Chapter 33
Chapter 33
A bit damp?
Chu Yue didn’t feel anything.
He turned his head to look at the boy, his eyes filled with a complex expression. “Classmate, you sat in shit.”
The boy’s body stiffened. He slowly lowered his head to find a pile of half-dried cow dung right under his backside.
Chu Yue watched as that youthful face cracked, revealing a dark, cloud-covered expression underneath.
He looked away and didn’t say anything more.
The wait wasn’t long. Before long, everyone had gathered in the clearing.
This was once again a twelve-person Instance.
Once the numbers were complete, the familiar electronic voice rang out.
The Little Paper Figures, which had been standing on the stone tablet, began pacing back and forth across it as they started to issue the mission.
[Welcome to the Nightmare Trading Center.]
[Current Category: Deity Game]
[Current Instance: Sigh of the Paper-Cut Goddess]
[The paper-cuts of West Window Town are the best in the country, and the town’s most important celebration is the Paper-Cut Festival.
During this time, merchants from all walks of life stop here to participate. However, in recent years, strange occurrences have frequently plagued the festival.
By day, the town is clearly a scene of peace and harmony. But once night falls, eerie sounds always ring out, and merchants always meet untimely deaths.
West Window Town has been cursed…
This time, another twelve merchants have come to West Window Town to participate in the festival…
Hopefully, they will be able to leave this place safely…]
[Instance Level: Level 1]
[Number of Participants: 12]
[Game Mortality Rate: 30%]
This meant that four of them might die.
However, having experienced the previous Instance, Chu Yue understood that the main purpose of the Mortality Rate was to give Players a visual sense of the game’s difficulty.
The specific number of people who had to die wasn’t set in stone.
It was considered a low-difficulty Instance.
Compared to the hot-tempered White Fox from the previous Instance, these Little Paper Figures looked adorable no matter how you sliced it.
Previously, when a newbie Player wanted to leave, they ended up dismembered by the White Fox. Here, with the Little Paper Figures, they were simply trapped in a loop, unable to leave.
He wondered what role they would play in this Instance.
Just as everyone was discussing the situation, a dark-skinned, middle-aged man wearing a long robe walked over from not far away.
His gaze swept over everyone one by one. After counting the heads, a smile appeared on his face. “Honored guests, you’ve come from afar. It must have been hard waiting so long. Accommodations have been arranged. Everyone, please follow me.”
As his voice fell, Chu Yue felt a flash of white light around him, and everyone’s attire changed.
The men were all dressed in brocade robes, while the women wore silks and satins. Even their hairstyles had been switched instantly, adorned with several gold hairpins. They truly looked like wealthy merchants.
“Honored guests, please follow me.”
The man spoke and led the way.
During the walk, he introduced himself as the manager of the town’s Inn.
“Speaking of paper-cutting, if our West Window Town claims to be second, no other place would dare claim to be first.
Our paper-cuts have many patterns and a complete range of colors. We have styles for everything: fortune, prosperity, longevity, happiness, weddings, and funerals.
A few years ago, I don’t know where the rumors came from, but people said there were man-eating monsters in our town. It’s caused the flow of people to drop quite a bit these past few years.
Slander! Absolute slander! It’s all rumors spread by those who are jealous of our West Window Town.
Honored guests, please don’t pay it any mind. Our town is absolutely safe. I’m not bragging, but after this trip, this business deal of yours is guaranteed to be profitable.”
He prattled on incessantly throughout the journey.
The newbie who had previously broken down and gone mad was now in a daze after witnessing the paper puppet speak and the instant outfit change. He simply followed the group mechanically.
The boy who had sat in cow dung was rid of that embarrassing smell after the outfit change. As they walked, he drifted back to Chu Yue’s side.
“Big brother, are we really just going to follow him like this?”
Chu Yue ignored him.
“Isn’t it a bit much to let him lead us by the nose right from the start?”
“Can’t we fight back?”
Chu Yue continued to ignore him.
His attitude was clearly cold enough to be considered indifferent, yet for some reason, this guy seemed determined to stick to him, trying his hardest to get close.
“Big brother, I kinda like that jade pendant on your waist. It looks so vibrant. Can we trade?”
“Big brother, hey, don’t stay silent. I really don’t mean any harm, I just want to make a friend.”
They hadn’t been together for long, but the man’s chatterbox nature was already fully exposed.
He kept circling around Chu Yue, his voice buzzing incessantly like a fly.
Unable to take it anymore, Chu Yue raised his hand, untied the Lotus Jade Pendant, and tossed it to him, coldly uttering two words: “Shut up!”
“You got it.”
Having obtained the jade pendant, the guy stopped whining and spent a good while rubbing the jade.
He held it up against the sunlight, and whether he actually knew what he was looking at or not, he kept sighing, “Fine jade, fine jade.”
The town this time wasn’t far from their gathering point; a twenty-minute walk brought them to the town entrance.
The Inn was likely in the center of town. Despite it being the time for the town’s biggest festival, the atmosphere wasn’t lively at all. There were stall owners set up, but hardly any tourists.
After entering the Inn, there were no other Outsiders in the Hall. Only a teenage boy sat behind the counter, dozing lazily.
No wonder the Innkeeper had gone to pick them up personally; it turned out there was no business at all. To the Inn, twelve wealthy people represented a massive windfall.
Having brought the group in, the Innkeeper walked to the counter and tapped a few times. The dozing Waiter snapped awake instantly.
The Innkeeper didn’t scold him, merely saying, “The distinguished guests have arrived. Tell the kitchen to serve the food.”
“Yes, sir,” the young boy replied and scurried away.
The kitchen must have been prepared long ago, as the dishes were heated and brought out as soon as the guests arrived.
Although the setting was ancient, the spread on the table looked quite lavish, featuring chicken, duck, fish, and meat.
“Distinguished guests, you have traveled from afar. While our small shop lacks the delicacies of the outside world, the overall quality isn’t bad. I hope you will be patient with us. If you need anything, just let that brat know, and he will ensure your comfort.”
The twelve people were split between two tables, with the Innkeeper standing in the middle.
“Though our simple fare might not be fit for high society, there aren’t many high-quality fields around here. We have done our best to prepare this. This meal is on the Inn. From now on, if you wish to eat anything, just inform the kitchen. However, please only order what you can eat; do not let it go to waste.
“The rooms upstairs have been prepared for you.
“One person per room, though we also have double and triple rooms. You may stay in whichever you prefer. However, please note: a double room can be occupied by one person, but a single room cannot sleep two. Do not make a mistake.”
He turned his head to continue speaking, but his gaze suddenly froze, and his expression shifted instantly. “Stop!”
Everyone was startled by him.
The dark-skinned man’s eyes suddenly bulged; at first glance, he looked quite intimidating.
“Distinguished guest! You must not tear the paper-cuts!”
The girl who was currently picking at a paper-cut on the tabletop paused, her face showing a look of disgust. “You have paper-cuts pasted on the dining table? How can this table even be wiped? Who knows if the filth left by the last person who ate here was cleaned off.”
This pampered remark made it obvious she was a newbie.
Chu Yue remembered her; she claimed to be the eldest daughter of the Lin Group and had quite a temper.
The man stared at her, expressionless.
“If the guest finds it dirty, you don’t have to eat. Our West Window Town is covered in paper-cuts. If you are unsatisfied, please leave as soon as possible.”
Looking at the Innkeeper’s expression, Chu Yue reasonably suspected that if they hadn’t been there as merchants bringing money to the town, the Innkeeper would have definitely resorted to violence.