Pulling Something on Purpose, Are We?

In the pitch-black, gloomy surroundings, several figures who had just appeared sized each other up, yet none of them spoke. Before the vicious ghost's rules emerged, none of them would make any rash moves.

This was not experience exclusive to veteran players, but a habit every player who had made it through the adaptation period needed to possess.

Tan Shuchang was among them.

However, as a Weird Game "player" with no adaptation period, he naturally did not have such a habit. The reason he made no move now was that the Impermanence Token had stirred the moment he entered.

Accumulate Merit to Become a King—Mission objective: Ensure the normal operation of this instance. Do not allow the vicious ghost to disappear within the instance.

Tan Shuchang: "..."

For some reason, he felt that this mission was somewhat targeted at him.

Though it only said he could not allow the vicious ghost to disappear within the instance, seemingly leaving loopholes to exploit, once the instance ended, would he not have to leave along with it?

At that moment, bloody words began spreading across the ground.

[Darkness spreads; death takes form.]

[Is life worth cherishing? Or is death true liberation?]

[Two lines resembling a suicide note are carved upon this wall. They were carved by the living, and also by a vicious ghost. Among you, a vicious ghost is currently lurking. However, there is no need to be afraid. Before you touch that carving knife, vicious ghosts are no different from living people, and they will provide you with considerable help.]

[However, the existence of a vicious ghost will inevitably leave you uneasy. You now have ten minutes of free activity. During these ten minutes, you may do anything you wish, even enjoy yourselves before death. And during these ten minutes, the vicious ghost will reveal some flaws.]

[If you can find the vicious ghost, all players present will receive an item belonging to a vicious ghost. These items will lead you to the final vicious ghost and block one certain-death strike for you.]

[Hint: Sensitive topics in reality can help you find the vicious ghost.]

The bloody words ended abruptly there, but every player present remained silent.

Though finding the vicious ghost would bring rewards, the person who exposed it would undoubtedly be marked by that vicious ghost. What was more, there was not just one vicious ghost here!

Perhaps the vicious ghost hiding among the players even had a "companion" the bloody words had not mentioned?

Yet at that moment, someone moved.

Naturally, it was Tan Shuchang.

He walked up to a young man in his thirties dressed in a black mink coat and asked with a smile, "Single?"

The young man in the black mink coat immediately changed expression upon hearing that. He hurriedly backed away two steps and said, "My orientation is normal."

Tan Shuchang: "..."

His smile vanished. Staring intently at the young man, he said, "Mine is normal too. I merely wanted to ask—you're thirty and still single, so you must have saved up quite a bit of money, right?"

The young man in the black mink coat said nothing. As a bluish-black aura rose around him, corpse spots instantly covered his face. Green light glowed in his eyes, and after giving Tan Shuchang a sinister look for a moment, he immediately retreated into the darkness.

This had triggered the vicious ghost's repulsion mechanism.

Just like the rules by which vicious ghosts killed, every vicious ghost had a repulsion mechanism. So long as one could find it, one could directly drive a vicious ghost away.

However, after being repelled once, that vicious ghost's repulsion mechanism might change.

There was no doubt that when this repelled vicious ghost appeared again, its repulsion mechanism would have changed into something else.

"Brother, that was incredible!"

"Thank you, handsome!"

The other players hurriedly thanked Tan Shuchang upon seeing this.

Tan Shuchang simply clasped his hands in response, then examined the item belonging to a vicious ghost that had appeared before him out of thin air.

It was a palm-sized little dress, likely an accessory worn by some doll.

It was very clean, without any bloodstains.

There was not even that sort of yin baleful aura.

Tan Shuchang could not help looking at the items in the other players' hands. He then discovered that, aside from his own, every item belonging to a vicious ghost in the others' hands emitted a layer of bluish-black aura.

This was a manifested phenomenon derived from yin baleful aura.

Ordinary mortal eyes could not see it, but to someone like Tan Shuchang, who had cultivated, it was exceptionally clear.

"So there was a hidden trap? Although they are all items belonging to vicious ghosts, the item in the hands of the player who found the vicious ghost is actually useless?"

Tan Shuchang quickly realized this.

But it did not matter to him. He had dragged that vicious ghost out precisely because he wanted it to mark him.

Still, Tan Shuchang had only been trying his luck. Just because that vicious ghost had marked him did not mean it would be able to find him.

There was nothing he could do to help the vicious ghost in this regard. He could only pray inwardly that, apart from being vicious enough, this ghost also had enough "connections" in the world of the Weird Game.

Ideally, its reach would extend everywhere, allowing it to chase him all the way from the Weird Game to the Jia Five Realm!

"Brother, my name is Xu Qing. I'm a probationary member of the Jade Purity Society. What do you think we should do next?" At that moment, a young man stepped closer to Tan Shuchang and asked somewhat ingratiatingly.

"Jade Purity Society?"

Tan Shuchang heard the name of this organization again and could not help glancing at the man. Still, he did not pay it much mind. After all, he was in the Jia Five Realm.

No matter how impressive the Jade Purity Society was, could it come to the Jia Five Realm?

However, Tan Shuchang was not about to take out the resentment from last time on this "intern" before him. So he said, "Just walk forward."

Other people's instances had no time limit, but his did!

Originally, Tan Shuchang had been considering whether he could use this opportunity to swipe one or two vicious ghosts, but judging from the mission that had popped up from the Impermanence Token the instant he entered, he ought to abandon that thought as soon as possible.

He should focus on healing his injuries. Once he had recovered, he would take the next instance mission as an opportunity to visit Langshou Ghost City.

Thus, with no mood to play games, Tan Shuchang entered the darkness ahead after saying that. This left every player stunned, and even Xu Qing, who had taken the initiative to speak to Tan Shuchang, wore a bewildered expression.

Shouldn't they discuss a plan?

This was a vicious ghost instance! How could they act rashly!

Then, bloody words suddenly spread rapidly through the darkness.

[Game over.]

[The final vicious ghost has been detected as defeated. The instance has ended early. Players, please note that you will experience adverse reactions upon exiting. Drink more hot water to recover.]

"Holy shit?"

"Holy shit!!!"

This was the unanimous reaction of all the players present. Regardless of gender or education level, this was their only reaction.