Players rarely share their items or the attributes and abilities of those items with others, wary of attracting unnecessary trouble.
However, Wan Xingzhou had decided to team up with Gu Jiu and the others, and as they were building trust, he didn’t mind sharing such details.
Though his “Six Spirits Resentment Bead” had impressive abilities, he thought Lu Ji’s paper-manipulation technique was even more formidable. With such a powerful skill, they likely wouldn’t care much about his Resentment Bead.
And indeed, Lu Ji didn’t even glance at it. Instead, he turned to Gu Jiu and asked, “It’s still early. Do you want to try getting some more sleep?”
Gu Jiu shook her head, sighing. “I doubt I’ll get any sleep tonight.”
Thinking about the sleepless night ahead soured the mood of the young miss. She couldn’t even pinpoint the culprit behind her agitation, leaving her even more unsettled.
“Why?” Wan Xingzhou, ever direct with his questions, didn’t hold back. “This was already the second attack. Surely, things won’t keep happening all night?”
There had been three attacks last night, so tonight would probably be about the same, right?
Gu Jiu replied, “Do you think that’s likely? I have a feeling tonight won’t be any easier than last night. It might even be more dangerous.”
Wan Xingzhou’s face turned rigid. “No way, really?”
They’d soon find out.
As the looming sense of danger returned, the three inside reacted swiftly.
Wan Xingzhou launched himself backward, flipping midair toward the wall by the television, while Lu Ji and Gu Jiu jumped out of bed.
Above them, sheets of paper fragmented into a flurry of scraps. The bed was then crushed into pieces by an invisible force, splinters flying like countless sharp arrows, embedding in the walls with rapid, relentless thuds.
Quickly, Lu Ji grabbed the quilt, shielding both himself and Gu Jiu from the barrage of splinters.
Wan Xingzhou wasn’t as lucky, feeling as though the splinters piercing his back would almost skewer him. The pain left him drenched in a cold sweat.
Inside the quilt, in that confined space, the two pressed closely against each other.
Lu Ji’s breathing stuttered for a moment, quickly returning to silence. One hand held the quilt, while the other arm wrapped firmly around Gu Jiu, instinctively drawing her into his embrace, his body shielding her from the flying splinters.
Gu Jiu remained quiet, nestled securely in her arms.
When the chaos outside finally subsided, Lu Ji realized the position they were in, his body freezing as he hesitated to move.
His hand rested on her back, and all he could think of was how fragrant, soft, and warm she felt in his arms…
Amid the silence, Gu Jiu’s voice broke through. “Ah Ji, it’s quiet outside now.”
She thought to herself, considering Lu Ji’s frail, sickly appearance and her slender, almost delicate build, yet she had a surprising strength. Her grip around her felt like iron. She remembered the time in the “Cursed Village” instance when a ghost doll attacked her, and Lu Ji had pulled her away immediately. She’d noticed then that she had considerable strength.
She wondered if it was just her imagination, but her body even seemed to have a firm, cool solidity that didn’t match the softness typical of girls.
And Lu Ji’s chest was so flat. Even if she were still in her development stage, to be this flat was a pity…
Sigh, it seems she’d have to encourage her friend to drink more papaya milk in the future.
Lu Ji silently released her, lifting the quilt that had been covering them both.
The flow of air brushed against her face, relieving some of the stifling tension.
Gu Jiu took a deep breath, the scent of Lu Ji gradually fading from her senses. She suddenly found her scent to be rather pleasant—not a fragrance or bath soap, but something hard to describe, like the chill of a snowy field, clean, vast, with a trace of cold, distant solitude that felt almost unapproachable.
A small tremor stirred in her heart; she felt as though she had briefly touched a part of Lu Ji’s inner world.
Gu Jiu snapped back, glancing around the room. Their bed was now nothing more than a pile of splinters scattered everywhere. Some sharp fragments had even pierced the walls, revealing just how dangerous things had been moments ago.
She suddenly recalled how Lu Ji had shielded her in her embrace, quickly turning to check on her. “Ah Ji, are you hurt?”
Lu Ji shook his head. “No, I’m fine.”
Seeing her doubt, he deliberately turned around to show his clothes, clean and unbloodied.
“I’m the one hurt…” Wan Xingzhou’s pained voice broke in, reminding the two of his unfortunate presence.
Gu Jiu looked over to see him sprawled in front of the TV cabinet, the faint smell of blood hanging in the air.
She and Lu Ji helped him up, guiding him to lie face-down on the sofa. His back was peppered with splinters, resembling a porcupine, leaving him unable to sit up. Blood had soaked through his shirt, turning it into a bloody mess.
“You alright?” Gu Jiu asked.
Wan Xingzhou winced, grimacing in pain. “It hurts like hell. Could you two help me pull out these splinters?”
The pain was making his nerves spasm; each splinter had driven in with a force that felt like a bullet. He quickly popped a painkiller to dull the ache.
Gu Jiu inspected his back, realizing they’d need to cut open his shirt to remove the splinters effectively. She pulled out a dagger, but Lu Ji stopped her.
“Let me handle this.”
Taking a pair of scissors, Lu Ji began snipping from the collar, then carefully cut around each splinter, finally pulling each one out with a swift, precise motion.
Her grip was firm, and she worked quickly and efficiently, removing the splinters with minimal pain. Wan Xingzhou felt little discomfort as Lu Ji deftly worked.
Touched, Wan Xingzhou muttered, “Ah Ji, I didn’t know you were so skilled. You’re really good to me.”
Lu Ji remained silent, unwilling to let Gu Jiu handle another man’s body, so he took on the task himself.
In total, fifty-three splinters had lodged in Wan Xingzhou’s back.
“Luckily, there aren’t too many splinters, and the wounds aren’t deep,” Gu Jiu reassured him, watching as Lu Ji applied medicine to his back.
Wan Xingzhou lay there, gritting his teeth through the pain of the medicine seeping into his wounds. To distract himself, he muttered, “Didn’t expect the bed to get smashed to bits. You were right, sleeping isn’t in the cards tonight.”
Lu Ji glanced at the bed, his expression darkening.
He’d hoped Gu Jiu would get a decent night’s sleep, but whatever was targeting them clearly wasn’t giving them a moment’s peace.
Wan Xingzhou, unable to keep quiet, asked, “Young Miss, this was the third attack tonight. Do you think there’ll be more?”
“Yes,” Gu Jiu answered with certainty. “It’s still early, after all. It won’t stop until we’re dead.”
“Is that just your intuition?”
“More or less.”
With a definite answer, Wan Xingzhou grimaced, mentally counting the items he still had available. He realized that if this level of attack kept up, his items would be completely exhausted, leaving him starting from scratch.
Wan Xingzhou’s injuries weren’t severe; the splinters hadn’t gone too deep, and within about ten minutes, the wounds on his back had mostly healed.
He tossed away his bloodstained clothes, changed into fresh ones, and sat, wide-eyed, alongside the others as they remained on high alert.
The fourth attack arrived.
Lu Ji used his paper creations to block the incoming threat, pulling Gu Jiu towards the balcony for cover. Suddenly, they felt a tremor beneath their feet. Fortunately, they reacted quickly, jumping back in time to see the balcony collapse and crash down to the floor below.
Wan Xingzhou had jumped with them, and upon seeing the destroyed balcony, he took a sharp breath.
“They really won’t stop until they kill us, huh? So, Young Miss, what’s the plan?”
Gu Jiu replied calmly, “No real plan. We’ll just keep fighting and try to make it through the night.”
Wan Xingzhou: “…” Did the Young Miss really have no solutions left?
“I don’t have many items left. What about you guys?” he asked, hopeful.
Gu Jiu said, “I can’t use mine here.”
Her items consisted of the Blood Rose, Death’s Painting, and the “Red Thread of Fate” she had bought upon entering the game world. Blood Rose and Death’s Painting were useless right now since they couldn’t even see the enemy’s shadow to target it. As for the “Red Thread of Fate,” it clearly wasn’t suitable for this situation.
Lu Ji said, “I still have plenty of paper constructs that can buy us some breathing room.”
“Thank you, Ah Ji,” Wan Xingzhou said, tugging on her sleeve with puppy-like eyes full of hope.
Lu Ji paused, pulling his sleeve back with a disgusted look. “Who told you to call me that?”
He was clearly annoyed; only Gu Jiu had ever called him that.
Wan Xingzhou replied matter-of-factly, “Using just your name feels too formal. Besides, the Young Miss calls you Ah Ji too, doesn’t she?”
Lu Ji looked over at Gu Jiu, who was smiling at him, and had no choice but to let it go.
After dodging the fifth attack, Wan Xingzhou couldn’t hold back his frustration. “This game world is absolutely insane! The danger level is nothing like a typical C-grade instance! Could this really be the work of Lingyuan?”
Gu Jiu and Lu Ji stayed silent. Whether it was or not, they hoped tomorrow, once they found the hidden third floor, they’d get some answers.
With each successive attack, they began to anticipate the pattern, coordinating more effectively with Lu Ji’s paper-based defenses, which made them a bit less frantic each time.
The entire night was grueling for all the players.
Fortunately, they soon noticed a pattern: attacks occurred once every hour, giving them a brief rest period to tend to wounds. This saved them from being utterly overwhelmed.
Finally, as dawn broke and light seeped into the room, the attacks ceased.
Wan Xingzhou lay sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath.
After two sleepless nights, he looked utterly exhausted, like a wilted cabbage left out in the sun.
Lu Ji nudged Wan Xingzhou with his foot. “Get up. It’s breakfast time.”
Wan Xingzhou, exhausted, slowly got to his feet, glancing at Gu Jiu, who sat elegantly amidst the wreckage. Despite her disheveled appearance, her expression remained calm and composed. The peril of the previous night had done little to unsettle her.
Her calmness was contagious, and Wan Xingzhou suddenly felt a renewed strength.
The room was in utter ruin, as if a massive earthquake had hit, with all the furniture destroyed and hardly a single spot untouched.
Wan Xingzhou sighed, “The room is completely wrecked. Looks like we won’t be sleeping here tonight.”
“We won’t need to come back,” Gu Jiu said, standing up. “Assuming there are no surprises today, we should be able to clear the game and leave.”
“Really?” Wan Xingzhou’s face lit up with excitement.
Gu Jiu tilted her head and gave him a soft smile. “What, don’t you want to finish the level?”
“Of course I do!” Wan Xingzhou said eagerly. “Who’d want to stay in a place this dangerous? Clearing the game and getting back to Boundless City to rest is the real priority. Let’s go, let’s check the dining room and see how many players are left.”
He suddenly seemed invigorated, as though he’d had an energy boost.
“I’m going to change clothes first,” Gu Jiu said. As the eldest daughter of the Gu family, she always paid attention to her appearance. Unless absolutely necessary, she would never let others see her looking anything but her best.
She changed into fresh clothes in the bathroom, emerging with an aura of elegance in her brand-name attire, looking stunning.
Wan Xingzhou and Lu Ji, following her lead, also changed and then fell into step behind her. Their formation made it look like a young miss leading her entourage on inspection, exuding a distinct sense of authority.
When the three of them arrived in the dining room, they found that Zhan Shaohong and his group were already there.
There were seven of them, including Zhan Shaohong. They looked a bit weary but still spirited, suggesting that, although the night had been dangerous, they hadn’t been too badly affected. Gu Jiu quickly guessed that they must have stayed with Zhan Shaohong, who likely had defensive items to protect them.
Upon seeing Gu Jiu, Zhan Shaohong hurried over. “Gu Jiu, are you alright? Last night was incredibly dangerous—I was worried something might happen to you…”
Gu Jiu smiled softly. “I’m fine.”
“You should’ve stayed with me last night. I have defensive items, so no matter how dangerous it got, we had protection. See? Everyone crashed in my room last night,” he said, gesturing toward the players behind him.
His followers exchanged glances, quickly nodding in agreement to build up Zhan Shaohong’s reputation, trying to show off his wealth and resources to Gu Jiu.
Zhan Shaohong looked at her expectantly, but to his disappointment, her face showed no sign of being impressed.
She wore a gentle smile, radiating a natural warmth, her slightly shadowed eyes softening her gaze. The subtle gray in her eyes didn’t detract from her beauty—instead, it added a mysterious allure, transforming even imperfections into an unusual charm.
Zhan Shaohong was mesmerized, falling deeper into his role as her devoted admirer. “When we head to the hidden third floor later, let me help you, alright?”
Gu Jiu responded politely, “Alright, thank you.”
With a casual reply, she brushed him off and sat down to eat breakfast.
The other players joined her, discussing the dangers of the previous night.
As breakfast was drawing to a close, someone finally entered the dining room.
Spotting the newcomer, Wan Xingzhou waved. “Over here, Wu Wei!”
Wu Wei made his way over, taking in the sight of the gathered players. He exhaled deeply, his face etched with exhaustion and the remnants of fear lingering in his eyes.
Last night, Wu Wei had barely escaped with his life.
This game world was incredibly dangerous, seeming to test not only players’ items and skills but also their reflexes. Surviving was no easy feat.
With Wu Wei joining, there were now eleven players in the dining room. Those who hadn’t appeared were likely lost to the hazards of the night.
“Brother, you’ve got some luck,” Wan Xingzhou remarked with a sigh.
Indeed. The players around Zhan Shaohong had survived thanks to his protective items, while Gu Jiu’s trio had relied on their own items and quick reflexes, each showcasing their abilities. Wu Wei, on the other hand, had managed alone through the harrowing night, proving he had both skill and luck.
Wu Wei gave a wry smile. “Just barely. If this happens again tonight, I’m not sure I’ll be as lucky.”
Everyone agreed.
There had been 23 players at the start of the game world; now only eleven remained, casting a somber mood over the group.
Though players were competitors for points, without any deep grudges between them, they still wished others could survive. Watching fellow players fall in the game world stirred a sense of unease; it could very well be their turn next.
After breakfast, the players headed to the first-floor reception desk to retrieve the registry book.
Opening it, they found that only eleven rooms were still registered.
The mood darkened further, especially with the knowledge that soon they would have to search for the hidden third floor, uncertain of what they’d face there.
As Chai Yingying was about to put the registry back, a hand took it from her.
They looked over to see Gu Jiu holding the registry, causing some confusion.
Gu Jiu explained, “Let’s keep it with us. It might come in handy.”
At her words, a few players felt an impulse to hold onto the registry themselves.
“Sure, you take it. If it gets heavy, I can carry it for you,” Zhan Shaohong said cheerfully.
Hearing his eager words, Chai Yingying and others rolled their eyes internally but chose to ignore him.
Wu Wei, who also wanted the registry, took note of Lu Ji and Wan Xingzhou standing close to Gu Jiu, along with Zhan Shaohong’s group. Realizing he’d be outnumbered, he wisely refrained from pushing the issue.
Together, they made their way to the emergency stairwell.
Standing before the door to the third floor, the players grew tense, none of them daring to reach for the handle.
Chai Yingying stepped forward. “I’ll do it.”
She grasped the handle, and with a gentle pull, the door opened, revealing the mysterious third floor.