Bai Lixin opened the game interface.
In the dark blue dialogue box, a few lines of text were written in beautiful, golden characters.
[Dear BUG tester, thank you for entering this copy for game testing.]
[Your identity for this test is the character [Countess], and you also have a hidden NPC identity — the final BOSS of the copy, the Siren.]
[Please do your best to prevent the players from leaving the Siren’s territory.]
[Your ultimate goal is — no one survives.]
[The skills you possess are:]
[1. Siren’s Voice: Your singing is more beautiful than any heavenly melody. When you sing, everyone will be enchanted by your voice. The cooldown time for this skill is 30 minutes.]
[2. Siren’s Claws: Your sharp claws can tear through steel, let alone the soft human body. The cooldown time for this skill is 1 hour, and you can attack 1 person at a time.]
[Friendly reminder: Please protect your hidden identity carefully. If your identity is exposed, you will suffer unimaginable pain.]
[Now, we wish you an enjoyable game, tester.]
In the top right corner of the game interface, the timer displayed: 62 hours until the game ends.
Bai Lixin tore the note with the bold handwriting into pieces, changed into a black, sequined mermaid dress, arranged his long black hair, and gracefully stepped out of the room.
Downstairs, there was a lot of noise. He stood by the second-floor railing and looked down. A crowd of people was gathered around a yellow-and-black-striped tiger, pointing and talking.
The tiger lay on the ground, its heavy paws and large mouth tightly bound with thick ropes.
“Was this the beast that attacked us last night?”
“Oh God, poor Victor, he was only 24 years old, just appointed as a viscount by the king. He originally had such a bright future, but now he’s been taken by the mouth of this beast.”
“Kill it, kill this beast!”
“Yes, kill it! Avenge Viscount Victor!”
Next to the tiger stood a nervous man dressed in exaggerated red and green clothing, his face painted with gaudy makeup, as if he came from a circus.
The man kept rubbing his hands and casting quick glances at another man beside him.
The other man appeared to be much older, with his golden hair almost completely replaced by white. He leaned on a cane, wearing an expensive and well-fitted black tailcoat, exuding the exaggerated elegance of European nobility with every move.
Although the crowd was gathered in a group, from their positioning, it was clear this man was standing at the center of attention.
Sister System’s voice echoed in Bai Lixin’s mind: [Master Bai Lixin, that man is the Count, your husband in name.]
S419M: [Tsk, I suggest dyeing the white hair on the Count’s head green.]
[Ahem,] Bai Lixin lightly cleared his throat in his mind, [I understand, thank you, Sister System.]
Sister System’s voice was sweet: [You’re welcome, Master Bai Lixin.]
[But may I ask a presumptuous question,] Bai Lixin pursed his lips slightly, [Why did the two of you follow me into the game world? Instead of enjoying a nice vacation, you prefer to work part time?]
Before the Tower was destroyed, S419M extracted Sister System’s mental structure, so she didn’t disappear with the Tower’s destruction.
After leaving the Tower, S419M regained its freedom, and so did Sister System.
In simple terms, the two systems could be viewed as two consciousnesses.
They had no fixed physical form, which meant that they could have countless bodies if they wished.
Using simulation technology to create simulated beings, they could enter those bodies and experience real life by manipulating them.
However, perhaps because their original forms were streams of consciousness, they seemed to prefer the intangible virtual consciousness over real bodies.
Recently, after hearing that Sun Ning had developed the game “Yesterday Reappears” and was hosting open beta testing, he dragged Dijia along for the fun.
Somehow, the two systems heard about it and secretly tagged along.
As a system born and raised in the horror game, Sister System directly pushed aside the “Yesterday Reappears” game system and took over the role of Bai Lixin’s system itself.
S419M: [Of course we came back to help you, Lord Host. How could we just stand by and watch you get bullied?]
Sister System: [Exactly, exactly.]
Bai Lixin: [Where’s the help then?]
Sister System: [The will to help is definitely there.]
“Since the culprit has already been caught, to honor Viscount Victor, let’s throw this tiger into the sea and let it drown,” the Count’s deep voice pulled Bai Lixin’s consciousness back to reality. “Captain, make sure you control your circus animals better in the future. I don’t want something like this to happen again.”
The man dressed in garish, flamboyant clothes hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “I’m sorry, my Lord.”
It seemed the Count had significant authority among the group.
Once he spoke, no one else said anything. Just as the soldiers in their stiff uniforms were about to carry out the order and take the tiger, a loud voice suddenly interrupted their movements.
“Wait! The culprit isn’t this tiger. It’s been wronged.”
Bai Lixin lowered his gaze to the hall below and saw a man step out from the crowd.
Though he wore a refined suit, his demeanor was unlike the other nobles, as if he were a common man who had mistakenly wandered into a high-class gathering.
This must be a player.
The man pointed to the tiger’s paws. “Look, the circus people trimmed its claws long ago to prevent it from hurting anyone. The wounds on the corpse are sharp and deep, there’s no way they were made by these claws.”
The crowd erupted into murmurs, people lowering their heads to whisper to each other.
The Count narrowed his eyes, staring coldly at the man. “Are you questioning my judgment?”
The man lifted his chin, his eyes fearless. “Yes, you’re wrong. The real culprit is someone else, maybe even the Siren.”
The commotion in the crowd grew louder.
The Count’s brows furrowed, his expression stern. “Since you’re so confident, prove your conclusion to me.”
The man froze for a moment. “How do I prove it?”
The Count: “Guards, put this noble guest and the tiger into the same cage. If the tiger doesn’t bite him, then he’s right.”
The man’s face turned pale. He tried to say something, but before he could speak, a soldier swiftly and forcefully gagged him.
The struggling man was shoved into the cage, followed by the soldiers releasing the tiger and pushing it inside as well.
The fully grown tiger was much larger than the man. Even with its claws trimmed, it could easily knock the man to the ground with its heavy paws.
The man gripped the bars of the cage, whimpering for help, only to be met with the tiger’s roar and bared fangs.
Blood sprayed. The man stopped struggling, and the only sound in the cage was the tiger’s terrifying chewing.
The hall fell into complete silence.
The Count’s face was grim. “Does anyone else doubt my judgment?”
No one dared to utter a word unless they were looking for death.
The Count’s face returned to its refined smile. “A brave man who dared to question, but unfortunately, it cost him his life. Butler, send a generous compensation to his family. As for his body… Well, since the bones have been devoured, it will have to be sent into the sea along with the tiger.”
And just like that, the soldiers carried the bloody, heavy cage and threw it into the churning sea before the crowd.
The cage hit the water with a heavy thud, like a heavy stone dropped on the hearts of all the players.
The Count: “Crisis averted. Let’s continue with the music and dancing!”
Ji Nansheng stayed hidden within the crowd, not drawing any attention.
The live broadcast had now surpassed two million viewers, and the barrage was exploding with comments.
[Could the Count be the Siren?]
[The wounds don’t match. The Count just found a scapegoat.]
[The scapegoat at least got a final meal before leaving.]
[Scapegoat: Thanks for the meal, Count.]
[The unlucky guy who got eaten: So, you’re all just going to pretend I’m not here?]
[If you don’t have the skill, don’t pretend to be bold.]
[In this game, pretending will get you killed.]
[Nansheng, this Count isn’t simple, try testing him.]
[Nansheng: ?? Thanks, are you worried about me and hope I can end the live broadcast early to rest?]
[If the Count isn’t easy, there’s still the Countess, right? She seems easy to talk to.]
[Yeah, where’s the Countess?]
[I saw her earlier on the second-floor balcony, watching the whole thing.]
[So, the Countess was on the second floor all night?]
[My intuition tells me there’s something suspicious about the Countess too.]
[My mom always said, the prettier the woman, the more deceitful she is. The more beautiful the rose, the more painful the thorns.]
[Why does that sound so familiar? Are you sure your mom said that?]
[Haven’t I just said it? Call me mom, dear son.]
[Maybe the delicate Countess is the Siren, and the terrifying Count is just her executioner.]
[Isn’t that how mystery novels go? The less likely it seems, the more often they’re the real culprit in the end.]
Ji Nansheng glanced at the rapidly scrolling comments but quickly refocused on the game.
He stood at the back of the crowd, watching from a distance as the beautiful Countess also walked up to the deck.
The Count, who had been searching for his wife all night, noticed her and walked over with a smile. He bent down and whispered something in the Countess’s ear, after which the Countess followed him away.
Seeing this, Ji Nansheng hurried to follow.
He swore he was following to gather clues, not because he was curious about what might happen between the Count and the Countess.
Obviously, he wasn’t the only one curious. Six or seven others quickly followed him, and judging by their outfits, they were all players.
The Countess followed the Count to a secluded corner of the deck. Ji Nansheng pressed himself against the white iron wall, straining to hear what they were saying.
Around him, he could hear the rustling of the other players. Some crouched behind him, while others lay flat on the deck, wishing they could turn into mice and sneak closer to eavesdrop.
“Where were you last night?” The Count’s voice was very gentle.
The Countess: “I had a bit too much to drink last night and fell asleep in the second-floor lounge.”
The Count: “I searched for you all night. Viscount Victor was attacked yesterday. You were missing all night, do you know how worried I was?”
The Countess’s answer was flawless: “I’m sorry, I slept too deeply and didn’t hear anything.”
The Count: “It’s all in the past now. The most important thing is that you’re safe.”
The Countess: “I remember you had something to discuss with me last night.”
Ji Nansheng immediately perked up his ears.
The Count’s voice grew serious: “What I feared most has come to pass. My dear, it’s possible that the Dream Star has wandered into the Siren’s territory. You mustn’t wander off alone these next few days; it’s too dangerous. If you must go out, make sure to bring a soldier with you.”
The Countess gasped, “The Siren’s territory? But how is that possible? I remember the route you chose was in the exact opposite direction.”
The Count: “I don’t know how it happened.”
The Countess: “Could it be the Captain?”
Ji Nansheng: ‘The Captain?’
