Gu Jiu looked at the sheep-headed, human-bodied monster appearing in her dream and unsurprisingly noticed that its aura was even stronger than last night.
In last night’s dream, the sheep-headed creature still seemed somewhat weak. Though players couldn’t exactly defeat it, they also wouldn’t be killed by it easily, allowing them room to maneuver. But tonight, as she faced it, Gu Jiu had the illusion of being suppressed by its growing aura.
If she were to encounter it again tomorrow night, she feared the monster might ruthlessly tear all the players apart.
The sheep-headed monster exhaled heavily through its nostrils, charging toward her, claws extended like those of a predatory beast, sharp and curved. The creature’s eyes glowed an even brighter red than the previous night, as if filled with blood, while its protruding teeth had grown several inches longer, razor-sharp and dangerous. One bite could certainly pierce human flesh and bone.
Gu Jiu dodged the oncoming creature and, with a thought, summoned a Red Vine Seed to her hand.
Once the Red Vine Seed appeared, she noticed the creature’s gaze, though still directed at her, lacked the desperation of the previous night; the pellet’s allure seemed to be fading.
As the monster charged, Gu Jiu threw the Red Vine Seed in the opposite direction.
The sheep-headed monster did not turn to chase it but continued to attack her. Only after she dodged its assault did it bend down, pick up the fallen pellet, and consume it. By then, Gu Jiu had already exited the dream.
—
As soon as Gu Jiu opened her eyes, Lu Ji asked, “How did it go?”
Sitting up, Gu Jiu replied, “Its strength indeed increased, and the Red Vine Seed’s attraction has weakened…” She paused, tilting her head slightly in thought before continuing, “Of course, the Red Vine Seed might still have other effects on it that I haven’t figured out.”
Since the game’s shop listed the Red Vine Seed as one of the necessary items for this game instance, it was unlikely to serve only as a means to wake players from the dream.
Or perhaps she was just overthinking things.
Lu Ji asked, “So, are you going to keep going?”
“Of course.” Gu Jiu gave her a smile. Having come this far, there was no reason to back down.
Then, Gu Jiu lay back down and fell asleep instantly.
This instant sleep wasn’t due to her sleep quality but rather the game world’s mechanics. Even if players didn’t want to sleep, they’d be forced into slumber unless they employed other methods to resist.
Lu Ji sat on the bed, his dark eyes fixed on the person beside him, who had already entered the dream.
After a while, his gaze shifted to the darkness outside the window.
He sat there silently, keeping watch over someone in a dream, his expression calm and indifferent, his pallid face devoid of any hint of sleepiness.
When Gu Jiu awakened within the dream, she found the sheep-headed monster charging at her once more.
With only one Red Vine Seed left in her inventory, she decided not to use it. At the moment the monster lunged at her, she pulled out the paper frog she had stored in her inventory.
She had been experimenting since last night to see what items she could bring into the dream.
Including the previous instance, Gu Jiu had now used three red vine pellets, each one utilized for testing purposes. Through her experiments, she discovered that items in her clothing pockets or held in her hand before sleep could not be brought into the dream. Only items in her in-game inventory could be accessed in the dream realm.
So, she asked Lu Ji for the paper frog and placed it in her inventory.
Once the paper frog appeared, it hopped in front of Gu Jiu and opened its mouth toward the approaching sheep-headed creature.
From the frog’s mouth emerged a female ghost with wet hair.
This ghost was the one from the second-floor bathroom, where Gu Jiu had caught her “spying” on female players during their baths and had tossed her to Lu Ji. Due to injuries inflicted by the Banshee’s Armor, the ghost’s spirit had become somewhat unstable.
At the sight of the sheep-headed creature, the ghost screamed in terror and quickly hid behind Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu muttered, “…So useless?”
The ghost shrieked and frantically defended herself, “It’s too strong! I’m no match for it!”
Dodging the monster’s attacks, Gu Jiu couldn’t help but express her disdain for the ghost’s ineffectiveness. The ghost, feeling wronged, retorted, “If you hadn’t hurt my spirit earlier, I wouldn’t be this weak. It’s not that I’m useless!”
Gu Jiu responded righteously, “You were peeping at me in the bath and refused to leave when I asked. Whose fault is it that I threw you out?”
The ghost mumbled weakly, “I wasn’t peeping at you, and I don’t even like women! Hey, are you even listening to me…”
Frustrated, the ghost desperately wanted to clarify she wasn’t some perverted spirit, but why did this woman never listen to her side of the story?
Ignoring the ghost’s protests, Gu Jiu noticed the paper frog had spit out a second ghost.
This one was the kitchen ghoul who scavenged leftovers.
The ghoul squatted down, staring blankly as the sheep-headed monster charged at him. A moment later, the creature swatted him aside with a powerful swipe.
Gu Jiu sighed inwardly. Another useless one? What was the point of these ghosts, with their perpetual obsession with eating?
Then, the paper frog released a third ghost.
This ghost was the rubber ghost from the third-floor bathroom. His neck could stretch incredibly long, and when the creature lunged at him, he extended his neck, tripping up the monster.
For the first time, Gu Jiu felt a hint of relief. It seemed at least one ghost was proving useful.
Unfortunately, her relief was short-lived, as the sheep-headed monster quickly twisted the rubber ghost’s extended neck like a pretzel and flung him aside, where he vanished.
The paper frog then spit out a fourth ghost.
This ghost resided in a third-floor room, hiding under a bed, and had no bones – aptly dubbed the “Under-the-Bed Ghost.”
At that moment, the ghost lay flat on the ground, still boneless, as the sheep-headed monster stomped over him and then kicked him into the corner.
Gu Jiu sighed again, “….” Another useless one?
The paper frog finally released a fifth ghost.
This one was the invisible imp Gu Jiu had caught before going to sleep. Upon seeing the sheep-headed monster charging forward, the imp courageously jumped onto the monster, clinging to it and biting down hard.
Gu Jiu felt truly relieved—finally, a ghost that could fight.
She pulled a chair from her inventory, sat down, and addressed the other ghosts, “If you can’t hold it off, it’s straight to the Black Room for you!”
The paper frog, now on its knee, opened its mouth right on cue.
Hearing this, the four ghosts who hadn’t managed to stop the monster quickly scrambled up, even the boneless “Under-the-Bed Ghost” doing his best to crawl toward the sheep-headed creature. Together, the ghosts surrounded the monster and launched their attacks.
Gu Jiu pulled out a bag of five-spice sunflower seeds, cracking them open one by one as she cheered them on, “Whoever performs well gets out of the Black Room; otherwise, it’s a lifetime sentence in there!”
The five ghosts fought with extra zeal, clearly unwilling to be confined to the Black Room again.
After being swallowed by the paper frog, their experience had been miserable. The space inside was cramped, forcing them to squeeze together, their ghostly forms overlapping and being compressed. The discomfort was immense.
Faced with the threat of the Black Room, they’d rather go all out against the monster. Let the chaos begin—who was afraid of whom?
Gu Jiu, pleased with herself, directed the ghosts in battling the creature, content to sit back, munch on sunflower seeds, and watch the show. Her commanding presence was infuriating, yet none of the ghosts dared harbor any complaints.
After observing for a while, Gu Jiu gradually understood the dynamic between the sheep-headed creature and the five ghosts.
The monster was incredibly strong; even together, the five ghosts couldn’t defeat it. But likewise, the monster couldn’t easily vanquish them either, creating a precarious balance between both sides.
Gu Jiu watched the battle unfold without calling a halt.
The five ghosts didn’t dare stop, fearing that if this young lady became displeased, she’d throw them back into the Black Room.
They fought until dawn, when the tolling of the bell signaled the end of the dream. Sensing the shift, Gu Jiu instructed the paper frog to swallow the five ghosts back into its belly. She waved cheerfully at the sheep-headed monster, calling out a playful “Goodbye.”
Her taunting farewell elicited an enraged roar from the sheep-headed creature.
Gu Jiu awoke feeling refreshed.
Noticing the young girl keeping vigil beside her, she asked with a hint of sympathy, “Ah Ji, did you stay by my side all night?”
Lu Ji nodded silently, just about to speak, when Gu Jiu suddenly embraced her, pressing her down onto the bedding. Holding Lu Ji tightly, Gu Jiu rested her flawless, beautiful face against Lu Ji’s cold cheek, her voice dripping with sweetness.
“Ah Ji, you’re truly the best sister in the world! I really, really adore you!”
Lu Ji: “….”
Lu Ji’s face flushed as he attempted to pull away, though uncertain where to start.
The girl clinging to him was soft and delicate, as if a touch too strong might shatter her. Yet her presence was undeniable, and every point of contact between them seemed to ignite, infusing warmth into Lu Ji’s typically cold body with an unfamiliar, almost surreal sensation.
Never had Lu Ji encountered a woman this straightforward and passionate. Even though they were both women right now, still…
After expressing her enthusiasm, Gu Jiu sat up as if it had all been an ordinary event. To her, showing such joy was perfectly natural—she simply pounced on Lu Ji to express it.
“Ah Ji, today’s the third day. Tonight, we can finally leave,” Gu Jiu said with a cheerful smile. “Then let’s head to the Boundless City first. I’ll treat you to a proper meal as a reward. Living on bread every day is just unbearable.”
Lu Ji muttered, “…Oh.”
As Gu Jiu casually smoothed her slightly tousled hair, she tilted her head and smiled at Lu Ji, “Ah Ji, your paper frog was a huge help last night.”
Lu Ji responded with a quiet acknowledgment.
“The paper frog, as it turns out, can indeed be brought into the dream. The five ghosts inside it were a great help, keeping the sheep-headed monster occupied,” Gu Jiu said, resting her chin on her hand.
“This test was pretty successful. I stayed in the dream all night, and the five ghosts fought the monster the entire time… Ah Ji, do you know what this means?”
Lu Ji asked, “What does it mean?”
“It means that players can control the ‘door’ of the dream. Players can freely choose to leave—it’s not up to the sheep-headed monster.”
The Red Vine Seed serves as the key to the “door” for players.
Each pellet is like a key that allows players to exit the dream.
With this understanding, Gu Jiu felt more certain about the monster’s nature.
In last night’s dream, since she hadn’t chosen to use the Red Vine Seed to exit, the monster, no matter how enraged and entangled with the five ghosts, couldn’t harm her or end the dream—it simply kept fighting until dawn.
“It seems the dream is the player’s dream, and it’s up to the player to take charge,” Gu Jiu smiled faintly. “The game’s rules never favor any one side. Everything is balanced.”
While the monster is formidable in the dream, the players, holding control over the dream itself, have their own advantages.
After listening, Lu Ji couldn’t help but ask, “So you spent the entire night watching them fight?”
Was the young lady really that bored?
Gu Jiu looked at her for a moment, pouting, “I had to run a test…”
Although watching the monster and the five ghosts fight all night had been tedious, she couldn’t just ignore it.
Seeing her rare display of a childlike demeanor, Lu Ji found it oddly amusing. The young lady, who had been so strategic and commanding moments ago, exuded undeniable charm. Yet, even this playful side was equally captivating, making it hard to look away.
The two chatted a bit before getting up and heading out.
Other players had already gathered in the living room, looking haggard and exhausted. Seeing Gu Jiu and Lu Ji, they couldn’t hide a hint of envy.
Gu Jiu needed no explanation. Though she’d been in the dream all night, her body had genuinely rested. As for Lu Ji, her skin was so pale that, even if she were tired, it was hard to tell. She appeared well-rested by default.
Ying Tong pressed her aching temples and asked, “Miss Gu, did you sleep well last night?”
Gu Jiu: “Quite well.”
The players looked at her with even more envy.
“I didn’t dare to sleep all night,” Fatty said wearily. “As soon as I lay down, this overwhelming sleepiness hit me. Afraid of dozing off, I even had my brother pinch me hard. The pain kept me awake.”
He extended his chubby arm, showing the visible pinch marks on it.
Other players had similar experiences. To avoid falling asleep, they forced themselves to stay awake by any means possible. Even if they did doze off, they’d quickly throw a Red Vine Seed to the monster to escape the dream.
With only two pellets left, they knew they absolutely couldn’t afford to sleep again—sleeping would be a risk they couldn’t take.
Because of this, the players had accumulated more injuries.
The new players were in a similar situation. Fortunately, they were paired in rooms, so they could look out for each other. And since they weren’t as powerful, the game rules seemed to restrict them less than regular players. As long as they stayed awake, they managed to avoid the worst.