The Fifth Sacrifice and What Must Be Done

A dull thud came from above, penetrating the soil, accompanied by a series of sparse sounds—the creaking of tentacles sliding across the ground.

"... So what are we supposed to do now, just keep waiting here?"

After a moment of silence, Fireworks of Romance sat back down, looking somewhat dejected.

"Although I didn't know the other three people who died before, Fengxi’s Bone was a good person. If he hadn't been trying to save us, he wouldn't have been swept out of the window by those tentacles."

"That's why I just don't understand why he didn't take the initiative to contact me? If we had teamed up beforehand..."

"Because you look more like an Otherworld Player than the March-shi."

Interrupting Bai Zhi's words, Fireworks of Romance spoke softly.

"The Anomaly of the Rose Manor comes from Otherworld, yet you happen to be so familiar with Anna and are referred to as Prince Your Highness. Among all the Player, you are clearly more suspicious than the March-shi... He has been on guard against you all along."

Bai Zhi: "..."

Now that you think about it... it seems like there's some truth to it? No wonder I always felt like he was targeting me before...

"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore."

With a sigh, Fireworks of Romance took a Lollipop out of his pocket, peeled it, and put it in his mouth.

"Logically, the ceremony should have started in the evening, so why is it starting early now?"

"Because we were all tricked."

After a brief moment of regret over Fengxi’s Bone, Bai Zhi spoke.

"Ever since I found that Notebook in the Library, that guy has been secretly plotting something, one step after another, all interconnected. Don't underestimate these Otherworld Player; they are, after all, the last Elite of their respective worlds, each one Expert among Expert. Underestimating them too much will only lead to trouble."

"Calculation...?"

"I've already explained the previous plans, and I don't want to repeat them, so I'll focus on what comes next."

After a moment of contemplation, Bai Zhi began to speak.

"Because of Dead Zero's overwhelming combat power, coupled with my presence, the balance of power has actually shifted. So, if I were the opponent, I wouldn't give you any more time to search for clues or even turn the tide. Therefore, in this situation, I would take two approaches. One is to lure Dead Zero over and kill him, so that the others can't cause too much trouble. If Dead Zero isn't lured over, then I'll take the second approach: fast forward to flipping the table... When you fought him, didn't he seem evenly matched?"

"Uh... it seems so, he's covered in blood..."

After a moment's thought, the Fireworks of Romance seemed somewhat uncertain.

"That's right, he was lying to you. Even if you were restricted, there's no way you could have fought so badly. That old fox deliberately let you escape."

Bai Zhi pursed his lips.

"Then, we were already giving those two bosses enough headaches, and then suddenly two more reinforcements appeared. Under these circumstances, in order to ensure that the ceremony tonight wouldn't be interrupted, they would naturally listen to that old schemer's advice and start the ceremony early. Otherwise, why did he save Catherine in the first place? Was he just wasting his time..."

"So he did it on purpose... wait, you knew he would do that back then?"

I was completely dazed by what I heard, and felt rather lost about the Fireworks of Romance.

"Nonsense, why else would I have run outside the castle? Wasn't it to find a way out for you?"

Rolling his eyes, Bai Zhi spoke.

"Because my Sanity is a bit higher than yours, I can move freely around the castle's perimeter. So I found a stick, threw a stone, and successfully found this hidden Underground Shelter."

"... Could you please stop making it sound like you're joking?"

"How difficult is it to find a shelter that might have already existed here? It's just a simple Probability Theory problem."

"Yes, yes, so you found this place by observing the changes in the soil, the sparseness of the footprints, and the growth of the nearby plants, right?"

Fireworks of Romance and Romance rolled her eyes, somewhat speechless.

"There's no need to show off like this, I know you..."

"No, I rely on my Skill."

"..."

"Alright, that concludes the explanation session. Everyone, please recover your strength and status. Once the commotion outside subsides, we will enter the true Core Area."

Yawning, Bai Zhi propped his head up with one hand on the ground and lay down against the rock wall.

"The Core Area might be even more dangerous. Given your condition, it's best you stay here for now. Dead Zero together... Wait, what happened to your foot?"

Bai Zhi suddenly sat up when his eyes inadvertently caught sight of Fireworks of Romance in the distance.

"Feet? My feet can have... Doll?"

After glancing down, Fireworks of Romance suddenly froze, her face involuntarily stiffening.

"Eat this!!"

He strode over to her side and, without exchanging any pleasantries, shoved the Frozen Ice Cream she had given him as a thank-you gift into her mouth. Although he was fast, in just a moment, Bai Zhi Fireworks's lower body had already been transformed into Doll.

"Cough cough cough... Are you trying to choke me to death!? You just shoved something that big into my mouth!?"

Clutching her neck, Fireworks of Romance coughed violently for a while, then looked up and glared fiercely at Bai Zhi.

"How about you try it next time!? You were so rough with something so thick..."

"When did this happen? Why did the [Doll Curse] activate on you?"

Without getting too entangled with the other party on this matter, Bai Zhi squatted down and looked at the other party's lower body, which had completely turned into Doll, and frowned deeply.

"Who knows... But it's alright, I have an invincible Skill!!"

Having made a fool of himself, he waved his hand dismissively, and Fireworks of Romance looked brimming with confidence.

"If I Head Crouching Defense, the Curse will also... uh?"

After a brief attempt, Fireworks of Romance sadly discovered that her half-doll-like body was simply incapable of supporting her in the standard defensive stance of Head Crouching Defense...

"How?"

Bai Zhi frowned as he watched the changing expressions on the faces of the people in front of him, Fireworks of Romance.

"... Okay, looks like I'm doomed."

With a sigh, she reached out and pinched her numb lower body, her doll-like form utterly devoid of feeling. Fireworks of Romance wore a look of utter despair.

"It's possible that when I was helping Between Heaven and Earth’s Mountains and Seas remove the tentacles from his body, I inadvertently triggered some kind of taboo, causing the Doll Curse within me to go berserk. It seems I'm really going to die... If I really do die, I want to ask you for two favors."

"... What's up?"

Bai Zhi glanced back at Between Heaven and Earth’s Mountains and Seas, who was still unconscious, and asked.

"It's just death, I've already prepared myself mentally. After all, no one in the Player industry ever ends well... Here, this is my address. If I turn into Doll and can't change back no matter what, please make sure you get here. The Key is under the doormat."

As she spoke, Fireworks of Romance took out a pre-written card from her Inventory and placed it in Bai Zhi's hand.

Is there anything you need me to bring to your family?

Bai Zhi took the card, glanced at it, and spoke in a deep voice.

"No, I've already taken care of things with my family. What I need to ask of you now is something much more important. If you don't accomplish this, I won't die in peace."

Reaching out to grasp Bai Zhi's hand, and looking directly into Bai Zhi's eyes, Fireworks of Romance's expression was one of solemnity.

"Please physically destroy the computer in my room completely, don't leave any hard drives or anything like that... Please!!!"