheng Ge, which one do you want to choose?”

Xu Wang didn’t even have to think and could answer for his advisor. “Your Sheng Ge will definitely choose the puz…”

“Love line,” Wu Sheng said. “I choose the love line.”

Xu Wang doubted his ears. He turned to look and saw Wu Sheng with a serious face.

“You can’t be serious…” Xu Wang wasn’t trying to disparage Wu Sheng, but given his teammate’s emotional intelligence, even a kiss could be brushed off as playful banter. Choosing the love line?

“To experience it,” Wu Sheng said.

Xu Wang was speechless. “This isn’t like trying an orange at the market, where you can taste a slice first.”

Wu Sheng replied, “Without tasting, you’ll never know if it’s sour or sweet.”

“You just want to taste it,” Xu Wang retorted. “Did you ask the orange for its opinion?”

Wu Sheng asked, “Then what do you suggest?”

Xu Wang rolled his eyes. “Either buy it and accept it if it’s sour or walk away and stop thinking about its sweetness.”

Wu Sheng fell silent and just looked at him.

Xu Wang suddenly felt a bit flustered, his heated brain finally cooling down.

What nonsense had he been spouting? And Wu Sheng was even playing along. What a mess.

While Xu Wang was confused, Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, and Qi Shan were even more baffled.

What’s this about sour and sweet oranges to buy or not buy? Is this how the leadership team communicates now? What are they, then, a bunch of onlooking fruits?

Xu Wang’s usual approach was to avoid confusion by circumventing it altogether. The fall he took ten years ago was painful, but since it was his own doing, he couldn’t hold a grudge. But he remembered the pain.

“I choose the puzzle line,” he declared his stance.

Kuang Jinxin confirmed again in a daze. “Captain chooses puzzle? Sheng Ge chooses love?”

Qian Ai’s expression turned grave. “Did you two get the wrong script or what?”

Anyway, everyone had made their choice, and they were completely disjointed.

Qi Shan asked, “What now? Draw lots?”

“Actually, I changed my mind…” Kuang Jinxin hesitated, raising his hand. “I choose the love line too.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Qian Ai: “What love do you know, you little brat!”

Kuang Jinxin: “Anyway, I’ve changed my mind!”

With two votes, the love line won.

The process was confusing, but the result had to be respected.

With no other choice and time pressing, Captain Xu Wang led the way, choosing the “love line”.

As the last person made their choice, a flame suddenly appeared in midair in the center of the room. Something seemed to be inside the bright flame.

As the flame weakened, the object inside became clearer, and when the last ember died, an envelope fell to the carpet.

The teammates hurriedly gathered around.

In such moments of speed, Kuang Jinxin usually couldn’t compete, but this time Wu Sheng was also behind. While Xu Wang and the others were picking up the envelope, he curiously asked, “Why did you change your mind?”

“Because you looked like you really wanted to choose love.” Kuang Jinxin’s reason was unexpectedly simple.

Wu Sheng: “……”

The straightforward gaze of his teammate felt like an infrared scanner, leaving him nowhere to hide.

“Sheng Ge, have you never been in love?” Kuang Jinxin suddenly asked in a very soft and rapid voice.

Over there, Xu Wang had already started opening the envelope.

Wu Sheng was unprepared and didn’t know how to answer.

Kuang Jinxin sighed, seemingly understanding the truth. “Sheng Ge, even if the love line here is realistic, it’s still fake. You can’t satisfy yourself by just going through the challenge…”

Wu Sheng was stunned, feeling something was off. “I’m not…”

Kuang Jinxin’s eyes were full of genuine concern. “Also, many NPCs already have their own partners. If you happen to choose one with a CP, you’ll end up being the third wheel…”

Wu Sheng: “……”

He wasn’t here for a one-night stand in the love line!

“What are you two talking about—” Captain Xu, holding the letter he took out of the envelope, called out. “Hurry over here.”

Wu Sheng and Kuang Jinxin quickly rejoined the group.

Xu Wang naturally passed the letter to his advisor.

Wu Sheng took the letter and, under the light, read the flowing words written on it—

I once loved you,

Love, perhaps,

Has not yet completely died in my soul.

But I hope it won’t bother you anymore.

I don’t want to make you sad or hurt.

I once loved you silently, without hope.

Enduring both shyness and jealousy.

I once loved you so sincerely, so tenderly.

May God bless you,

And may someone else love you, just like I did.

As Wu Sheng finished reading, Xu Wang contributed his knowledge. “It’s a love poem* by Pushkin. The first line is the title of the poem, I Once…”

*The title of the poem is I Loved You. However, various translated versions exist. The one linked in the Wikipedia is one of the English versions, while the one used in this novel, I believe the author combined the various Chinese versions into one (thus the lines and translated text don’t match up one to one like the English version).

He suddenly stopped, struggling to speak.

What kind of title is this? It sounded like a confession!

“I Once Loved You?” Qian Ai, not getting the full version, asked blankly.

“…Yes.” Xu Wang nodded.

Qian Ai admired his quick retrieval of information. He quickly guessed, “Did we study this poem in our high school Chinese class?”

Xu Wang was amused. “Which high school Chinese class teaches you love poems!” After a thought, he clarified strictly, “Elegies for deceased wives in classical Chinese don’t count.”

“……” Realizing he was off track, Qian Ai understood this was part of someone’s literary extra-curricular knowledge.

Qi Shan, hearing this, finally caught on. “You two were high school classmates?”

Qian Ai pointed to himself and Xu Wang, then to Wu Sheng, who was still looking at the letter, saying, “All three of us.”

Qi Shan looked incredulous.

Qian Ai understood his feelings. “We never expected that the Owl would plague a whole class like this.”

“That’s a bit sad.” Kuang Jinxin was still focused on the love poem. “Sheng Ge, did you figure anything out?”

His question brought back the attention of the other three teammates.

“I can’t be sure.” Wu Sheng put the letter back in the envelope. “But we can go and check.”

“Got a clue?” Xu Wang didn’t expect such a quick response. “Where to?”

Wu Sheng: “Room 1829.”

Xu Wang: “Reason?”

Wu Sheng: “The poem was written in 1829.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng: “Did I remember it wrong?”

Xu Wang: “Shouldn’t have… I think.”

Who remembers such dates! He still gets the dates of the Opium Wars mixed up!

Wait.

Why would a science whiz be so knowledgeable about love poems?!

Activating [Transparent Dream Team], the group left room 1301 and stealthily headed towards room 1829.

A long journey.

Walking down the corridor, the friends finally confirmed that it wasn’t just “seemingly” endless, but “actually” endless!

When passing room 1700, the door suddenly burst open with a bang!

The five immediately pressed against the corner, holding their breath, to avoid being exposed.

Inside, two teams were fighting, spilling into the corridor, and a disheveled woman in white joined the melee.

Upon closer inspection, the woman had no face.

Finally, one team was sent home by the faceless woman, while the other narrowly escaped, disappearing into the depths of the corridor.

The invisible companions watched the woman in white return to her room, feeling a chill down their spines.

The corridor returned to silence.

Qi Shan confessed sheepishly, “I feel ashamed of my naive suggestion for the horror line…”

Xu Wang laughed, about to say it was okay, but then heard Qi Shan lament. “What a pity.”

Xu Wang didn’t understand. “Hmm?”

“We should have helped that ghost lady,” Qi Shan said. “So the other team couldn’t escape either.”

Qian Ai, walking in front, turned back in confusion. “Why intervene? It’s none of our business.”

Qi Shan shook his head, analyzing it logically. “While it’s unrelated to our task, only one team can submit their papers, so we’ll eventually have to fight.”

Qian Ai frowned, thinking hard. He felt Qi Shan was right but also sensed something was off.

“We only act when we really need to compete,” Kuang Jinxin said. “Maybe by then, they’ll have been sent home by other teams.”

“The logic is sound.” Qi Shan understood his point. “But it’s better to keep control in our hands.”

Kuang Jinxin pondered this logic seriously, and since he was too earnest, the topic ended without a conclusion.

Approaching room 1829, the group somehow ended up with Wu Sheng and Qian Ai at the front, Kuang Jinxin in the middle, and Qi Shan and Xu Wang at the rear.

“Basic defense is invisibility.” Xu Wang suddenly spoke up, as if sure Qi Shan would understand. “Intermediate defense involves physical armor, and everything else is considered advanced defense.”

Qi Shan listened intently and nodded at the end. “Cool.”

Xu Wang looked at him. “Anything else you want to ask?”

Qi Shan paused, then smiled. “Is it that obvious?”

It was more than obvious to Xu Wang; Qi Shan’s curiosity was almost written on his face, yet he waited so long without asking.

“Any tactics we use later, we’ll explain clearly,” Xu Wang said seriously, putting aside his joking tone. “Likewise, if you have any tactical ideas, you must tell us. Only by working together can we become more in sync.”

Qi Shan lowered his eyes, and after a few seconds, smiled. “Understood.”

Xu Wang said no more.

Qi Shan was different from Lao Qian and Kuang Jinxin, who were genuinely naïve and gave direct reactions whether they agreed or not. Interacting with them was straightforward; you just had to speak your mind.

But Qi Shan was different.

Xu Wang could only give him a hint.

If Qi Shan had actually intervened and dealt with the team that had just escaped, would it have been wrong?

No.

But that wasn’t their team’s style.

Style is a mysterious thing, primarily guided by personality, and Xu Wang couldn’t list it out clearly.

A team is like that; when there are incompatible aspects, they need to be addressed to continue harmonizing.

He hoped Qi Shan would become a true partner.

Wu Sheng had been standing in front of room 1829 for quite a while. When he turned around, Xu Wang was still whispering with the new teammate.

Advisor Wu and the others waited patiently without saying a word.

Xu Wang finally felt as if a gaze was staring at him.

“Click—”

The door of room 1829 opened on its own, revealing a young girl with braided hair, dressed in a floral dress, with faint freckles on her face, looking pure and cute.

She stood inside the door, bending over to lift the carpet in the corridor.

Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin, who were already at the door, quickly stepped back.

The braided girl successfully lifted the edge of the carpet and took out a letter hidden underneath. Just as she re-entered the room and was about to close the door, Wu Sheng became visible and held the door open.

The girl turned around in surprise, seeing five men suddenly appear at the door, and asked tremblingly, “Who are you?”

Wu Sheng hesitated between introducing himself or mentioning the task line, but Xu Wang had already held up the previous envelope to the girl’s face.

The girl was stunned, comparing Xu Wang’s envelope to her own, and finally noticed the key point—the wax seal on the envelope was exactly the same.

“Are you the ones I’ve been corresponding with?” The girl’s eyes were filled with shock and disbelief, without a trace of joy.

The teammates felt emotionally wounded.

Fortunately, they had gambled right on the task line.

“We’re not,” Xu Wang said. “But we can help you find them. Can you tell us more about this?”

The letter in Xu Wang’s hand seemed to have earned enough trust, and the girl immediately invited them in, explaining the whole story.

This love line started with a letter.

The girl, experiencing the stirrings of first love, suddenly received a love letter one day. The affection in the words moved her, but she still mailed the letter back to the address on it, including a letter of her own, telling the sender that the letter was sent to the wrong address.

Soon after, she received a second letter. The sender claimed there was no mistake—the letter was meant for her. He loved her.

At first, the girl didn’t believe it, but she couldn’t bear to end the correspondence as the sender not only talked about love but also shared interesting events and even knew some of her likes, feeling like a long-time friend.

Gradually, she fell in love with him and wanted to meet him, but he never responded.

Determined, the girl went to the address on the letters—this Castle Hotel.

But with so many rooms and people in the hotel, she had no idea where to start and decided to stay temporarily. The sender’s letters began arriving at her door, appearing every three days under the carpet, where she also placed her replies.

Qian Ai: “So you came all this way here, only to continue writing letters and having a romance with the person?”

The girl with the braided hair nodded.

Qian Ai, feeling exhausted just by listening, commented, “I can’t understand this kind of romance. What kind of love is this? Why not just talk face-to-face?”

“This is called the beauty of ambiguity, you know.” Xu Wang retorted, suspecting that if Qian Ai ever fell in love, his way of showing affection would probably be, “Whatever you like to eat, brother will take you to eat.”

Wu Sheng was surprised by Xu Wang’s response.

Back in the days when they communicated through letters, Xu Wang had always complained about the “old-fashioned” method, never once mentioning the “beauty of ambiguity”.

“I’ve been here for thirteen days. Counting this unopened one, I’ve received four letters from him.” The girl handed over the letters. Her eagerness to find the person overshadowed her shyness about revealing personal details. “The earlier ones are at home. I only have these. Can you see if there’s any clue in them?”

Wu Sheng took the letters and laid them out side by side on the table.

The teammates gathered around the table to study them. The letters were mostly in a similar format: starting with a piece of love poetry, followed by some interesting events and thoughts about the girl.

Kuang Jinxin asked, “Do we still need to follow the dates of the poems?”

Qian Ai looked at Wu Sheng, inquiring, “Are these poems all from the same era?”

Wu Sheng shook his head. “No.”

Qian Ai then turned to Xu Wang, noticing something in his captain’s eyes, and immediately asked, “Captain, did you notice something?”

Xu Wang replied, “Lucky guy.”

Qian Ai: “Huh?”

“I mean, this guy is lucky,” Xu Wang said with a bit of sympathy for the girl. “Every letter says he misses her, but why not meet up? Only a naïve girl would actually come looking for him. Anyone else would have broken up already.”

“Maybe he has his reasons.” Wu Sheng suddenly defended the unseen NPC.

Xu Wang raised an eyebrow curiously. “Like what?”

Wu Sheng turned to Xu Wang. “Like, maybe he’s already dead and is now a ghost communicating with the girl.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Is this the [(Illusory) The Curse of a Single Dog]…?

Qi Shan picked up a letter, holding it against the light.

Kuang Jinxin leaned in, thinking Qi Shan had found something.

But Qi Shan placed the letter back on the table in disappointment. “There’s no hidden message revealed by the light.”

Wu Sheng kept tilting his head and pondering. When Qi Shan placed the letter back, he picked it up again, but instead of one letter, he took all four and stacked them together against the light.

Xu Wang leaned in to look with him and finally saw the pattern. “One… zero… seven… four?”

Wu Sheng said, “Yes.”

The other three teammates immediately joined in to study the letters, and finally, they understood. Regardless of the content of the letters, these four numbers always appeared in the same spot on each page. When the letters were stacked, these numbers were the only ones that perfectly aligned.

Qi Shan was genuinely impressed. “Impressive.”

Kuang Jinxin, who was used to such feats, would have been more surprised if Wu Sheng hadn’t figured it out.

Qian Ai felt a subtle sense of dissonance. This love line, once in his advisor’s hands, seemed to take on a puzzle-solving tone…

Xu Wang’s heart skipped a beat when he saw Wu Sheng casually place down the letters, looking effortlessly cool.

The joy of finding the next room number turned without warning into an indescribable anxiety.

Stacking the letters against the light…

Was Wu Sheng genuinely inspired by Qi Shan, or had he already known about this trick?

The communication between him and Wu Sheng had been real, starting with Wu Sheng’s initiative… Could it be that Wu Sheng had hidden strange codes in those few letters?!

If he did, what could they be?

The apprehension turned into anticipation, and within the anticipation, a sense of urgent, unsettled panic emerged.

Xu Wang frantically recalled those five letters. He could almost recite their content, but only almost. Who could use their brain like a scanner like Wu Sheng?

And even if he could recite them, he couldn’t simulate a comparison in his mind. It’s not just about the text; it’s about their positioning… Damn, Wu Sheng, you lunatic!

As Wu Sheng was about to return the letters to the girl, his nose tickled unexpectedly.

He resisted the urge to sneeze, his gaze accurately finding his team captain. “Are you scolding me in your mind?”

Xu Wang was startled but maintained an innocent expression. “How could I?”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 74: Ancient Castle

From Huainan to Anyang, the friends leisurely traveled for four days.

Their journey was stitched together by several green leather trains, experiencing what Mao Qiping called a “comfortable journey” for the first time. They dozed off on the train during the day and slept soundly in the Endless Sea at night. Occasionally, when the interval between trains was too long, they explored the local cuisine around the train stations, living a peaceful, Zen-like existence.

When they left Beijing’s Endless Sea, they traveled light, carrying only small bags with essential documents and items. Even when entering the “Owl”, they were ready to move at a moment’s notice.

To avoid damage during battles, their phones were in waterproof and shockproof cases. However, there wasn’t a good solution for laptops, so Wu Sheng didn’t bring his when leaving Beijing.

It was unclear how his company’s affairs were handled, but one thing was certain: even without his laptop, their advisor could still shine his wisdom using only his phone’s memo app.

Shortly after boarding, while Qian Ai was still exploring the train attendant’s snack cart, Wu Sheng had already listed a full page of names on his memo app, showing it to his three teammates.

Xu Wang was confused by the repeated “Top 1-5” lists. “What’s this?”

“From the time we entered the Owl until now, the leaderboard has opened six times,” Wu Sheng explained. “All six lists are here.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai returned, having just bought a pack of beef jerky. “Are you showing off your memory…”

Wu Sheng, with an innocent look that said, “Do I need to show off my memory?”, selected two names on the list. “This must be Muscles’ team.”

The selected names were:

First leaderboard: Top 5 – Feng Rang, Ji Yunlei, Wei Menghan, Zhu Mo, Zou Jun (8/23)

Second leaderboard: Top 4 – Feng Rang, Ji Yunlei, Wei Menghan, Zhu Mo, Zou Jun (8/23)

The unchanged scores suggested the team didn’t rashly attempt the 9/23 challenge within a week. Due to other teams dropping, they rose in rank, indicating no new teams had emerged.

With Wu Sheng’s selection, the friends understood.

Kuang Jinxin: “The team calls him Teacher Wei…”

Xu Wang: “No wonder he responded when I mentioned Muscles*…”

*Clarity: The nickname Xu Wang gave him is [Wei Menghan] (威猛汉), which is a homophone for his actual name [Wei Menghan] (魏孟寒).

Qian Ai: “Captain, how do you always hit the mark with nicknames?”

Wei Menghan, Teacher Wei, Muscles.

“They’re not just about eating,” Wu Sheng said, exiting the memo app. “They’re strong.”

Xu Wang: “Who said they only knew about eating?”

Wei Menghan and his team would probably turn over the table full of crawfish if they heard this.

Identifying Wei Menghan’s team was just the first step. Over the next few days, the friends, led by Advisor Wu, studied new tactical arrangements for stationery.

They used 26 pieces of stationery in 4/23, leaving 23. But with rewards for clearing and breaking records, each received two sets of defense, offense, and illusory stationery, replenishing 24 pieces. So, they had 47 pieces in total to strategize with.

As the last train segment ended, they had not only recovered from the fatigue of 4/23 but were also fully revitalized.

It was early morning when they arrived in Anyang. The sun was just rising warmly, and the sky was clearing up. They started the day with spicy soup and egg-stuffed pancakes, then checked into a hotel to freshen up. At noon, they tried Anyang’s three smoked dishes*, Daokou roasted chicken, and fried skin dregs, enjoying themselves like a senior tour group.

*Famous specialty in Anyang referring to smoked chicken, smoked eggs, and smoked pig.

As night fell, their comfort faded, replaced by the tension of the unknown upcoming level.

Their coordinates were at a crossroad.

At midnight, the four arrived 200 meters away from the crossroads, waiting in the shadows.

The crossroad was empty, but they couldn’t tell how many competitors were hidden in the surrounding darkness.

All was silent; even the wind stopped.

“Hoot, hoot—”

A purple vortex formed around a manhole cover near their feet. Without hesitation, they jumped in.

The sensation of weightlessness disappeared, and their vision cleared.

Castle banquet hall.

The dome was adorned with murals, crystal chandeliers, exquisite reliefs, and a long table filled with delicacies. In the center, guests in groups of three or five chatted lively, and waiters bustled about with trays of drinks.

The castle had a medieval vibe, but the guests wore modern clothes, as if a company had rented the place for a year-end party.

Laughter and chatter filled the air.

Xu Wang and his team stood out, but they weren’t the only ones out of place.

Looking around, they saw others like them, some in groups of four, others alone, some confused, some cautious, some thoughtful, and some blending in with the guests, eating and drinking.

Beijing time, 00:02:00.

The two-minute “Owl entry time” ended, and a voice announced the closure of the portal with a “N-in-one” prompt.

“Ding—”

The guests, mingling with their toasts and laughter, were oblivious to the distinct, strange sound, diligently fulfilling their roles as NPCs. Those clinking glasses continued, and the conversations went on.

This was the moment to identify the “challenge-takers”—those who raised their arms couldn’t escape notice.

[Roster]: Team members insufficient (4/5). Would you like to add more members?

Xu Wang and his team were prepared for this. Although Captain Yue had failed twice to break the “ten-minute curse” in the challenges and was reluctant to discuss this level, the need to add members upon entering was still reluctantly shared.

The four teammates unanimously chose “Yes”.

A list of potential members immediately appeared:

6/23 Chen Xu [Invite]

6/23 Chi Yingxue [Invite]

6/23 Deng He [Invite]

6/23 Qi Shan [Invite]

6/23 Wang Chuming [Invite]

Unlike [Report Card], [Roster] showed the current level of the players, not the levels they had completed. However, what Xu Wang didn’t expect was that, despite the banquet hall seeming full of challengers, only five were actually without a team.

And one of them was on their blacklist…

Qian Ai’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How did he manage to get to this level?”

It wasn’t a question of ability but of personality; Qian Ai couldn’t understand how any team could tolerate that guy for more than two days.

“He made it here, but he’s without a team again,” Xu Wang said, feeling complicated. Despite their hostility towards him, if they hadn’t meddled with his relationship with his teammates a month ago on 3/23, perhaps things would have worked out.

It was hard for someone like Chi Yingxue to find a team that he approved of and that didn’t disdain him.

Kuang Jinxin didn’t think too much. Upon seeing Chi Yingxue’s name, he instinctively looked around and eventually spotted the man leaning against a wall corner diagonally across from them.

Chi Yingxue was dressed normally today, in a dark coat and similarly colored pants, even appearing somewhat low-key.

Feeling the gaze on him, he suddenly looked up.

Their eyes met across the crowd of guests.

Kuang Jinxin was stunned, unsure how to react.

Chi Yingxue nodded slightly, acknowledging him from afar.

His gaze held no sign of “reunion of old acquaintances”—no hostility, murderous intent, surprise, or astonishment. His look, including the slight nod, was like that towards a stranger.

Kuang Jinxin was completely baffled. Even if they hadn’t clashed before, such politeness and courtesy weren’t Chi Yingxue’s style.

The other three teammates, unaware of this “eye contact”, focused on the list of potential members.

With only five options for addition, it meant most challengers trapped here had teams but were understaffed and couldn’t truly enter the level.

“Too many monks, not enough porridge*,” Qian Ai lamented, then reminded their captain, “Hurry up and choose, or we’ll really be left with an empty bowl.”

*(僧多粥少) Idiom referring to too many people and two few things to distribute.

As he finished speaking, two names disappeared from the list: Wang Chuming and Chen Xu.

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng: “……”

Qian Ai: “Got it. I’ll shut up.”

As Qian Ai fell silent, Xu Wang didn’t hesitate any longer. He had planned to communicate with these few individuals before choosing, but now it seemed they had to leave it to luck.

“Xiao…” Xu Wang was about to ask Kuang Jinxin for his opinion, but the prompt sounded first.

All four teammates received the same message:

[Roster]: Qi Shan requests to join your team. Do you agree?

It turned out to be a mutual selection; apart from teams actively adding members, solo players could also apply to join teams. The four teammates looked at each other, thinking it was a match made in heaven. Why wait?

“Ding—”

[Roster]: Qi Shan joined your team.

[Owl: Welcome to the Castle Hotel~~]

The world went dark for a moment, then lit up again. The banquet hall, the guests, and the fellow challengers had vanished. The complete five-member team found themselves in a room at the Castle Hotel. The bed and furnishings were antique, but the telephone and notepaper on the dark brown desk revealed its “modern” identity.

Along with the four teammates, the fifth member, Qi Shan, also appeared.

Judging by the name, Xu Wang had expected a bright-eyed young boy*. But in reality, Qi Shan was in his early twenties, slightly shorter than Wu Sheng, around 1.85 meters tall, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, long legs, and a face that was not particularly striking but very approachable and friendly to look at—basically, a total heartthrob.

*Clarity: His name is [Qi Shan] (齐闪). The [Shan] (闪) means flash or shining, which gave Xu Wang that impression.

“Thank you for letting me join,” Qi Shan said with a dazzling smile, instantly switching from cool to sweet.

Xu Wang sincerely bonded with the new teammate. “We mainly choose based on looks.”

“Cough.” Wu Sheng cleared his throat. “Time is limited. We can build our friendship while tackling the challenges.”

Advisor Wu emphasized the word ‘friendship’.

Xu Wang, immersed in the joy of a new teammate, didn’t hear him and continued to ask Qi Shan, “Why did you choose our team?”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Lao Qian stepped forward, patting Wu Sheng on the shoulder, consoling, “Since ancient times, it’s always out with the old, in with the new.”

Wu Sheng didn’t respond and just shot him a look.

“I saw your names first among the options,” Qi Shan said. “My intuition told me it was you guys.”

Xu Wang was surprised. “Our names are pretty ordinary, right?”

“It’s hard to explain, just a feeling.” Qi Shan looked at each teammate. There was a bit of pride in his tone. “But now that I’ve seen you in person, I know I made the right choice. Without saying anything, I can match your names to your faces.”

Xu Wang was amazed. “Really?”

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai were also surprised.

Wu Sheng raised an eyebrow, then frowned slightly, as if he saw a charmer who used little tricks to win hearts.

Qi Shan first looked at Xu Wang. “You are Wu Sheng.”

Then at Wu Sheng. “You are Kuang Jinxin.”

Then at Kuang Jinxin. “You are Qian Ai.”

Then at Qian Ai. “You are Xu Wang.”

After speaking, Qi Shan gave a warm smile as if to say, “I told you we were destined to be together.”

The four teammates: “……”

Confused by their new member’s mix-up, they began to question their own identities…

“Xu Wang.”

“Wu Sheng.”

“Kuang Jinxin.”

“Qian Ai!”

They decided to introduce themselves properly.

Qi Shan was stunned. “Did I get all of you wrong?”

Wu Sheng responded with a clear and refreshed nod. “Don’t doubt it. You perfectly missed all the correct answers.”

In this awkward yet warm atmosphere, the ceremony of welcoming the new member came to a successful conclusion.

Like them, Qi Shan had never been to 6/23 before, but unlike them, he hadn’t skipped 5/23. When Xu Wang honestly shared that their team had set a record for a single challenge and then inexplicably jumped a level to get here, Qi Shan reciprocated by sharing what he knew.

Firstly, breaking the record for submission did indeed grant the reward of “advancing one level further”; secondly, the content of 5/23 was “Ghost House Infernal Affairs”, which involved entering a maze-like old house as a ghost and completing tasks without being discovered by various monsters, ghosts, and evil spirits.

Although Xu Wang and his team had already obtained information about the fifth level from Captain Yue, they were relieved to hear Qi Shan’s information align perfectly with Yue Shuai’s description.

Objectively speaking, accepting a new member was uncertain. A good addition meant joy for everyone—a bad one could bring unrest. As the team captain, Xu Wang didn’t take this lightly.

After a brief exchange of information, the five teammates quietly opened the room door.

Outside was a narrow, long corridor with a dark-patterned carpet, candles on the walls, and a seemingly endless row of identical doors with only the room numbers different.

“Defense?” Wu Sheng whispered.

Despite Yue Shuai not wanting to discuss this level, he still told them that although his team didn’t last ten minutes in their two attempts and didn’t know the actual task, they encountered a secret passage the first time and found a save point the second.

The presence of a save point suggested they might encounter teams that had battled the previous day. As newcomers unaware of the actual task, they needed to be extremely vigilant to avoid unknown dangers.

Considering this, Xu Wang decisively nodded. “Basic defense.”

Wu Sheng promptly activated his [Stationery Box].

[Owl: Someone used [Transparent Dream Team] on you~~]

As the alert sounded in their ears, the teammates became invisible, including Qi Shan.

Qi Shan wasn’t surprised by the protective gear, but the term “basic defense” seemed like a cool code for communication.

The gear not only concealed the teammates’ appearances but also Qi Shan’s surging emotions.

Upon reaching the corridor, they saw that their room was 1301.

The corridor was silent, with the carpet muffling their footsteps and only the faint sound of burning candles in their ears.

A shadowy figure was faintly visible ahead, but before they could get a clear look, it disappeared.

The teammates reached the spot where the shadow vanished, room 1310, with its door half-open.

The room was silent, neither visible through the partially open door nor audible, not seeming like a “challenge-taker” was inside.

Although invisible, the teammates could see each other. After exchanging glances, they decided to enter.

Slipping through the wide door gap, they entered a room similar in décor and bedding to their own, but the wall color was different.

This room had unevenly charred black walls, as if burned by fire, and was in complete disarray.

However, the furnishings were brand new.

Even the oil paintings on the walls were vivid, as if freshly painted.

But the content of the paintings was cruel.

It depicted a “witch execution” from the Middle Ages: a young woman tied to a cross, with a blazing fire beneath her and an excited crowd around, as if eager to fan the flames higher.

The woman looked pained but resolute, staring at two onlookers hiding behind a nearby tree.

It was a young man and woman kissing behind a tree, using the witch’s execution fire as their bonfire for a date.

Suddenly, the “witch” in the painting slowly turned her head towards the teammates.

The five silent teammates watched as the “witch” turned from a side profile to a full face, finally locking eyes with them and giving a sinister smile.

Amidst the chilling sensation, the walls of the room suddenly burst into flames!

The heat was scorching!

“Retreat—”

Xu Wang, no longer caring about revealing their position, decisively led the team out of room 1310!

Thankfully, they didn’t encounter a crazed scenario like the door suddenly shutting behind them.

Back in the corridor, the five, sweating coldly, couldn’t tell if their fear was from escaping the inferno or the witch’s smile.

Now they knew. What entered room 1310 wasn’t a human shadow, but a ghost!

“Click—”

“Click—”

“Click—”

Room doors 1312, 1313, and 1314 opened simultaneously. A long-haired gentle girl, a gentleman in a suit, and an old man with white hair but a youthful face each peeked out. They searched the corridor but couldn’t find the invisible five. They looked at each other, asking, “What happened?”

After asking, all three looked bewildered. Then they closed their doors.

Considering that none of them seemed like aggressive NPCs, after agreeing unanimously, Wu Sheng undid the invisibility, and the five knocked on each door for a friendly exchange.

The process went smoothly, and in no time, they learned the backgrounds of the three individuals.

The long-haired girl from 1312 was here on vacation, but she couldn’t remember where her home was or how long she had been staying here.

The gentleman in 1313 was here for a business cocktail party and hadn’t encountered any problems.

The old man in 1314 was a writer, constantly working on his writing and currently brainstorming a new novel.

They gathered some information but still had no clue what the actual task of this level was.

Beijing time, 00:15:00.

After wandering cluelessly for fifteen minutes, Xu Wang’s team finally heard the dreaded voice—

[Owl: I hope you have found your direction~~]

This was followed by an update on the [Cheat Sheet]—

[Cheat Sheet]: Please select a task line for 6/23. Once chosen, it cannot be changed. Love Line/Career Line/Puzzle Line/Escape Line/Joy Line/Horror Line?

The five looked at each other.

Qi Shan’s surprise was simple—he didn’t expect to be able to choose a task line.

The other four teammates, on top of being equally surprised, had an additional layer of thought—had they just easily passed fifteen minutes and received the task prompt? What exactly had Captain Yue and his team experienced in their two “Ten Minutes Curse”…

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The author has something to say:

Captain Yue, heartbroken, doesn’t want to speak… TAT

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 73: Badge

The conversation began with a casual greeting, but somehow it developed into a late-night snack at a table.

Oh no, it was actually two small square tables pushed together, overcoming all odds to eat like a family.

Eating late-night snacks alone isn’t as enjoyable—that was Captain Muscle’s reason. By the time Xu Wang and the others realized what was happening, various snacks had already covered half of the table. The remaining half awaited the return of Dark Circles from other stalls to fill it up.

“We ‘appraised’ from one end of the street to the other, ensuring that only the best are on our table,” Dark Circles boasted upon returning, as Phoenix Eyes gave his stamp of approval on the quality of their “purchases”, speaking with emphasis and posture as if they weren’t at a street stall but a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Huainan beef soup, fragrant pan-fried hairy tofu, baked stuffed sesame rolls, and more represented Anhui, forming half of the eight-person late-night snack feast. Spicy crawfish, grilled meat skewers, fried chicken cutlets, spicy hotpot, and other popular dishes completed the other half of the table.

“Drama Queen” Captain Xu initially didn’t want to eat, mainly out of guilt, fearing that he might accidentally reveal something in his excitement.

But once the spicy aroma of crawfish filled the air, he couldn’t resist.

Just when he had started enjoying a few, his hand was swatted away by his own advisor.

Xu was confused and glared at Wu Sheng—any disruption during a wonderful eating moment should be intolerable!

Wu Sheng remained unphased. “Enjoy in moderation.”

Xu Wang followed his gaze and finally realized he still had an injury on his neck.

But the wound, inflicted by the young girl in black’s Wind Blade, was so shallow that it only left a trace of blood, not even requiring a band-aid. If such a minor injury required dietary restrictions, then he should have fasted when he was scratched by a black bear.

“Better safe than sorry. It’s wise to eat something light,” Wu Sheng suggested, as if understanding Xu Wang’s unspoken complaints.

Xu Wang asked in frustration, “Do you see anything light here?”

Wu Sheng glanced at the table, picked up the plastic-sealed menu at the corner, and, after a brief look, called out to the stall owner. “Boss, add a dish of cold okra salad—”

Xu Wang: “……”

Where is the camaraderie among socialist teammates?!

“Captain, don’t be ungrateful.” Qian Ai, who had been watching the whole time, put down a crawfish claw and sighed pitifully. “I wish someone would care for me and offer me cold okra salad…”

Xu Wang, looking at the mountain of crawfish shells in front of him, replied unconvincingly, “Your words have no persuasiveness…”

Qian Ai closed his mouth, feeling wronged.

He was indifferent to crawfish, but who made Wu Sheng use [A Dragon Swimming in Shallow Waters is Teased by Crawfish] tonight? The crayfish in the water were so cheerful. Clearly, this was pure, naked seduction that was irresistibly tempting.

The okra salad was served.

Chopstick by chopstick, he picked up okra in a desolate manner, occasionally putting one in his mouth to let his taste buds experience what it means to be cold and abstinent.

This was Captain Xu’s night of food indulgence: The End.

“Did you really eat your way from one end of the street to the other before starting the challenge?” Unable to feast, Xu Wang had to distract himself with conversation.

Muscles, Phoenix Eyes, Paper Thin, and Dark Circles all nodded together; half of their eyes showed confusion, half innocence.

“Is there a problem?” Muscles asked on behalf of the team.

Xu Wang: “…No, no problem.”

If one didn’t consider the “wind that sweeps away the clouds” eating manners of these four, there was no problem at all.

Muscles was sitting directly opposite Xu Wang. Talking to him was most convenient, so noticing him about to “dig in” again, Xu Wang hastily called out, “Muscles…”

As soon as he spoke, he hesitated, wanting to correct himself.

As a result, Muscles looked up in surprise. “You know my name?”

Xu Wang: “……”

A nickname being so accurately matched?!

Realizing the mix-up and that he hadn’t introduced himself, Muscles quickly changed the subject. “Did you see the leaderboard just now?”

Xu Wang was eager to discuss just that and immediately perked up. “I saw it. I thought the single-challenge speed records would be held by regulars on the leaderboard, but it seems like only Fan Peiyang’s team is there.”

Muscles had just brought up a random topic, not expecting Xu Wang to be genuinely interested. Without hiding anything and without compromising his own team, he shared some information. “The single-level speed record is only revealed to those in the same level when it’s broken. Including this time, we’ve only encountered it three times, and the previous two were Fan Peiyang’s team, one on 2/23 and the other on 4/23.”

Xu Wang was surprised, having assumed that the speed leaderboard was visible to everyone. If it was as Muscles said, only visible in record-breaking levels, then even if others broke records in different levels, they wouldn’t know immediately.

Like now, the record for 4/23 was theirs, and 2/23 was another team’s, no longer Fan Peiyang’s. But when was the 2/23 record refreshed? And when did Fan Peiyang’s team break the 7/23 record? For both them and Muscle’s team, it was a mystery.

“The records for the first seven challenges are up for grabs by any team willing to fight for it, with a bit of luck. It’s normal for them to change hands.” Muscles added, “But after 7/23, the records are set in stone.”

Xu Wang was stunned. “You’ve encountered three record announcements, and none have changed after 7/23?”

“Yep.” Muscles pondered, then shared some gossip. “Last week, a team encountered Fan Peiyang’s team in 9/23. They were trying to break the 9/23 record but failed.”

The implication was clear about the difficulty of the later challenges.

“Do you know any teams that hold records after 7/23?” Wu Sheng joined the conversation.

Muscles shook his head, sighing. “They probably gave up long ago.”

Wu Sheng felt this didn’t make sense. “Would teams fast enough to set records give up so easily?”

“Until now, there’s been no record for 13/23.” Muscles looked at him. “Do you know what that means?”

Wu Sheng understood clearly. “It means that even record-breaking teams have to repeatedly traverse levels 1–13.”

Muscles nodded. “It’s like academic performance. Effort leads to improvement, but if the difficulty exceeds a certain level, no amount of effort will suffice. Eventually, even those who consistently score 59 points will lose heart and give up.”

Wu Sheng suddenly remembered Phoenix Eyes once calling him “Teacher Wei”.

“If your team consistently scores 59 points,” Wu Sheng asked, “would you give up?”

Muscles thought seriously. “Hard to say…”

Seeing hope and having it dashed repeatedly is more devastating to the will than never having seen hope at all.

“We won’t.” Xu Wang, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke up.

Muscles was taken aback.

“Well, I mean he won’t.” Xu Wang pointed at Wu Sheng. “Our teammate here loves tackling the impossible. If it’s really like you said, countless 59s, he’d be ecstatic, dragging us to attempt the level eight times a day.”

“Not really…” Advisor Wu modestly disagreed, but his slightly upturned mouth betrayed his relentless pursuit of knowledge.

Muscles, who had spent nearly a decade lecturing, saw through Wu Sheng’s knowledge-thirsty soul instantly.

That’s his favorite kind of student!

Xu Wang: “……”

His advisor seemed to have caught someone’s attention. What to do? Should he flip the table?

Their companions didn’t notice this “undercurrent” because they had each found their “soulmates”—

Dark Circles: “Right, XX Bank. Their financial products are diverse, well-designed, and backed by the bank, making them the most reliable for long-term investments. If you’re interested in principle-guaranteed investments, large deposit certificates are also a good choice…”

Qian Ai: “Can I buy them through mobile banking?”

Dark Circles: “Most of them, yes, but some require visiting a branch.”

Qian Ai: “You haven’t told me your name. How will they pay you a commission?”

Dark Circles: “I have an advisor number. Just use it when you make a purchase.”

Qian Ai: “Hey, your job sounds pretty good…”

Dark Circles: “Of course. I’m the only one in our team who didn’t quit my job.”

Qian Ai: “Well, to tell you the truth, I’m also juggling challenges with work!”

Dark Circles: “Are you a financial advisor too?!”

Qian Ai: “No, I’m a food vlogger.”

Dark Circles: “That sounds fun!”

Qian Ai: “It’s not easy. Speaking of which, how do you balance work and challenges? I can only manage sporadic vlogging…”

Dark Circles: “You need a long-term plan for that. Let me explain…”

Paper Thin, resting his chin on his hand, watched the animated conversation with a soft smile. You’d think he was sitting in a café, watching the street scene.

Turning his head, he saw a classmate staring intently at him.

Paper Thin smiled warmly.

Kuang Jinxin, who had been curious for a long time, asked directly, seeing the other party’s gaze. “Are you a dancer?”

Paper Thin chuckled. “Not even close. I just practiced dancing.”

Practiced.

Past tense.

If this was Xu Wang, he would have detected the hidden meaning in those words.

But Kuang Jinxin wasn’t as perceptive. He was delighted to get a positive response. “I thought so! Dancers have such a presence. You’re the second most attractive person I’ve ever seen!”

This was a unique compliment for Paper Thin, who had heard many in his life. He couldn’t help but laugh. “Who’s the first?”

“Chi…” Kuang Jinxin almost blurted out a name but stopped himself, tapping his head. “Oh right, I can’t say names. It’s dangerous.”

He looked serious, as if saying the name would cast a curse.

Paper Thin’s eyes crinkled with amusement. His fatigue from the night almost dispelled, as if charmed by Kuang Jinxin’s natural candor.

“It’s a challenger I met on 4/23,” Kuang Jinxin elaborated, then immediately relaxed and sighed a little regretfully. “He’s really good-looking, but his personality isn’t great.”

Paper Thin inquired, “Bad temper? Nasty character?”

“It’s not specifically bad, just… weird,” Kuang Jinxin reflected on his memories of Chi Yingxue, particularly the moment he was hugged and dropped from the Ferris wheel. “It’s like he has a small, dark room in his heart, and no one knows what’s inside.”

Paper Thin, lost in thought, responded after a while, “Everyone has a dark room in their heart.”

Kuang Jinxin, without hesitation, shook his head and pointed at Qian Ai, who was deeply engrossed in a conversation with Dark Circles. “His heart is like a sunroom.”

Classmate Qian, who had no idea he was mentioned, was completely absorbed in Dark Circles’ vision of ‘rolling wealth’, from body to soul.

Paper Thin couldn’t see this sunroom but could imagine such a mental space. “Transparent, full of flowers and plants; sounds nice.”

Kuang Jinxin corrected him. “It’s mainly the eight major Chinese cuisines and RMB.”

Paper Thin almost choked on his drink and, suppressing a laugh, asked directly, “What about your other teammates?”

Kuang Jinxin: “Our advisor is a meditation self-study room.”

Paper Thin: “……”

Each word made sense individually, but combined, they seemed so mysterious…

“The captain is like an amusement park!” Kuang Jinxin, after some deep thought, found the perfect description for their leader.

Paper Thin, seeing the light in Kuang Jinxin’s eyes, finally confirmed his sixth sense was right.

A team that can inspire such pride in its members can’t be weak.

“Hmph.”

Phoenix Eyes, being ignored, continued to roast eggplant in foil, savoring it as if it were escargot.

As the meal ended and the night market closed, the eight strangers who met by chance, having bonded over a meal, went their separate ways.

The next challenge location hadn’t been given yet, so Xu Wang and the others found a decent hotel nearby. After a month in the Endless Sea, not only did they collect stationery, but they also accumulated substantial team funds, allowing for a steady improvement in their accommodation.

The arrangement remained two standard rooms, keeping in mind that better conditions shouldn’t lead to extravagance.

Wu Sheng emerged from the bathroom after a shower, noticing the dawn outside. His captain, who had showered earlier, hadn’t slept and was lying in bed, holding the keychain while staring at it.

Wu Sheng sat on his bed, drying his hair, waiting for his captain to initiate a conversation.

Sure enough, Xu Wang sat up abruptly, looking serious and full of academic curiosity. “Didn’t you once say that the operating logic of the Owl is very similar to a program?”

“Yes,” Wu Sheng said. “But that’s just a metaphor. If the Owl were indeed a program, its algorithmic complexity would be beyond human comprehension, not to mention its ability to interfere with the real world.”

Xu Wang stared at the keychain, lost in thought again.

The first time he entered the Owl with the keychain, he had to drop it on the ground to transform it into Wangwang. But on the second entry, the keychain went directly into the [Stationery Box], becoming an icon. Since then, the pattern of “disappearing into an icon upon entering and automatically reverting to a keychain in reality” had become fixed.

He had always thought this was Wangwang finding its most suitable mode of existence.

But what if it wasn’t?

What if it was the Owl making targeted adjustments based on Wangwang?

As Wu Sheng said, when the owl absorbs external information, it might generate something new through its own algorithms.

If that’s the case, then “teaching NPCs to be human” isn’t far-fetched…

Watching Xu Wang deep in thought, Wu Sheng felt a sense of impending redundancy to his job as their advisor.

“Where’s your little cards?” Xu Wang suddenly looked up and extended a hand to his advisor. “Let me see them.”

Wu Sheng, delighted that someone was interested in his “educational project”, quickly put down his towel and pulled out a stack of cards, solemnly handing one over as if he was handing them a business card.

Xu Wang took the card and saw Advisor Wu’s “intellectual crystallization” for the first time. “Why are you here… Is this your job or your mission here…”

After reading the first two, Captain Xu felt hopeless.

Looking up, he asked Wu Sheng, “Why are you on Earth?”

Wu Sheng, unusually, was stumped by the question.

Xu Wang sighed, emphasizing, “Asking questions is like conversation. You need to choose topics that interest everyone, to make them feel connected and inspire exploration. Questions about the universe or the ultimate meaning of life—even if you ask me, I wouldn’t bother answering.”

This comment jolted Advisor Wu.

He suddenly stood up, draped in his bathrobe, and rushed to the writing desk, tearing off a piece of hotel notepaper and began writing fervently, his eyes shining with inspiration.

Xu picked up the towel thrown on the bed to prevent dampness from seeping into the sheets, feeling as if he was back in their high school dormitory, under the tyranny of his study-obsessed roommate. “You don’t have to be so hardworking…”

Day turned to night, and the moon rose.

Time seemed to pass especially fast since they entered the “Owl”.

At midnight, the four teammates re-entered the moonlit forest.

This time, they intentionally entered directly from the hotel, a few kilometers from the coordinate point, so neither the maze nor other challengers were in sight. The surroundings were just the forest and the moonlight filtering through the leaves.

“Ding—”

The new coordinates, as expected, appeared in the [Cheat Sheet].

“Henan… Anyang?” Wu Sheng recognized the coordinate point but was puzzled.

The other teammates didn’t react much to “Henan” but were startled at “Anyang”.

Qian Ai: “Didn’t Captain Yue say that 5/23 is in Henan Xiangcheng?”

Kuang Jinxin confirmed. “Henan Anyang should be the 6/23 coordinate.”

When Yue Shuai mentioned it, they had looked up the locations on an offline phone map. Although both were in Henan, one was central and the other near the northern border, almost touching Hebei. The two places spanned half of Henan Province and weren’t very close.

“Check the [Report Card],” Xu Wang said, noticing something new on his arm.

The other teammates did so.

The [Report Card] was a section not often opened, as without the two leaderboards active, its contents only showed their team’s progress. Since everyone knew how far they had gone, nobody specifically checked it.

Even as recently as yesterday, they had focused intently on the [Submission Speed Ranking] for just two minutes.

Now, all four teammates could clearly see their current score—a symbol indicating they had completed certain challenges.

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Qian Ai: “Could it be that we finished 5/23 and all collectively forgot about it…?”

Kuang Jinxin: “Is it possible that, as a reward for breaking the submission speed record, we skipped the next level and went straight to the one after that?”

Xu Wang: “If that’s the case…”

Wu Sheng: “The logic is flawless.”

Qian Ai: “Can’t you also consider my guess…”

Xu Wang: “There’s always been a difference between Europe and Africa.”

Qian Ai: “……”

“Huh?” Kuang ‘Prince of Europe’ Jinxin, after exiting the [Report Card] and casually checking his [Stationery Box], made a new discovery. “Captain, I’ve got an extra hidden item slot!”

The three others immediately gathered around.

Indeed, in Kuang Jinxin’s [Stationery Box], a hidden page appeared next to the regular stationery. This page had thirteen empty slots, twelve of which were empty, and only the fourth slot had a question mark.

The three teammates quickly checked their arms but couldn’t find any hidden page, no matter how hard they tried.

After exchanging glances, they all agreed on one thing.

A question mark obviously meant it was something to be clicked on!

Classmate Kuang clicked on it, and the question mark disappeared, revealing a prompt:

[Stationery Box]: Please choose one submission speed record-breaking reward. Large cash prize/Moonlight Maze Badge?

Xu Wang: “A submission speed reward? Didn’t we already open the treasure chest yesterday?”

Wu Sheng: “But Xiao Kuang didn’t get any money.”

Xu Wang: “There must be some issue.”

Qian Ai: “I just want to know how ‘large’ this large amount is…”

The day before, they only had two minutes and were occupied with opening chests and checking the leaderboard. It’s possible the hidden slot appeared then, but either the notification sound was lost in the mix or there was no notification at all, leading to their failure to notice it.

“Captain.” Kuang Jinxin, usually decisive, was now perplexed about the choices. “What’s the use of this badge?”

“I don’t know either,” Xu Wang admitted honestly. “But based on the law of ‘nothing is given for free’, it must have some value…”

“The reward is yours.” Captain Xu patted Kuang Jinxin on the shoulder. “So follow your heart.”

While Kuang Jinxin was seriously contemplating his choice, Wu Sheng finally had a suggestion for his captain. “You’re making up laws now; could you at least put some thought into naming them?”

Xu Wang was speechless. “You’re focusing on such details…”

Wu Sheng: “The Law of One White.”

Xu Wang: “Damn, that sounds cool.”

Sometimes, being pretentious is also a talent.

Two minutes later, under the heartbroken gaze of Qian Ai, who loved money, Kuang Jinxin resolutely chose the badge.

The unknown is always the most attractive.

[Owl: Congratulations on finding the 4/23 Moonlight Maze Badge!]

The cheerful notification sound wasn’t just one but four.

The teammates were astonished and simultaneously looked at their arms.

For Kuang Jinxin, the hidden item slot’s fourth slot now officially housed the [Moonlight Maze Badge].

But for Wu Sheng, Xu Wang, and Qian Ai, their [Stationery Box] also showed an extra hidden item slot with a [Moonlight Maze Badge].

Kuang Jinxin was so happy, he felt like spinning around.

The maze was a challenge they had faced together, so naturally, they should all receive the badge together!

The three teammates were also elated, although they still didn’t know what the badge was for. They had deeply understood Classmate Kuang’s role:

“King.”

“Blessed by RNGesus*.”

*The term used here is (欧氪), which is a combination of Europe (欧洲) + krypton (氪金) which is a term for in-game currency. Europe (referring to Europeans and, by extension, white), which is associated with being lucky. So overall, the term is like a guy who’s incredibly lucky when he spends in-game currency to buy loot boxes (or whatever).

“A one-man team…”

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Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 72: Records

Realizing she had been deceived, the young girl in black fell silent.

Her cold face, as usual, showed no signs of joy or anger. However, around her, a faint black mist began to emanate…

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai simultaneously looked towards their team captain on the other side. Since they were all wrapped in vines and suspended mid-air at the same height, it was convenient for eye contact.

[Looks like you two have angered her…] — The uneasy glances from Kuang and Qian.

[I’m just the sous-chef. The main chef is our advisor—yes, the advisor.] — The innocent look from Captain Xu.

The teammates hanging from the vines quieted down, as docile as budding flowers.

Even the shallow water calmed, and the crayfish ceased their play. The young dragon was nowhere to be seen, and the elusive electric eel lay hidden at the bottom.

The scene was momentarily very quiet.

At such times, the advantage of not being able to read the room or observe the atmosphere becomes apparent.

“You should have entangled me with the vines too, regardless of whether I was unconscious or had lost my ability to fight, but you didn’t.” Advisor Wu, who showed no pressure, didn’t forget to analyze the battle strategy for his opponent. “In a high-level duel like ours, one wrong move means losing everything.”

The three teammates: “……”

Their strategist had completely immersed himself in the role of a “scheming villain”, but “mysterious confidence” was a sacred and inseparable part of all his personas.

“Please fulfill your promise and show us the way,” Wu Sheng demanded, serious now.

The young girl in black stared at Wu Sheng, her eyes as cold as frost. If looks could freeze someone to death, Wu Sheng would have entered the Ice Age by now.

But the electric eel was swimming around her ankle, like an inescapable evil spirit. She knew that any movement, whether using stationery or summoning stones with the wind, would result in another destructive electric shock.

They faced each other in a long, silent standoff for a while.

The young girl in black, as reluctant as she was, finally gave in. “Right…”

The four teammates perked up their ears, not wanting to miss a single word.

“Right—left—right…”

“Plop.”

The four teammates, who were intently memorizing the directions, were startled. What kind of direction is “plop”?

The young girl in black, who was giving directions, was also confused. Being the closest to the sound and hearing it the clearest, she immediately looked down.

The next second, a wet little head popped out of the water near her leg. The calico bangs were soaked, forming distinct strands, and the blue-green eyes were filled with panic. The little paws struggled frantically in the water, crying desperately. “Meow, meow, meow—”

For the [Soul Painter], the ankle-deep water was like an abyss.

Wu Sheng hadn’t expected Wangwang from Plan K to make an appearance at this moment. He immediately deactivated the stationery effect without hesitation.

The shallow water vanished instantly, and Wangwang, as if pardoned, leaped up with a “plop”, clinging to the maze wall, spreading out like the “大*” character. Its small paws clutched desperately at the stems and leaves of the vine plants that had spread to the wall, motionless like a spider kitten.

*Big.

Seeing how adept it was, Wu Sheng knew that the little guy must have maintained this position for a long time before falling into the water due to exhaustion.

While Advisor Wu’s mind was racing, Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin were still in their initial state of shock, their puzzled gazes drifting towards the captain.

“The fight just now was too intense. My hand slipped when I was trying to activate a stationery.” Captain Xu apologized profusely, once to his teammates and once to Wangwang.

Teammates: “……”

Wangwang: “Meow!”

The sound of frustration, no matter how you heard it, seemed to carry an unappeasable wrath.

Xu Wang shrank his neck, avoiding the blue-green glare of the kitten overlord, and quickly prepared to deactivate the stationery and send Wangwang back home through the air.

But as he was about to act, the young girl in black suddenly turned around, came behind the small calico kitten, and curiously extended a finger, lightly touching the tip of its ear.

The kitten seemed displeased at being touched, folding its ear down instantly.

The young girl in black, startled, withdrew her finger as if electrocuted.

But within two seconds, she couldn’t help herself and gently scratched the top of the kitten’s head.

The kitten, seemingly annoyed, suddenly turned and pounced!

The young girl in black instinctively stepped back half a step, and the kitten only managed to grab her cloak.

Missing its target, Wangwang immediately fled, perfectly inheriting its team’s “scheming” style. Unexpectedly, its sharp claws hooked the cloak, and as it jumped and ran, it tore off the black cloak of the young girl!

Silver hair cascaded down, beautiful as moonlight!

Her black princess dress, less playful than Xiao Bai’s but more exquisite, made her look even more like a moonlight elf—cold, serene, and mysterious.

The vine plants disappeared.

The three teammates landed on the ground.

But the young girl in black didn’t even look at them, only bending down to carefully pick up Wangwang—like a guilty little kitten, it stepped on the cloak, not daring to move.

A gentle, warm breeze enveloped Wangwang, making its fur warm and cozy.

Feeling comfortable, Wangwang narrowed its eyes without taking a stand and lay quietly in the young girl in black’s arms.

After two or three minutes, the wet kitten regained its majesty. Its fur was sleek and shiny, and it purred comfortably.

Only then did the young girl in black reluctantly raise her eyes and look at Xu Wang.

Captain Xu understood and quickly summoned [Soul Painter].

Wangwang, in the young girl in black’s arms, slowly disappeared. Its little paw icon reappeared in Xu Wang’s stationery box.

At this time, the four teammates had regrouped.

The young girl in black glanced at them and turned to draw a door on the maze wall with her finger as a pen.

As her fingertip left, the door materialized, identical to the twenty doors they had nearly missed earlier.

The four teammates: “……”

She too is a soul painter.

“Forget the previous directions.” The young girl in black turned back. Her moon-like, long hair gently fluttered in the night breeze. “This door is for you.”

Xu Wang asked, “What’s behind the door?”

The young girl in black: “You’ll know once you go through.”

Xu Wang, understandably, was cautious. “It’s not a trap, is it?”

“You can continue on the path I initially directed.” The young girl in black’s voice remained cool and distant, as if she was merely offering options, leaving the choice up to them.

Xu Wang instinctively looked at his teammates.

Wu Sheng: “One cannot be too careful.”

Qian Ai: “Better to stick to the safe route.”

Kuang Jinxin: “I think she means no harm…”

“Xiao Hei.” Captain Xu decided. “We choose the door!”

Wu Sheng, Qian Ai: “……”

What kind of voting standard is this?!

The young girl in black nodded and stepped back, giving them space to open the door themselves.

The four teammates approached the door. Xu Wang took a deep breath and reached for the doorknob, but suddenly another hand covered his.

It was Wu Sheng.

“Wait a moment,” he said.

Xu Wang: “……”

Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Right, they had forgotten. Their advisor always had a final step.

As Wu Sheng held his teammates back from opening the door, he looked again at the young girl in black. To everyone’s surprise, he didn’t send another small card but said directly, “Xiao Hei…”

“Shut up.” The young girl in black’s usually indifferent tone finally showed some impatience. “Hei Momo.”

Wu Sheng was taken aback. “Your name?”

The young girl in black didn’t respond, implicitly confirming it.

Wu Sheng nodded. “Okay, Momo…”

Hei Momo: “……”

The three teammates turned their heads silently. Their advisor, who should have been cunning at times of deceit and straightforward at others, was oddly omitting surnames. If one day he got beaten up, it would definitely be his own doing*!

*Clarity: Generally, in Chinese culture, it’s impolite to refer to someone by just their first name, unless you’re very close to that person.

“Where is your home?”

Fortunately, Wu Sheng’s question came quickly enough to divert Hei Momo’s attention and save him.

“The Moonlight Maze is my home,” Hei Momo answered without hesitation.

Wu Sheng asked again, “Xiao Bai has a bedroom. Do you have one?”

Hei Momo frowned slightly. “Who is Xiao Bai?”

Wu Sheng: “Someone like you, living in this maze.”

Hei Momo: “…Oh.”

“Aren’t you curious about them?” Wu Sheng was surprised by her indifference. “Besides Xiao Bai, there’s Xiao Huang, and possibly Xiao Hong¹, Xiao Lu², Xiao Lan³, all living in the Moonlight Maze like you.”

¹Red.
²Green.
³Blue.

“So what?” Hei Momo’s eyes remained unflinching, neither refuting nor resisting. She genuinely didn’t care.

“Don’t you want to see the outside of the maze?” Wu Sheng persisted, gazing at her steadily. “There’s a forest outside the maze.”

Hei Momo looked up at the night sky. “I have the moonlight. That’s enough.”

The night was peaceful.

The sound of insects.

“In another minute, I will resume combat.” The young girl in black asked one last time, “Are you sure you don’t want to leave?”

Qian Ai: “Goodbye!”

Kuang Jinxin: “Goodnight!”

Xu Wang: “It was a pleasure meeting you. Take care!”

Wu Sheng: “See you later.”

The three teammates: “……You don’t have to make such a wish!!!”

After the hurried farewell, Captain Xu decisively opened the door, leading the team out.

“Click.”

The door closed behind them.

Inside, Hei Momo looked up at the moon again.

Outside, the four teammates, expecting to enter a new maze path, were stunned to see a forest full of lush trees.

The Moonlight Forest.

Had they… left the maze?

“Ding Ling Ling—”

[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 3/23 test and handing in your papers!]

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “…Is it really that easy?”

Why does it feel like cheating shamefully?!

Xu Wang: “Huh? Isn’t something missing?”

Wu Sheng: “Dear, see you tomorrow~~?”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “Are you sure that’s Chinese?”

“Ding—”

The second half of the sentence wasn’t completed, but the reward came early.

Usually, after a submission, they would be instantly returned to reality, and the rewards and coordinates would be given the next day when entering the “Owl”.

Qian Ai looked at his [Stationery Box], feeling something was off, and finally realized the issue. “It seems I’ve been given an extra illusory stationery!”

During the first three rounds, the rewards were exclusively “defense and offense stationeries”, but this time it was a combination of “defense, offense, and illusory stationeries”.

The teammates gathered their arms together and found that everyone received the same: three rewards each time.

Classmate Qian, who thought he had won a lottery, had his dreams shattered in an instant.

“As the levels progress, the demand for stationery increases, so it makes sense that the rewards also increase a bit.”

Just as Wu Sheng finished analyzing, the teammates heard a new notification sound. It was super long and one they hadn’t heard before.

“Ding Ling Ling Ling Ling~~~”

[Owl: Congratulations on breaking the 4/23 submission speed record!]

Submission… speed?

The four teammates looked at each other, completely unprepared. Their arms rang with “dings” again, as if to ensure they weren’t confused enough.

“Ding—”

[Report Card]: 4/23 submission speed record updated (01:37:25), Kuang Jinxin, Qian Ai, Wu Sheng, Xu Wang receive additional rewards!

“Ding—”

[Report Card]: [Submission Speed Ranking] is now open. Please check it as soon as possible.

“Thud— Thud— Thud— Thud—”

Four treasure chests fell in front of each teammate, landing on the soft ground with a solid thud.

Sheng, Wang, Kuang, Qian: “……”

They had to check the [Submission Speed Ranking] and open the treasure chests, and likely, just like the previous [Overall Score Ranking], they only had two minutes. Once the time was up, the ranking would close, and they would be forcibly returned to reality…

The four teammates glanced at each other. What were they waiting for? Let’s get moving!

Click, click, click, click—

No time for gentle handling or elegant unboxing. The four of them pried open the treasure chests like robbers!

“Ding—” sounds were continuous.

Each of their [Stationery Box] received three more stationery, still a combination of defense, offense, and illusory stationery.

Is the reward for breaking the record just one set of combined stationery?

Of course not.

Like the chests in the Endless Sea, they also contained real gold and silver—soft sister coins*.

*It’s internet slang referring to the RMB (the yuan), but with a cute interpretation as soft sister coins is [ruanmeibi] (软妹币) while RMB is [renminbi] (人民币) (both with the RMB acronym).

Xu Wang’s chest had a stack, estimated to be ten thousand.

Wu Sheng’s chest had a stack, also estimated to be ten thousand.

Qian Ai’s chest had a… small stack, estimated to be one thousand.

No, even one thousand Qian Ai could bear, but he counted it in a flash. “Only eight hundred?! Heartless—”

Kuang Jinxin gently tugged at his teammate’s sleeve and informed him discreetly. “I didn’t get a single coin.”

Qian Ai was stunned. “How is that possible?”

Even if Kuang Jinxin said he got 80,000, he couldn’t be so shocked.

But looking down, indeed, the other’s chest was empty.

Despite their curiosity, the teammates quickly opened the [Submission Speed Ranking], trying to absorb as much information as possible.

No wonder they were keen.

After more than a month in the “Owl”, this was the first time the [Submission Speed Ranking] was opened!

[Submission Speed Ranking]

12/23 — Du Yin, Fan Yebai, Li Dian, Mu Yixuan, Peng Ye (05:46:58)

11/23 — ……

……

7/23 — Fan Peiyang, Teng Ziyan, Wan Fengmang, Zhang Qian, Zheng Luozhu (02:19:02)

6/23 — ……

5/23 — ……

4/23 — Kuang Jinxin, Qian Ai, Wu Sheng, Xu Wang (01:37:25)

The teammates looked down the list until 7/23, where they saw familiar names.

“Fan Peiyang’s team only holds one record?” Even Kuang Jinxin felt something was off.

This team was a regular on the [Overall Score Ranking], always visible every week the ranking was updated. Although they didn’t know each other, the names were as familiar as they could be. Of course, a good overall score doesn’t necessarily mean fast speed, but logically, as the levels go higher, fewer teams reach them, and even fewer submit. A team that’s consistently in the top five of the overall ranking, even topping half the time, shouldn’t they have taken at least more than one record for the later levels?

Moreover—

“After 7/23, all the records are held by unfamiliar teams.” Wu Sheng confirmed after a quick glance. “Not a single name has been on the [Overall Score Ranking].”

“Could it be possible that they were on it before?” Kuang Jinxin tried to explain. “And just in the month we’ve been in the ‘Owl’, their performance dropped, and they fell off the ranking?”

That made some sense…

“Forget it.” Wu Sheng shook his head. “With so little information, we can’t draw accurate conclusions out of thin air. Time will tell, and we’ll find the answer eventually.”

With Advisor Wu putting an end to the discussion, Xu Wang immediately shook off his worries, his face lighting up. “We broke a single-level record, got stationery, and money. Shouldn’t we celebrate somewhere?”

Kuang Jinxin: “Of course, we should!”

Qian Ai: “Yeah.”

The person who only got eight hundred kept a low profile.

Just as the joyful atmosphere was rising, the [Submission Speed Ranking] closed.

Indeed, just two minutes.

The scene before the teammates darkened and then brightened up again, and they were at a night market food stall.

At 1:40 a.m., some stalls were closing, but the lively atmosphere of the night market, with the combined scents of cooking, created a beautiful nightscape, making it hard to leave.

“How about we start with a stall here?” Qian Ai suggested. “It’s fitting for the occasion and feels great!”

Captain Xu thought for a moment. Celebrating at the place where they broke the record seemed like a good story. Yes, it was a plan.

He took a deep breath, intending to use his nose to choose the stall with the most enticing aroma, but before he could pick a stall, he found himself starved by the smells.

Just as he was about to consult his teammates, he saw Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin also looking like they wanted to try everything, completely hopeless. Reluctantly, he turned to his advisor, hoping for some rationality.

Wu Sheng was indeed rational, not even glancing at the stalls, instead looking thoughtfully at the ground, pondering some profound question.

Xu Wang, speechless, nudged him. “What are you thinking about?”

Wu Sheng looked at him, then pondered for a few seconds before finally saying, “It wasn’t a slip of the hand, was it?”

Xu Wang blinked twice, absorbing the advisor’s meaning, and patted his shoulder reassuringly. “You know me well.”

Wu Sheng was exasperated. “Next time you have a spontaneous plan, could you give me a sign so I can avoid the risk…”

Xu Wang got annoyed at this. “How was I supposed to know you had so many stationeries? Why did you have to use [A Dragon Swimming in Shallow Waters is Teased by Crawfish]?”

Qian Ai: “Uh, what are you two talking about…”

“It wasn’t a slip of the hand…” Kuang Jinxin connected the context and realized. “Captain, did you release Wangwang on purpose?!”

Xu Wang nodded frankly. “I originally wanted it to hide in a dark corner to coordinate with Plan W, but it got scared when your Sheng Ge used water.”

Qian Ai: “Then just tell the truth. Why make up a slip of the hand?”

Xu Wang: “Hei Momo was there. I couldn’t just say I released Wangwang to unexpectedly attack her from behind. She likes Wangwang so much. It would have hurt her.”

Qian Ai: “……”

A meticulously planned strategy and opportunistic tactics. In summary, the leadership of this team are all devils. — “Qian Ai’s Challenge Diary”

“Nice to see you again—” A warm greeting came from the side.

The four teammates looked and saw four familiar faces. The same muscular man, phoenix-eyes man, paper thin man, and dark-circles man they had chatted with briefly at the maze entrance.

Compared to their vigorous appearance when entering the maze, they now looked somewhat weary, and their clothes showed signs of combat.

“You were also kicked out, right?” Dark Circles said frustratedly. “An hour and a half to the exit, there’s definitely something fishy. If I catch those guys!”

Four teammates: “……”

“Um, cough.” Xu Wang cleared his throat, trying to look sincere. “When we were at the entrance, didn’t you say most teams were familiar faces? Don’t you know who broke the record?”

Dark Circles: “People are familiar, but not the names. There are grudges and enemies in there. What if someone finds out the real names and seeks revenge in reality?”

Muscles nodded and added, “Reality and the ‘Owl’ are not completely separate worlds. Fatigue and pain continue into reality, as do relationships between people.”

Phoenix Eyes was speechless. “Teacher Wei…”

“Ok, Ok.” Muscles raised his hand. “Class dismissed.”

The usually quiet Paper Thin, as if sensing something, suddenly looked up thoughtfully at the four. “Do you recognize the team that submitted their papers?”

Qian Ai: “Not at all!”

Kuang Jinxin: “It’s our first time on this level.”

Wu Sheng: “Never thought a team could submit so quickly.”

Xu Wang: “Yes, although it’s hard to admit, I must say, it really is an excellent team…”

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