Rose Manor (3): New Rules

Guess?

Lin Chen truly hadn't expected Qi Si to still be in the mood for jokes in a place like this.

He was about to say something when Shen Ming beat him to it, smoothing things over. "Don't mind Little Lin. He's a newcomer and doesn't understand anything, so his question was a little abrupt."

Qi Si smiled at Shen Ming, then grabbed another apple from the table and began polishing it as though none of this concerned him.

He had said that earlier line in a joking tone, and it could have been interpreted in many ways.

If someone teased him about it, he would naturally stop while he was ahead and share the obvious conclusion.

But right now, the veteran Players all seemed accustomed to his withholding information. Their attitude was entirely that sharing public clues was a favor, while keeping them private was only natural. This left him with no choice but to wonder:

Did team instances truly require Players to unite and help one another? Was cooperation really the best option for clearing an instance?

Interesting. No wonder Ye Zi had described it as "being set up and killed in an instance"...

Amid the deathly silence, The Butler appeared like a ghost at just the right moment and said to the Players, "Guests, it is getting late. I shall arrange accommodations for you first."

He paused, an unpleasantly false smile appearing on his face. "Please forgive our poor hospitality. It is simply that nighttime is unsuitable for going outside. Once dawn comes tomorrow morning, you may freely admire the Rose you have long awaited."

As Qi Si listened, his mind automatically extracted the key information.

First, "nighttime is unsuitable for going outside" corresponded with the hint in The Rules: [Do not leave the castle at night].

Second, after dawn tomorrow, the Players could freely explore the garden planted with Rose.

On the system interface, the words [Beware of Rose] looked strangely unsettling.

There was most likely danger hidden within the Rose, though he did not know how it worked.

Still, dying by Rose sounded rather interesting...

The Butler maintained the same steady pace, leading the way with meticulous precision as he guided everyone upstairs.

The stone stairs were uneven, with tiny plant roots growing from the gaps. Or perhaps the stairs had originally been whole slabs of stone, only to be forcibly torn apart by the roots.

The Players carefully stepped over the broken stairs and arrived at the second floor of the ancient castle in silence.

A roughly two-hundred-square-meter floor lay fully revealed before them. The gray walls were mottled with dirty water stains, while moss and ferns covered the corners.

Three brown doorways were embedded ominously in the walls. The damaged wooden doors had been nailed together with wedges of wood of varying ages and materials, creating a chaotic patchwork of colors.

Like on the first floor, a huge, cumbersome Mechanical Clock stood in the corner, constantly informing the Players of the approximate time.

Time really was important in this instance.

The Butler removed three keys from his waist and handed them to Shen Ming at the front. "Please try not to leave your rooms at night. Only two people may stay in each room. Be sure to keep your keys safe. They may very well save your lives at a critical moment."

He spoke in an extremely low voice, as though revealing some secret, and the atmosphere immediately became somewhat eerie.

The Players all shifted their gazes in unspoken agreement and cautiously observed their surroundings. Sure enough, they found no second staircase.

Once the stairway they had used to come up was blocked, they could easily be surrounded and trapped like dogs behind closed doors.

Qi Si looked at The Butler and politely asked, "Sir, may I ask where the beautiful Miss Anna lives?"

The Butler's eyes narrowed happily when he heard the word "beautiful," as though he was greatly pleased.

In a cheerful voice, he said, "Miss Anna lives on the third floor... Oh, right. There is something I forgot to tell you. Miss Anna does not like guests prying too much into her life. If she discovers that you have gone to the third floor, she will be very angry."

So it was fine as long as they were not discovered?

It seemed the third floor was somewhere they had no choice but to visit.

Qi Si stroked his chin thoughtfully.

At the same time, every Player heard the system notification.

[The Rules-breaking progress has been updated]

[New Rules have been refreshed]

[9. Please try not to go to the third floor. If you do go, do not let Miss Anna discover you.]

Being able to ask the precise question that triggered new The Rules was a skill in itself, whether it had been intentional or not.

For a moment, the veteran Players all looked at Qi Si with a little more consideration.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Qi Si's expression remained unchanged as he continued asking, "Then, Mr. Butler, where do you live? If we need something, where can we find you?"

The Butler twisted his head, and his joints made a crackling sound like a rusted machine in motion.

Smiling, he pointed to the floor. His pitch-black eyeballs seemed almost ready to fall out. "I live... underground. Very cold, very dark... underground."

Underground? But the ancient castle clearly had no basement...

The veteran Players were doing all right, but Lin Chen's face had gone pale, and he looked as though he was about to faint from fright.

The Butler turned stiffly and walked toward the stairs with rigid limbs, descending one step at a time.

Only after his figure had completely vanished into the dark corner formed by the stairs and the wall did Shen Ming speak hoarsely. "What does everyone think about this new rule, and about the third floor?"

"Fortunately, Qi Si asked about it in advance. Otherwise, this rule probably wouldn't have surfaced until someone violated it." Zou Yan smiled at Qi Si, who stood apart from the group.

After a brief pause, she continued, "If we want to uncover the world setting, we will definitely need to go to the third floor for more clues. But if we only want to clear the instance, there is no need to concern ourselves with the third floor. We only need to strictly follow all The Rules."

Lin Chen deeply agreed. "Then let's focus on staying alive first. We can think about the world setting when we have time."

No one objected. It was only their first day in the instance, and they knew nothing about the various circumstances. Further discussion would not lead anywhere.

The Mechanical Clock chimed seven times. It was already getting late.

Ye Zi directly took Zou Yan's arm and said with a smile, "I'll share a room with Sister Zou, then. Please take good care of me, Sister Zou."

It was only natural for the two women to be assigned together. How the remaining four grown men would be split required further consideration.

Shen Ming looked at Lin Chen with a troubled expression. "Little Lin, you're a newcomer. Who would you like to share a room with?"

A hint of hesitation appeared in his eyes. "To be honest, I'm not an Official Player yet either. Like you, I'm only a reserve still circling around the Novice Pool. My strength might not be much greater than yours."

Lin Chen stiffened when he was suddenly singled out.

Of course, he knew that everyone disliked newcomers like him.

He had no experience and could not provide much help. If he died, he would even attract suspicion. In a deadly game, that undoubtedly meant a high mortality rate and trouble.

Shen Ming appeared to be giving him the choice, but it was really a way of shirking responsibility.

No matter whom he chose, that person would have an excuse to ignore him. They could even say that he had chosen blindly and gotten his hopes up on his own...

Qi Si watched Lin Chen's unpleasant expression and sighed at the right moment, offering a reassuring smile. "Lin Chen, if you trust me, share a room with me."

People often believed that only the weak formed cliques, while the strong always walked alone.

But he understood deeply that an individual's strength was limited, and he would never let stereotypes bind him.

He did not begrudge using certain methods to build a group of his own, but control had to remain in his hands.

Simply put, he used other people.

Qi Si half-lowered his eyes, his raven-feather lashes casting a small shadow over his eyelids. "My experience certainly cannot compare to Brother Shen's, but as long as you follow my arrangements, I will do my best not to let you die at the hands of ghosts and monsters."

Lin Chen froze.

Ever since Qi Si had triggered the new rule, he had assumed that this young man was an expert.

And this expert was not putting on airs at all. He was willing to extend an olive branch when Lin Chen was at his most helpless...

Could there actually be such a kind person in the dangerous Eerie Game?

Shen Ming was delighted to toss away the hot potato and immediately voiced his approval. "Little Lin, then you can stay with Qi Si. I think his abilities are no worse than mine."

Lin Chen snapped out of it and nodded like a pecking chick. "Th-Thank you, Brother Qi! I'll do my best not to hold you back!"

Qi Si smiled with curved eyes as he watched his temporary roommate look overwhelmed with gratitude.

The room assignments essentially split the six-person team into three small groups for the time being.

He had never expected his teammate to be particularly useful. As long as the person was obedient enough and convenient to use, that was enough.

Looking around, Lin Chen was barely the only one who met those requirements.

Shen Ming naturally ended up sharing a room with the remaining Chang Xu.

A teammate who clearly knew how to fight was always welcome in an instance filled with danger. Chang Xu, who looked to be over six feet three, certainly gave people a sense of security.

Seeing that the groups had more or less been settled, Zou Yan walked gracefully up to Shen Ming, picked a key, smiled as she said goodnight, and headed toward Room 1 on the right side of the stairway.

Qi Si took in everyone's reactions, took the key marked "2" from Shen Ming, and pulled Lin Chen toward the deepest part of the corridor.

In a game of mutual distrust, the sooner one controlled more pieces on the board, the easier it was to gain a greater advantage.

He had entered the instance alone. His accumulation and experience could not compare with those of the other Players. If he wanted to win through unexpected means, he had to make full use of every card in his hand.

What he needed to do now was quickly turn Lin Chen into one of his own completely.