The Game is My ATM

That easy?

Kong Yubo and the others collapsed on the ground. As the battle ended, Bai Zuo released his control over them.

Kong Yubo felt the pain wracking his body, leaving them unable to move even a single finger.

Pain!

It felt like their entire bodies had been run over by a can truck—were their bones all broken?

Xu Zhou, however, was brimming with enthusiasm, staring at Flying Bird A with starry eyes, unabashedly expressing his admiration: "Amazing! Senior Flying Bird A! That powerful Weird, gone just like that with a swoosh!"

"When will I ever become as strong as you?" Xu Zhou rubbed the back of his head, a mix of dejection and self-mockery in his self-questioning answer: "No, someone like me probably can't do it!"

Flying Bird A leaned in, bending down, his handsome, radiant face coming uncomfortably close: "Huh! So this is the newbie's personality? As a Contract Anomalist, you should let loose a bit more! Don't suppress your emotions so much."

"After all, we never know which day we'll die. While we're alive, just enjoy and indulge!"

Xu Zhou was a bit flustered and at a loss—this was the first time anyone had said this to him.

Since he was young, everyone around him would say: "Xu Zhou, you need to be obedient."

"I've been enduring this for you, for this family. If only you could grow up faster."

"Don't be so willful! I'm killing myself working for this little bit of money, and you two spend it all! If it weren't for you, I'd be living the high life!"

No matter how hard he tried, perhaps because he lacked talent, he never did as well as others. His grades hovered in the top ten but never broke into the top three.

Gradually, even he began to think he was useless, a worthless person.

"Can I?" Can I really be willful?

"You can! Become a flying bird, and soar to your heart's content!" Flying Bird A made a cool, deceptive gesture, conjuring a feather and placing it in Xu Zhou's hand.

"After all, a flying bird cannot be bound."

Flying Bird A hopped back a step, using the momentum to launch himself into the air. The wind gently lifted his body, making him seem like a white bird spreading its wings and surging skyward—so dazzling, so beautiful.

"See you next time. Hope you'll be more confident, newbie."

This powerful, proud, and confident white bird rode the wind, soaring across the sky, soon vanishing from sight.

Everyone stared up at the sky, only letting out an unconscious sigh after a long moment.

A bird so free and strong—it was impossible not to yearn for it!

With the Weird contained and Flying Bird A having left Anyang Island, the Horror Game detected that Yan Luo was no longer in the instance and quickly judged the instance boss as defeated.

"B-rank multiplayer instance—Lamp Mansion Festival has been fully conquered. This instance will be permanently closed. Clear time: 2025.1.2. Conquerors: Flying Bird A, Bai Zuo, Xu Zhou, Ji Wu, Kong Yubo, Tian Hua..."

"Based on individual contribution settlement, nightmare difficulty clear reward: *** (visible only to the individual)."

"Team contribution settlement, nightmare difficulty clear reward: Cash 600,000 per person (awarded to contributors), Healing Card +10 (distributed by top contributors), Achievement Points +10 (can be used to purchase life-saving items in the game)."

"Server-wide announcement: Xia Kingdom first clears B-rank multiplayer instance—Lamp Mansion Festival, obtaining B-rank Buff. Daytime will grant eight hours of safe time for one week."

The first three announcements were only visible to people in the Xia Kingdom.

The last server-wide announcement was visible to everyone in the world!

All of Blue Star fell into panic, confusion, and unease.

Only a few who knew of the Horror Game's existence were less frantic.

Xia Kingdom high command.

When the White Mist appeared, Kong Yubo and the others lost contact with the outside world. The high command had been trying to reach them.

Unfortunately, the White Mist shrouded Anyang Island, making it impossible to enter. Even if someone broke into the mist, they would lose their way and inexplicably walk back out of Anyang Island.

Until this game announcement appeared.

The high command reacted swiftly. "What's the situation on Anyang Island?"

"The White Mist has dissipated. We've made contact with Captain Kong and the others! Over a hundred injured—need rescue!"

The high command immediately contacted all hospitals in Anyang City, dispatching ambulances to Anyang Island.

"So, this instance is the real way the game works."

The Xia Kingdom analyzed a wealth of information from the announcements.

"The Horror Game, huh? Looks like the days ahead won't be peaceful."

This server-wide announcement indeed stirred a massive upheaval across the world.

Because the memories they had forgotten were now resurfacing.

"The Horror Game really exists!"

"What does 'safe time' mean? Are we not safe right now?"

"The apocalypse is really here!"

"The news has been reporting all kinds of murder cases. The victims' conditions—there's no way humans caused that. The authorities kept covering it up, refusing to admit it."

"My next-door neighbor turned into a dried-up corpse overnight. Just the day before, I'd said hello to him."

"Oh my god, a woman upstairs from me also inexplicably died in her own home."

"Those monsters are going to kill us all!"

When the bizarre happened right beside them, everyone began to fear, terrified that the next victim would be themselves.

Many people took to the streets, smashing and looting, venting their emotions to the fullest, while others tried every means to get to the Xia Kingdom, simply because the Xia Kingdom had eight hours of safety time.

Compared to foreign countries where order was beginning to collapse.

The people of the Xia Kingdom received more content in their announcements, so after a moment of stunned confusion, they immediately erupted.

"Damn! These guys are incredible!"

"When we didn't know anything, some people had already started clearing dungeons, and even succeeded."

"I have to say, when it comes to gaming, you've got to look at us Xia Kingdom players."

"Did you see the reward up there? Six hundred thousand! How long would I have to work to earn that much? Where's the conscience? The morality? The bottom line? The address?"

"And that's a team reward—the individual reward must be even bigger!"

"Where are the dungeons? I want to clear one too!"

"Charge! Pull this off and we're set!"

"Die and the birds fly to the sky; live and it's ten thousand years!"

"To be fair, maybe the odds are better than winning the lottery."

"Clearing a dungeon definitely isn't that simple. Maybe they risked everything, even sacrificed quite a few people to succeed."

"Everyone talks a big game, but when you actually see the weirdness, let's see if you can still run!"

"As long as it's a game, there's always a way to clear it. Find the strategy, and the game becomes my ATM!"

The hefty cash rewards diluted the panic of many Xia Kingdom citizens.

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