Marry the NPC with Money, Wife Comes Knocking - Chapter 30

The library at Free School had been renovated and expanded.

The library’s predecessor had always been fully open to the public. There was no need to swipe an ID card; one only needed to register manually at the entrance, writing down their name and entry time, and signing out upon leaving.

This management system also attracted some outsiders to come and read books in the library.

Later, people began to report missing persons one after another, and all the missing were girls. Investigating their whereabouts before they disappeared, the common factor was that they had all visited the library.

However, because the library’s facilities were outdated and the surveillance equipment had long since deteriorated, though cameras were visible everywhere, not a single one was actually functioning. Their entries and exits to the library were recorded.

A thorough investigation of the library revealed nothing unusual, yet people continued to go missing. Under police surveillance, it was confirmed that the disappearances occurred in the library. Despite turning the place upside down, the missing girls could not be found.

As a result, the library was sealed off, and after that, no one else disappeared.

Some superstitious people said it was a feng shui problem, so the library was renovated and expanded.

But the missing girls remain an unsolved mystery to this day.

“This case happened five years ago, but not many people know about it, and there’s very little information online.”

“Looking at it now, their disappearance is related to the instance.”

“Do you remember when the first wave of the Horror World started in the city?” The experienced player’s expression was grave. “Five years ago, the first horror instance appeared, randomly selecting players to enter the Horror Land, and through high-profile live broadcasts, the Horror World was thrust into the public eye.”

Normally, according to platform regulations, such bloody and violent scenes were strictly prohibited from being broadcast, but that live stream spread like a virus into their lives.

From then on, the Horror World shattered everyone’s understanding. People became fearful and anxious, some even predicting the end of the world, afraid of being chosen as players, and worried that their own neighborhoods would fall into the Horror World.

Free School probably fell five years ago, but at that time, people hadn’t yet formed a concept of the Horror World.

“The side quest is to uncover the truth behind the girls’ disappearance. Are we supposed to find them?”

“Maybe they’re already dead.”

“Even if they’re dead, we need to find their remains.”

“Water Cube?” someone called out to the man who seemed out of it; he hadn’t spoken since entering.

“Hm? Oh, right, we need to find their remains. That’s the evidence to determine the truth.”

On the unopened fourth floor of the library, the air was filled with the scent of paper and books. The ground was covered in thick dust, bearing the footprints of everyone present.

The books on the shelves hadn’t been organized yet, stacked haphazardly. Backed against the windows, sunlight streamed in, but didn’t cast everyone’s shadow.

“Something’s not right here. Everyone, be careful. Let’s split up and search by area.”

Under Water Cube’s arrangement, they paired up and went to different areas to look for clues.

As for the unopened restroom, that was the most dangerous place, so they decided to leave it for last and proceed with extra caution.

After they all dispersed, Su Sheng finally stepped out of the elevator at a leisurely pace.

The floor was covered in dust, yet not a speck clung to her shoes.

Sunlight shone on her, casting her shadow on the ground.

She walked deeper inside, her outfit changing: a washed-out shirt paired with faded jeans, simple white sneakers, and her long silver hair turning into waist-length black hair.

Su Sheng calmly swept her hair over one shoulder and began braiding it into a thick plait.

She casually chose Area A, walked over, stopped at the modern literature collection shelf, and picked up a book to flip through while standing there.
It was a melodramatic tale of obsessive love between a lovesick man and a resentful woman. Su Sheng flipped through it for a while, but soon found it rather dull.

Not interested.

She put the book back and pulled out another one.

This one was also about romance between a man and a woman, with a title boasting a satisfying story of revenge. Su Sheng skimmed through it for quite some time, but again put it back on the shelf without any desire to continue.

It didn’t feel satisfying at all.

She had never been weak, never bullied, so she couldn’t understand.

With patience, she kept searching, wanting to find a story about a girl’s love.

She wanted to see how other couples interacted, maybe she could learn something.

Su Sheng’s initial programming didn’t include emotions, so she was completely blank in terms of emotional awareness. After falling in love with Hua Hua, she could only imitate the ways and behaviors Hua Hua used to treat her.

She took one book after another, and when the books were returned to the shelf, they jumped up and down as if protesting her rough handling.

“Someone’s coming.” Su Sheng’s tone was leisurely, and her fingertips scraped a sharp sound on the bookshelf.

At the end of the shelves stood a man and a woman.

They knew this girl was not a player.

“Are you here to find me?” The girl pulled a book from the shelf and hugged it to her chest. Behind her was a window; standing backlit, she was surrounded by a gentle glow.

They couldn’t help but step forward, their feet landing on her shadow.

“Are you… the girl who disappeared in the library?”

Confusion filled the girl’s eyes; she didn’t understand why they said that. “Disappeared? Aren’t I right here?”

“You…” They stopped two meters away from her.

Their pounding hearts frantically warned them: the person before them was definitely not normal, definitely dangerous.

But from the moment they saw her, there was no reason to run.

There was only one thought in their minds: the truth. The truth they sought was right in front of them-why should they run?

“How long have you been in the library?”

Su Sheng smiled sweetly, her tone cheerful. “Five years~”

“In these five years, I’ve been waiting for someone to find me. I want to tell you, I’ve been really happy in the library. I hope someone can come keep me company.”

Su Sheng took the initiative to walk closer to them, watching as they trembled with instinctive fear but were also excited by their heightened desire for victory. A trace of ridicule flashed in her eyes.

Su Sheng’s voice was casual, her tone relaxed. “You… finally came.”

“Aren’t you curious why I’ve stayed here all this time?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the book in her hand flew toward them. The pages automatically flipped open, revealing a gaping, bloody mouth. A wave of corpse stench hit them, and through its throat, they could see a jumble of white bones.

“Ah!!!”

“Next, you’ll stay here too~”

The shadow at their feet transformed into long, upright spikes, pinning their feet in place so they couldn’t move.

They could only watch helplessly as they were swallowed by a book.

Su Sheng raised her hand and retrieved the book. Its chewing movements were slow, so it writhed in her hand.

Su Sheng tossed the book back onto the shelf in disgust.

The old library and the new library existed at the same time.

Due to the rules of the instance, Su Sheng could only set foot in the old library. The floors of the old library were often cleaned, so the soles of her shoes were spotless.

The old library was the first testing ground for the arrival of the horror world, so it wasn’t as developed. That’s why she cast a shadow in the light.

When facing players in the new library, she couldn’t attack them outright; she could only rely on trickery to lure them into the old library-once they were there, they couldn’t escape.