Chapter 18

Chapter 18

“I should go to sleep, or I won’t have any energy tomorrow.”

Everyone: (￣ェ￣;)

Seeing this, Qiao Yu let out a chuckle.

It was hard to say what the four people on the scene were thinking, but the Live Stream Room nearly exploded because of that laugh.

Qiao Yu was naturally good-looking. While his features weren’t so exquisite that they immediately stole one’s breath away, he was at least a clean-cut beauty. His clear, limpid eyes, in particular, made him look incredibly pure and innocent.

That would have been one thing, but when he laughed, he did so without restraint. His eyes curved into crescents, and with a slight hook in his gaze, that overflowing hint of elegance suddenly became vivid and intense, comparable to peach blossoms blooming in March.

-…So this is what they mean by ‘peerless beauty.’ I stand corrected.

-He actually looks pretty good when he’s not talking, doesn’t he?

-Stop smiling! People who don’t know better would think you’re tossing a silk ball to choose a husband. Hurry up, hurry up, I’m already prepared!

“Just kidding. What I actually wanted to say is… I forgot to remind that streamer just now. When the Basement is locked, he must never try to pick the lock to get inside.”

Do you think everyone is like you?

Qiao Yu’s ability to change the subject was also top-tier, and the group’s train of thought was instantly led astray by him.

It was true; the Basement could not be entered while locked. Doing so would trigger time acceleration and a backlash from the Ghosts inside.

Although the day had been harrowing, they had at least discovered one death rule. As long as they found two more and successfully survived until the 7th day, they could escape the Instance.

But there was one crucial point: could they actually hold out until the 7th day?

That formation called the Eternal Life Curse… required seven deaths… They had been in the Instance for two days, and Li Xiaoqin had already targeted two streamers…

Connecting these dots made it very difficult not to overthink things.

To be honest, who among those present hadn’t been through an Instance before? Yet a Beginner Instance with such a high danger coefficient was truly unheard of.

It was bad enough that there were so many Ghosts, but the place was also constantly filled with bug-like rules that could accelerate time. This made the already unclear storyline even more blurred and confusing.

If only Canyue Wushuang could Clear the Instance.

Well, they were being a bit idealistic, but since he had used a Review Card, he couldn’t have used it for nothing, right?

Qiao Yu glanced at the expressions of the people in the room. After a moment of hesitation, he tried again. “Maybe I should go out and let him know?”

“If you dare open that door, I’ll take you down with me!” Wulong Tea immediately cut off the unfriendly thoughts in his head and looked up to glare at him.

This fellow seemed strong, yes, but he was also incredibly unreliable. If he were alone, he could go looking for death all he wanted, but there were other people in this room. Only a madman would join him in such a death wish!

[My body… where is my body?]

No one noticed the low murmurs hidden beneath the sound of Ghosts slamming against the door. At the same time, there was the sound of dripping water falling to the floor, blurring the already indistinct and eerie formation on the ground.

Brother Crocodile let out a whimper and executed a high-speed maneuver in a split second, unexpectedly covering Qiao Yu’s mouth. “Dad, I’m begging you, shut up! Don’t go looking for death!”

Qiao Yu: “…”

I’m not your dad; I’m more like a total sucker!

He struggled with all his might to break free from the kid’s restraint. “Pah, pah, pah! Did you even wash your hands?”

Man-Eating Crocodile pursed his lips, a hint of apology in his eyes.

Just as he was thinking about how to beg the big shot for forgiveness, something furry suddenly brushed against him, sweeping back and forth against his calf.

He moved his ankle subconsciously. “Huanhuan, stop messing around.”

Huanhuan was the little Golden Retriever he raised.
But the moment the words left his mouth, his outstretched hand froze in mid-air.

Wait, I’m in an Instance. Huanhuan is back home being a lazy bum.

Then, he looked down and immediately locked eyes with a pair of blood-red pupils.

It was a human head. Its hair and face were drenched in a wet, viscous liquid that reeked of a foul stench.

∑(っ°Д°;)っ Holy crap!!!

“Ow, ow, ow, ow-” Qiao Yu’s chest hurt like hell from being slammed into by Man-Eating Crocodile. He didn’t even need to look to know there would be a massive bruise.

“A head, a human head… *blegh*.”

Everyone was so terrified by the sight that they all took a step back in unison, staring warily at the head that had appeared out of nowhere. “Ah-a human head!”

“Dammit, wasn’t the killing intent in this room supposed to be the hair? Is there more than one death trap here?”

“Fuck, where the hell did this thing come from?!”

“Body… give me my body!”

The head let out a shrill, piercing shriek. A trail of water on the floor led directly back to the bathroom.

This thing smelled so bad; it probably crawled out of the sewer.

– *Ghosts that have lost their minds are so low-tier. Crawling through sewers? Zero stars, would not recommend!!!*

– *They act entirely on instinct. How could they possibly be on the same level as us? Relax, upstairs neighbor~*

– *Exactly. We’re different species entirely.*

“Body, give me my body now!”

The head rolled forward slowly, its face-covered in filthy water-twisted with impatience.

Qiao Yu thought: *I’m actually pretty familiar with this routine… but I probably wasn’t this creepy back then… right?*

At that thought, he gave the head a look of pure disgust, feeling a wave of revulsion wash over him.

Taking a deep breath, he reached out and twisted the doorknob. At the same time, he lashed out with a violent kick toward the rolling head.

The flying skull slammed right into the arms of the headless corpse that was trying to charge into the room. Qiao Yu slammed the door shut with a loud *bang* and dusted off his hands with a huff. “There, you’re back in your body’s embrace. Don’t mention it~”

Everyone: “…”

They all turned their harsh glares toward Man-Eating Crocodile, their eyes screaming: *What are you even doing? You couldn’t even keep an eye on him?!*

Brother Crocodile pouted aggrievedly, crossing his arms and trying to shrink into the background to avoid notice.

There was no helping it; people always pick on the softest target. Compared to a diamond-hard nut like Qiao Yu, Man-Eating Crocodile was a much easier target to vent their frustrations on.

Meanwhile, Qiao Yu’s series of outrageous stunts left the viewers in the Live Stream Room completely dazzled.

– *Who is this guy exactly??*

– *Is he not afraid at all? No, that’s not right. I can clearly smell the scent of fear… Can someone really be this badass while they’re scared??*

– *I can’t take it anymore. I want to meet him. Interesting~*

– *Do you guys upstairs have any humanity left? I’m still stuck inside the TV! Can someone come save me?*

– *Thanks for the invite, but we’ve already lost our status as ‘human.’ What humanity?*

– *…Motherfucker. Just you wait until this Instance is over!!!*

Qiao Yu was truly fed up with these trolls. They were so busy chatting and complaining that the tips had stopped. The gold coin count was stuck at 99 and refused to budge.

He wasn’t in the mood to interact anymore. Yawning, he walked toward the only bed in Room 4009 as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“I’m tired. You guys enjoy your chat~”

Hearing this, Man-Eating Crocodile rubbed his nose and followed him closely. He lay down right next to Qiao Yu, folding his hands over his chest with a look of profound peace on his face.

Qiao Yu opened his eyes, his face a mask of utter exhaustion. “What are you doing now?”