The twin sisters, though clearly unimpressed by Ai Ruyi’s behavior, didn’t comment further and walked away, shaking their heads.
On the other hand, Gu Jiu clapped her hands generously and praised, “Our Ah Ji is truly amazing.”
Lu Ji glanced at her sideways, noting how Gu Jiu’s terms of endearment for him had evolved—from “Miss Lu” to “Little Sister Lu,” then to “Little Ah Ji,” followed by simply “Ah Ji,” and now, “our Ah Ji,” carrying an intimate familiarity as if they were close friends.
He had never met someone so… effortlessly charming. Just a few words from her could make anyone, man or woman, flustered enough to do whatever she asked.
Gu Jiu straightened up and addressed the apologetic Ai Ruyi, “Next time, use your eyes a little better. Not everyone who looks weak is easy to push around.”
She gave Ai Ruyi a slight smile before casually poking a finger into the wall, leaving a small hole in it.
Ai Ruyi was left speechless: What?!
The group scrambled to support each other as they stumbled away, almost scared to death. How terrifying was someone who could poke a hole in the wall with just one finger? And to think they had believed these two were weak and easy to rob—clearly, the only weak ones here were themselves!
Gu Jiu blew some dust off her finger, admiring her fingernail. The “Demon’s Claw” ability was surprisingly handy—not only for intimidation but also for staying dust-free. It was quite a useful skill.
After dusting off her hands, she called out to the hallway corner, “Hey, I see the hem of your pants. Are you coming out, or what?”
Lu Ji’s gaze followed hers. With his sharp senses, he too had already noticed someone hiding there.
After a long pause, the boy slowly emerged from around the corner. He shot a quick, nervous glance at Gu Jiu and Lu Ji, then lowered his head and approached them silently.
“Lift your head,” Gu Jiu commanded.
The boy looked up at her instinctively.
“A man should keep his head up and shoulders back. Why are you slouching all the time? If you were my brother, I’d have broken your legs by now.”
She lifted her chin, her voice gentle but her tone fierce.
The boy thought to himself that he had never had a sister as tough as this.
Even so, her words made him feel oddly warm, and he murmured, “Sorry, about earlier… it’s my fault for dragging you into it…”
Gu Jiu waved her hand dismissively.
“People like that don’t need a reason to act like scum, so don’t take it personally.”
The boy swallowed hard, a bit taken aback by her bluntness. He licked his dry lips before speaking again.
“My name is Xu Chenfeng. I’m—”
“Don’t share your real-life identity with anyone in the game world. If fate allows, we’ll meet again,” Gu Jiu interrupted, raising her hand to stop him.
Players’ real identities were meant to be kept secret in the game world. Only the system administrator knew, and even they were forbidden from revealing it to others. This was to prevent grudges in the game from spilling over into real life. Of course, if players were from different worlds, holding a grudge didn’t matter much.
The fact that players from different worlds converged in the Multiverse Game World was indeed remarkable.
Xu Chenfeng muttered a quiet “Oh” and fell silent.
The sky darkened once again.
When Gu Jiu, Lu Ji, and their newfound “follower,” Xu Chenfeng, arrived at the first-floor lobby, they noticed quite a few people casting subtle glances in their direction.
Gu Jiu paid them no mind and chose a seat, resting her chin on her slender hand as she casually observed the players and newcomers in the room.
They had been in the game world for three days now, and by this point, the players had generally gauged each other’s abilities. The strongest among them was undoubtedly Qi Yuheng, who had three capable players by his side.
Next in line were Gu Jiu and Lu Ji. Although they hadn’t displayed any particularly unique abilities so far, their relaxed demeanor hinted at their skill and ease with the game.
The remaining four regular players were all fairly experienced, each having survived at least five rounds in the game world.
Unlike in previous instances, the players in this villa weren’t keen on sharing information. As the sky grew darker, they all took their leave, returning to their rooms one by one. Gu Jiu found herself missing the atmosphere among the players in the Cursed Village instance.
Wu Yang, for instance, was a person of genuine integrity, always willing to help others and respecting life despite the harsh survival rules of the game. Such qualities were rare, as most people couldn’t afford to be that selfless. When someone could act that way, it made their presence truly invaluable.
As the players left, Gu Jiu addressed the visibly anxious newcomers, “There are six ghosts in the villa, so be careful.”
The newcomers froze. Six ghosts?!
The other regular players on the spiral staircase stopped in surprise and looked back at her.
“Miss Gu, are you serious?” one player asked hastily, clearly taken aback. None of them had noticed the presence of ghosts yet.
The game world was called “The Caged Bird,” leading them to assume that, as “birds,” they were the only ones trapped here. They hadn’t realized the villa also concealed malevolent ghosts.
Gu Jiu nodded nonchalantly. “Yes, I happened to catch a male ghost last night and got the information out of him…”
The other players stared at her in shock. What did she mean by “happened to catch a ghost”? Ghosts weren’t something you just captured on a whim, were they?
At that moment, Gu Jiu’s image in everyone’s mind shifted. She became the most mysterious and formidable figure in the game, even overshadowing Qi Yuheng.
Ge Guang muttered quietly, “Old Qi, you’ve lost this one.”
Qi Yuheng shot him a sidelong glance, unfazed, but observed Gu Jiu with a thoughtful expression.
After Gu Jiu shared all the information she’d obtained from the ghost, she walked away with Lu Ji, bringing Xu Chenfeng along.
One player couldn’t help but ask, “Miss Gu, why did you share this information with us?”
Even Ge Guang and the twin sisters looked at her with puzzled expressions. In the game, players usually kept information to themselves or traded it cautiously, never so freely sharing it.
Gu Jiu frowned slightly, lifting her chin as she replied, “I share what I want. No need for a reason.”
She sauntered up the spiral staircase. As she passed by Qi Yuheng and his group, he suddenly asked, “Miss Gu, do you know Wu Yang?”
Gu Jiu paused and looked up at him, “You know Brother Wu?”
Qi Yuheng smiled, his handsome face brightening.
“We’re somewhat acquainted. He’s a remarkably upright man, convinced that players should work together to clear the game. A rare quality, truly.”
Gu Jiu nodded. “My first game was with Brother Wu.”
Qi Yuheng and Ge Guang exchanged a look of understanding. They finally grasped why Gu Jiu’s actions were so straightforward and honest—she’d been influenced by Wu Yang.
Those who knew Wu Yang tended to carry some of his influence.
It was both a blessing and a curse.
For players lacking skill and resilience, Wu Yang’s idealism could backfire. But for someone as formidable as Gu Jiu, it became a source of pride; she could back up her actions with strength, deterring anyone from opposing her.
Now that everyone knew there were six ghosts lurking in the villa, both the regular players and newcomers grew more vigilant.
They were all grateful for Gu Jiu’s information. Having accurate knowledge meant that even if they encountered a ghost, they could respond appropriately instead of succumbing to fear of the unknown.
The third night was equally restless; even Qi Yuheng’s Horror Chainsaw couldn’t deter the disturbances outside.
Gu Jiu sat up in bed, gripping the covers tightly, her eyes fixed on the door with an intense, almost terrifying gaze.
Lu Ji looked at her with some concern. He could sense that something felt off about Gu Jiu’s state, as if she were on the verge of bursting out and destroying whatever was pacing outside the door.
“Sister Gu, let me send the frog to check. You rest for now,” Lu Ji whispered softly.
Gu Jiu nodded without speaking, leaning back against the bed.
At his silent command, the paper frog hidden in the shadows compressed itself into a thin sheet and slipped out through the gap under the door.
It hopped along the floor soundlessly, drawing closer to the dark figure knocking at the door. The figure remained oblivious to the paper frog emerging beneath it. Then, without warning, the frog opened its mouth, stretching impossibly wide—wider than the dark figure itself—like a yawning chasm, swallowing it whole in one gulp.
After devouring the shadow, the paper frog shrank back to its palm-sized form. Instead of returning to the room, it hopped further down the hall, disappearing into the darkness.
The silence outside was restored.
Gu Jiu’s tense expression softened, and she glanced at Lu Ji. “Ah Ji, you’re amazing.”
Lu Ji gave a shy smile. “Maybe whatever was outside was only making noise to disturb us, not as powerful as it seemed.”
With the disturbance gone, Gu Jiu quickly drifted back to sleep.
Lu Ji lay quietly beside her, eyes open, observing the darkened villa through the paper frog’s perspective. As a player in this game world, there wasn’t much he could do except stay close to the other players, using their presence as cover to study the rules and energies within this place.
He liked it this way.
Turning his head slightly, he glanced at the girl lying beside him. His thoughts wandered, and a faint blush crept over his ears.
Wah!!!! Update,please!