Marry the NPC with Money, Wife Comes Knocking - Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Hua Suihe had fallen asleep in Ye Susheng’s arms.

Out of nowhere, an old-fashioned pendulum clock appeared, hanging in the middle of the hall. The pendulum swung from side to side.

“Tick, tick, tick…”

Something was wrong with the flow of time. On closer look, it was already 11:50 p.m.

[The Horror World is about to descend. Players, please complete your tasks as soon as possible and leave the task location! Repeat, players, please complete your tasks as soon as possible and leave the task location!]

A player lost it on the spot. “Didn’t we already complete the main quest? Weren’t we supposed to successfully exit at midnight? Why are we getting this kind of prompt?”

“Ten minutes left. Just hold on ten more minutes.”

Before the prompt sounded, everything was normal. Everyone was getting along peacefully; even those who had resurrected showed no abnormal signs.

The instant the System notification arrived, the players who’d clung to life this long quietly distanced themselves from anyone who had died once already. They hid in whatever places they thought were safe and spent their last remaining points on any life-saving charms they could afford.

Over on Hua Suihe and Ye Susheng’s side, a gentle little tune filled the room with a hazy, intimate mood. Ye Susheng held the sleeping Hua Suihe in her arms, stealing a kiss now and then. The two of them were wrapped in their own little bubble of peace.

Everyone else was fully on guard, as prepared as they could possibly be, staring at the ticking clock that marked every passing second. There was only one minute left until midnight.

No Anomalies appeared. No bloodshed or violence erupted. The calm was so complete it felt unreal.

Young Master Wei lifted a hand to his neck brace, then smoothly took his head off, using the moment to slick back his hair into a perfect pompadour. Only once he was satisfied with his hairstyle did he set his head back on the brace and advance on the Water Cube step by step.

“Stop struggling. The ones who’ve lasted this long-none of you are leaving.”

“That includes you. It includes her. It includes everyone.”

“Wait for midnight to come. Welcome the arrival of the Thriller. Complete the carnival that belongs to us.”

“Young Master Wei…” The Water Cube had retreated until there was literally nowhere left to go. He could only count silently in his heart. Ten seconds left.

Stay alive. Stay alive…

In the end, Ye Susheng kissed Hua Suihe’s forehead, then laid her down on the sofa. A mass of black mist wrapped around Hua Suihe, sealing her off from all outside danger.

[Endless Good Fortune has taken effect and has isolated the Thriller’s contamination from the player.]

Hua Suihe rolled over, sleeping deeply and sweetly under the influence of alcohol.

“No-why… I already completed the quest. Why didn’t we clear the dungeon at midnight?!”

“Why am I still here? I don’t want to stay here, I don’t want to-”

“Ah!!”

“Run! Get out of here!”

The eight remaining players threw everything they had into a mad dash for the doors, but the mutations in their bodies sent them sprawling to the floor. The talisman cards they had exchanged their points for immediately failed.

Someone melted into a puddle of blood on the spot, which then slowly thickened and congealed back into a shape-standing, then collapsing again.

Someone’s skin split open all over, their body turning mottled blue and purple.

Xinrou had already crawled to the door. The hand she stretched forward turned into bare, gleaming white bone. She watched her own transformation with her own eyes, but no tears would come.

She lifted both hands to her cheeks and touched the same hard, bony texture.

Why… Clearly we already completed the quest. Why can’t we leave? Why are we turning into this?

[Regrettably, the player does not have enough points to exchange for a revival card and so cannot clear this dungeon. However, because the player actively and successfully fulfilled the role assigned by the System, from today onward you will survive within the Thriller in this identity. The Horror World welcomes you to its ranks.]

Xinrou lay on the ground. After a while, she moved again, movements stiff and mechanical, and slowly walked back inside. Flesh and blood regrew over her bare skeleton, restoring her original appearance.
From this moment on, she was one of the Anomalies. She would remain here until Thriller fully descended.

After everyone completed the Anomalization process, their screaming breakdowns gave way to numb, vacant stares. Then, as if in perfect sync, they turned and walked back.

Ye Susheng stood on the steps. Her black mist bared its fangs and claws, and a terrifying spiritual pressure radiated from her, carrying a clear signal of dominance-submission.

With Ye Susheng here, she was the first ruler granted by Thriller. Every Anomaly should bow to her.

Thriller had created her-yet couldn’t control her.

Ye Susheng lightly wiped the lipstick smeared at the corner of her mouth. Her crimson eyes looked like two gemstones soaked in blood, eerie vortices swirling in their depths, contemptuous of all living things.

She gently licked the lip color from her fingertip. The floral taste pleased her. She curved her lips into a sweet smile-yet to the Anomalies, that smile was like a red spider lily blooming in hell: bewitching and gorgeous, but something no one dared approach.

Realizing her work still wasn’t finished, Ye Susheng lowered her eyes and swept them across the people crowding in. With a soft, mocking laugh, she said, “A bunch of idiots really do flock together.”

No one dared respond.

This dungeon was a Sure-death Scenario, a points-wipe dungeon aimed at players with nothing but pure malice.

Only players with over ten thousand points-players who could trade for a revival card-could leave the Rose Manor dungeon. If you didn’t have enough points, dying midway meant dying for real. And even if you survived until midnight, it was still a dead end.

At a time like this, a few could be selected to become permanent staff of the Yu Sheng Troupe, and later appear at random in other dungeons.

Ye Susheng frowned, her picky gaze raking over them one by one. Disgust practically overflowed from her expression. “Too ugly.”

A pack of eyesores.

Especially those who’d just undergone Anomalization-still unable to properly control their body shape and appearance. It was simply unbearable to look at.

In future dungeons, Hua Hua might end up accompanying her. She couldn’t take anyone too ugly-and she definitely couldn’t take any players Hua Hua recognized.

The thought killed what little interest she had left in cleanup. “What, you still want some kind of ceremony? Get lost. Stop getting in my way.”

There was no hiring ceremony.

Was the Yu Sheng Troupe really not picking a single one this time?

Only employees of the Yu Sheng Troupe could move freely through the Horror Zone. Before Thriller fully descended, ordinary Anomalies could only stay in one place-like them, stuck in Rose Manor.

Some Anomalies with ambition wanted to recommend themselves, but Ye Susheng was clearly out of patience.

Right from the start, Ye Susheng had killed the main Anomaly of this dungeon. Arrogant as that was, the Horror System hadn’t punished her.

Now, no one dared defy her at all.

They could only obey her order and leave the hall.

Leaving behind nothing but a wreck.

Ye Susheng returned to Hua Suihe’s side and crouched beside her. The black mist wrapped around Hua Suihe took the initiative to flow back into Ye Susheng’s body.

Hua Suihe dreamed of a bizarre, kaleidoscopic world-like the beginning of yet another nightmare. Instinctively, she resisted the story that was about to continue, so she stood still in place, refusing to move.

[Endless Good Fortune is now in effect…]

The System voice that suddenly sounded in her mind yanked Hua Suihe back from the dream.

When she opened her eyes, she happened to catch Ye Susheng lowering her head and placing a light kiss on her lips.

Ye Susheng had already stolen three kisses. Hua Hua had been sleeping so soundly that Ye Susheng hadn’t dared to pick her up, afraid she’d wake her. She hadn’t expected that kissing her would be what woke her up-now Ye Susheng felt terribly guilty.

“Hua Hua, you’re awake~”

Hua Suihe pressed her palm to her forehead. Probably because she’d been drinking, sleeping only made her head hurt more.

“What time is it?”

“One in the morning.”