PTYS Chapter 41

Xiao Muyu returned in less than an hour. With less than ten hours left until the third dungeon opened, they both tacitly decided to rest and get a good sleep.

Although Shen Qingqiu’s mischievous nature was evident, after Xiao Muyu moved in, she didn’t make any inappropriate moves. In fact, she behaved just like an ordinary roommate, which surprised Xiao Muyu.

However, Xiao Muyu was relieved and knew Shen Qingqiu was the type to take advantage if given the chance, so she didn’t mention Shen Qingqiu’s sudden change in behavior.

They each went about their own business throughout the day. When there was only an hour left, Xiao Muyu suggested going out.

“You want to go to Wangliang Street?” Shen Qingqiu asked in surprise when Xiao Muyu briefly mentioned her encounter there after the first dungeon.

“Yes.”

Shen Qingqiu snickered. “Do you know why it’s called Wangliang Street? It’s full of all kinds of monsters and demons. Normal people who go there are just lambs sent to the slaughter; they won’t leave without being fleeced.”

Xiao Muyu nodded, recalling the strange man and the talisman she encountered there. She said calmly, “I know most of the stuff there is fake and just scams. But there could be something real. I just want to confirm it. I won’t be swayed by their tricks.”

Given Shen Qingqiu’s understanding of Xiao Muyu, she knew she was too smart to be fooled. So if she still wanted to go, it meant…

Thinking of the talisman that stuck to her when she was trapped in an illusion, Shen Qingqiu suddenly understood. “You bought that old triangular talisman there?”

“Yes.” Xiao Muyu didn’t mention Shen Shiyi. Despite sharing life-and-death moments with Shen Qingqiu, she still couldn’t fully trust her. Even she found this lack of trust ironic.

When Shen Qingqiu accompanied Xiao Muyu back from that street, Xiao Muyu had another talisman in her hand.

“Are you sure it’s worth this much?” Shen Qingqiu asked, looking at the roughly made talisman that cost 800 gold coins after bargaining.

“Honestly, I’m not sure. But it looks similar to the previous triangular talisman in terms of penmanship and craftsmanship. I feel it’s from the same person, so I’m just verifying it. Let’s go.”

The previous talisman had limited power but was useful in alerting her to ghosts or monsters nearby. Unfortunately, it was used up after a few times.

With only fifteen minutes left, they were transported to the small room again, appearing together before Judge 003 due to their binding.

Judge 003 was a beautiful woman, slightly older than Judge 002, likely in her twenties. She smiled as she motioned for them to sit down.

In the bound state, there were two extra chairs in the room.

“Now, verifying player information.” She announced their names, ages, completed dungeons, and scores just like last time.

Xiao Muyu had double S-rank clearances, and Shen Qingqiu also had S-rank clearances in her three dungeons. She wasn’t lying to Xiao Muyu.

Judge 003 looked up at them, her voice gentle and sweet. “You two are very strong. Teaming up should make you even stronger. I’m looking forward to your performance.”

As Judge 003 gestured invitingly, a row of intricately carved plaques appeared before Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu. Each plaque corresponded to a script for this round of the game. Since the B-level dungeon was selected randomly by the system, they watched as one of the wooden plaques flew out and a blinding white light enveloped them.

“Loading file, decompressing, loading complete, initiating!”

In the familiar mechanical prompt, Xiao Muyu felt slightly weightless. When she opened her eyes again, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a thunderclap directly overhead.

Drenched in an instant, Xiao Muyu wiped the rain from her face, staring ahead indifferently. It seemed that each game started in a way that soured her mood.

Shen Qingqiu was not by her side; they must have been separated. Xiao Muyu found herself standing alone on a deserted road, with only a dilapidated signpost leaning on the roadside.

The rain was pouring down, soaking her clothes and making them cling to her cold, damp skin. The rain obscured her vision, making it difficult to see where the road led, and the impending darkness made the situation worse.

She approached the signpost, squinting through the rain to read the worn letters: “Ren’ai Orphanage.”

The five characters were painted in a dark, dirty red, looking almost like congealed blood in the rain.

Orphanages were never warm places; they were repositories of sadness and helplessness. Mentioning them often brought to mind various unpleasant things. Such a place in this game’s setting was unlikely to be good either.

The rain intensified, quickly filling the potholes in the road, while the birch trees along the roadside drooped, their leaves hanging low like rows of ghosts, adding to the eerie desolation.

Xiao Muyu shivered, shrinking her body, and walked briskly through the rain towards the direction the sign indicated.

“Crack!”

Lightning split the sky, illuminating everything in a stark white light, adding to the terror and gloom.

The sound of rain and thunder combined with the splashing of her footsteps created a cold, wet symphony.

After walking for about ten minutes, Xiao Muyu finally saw the outline of a building in the dim light. The red roof was faintly visible through the rain, while the rest was a gray blur.

As she got closer, the building’s details emerged from the rain. It was an old structure, with weathered gray bricks, standing alone on a vast expanse of land, facing the road at a turn.

The layout was strange. Though Xiao Muyu didn’t know much about Feng Shui, she knew that having a door directly facing a main road was considered bad luck.

Upon closer inspection, the sign next to the main gate confirmed it: “Ren’ai Orphanage.” In the vicinity, there was only this building. She had seen no cars or people on her way here.

Looking back, the road behind her was still empty. She checked her belongings, hesitated for a moment, and then headed towards the orphanage.

The orphanage’s main gate was an iron fence. Through its gaps, she could vaguely see the inside, though the view was limited.

Xiao Muyu pushed the gate. It creaked but didn’t open; it was locked from the inside.

She leaned closer to see if anyone was inside. Since Shen Qingqiu was in the same dungeon, and this was the only building around, Xiao Muyu was sure this was their destination. Shen Qingqiu might already be inside.

As she peered through the gate, a pair of cold, deep eyes suddenly appeared through the gaps, staring directly at her.

The proximity was startling, with brown irises and large whites of the eyes glaring at her. The shock was intense.

Xiao Muyu recoiled as if electrocuted, her heart pounding, and her back cold.

The eyes didn’t move; they stayed fixed on her. After a moment, they glanced behind her, and a hoarse, gloomy male voice said, “Why are there five more people?”

She caught two crucial details in his words. The use of “again” implied others had come before, and “five people” made her turn around. But there was no one behind her.

Yet the man seemed sincere. Through the gate, she could see he was an older man with graying hair, standing in the rain without an umbrella.

As Xiao Muyu observed him, she heard hurried footsteps through the rain. Turning again, she saw four more people: three men and a woman, all soaked.

Startled by their sudden appearance, Xiao Muyu stepped aside, watching them warily.

The four looked around, equally confused and scared. The girl in the dress was shivering, her voice trembling. “Are you people or ghosts? How did you just appear?”

Her question reassured the others that they were human.

“Welcome, players, to dungeon 003 ‘Orphanage.’ The mission and methods to clear this dungeon need to be explored. Please pay attention to the clues. The clearance time is five days.”

The system announcement confirmed their suspicions: the dungeon would take place in this orphanage.

Xiao Muyu quickly assessed the four newcomers. The rain was still pouring, so their primary objective was to get inside. Without seeing Shen Qingqiu, she felt uneasy.

Ignoring the others, she approached the man behind the gate, looking him in the eyes and speaking earnestly, “Hello, we are travelers from out of town. We encountered some trouble and lost our belongings. We’ve been walking for a long time and finally saw this house. It’s raining heavily, and we are cold and hungry. Can we please rest here for a while?”

The four newcomers, seeing the man as well, looked at him with pleading eyes. One of the young men, with dyed blond hair, grinned obsequiously and clasped his hands together. “Uncle, please, be kind. We’re really freezing.”

The man didn’t respond immediately. He simply stared at the five of them with a pair of cold, inscrutable eyes.

Xiao Muyu found his eyes peculiar. They seemed indifferent, yet there was a hint of pity, then back to indifference.

The man opened his mouth, and Xiao Muyu thought he was going to refuse, but he turned his head slightly as if seeing something. Finally, he moved, silently opening the gate.

The gate creaked loudly as it swung open, revealing the man fully. He looked to be in his sixties, wearing a brown raincoat without a hood. His graying hair was plastered to his head from the rain, making his gloomy face even more somber.

“Thank you!” The five of them expressed their gratitude.

The man didn’t respond, shutting the gate and leading them inside. The other four, clearly not new to this, remained silent but were keenly observing their surroundings.

The orphanage wasn’t large. A stone path led from the gate to a three-story building made of gray bricks. The red-tiled roof stood out, a bright but unsettling color in the gloomy rain.

The man who let them in didn’t speak, communicating only with gestures and looks.

Because the four newcomers hadn’t heard his earlier words, they whispered to each other, wondering if he was mute.

“Wait here, I’ll get the director,” the man finally spoke in a hoarse voice after leading them to a hall with a long red conference table.

The four looked at each other, realizing he wasn’t mute after all.

The man took a few steps and then paused, turning back to them with a chilling warning. “You’d better not wander around.”

His voice, rough and stiff as if from disuse, echoed ominously in the empty hall, making the already cold group shiver even more.

As soon as he left, the four newcomers relaxed. The blond-haired young man, apparently more outgoing, was the first to speak. “Are there just the five of us in this dungeon?”

The others shook their heads. A tall middle-aged man surveyed the room. “I don’t think so. This is only a B-level dungeon; five people seem too few.”

“True. Anyway, since we’re in this together, let’s get to know each other. I’m Huang Junfeng, and this is my third dungeon,” said the blond-haired youth.

“I’m Zhang Yangfeng, also my third dungeon,” the middle-aged man introduced himself. The remaining two, a stern-faced man named Liu Pei and a girl named Yang Rui, followed suit.

Xiao Muyu noticed the girl standing somewhat apart from the group, looking somber. Seeing everyone looking at her, Xiao Muyu introduced herself. “Xiao Muyu, third time as well.”

Huang Junfeng wrung the water from his clothes, leaning against the long table with a frown. “This weather is awful, I’m freezing and starving. And this is supposed to be an orphanage? We didn’t see or hear any kids on the way here. It’s too creepy.”

The others nodded in agreement. The cold and wet were unbearable, and they busied themselves wringing out their clothes.

Xiao Muyu’s expression remained serious. Her fingers twitched slightly as she watched the direction the man had gone, seemingly waiting for something.

When the group fell silent, a sudden giggling broke the silence, making everyone freeze.

Zhang Yangfeng slowly raised his head, eyes sharp, finally focusing on the table before them.

Xiao Muyu didn’t move, her gaze fixed on the same spot.

A disheveled head popped up from the edge of the table, facing them. As the five of them took in the sight, their hair stood on end.

It wasn’t a human head but a doll’s, with white skin and large eyes. Its tangled, blonde hair and gray irises held a sinister smile as it looked directly at them, its body trembling.

The eerie giggling came from the doll, sending chills down their spines.

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Author’s Note:

A new dungeon begins. Thank you all for your support. I’ve been struggling with writer’s block recently, so updates may be late. I might need to adjust the schedule and refine the outline. Changing a dungeon feels like switching stories entirely.