Chapter 5: Become Friends with Pearl

After listening to the mission completion broadcast, the group didn’t speak for a good while.

This mission was truly malicious. The task [Find Pearl’s favorite doll, Little Bear]—anyone hearing it would focus on “favorite,” and then on the “little bear doll.”

Who would have thought that the so-called “little bear doll” was actually a white rabbit with red eyes, and “Little Bear” was just its name?

However, they had indeed been misled by their own thinking habits. After all, the game had always said “the doll Little Bear” and not a “little bear doll.”

“It’s all because you just had to start talking about looking for a little bear doll. You misled us all,” Zou Zihao said to Wei Congxin with dissatisfaction.

Wei Congxin felt deeply wronged, but after thinking about it, he realized he really had been the first to speak up and set the tone. He could only swallow his grievances weakly.

So their mission was just to find Little Bear?

Yin Luo watched them with a face full of novelty.

Then that was incredibly simple. It was on a completely different level from his own horrifying main mission.

“Wait, can’t NPCs hear us talking like this?” Noticing the black-haired boy’s gaze, Wei Congxin felt a chill run down his back for no apparent reason.

“No. All content related to the game cannot be heard by instance characters or ghosts. This is the protection the game grants us.” Qin Dan couldn’t help adding, “Didn’t you read the game’s introductory information carefully?”

“I did! It was implanted in my brain! But I just feel like something is off.” Wei Congxin rubbed his arm, where goosebumps had risen, feeling the gaze of the instance characters was everywhere.

Ah, so I can’t hear that.

Yin Luo withdrew his attention with disinterest.

Fine. I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear it.

Still, some of these players didn’t seem particularly bright. Maybe they could be a breakthrough point?

The thought flashed through the black-haired boy’s mind. He looked up at Lin Yujing and said, “I’ve changed my mind. I want to ask the second question now.”

“Of course.” The gray-haired man raised an eyebrow. “I’m all ears.”

“Come here.”

Having said this, Yin Luo walked through the drawing-room and over to a corner of the stairwell. Only after confirming the sound from here wouldn’t be heard by the others did he turn around.

Lin Yujing followed without any guard, looking completely at ease.

Climbing three steps, the black-haired boy, who looked like a middle schooler, could finally look down at Lin Yujing from above. His tone became noticeably lighter. “Second question. Two hours ago, you didn’t know the other five people here.”

“Oh ho?” Lin Yujing was genuinely finding this interesting now.

He calculated the time. It wasn’t ten o’clock yet. When they first entered the game, the instance time was exactly 8:00 AM. Even though they were all players, before that point, he truly hadn’t known any of them.

“Yes,” he answered with a smile.

“At least you’re not lying.” Yin Luo nodded with satisfaction and prepared to go upstairs to probe Aunt Jing for more information. “I’ll remember the last question when I think of it later.”

Just as Yin Luo’s silhouette was about to disappear, the gray-haired man’s voice sounded from behind. “Hey, does your hand still hurt?”

Yin Luo turned back and glanced at his left hand, which was still in searing, burning pain even after the ointment was applied. He answered sparingly. “It’s alright.”

“Pretty brave.” Lin Yujing raised his hand and tossed over a green object.

Yin Luo stepped back and didn’t catch it, letting it fall onto the carpeted step.

“Wearing it can speed up wound recovery. I wouldn’t give it to anyone else for less than a few hundred thousand. Hmph, take it or leave it.” The gray-haired man snorted, puffed out his chest, and walked off.

It was a thumbnail-sized stone polished into an oval shape, somewhat resembling jadeite, with a hole drilled through the middle and a red string threaded through it to form a bracelet-like ornament.

Whether or not it possessed special abilities, just judging by its color and quality, a jewel this size was indeed worth a considerable sum.

“Is there a problem?”

After the gray-haired man’s figure had completely vanished, Yin Luo suddenly spoke.

The red-eyed rabbit, which he had been carrying and pretending was a normal doll, stirred. It lowered its head, sniffed, and then shook it.

Although a doll that possessed self-awareness and could move was somewhat eerie, Yin Luo felt only familiarity and closeness towards it, trusting it completely.

Since Little Bear said it was fine, he picked it up and put it on his left wrist.

A cool sensation spread from the gemstone, radiating outward and enveloping the wound. The pain was largely diminished, as if blocked out.

At the same time, the wound began to itch with the sensation of flesh and skin regenerating. Unwrapping the gauze, the wound had visibly scabbed over.

How novel.

Players in this game world actually possessed such magical abilities?

Yin Luo recalled the gray-haired man’s ostentatious look, adorned with various gemstone accessories all over his body. He suspected that every single one of them had a special function.

Little Bear wasn’t concerned about that. It just gently touched the skin near the black-haired boy’s wound with a hint of worry.

“And this is clearly alive.” Yin Luo poked at the scab, still puzzled.

Meanwhile, after Lin Yujing had been called away separately, the atmosphere among the remaining players had become somewhat subdued. A voice suddenly spoke up: “I have a question.”

Wei Congxin raised his hand.

The players, who were currently stewing over “Little Bear being a damn rabbit” and “Will that gray-haired guy snatch the mission first?”, all turned to look at him.

“What problem do you have now?” Qin Dan asked weakly.

“It’s just… has that game’s notification voice always been this… cheap?”

“…”

When the question came out, even the most stoic Zhang Bing’s expression turned indescribable.

Wasn’t that obvious?

But who would dare to say such a thing openly in an instance world?

After Lin Yujing returned, the players immediately crowded around him, trying to find out what they had talked about.

Lin Yujing’s first words were pure brush-off. “Aiya, the little young master just secretly wanted to ask me where I bought that little tiger candy. He really likes that flavor. What a pity, it was specially made, absolutely not something you can just buy.”

“…”

Qin Dan took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.

He already knew what this guy’s character was like. Restrain it. The time for a falling out had not come yet.

Thus, the consequence of completing the mission early was that the group had nothing to do but wander around the house, inside and out.

It was fortunate that the little young master and the female housekeeper had disappeared somewhere, which made things convenient for them.

The villa was truly huge. Not only was the interior extremely luxurious, but the entire external structure was built on an island in the middle of a lake.

Travel relied on a yacht moored at the shore, a bridge-road crossing the river, and a parked helicopter. It reeked of wealth.

Unfortunately, no one dared to try leaving the villa’s perimeter.

“Huh, all this was built by sucking the blood and sweat of the people. Otherwise, why are they rich and we aren’t? These rich people deserve to die… shouldn’t exist!” Zou Zihao seemed to remember his experience of being dismissed from work, his voice full of resentment.

Zhang Bing said, “Still no clues. Apart from being empty of people, we’ve explored everywhere we can. It seems normal. It’s probably not time yet.”

Qin Dan nodded. “Let’s wait a bit longer.”

Time passed in nervous anxiety. By dinner time, the long-skirted woman finally reappeared to arrange accommodations for everyone. “There are six guest rooms on the second floor. Guests may choose freely, one person per room.”

The group exchanged glances and inquired, “We few are already quite familiar with each other. We aren’t used to sleeping alone. Could multiple people stay together?”

The woman gently refused. “That would be improper. The beds are too small. Neglecting our guests would be my dereliction of duty.”

The group thought to themselves: The beds are big enough to do cartwheels on, and the carpet could fit a dozen college students sleeping on it. What a flimsy excuse.

Lin Yujing also tried reasoning. Pointing at Wei Congxin, he said, “Sister, this friend of mine is timid. He’s needed to sleep hugging his parents since childhood. Even now that he’s grown up, he still needs to sleep with someone else. Otherwise, he’ll cry and scream all night, disturbing everyone. As his friends, we really can’t feel at ease leaving him alone.”

???

Wei Congxin’s mouth twitched. Embarrassed, he lowered his head.

“That is permissible, guests. However—” The long-skirted woman maintained her elegant poise, the curve of her lips not changing in the slightest.

“Bear the consequences yourselves.”

The group’s smiles froze. They instantly understood this was a forbidden territory.

Perhaps because things had been said openly, Aunt Jing’s tone grew increasingly cold. “Also, after dark, guests are to return to their respective rooms and maintain absolute silence. Do not move around the house without permission. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourselves.”

“We hold our guests in the highest respect. Under no circumstances will we disturb our guests after ten o’clock at night and before sunrise. Therefore, for your own safety, whatever sounds you hear, do not open the door. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourselves.”

Her pace of speech was unhurried, quite pleasant to the ear. But this series of “bear the consequences yourselves” still cast a shadow over everyone’s hearts.

Clearly, the game’s directive to [survive tonight] was not empty words.

Something bad would happen in this villa tonight.

Having said all this, the long-skirted woman paused at the door. She suddenly turned back and softened her voice. “Pearl is a child none of us can ever stop worrying about. He is still young and doesn’t understand many things. Yet his mother is away all year round, too busy with work to accompany and care for him. So there may be instances where our care is insufficient.”

“If any guest could protect Pearl when he encounters difficulties, then all of us would be immensely grateful and would spare no effort in repaying you.”

As soon as the words fell, the familiar game voice echoed once more in the players’ minds:

[Side Mission Triggered!]

[Side Mission 1: Become friends with Pearl]

[Mission Hint: Lol, as if you’re worthy? Ah, no… what I meant to say was, this might be a little difficult.]

[Mission Time Limit: None]

[Mission Reward 1: Obtain the goodwill of Special Ghost Aunt Jing (Mirror?).

Mission Reward 2: Obtain the goodwill of Special Ghost Pearl (??).

Mission Reward 3: Obtain the goodwill of ??.]