Zhu Yan slipped the card into his pocket.
He lingered there, holding the envelope as he thought.
He and his aunt were in the same instance, but judging by its subtly mocking name, they might not be on the same side. They seemed more like opponents.
With that in mind, he needed to figure out exactly what his aunt's ability did.
The description on Zhu Yan's [Ability Card] corresponded to the description of his ability after he fused with it.
The same would be true of the description on his aunt's [Ability Card].
"A means of making others as unfortunate as you"—
That likely meant his aunt's complaints would affect the actions of players or horror creatures.
Whoever she complained about would have bad luck!
Zhu Yan continued to think it through.
His ability was level 3 and could affect horror creatures up to level 3.
His aunt's level 2 ability should affect horror creatures at level 2 and below.
He glanced at the time display on the parcel locker beside him and realized he had dawdled about as long as his aunt's patience would allow.
So Zhu Yan stuffed the black envelope into his pocket as well and carried the groceries upstairs.
It was better not to let his aunt see something like that.
Given her personality, seeing the [Ability Card] and the badge would only send her into a rage, and she would put all the blame on Zhu Yan.
If that happened, being forced to kneel on a washboard would be getting off lightly.
If both his body and state of mind were affected, how was he supposed to face the coming instance?
With life and death at stake, Zhu Yan couldn't allow himself to suffer that kind of torment.
As for his aunt, she had raised him for more than ten years, so it would be best if she survived.
But Zhu Yan could barely protect himself; there was no way he would demean himself by offering to help.
He composed his expression and deliberately stopped in front of the mirror on his way upstairs.
Then he tried to imagine himself taking his younger cousin's appearance, growing taller and his face becoming flatter—
It was as easy as eating or drinking, as though the ability were innate.
And the effect was just as immediate!
Zhu Yan watched the figure in the mirror change before his eyes. Both his appearance and his bearing became identical to his younger cousin's!
Holy shit.
Zhu Yan felt as though his eyes had been assaulted.
But he had to admit, this ability was great. He liked it a lot!
If it all turned out to be fake, he really would feel a little disappointed.
With a thought, Zhu Yan watched the person in the mirror slowly return to the familiar appearance of himself.
He checked the hidden "Admission Notice" one last time, then went inside as if nothing had happened. Under his aunt's irritable gaze, he quickly packed his things.
He didn't have much, just a few changes of clothes.
After a moment's thought, Zhu Yan stuffed his power bank and charger into his backpack too.
If something happened tonight, Zhu Yan didn't think either his aunt or he would have much luck.
They could both die.
Even if Zhu Yan survived by sheer luck, he couldn't stay in this home anymore.
He would leave as soon as the instance ended!
As the sun dipped westward, the aroma of food spread through the air, filling the entire space.
Close to six, dish after fragrant dish was brought to the table.
Sweet-and-sour spare ribs, stir-fried peas, hot-and-sour chicken wings...
Zhu Yan obediently swept the floor, giving his aunt no chance to scold him, while glancing up at the time and waiting patiently.
It was already 5:49.
The hands of the old wall clock moved slowly, and Zhu Yan heard heavy footsteps coming from the corridor.
Just as his aunt brought out the last dish of greens, someone knocked rhythmically on the security door.
Zhu Yan put the broom away and watched the door nervously.
"Coming!"
His aunt cheerfully wiped her hands, hurried over, and opened the door.
"Oh my—is that our little young master, our little crown prince, home at last?"
At a time like this, Zhu Yan knew he shouldn't.
But he couldn't help himself. He stared blankly at the "imperial palace," which could only be described as a dump.
I knew it!
"Mom." A somewhat raspy voice reached Zhu Yan's ears.
His younger cousin's tall, thin frame squeezed inside. Then he raised his head and saw Zhu Yan.
Rather than his usual overbearing look, his younger cousin wore an expression of profound fear.
He didn't even stop to kick off his shoes before hastily trying to slam the door.
But his aunt stopped him with a swift hand, a smile spread across her face.
"Oh, baby, your dad's still outside."
She wrapped an arm firmly around his younger cousin's shoulders, trying to guide him to the sofa and soothe him.
"What's wrong? Are you in a bad mood? Tell Mommy about it."
Zhu Yan immediately had a guess.
Judging by that reaction, could he have received a black envelope too?
A few steps away from him, his younger cousin suddenly broke free of his aunt.
He rushed over to shut the door, but it was already too late—
A slightly plump, middle-aged man with a beer belly walked in, shut the door, and locked it.
Zhu Yan instinctively acted with a thought and shouted inwardly, I'm a Pseudo-human.
In an instant, he felt a subtle change in his bearing.
He looked up and studied the middle-aged man who had entered, while his aunt's attempts at comfort and his younger cousin's hysterical cries rang in his ears.
"What are you doing?! What are you doing?! Why did you let him in?! He's not my dad!!"
The middle-aged man's features and bearing were indistinguishable from his uncle's.
Zhu Yan could see his skin glistening with oil under the light.
"What's wrong with you, child? Did you have a fight with your dad?"
The only difference might have been his eyes and expression.
Those eyes were cold and lifeless. They stared fixedly at Zhu Yan, then at his aunt and younger cousin.
Then the muscles in the man's face subtly shifted into a cruel expression.
Taken as a whole, he—it—was like a killing machine gripped by intense hunger, yet forced to operate according to its programming.
Only, the program could order it to kill at any moment.
"You don't understand!!" his younger cousin screamed, rushing into the kitchen to grab a cleaver.
"He's not my dad!! I'm going to die, Mom, I'm going to die!"
His aunt panicked.
She rushed over to stop him, trying to understand what was wrong with her precious son.
"Uncle" twisted his neck and strode forward to help his "wife."
Zhu Yan, meanwhile, took a couple of token steps forward to make sure he didn't stand too far apart.
It was all real. They had to move forward.
No matter how difficult it was, Zhu Yan had to keep going and fight for a chance to live.
Only five minutes remained, and his younger cousin's screams grew even more piercing.
"Mom, I got a game card!"
The Pseudo-human snatched the cleaver away, and his younger cousin stood there with snot and tears streaming down his face.
"I figured it out. Everyone who's died suddenly recently received a game card!"
"We're in a horror instance right now, and the person who came home with me isn't my dad at all!"
His younger cousin roared, gripping his aunt's shoulders tightly.
Zhu Yan noticed that his aunt's sallow face had already turned deathly pale.
Under the intense tension and fear, he actually felt pleasure.
A subtle, faint pleasure!
Zhu Yan bit the tip of his tongue, forcing himself to concentrate.
"Son, have you gone crazy?"
"Come on, let's sit down and talk this through."
"What game card? Did someone at school bully you and threaten you?"
Zhu Yan glanced at the time again.
Three minutes remained until the instance officially began.
Judging by his aunt's reaction, she probably hadn't heard the female voice's announcement yet.
"That's impossible!" his younger cousin cried in anguish. "I checked the forums. Someone said Beginner Instances are usually group instances, and everyone taking part gets a card!"
Zhu Yan hadn't come across any posts like that.
He was ready to use his ability at any moment.
Two and a half minutes.
"Mom, you got one, didn't you? A black envelope about this big, with your ability written on it, and a gold badge too..."
"For example, my Ability Card said [Humiliation], and once you open it, an electronic voice makes an announcement..."
His younger cousin gestured as he spoke, but his aunt's expression was enough to make him despair.
"What envelope?" she asked carefully, a loving mother's concern on her face.
"Have you been brainwashed by things people are saying online? Someone bullied you, didn't they? Forced you to look at all sorts of nonsense?"
[Humiliation].
Considering what his younger cousin usually did, Zhu Yan could roughly guess that the ability most likely allowed him to oppress others for his own benefit.
The more his aunt talked, the angrier she grew. Finally, unable to contain her temper, she began cursing loudly.
"What kind of school is that? What are the teachers doing?! My son gets bullied, and everyone just turns a blind eye?!"
"I'm calling them right now, and I'll report them to the education bureau!"
"Son, you—"
"Enough!" His younger cousin slammed his hand on the dining table, splattering sauce everywhere.
"Can't you understand what I'm saying?!"
Cold sweat seeped from Zhu Yan's palms as he watched and waited nervously.
Ten seconds.
His younger cousin whipped his head around, his fierce gaze locking straight onto him.
"Zhu Yan! Was this your doing?! You got something, didn't you?"
"Why doesn't my mom know anything? Why hasn't she even received the instance notification?!"
One second.
His aunt, standing in the middle of the room, suddenly cried out as though something had startled her.
Zhu Yan heard it: the female voice rang out again.
"The Beginner Instance [Who Is the Crown Prince] has officially begun."
"The instance will last two hours."
Zhu Yan acted with a thought.
This time, he would retain the Pseudo-human's bearing while transforming himself into an exact copy of his younger cousin!