Old Man, How Did You Snatch My Gold Coins

The landlord rubbed Zhu Yan's palm vigorously.

But no matter how hard it wiped, that left hand, which emitted a rich meaty aroma, remained perfectly white and clean, without the slightest shadow of a mark!

The landlord's expression shifted from faint anticipation to disappointment, its sagging, drooping skin trembling with anger.

Looking at the landlord's frustrated expression, a very indifferent sense of pleasure overflowed from the bottom of Zhu Yan's heart, flowing finely through every blood vessel.

He actually felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation.

The landlord angrily stuffed the filthy handkerchief back into its pocket, while Zhu Yan took the opportunity to withdraw his hand and take a step back.

"Uh, I'm leaving. Goodbye."

The instance hadn't started yet, so of course he could leave.

He had arrived more than two hours early, and this time was not meant to be wasted.

This instance, much like the previous one, might very well have other players with opposing stances.

The identity of a thriller creature could be used to extract more information.

Only by making good use of every possible information gap could his chances of survival be greater.

"What?" The landlord let out a sticky, phlegmy sound from its throat.

However, in an instant, an unexpected change occurred.

The monster lunged forward, unexpectedly clamping onto Zhu Yan's arm and dragging him into the garden with immense force!

"Who allowed you to leave?!" the landlord screamed shrilly. "You are not allowed to leave! Once you are here, you cannot leave!"

Detestable human.

Although he wasn't a player and wouldn't drop any gold coins, it wouldn't be a total loss either.

At least it could fill the stomach of its Man-Eating House, couldn't it?

Besides, there were still two big fish coming tonight.

"You are staying here for the night!" the landlord roared. "Obey the rules here!"

There was nothing in the garden, and Zhu Yan was dragged across a bare lawn.

Alarm bells rang in his heart, his mind racing.

It was not surprising that something unexpected had happened now.

But what should he do to handle the landlord and completely turn the tide?

...

Meanwhile.

An official vehicle rolled over the asphalt road, stopping silently at the intersection of a small path within the quarantine zone.

In the car, Guan En was playing with a voice recorder, communicating with his superior on the other end of the phone.

"...Remember, record every word that person says as much as possible. Guaranteeing your own safety and completing the instance task are the top priorities."

The police officer's tone was very serious.

"Be extremely careful, do not get distracted!"

Guan En said, "Understood."

"Our people deduce that if that mysterious player is also there, and if he really is the tool used by Carnival Paradise to spread the infection..."

The officer paused slightly.

"Then this instance very likely has more than two players!"

"Only under the condition that your own safety is fully guaranteed should you go and collect the other party's biological information, such as fingerprints and hair."

"I have transferred Captain Huang over. He will bring people here and arrive in ten minutes; that player won't be able to run away."

Guan En knew that this was the superior here caring for him.

The underlying meaning of all these words was that they wanted him to come out alive.

But...

"What if the instance only has two players?"

What if, like last time, truly only one can survive?

On the other end of the phone, the officer fell silent.

Of course, they had thought about the question Guan En asked.

There was indeed such a possibility.

Judging from all the known files, that mysterious player could be said to be one of the fastest progressors since the appearance of Carnival Paradise.

Having items on hand that could affect reality was also the first case of its kind!

He was very likely the one chosen by Carnival Paradise.

But, if Carnival Paradise really relied on chosen people to spread...

Then, according to the law of the jungle tone of Carnival Paradise, this spreading task would very likely fall onto Guan En, who directly killed the mysterious player.

Guan En was easier to control than the mysterious player.

Much easier to control!

The officer answered resolutely.

"Prioritize completing the instance task and guarantee your own safety!"

Guan En did not speak.

A few seconds later, he gave a rather cautious "Mhm," and smiled.

"Rest assured, Chief. I guarantee the completion of the task."

...

On the other side.

Zhu Yan was dragged into the house by the landlord.

The old facilities inside the house contrasted sharply with its advanced exterior.

Zhu Yan focused his energy, observing the furnishings inside the house.

There was a soft rag sofa, yellowed and peeling wallpaper, worn and aging floorboards, and a dusty fireplace.

It was stuffy and poorly ventilated inside, as if the innards of a century-old house had been forcibly stuffed into the shell of a modern villa.

The floorboards inexplicably emitted creaking noises, and the fireless fireplace crackled.

Zhu Yan almost immediately understood the meaning of "the Man-Eating House will make noises" in "Coexisting with Taboo Objects."

It seemed this house had been hungry for a long time.

The landlord was about to drag him toward the stairs, and Zhu Yan hurriedly spoke up to at least buy himself a little time.

"Wait. What is this about players?"

The landlord's footsteps halted.

It abruptly turned its head, its cloudy eyes staring at Zhu Yan for a moment.

The gaze was icy cold. The landlord did not reply; its throat merely bobbed with hunger.

Zhu Yan understood.

This demeanor meant that thriller creatures would not bother with ordinary humans, because they were simply the most worthless and easiest prey to handle.

The only information that could be extracted using the identity of an ordinary human was probably risking one's own life to test out the location of the Man-Eating House's mouth.

That would work too.

The Man-Eating House did not kill thriller creatures. Zhu Yan had the Acting ability, so he could use this to escape.

If he tried his best to act a bit more like one...

The dull pleasure once again flooded his body.

That weak electric current appeared again, connecting to Zhu Yan's entire body, bringing a vague and faint sense of gratification.

Addictive.

Zhu Yan fiercely pinched his own palm, forcibly detaching himself from this feeling and completely focusing his attention on the present.

If he acted a bit more convincingly, he could even use the characteristics of the Man-Eating House to complete a transformation of his identity!

Under the dim white light, the landlord finally pulled the corners of its mouth into a grotesque grin.

"Players? Aren't you staying for the night? Don't worry about that."

The arm emitting a putrid stench released Zhu Yan. It raised a withered hand and pointed to the stairs at the innermost part of the house.

Zhu Yan noticed that the Man-Eating House was making even louder noises.

"Follow me upstairs, child," the landlord said hoarsely. "I'll take you to see your room."

The landlord's eyelids drooped, concealing the hungry, ferocious gleam in its eyes.

It wasn't just its house; it was also terribly hungry itself.

This person could just be split into two.

Half for it to eat itself, and half for this damn house!

Zhu Yan did not dawdle any longer.

There was no longer any point in delaying time or trying to fish for information now, because the landlord wouldn't say much more.

On the contrary, it was highly likely to anger the other party, causing it to directly start killing in the living room.

After all, the landlord was a thriller creature, and Zhu Yan still didn't know whether the other party was level four or level five.

In case the landlord was level five, truly angering it would do him no good at all.

For one thing, his abilities weren't strong enough; he couldn't win in a fight.

For another, he still needed to discover the weaknesses of the house, the most precious treasure inside the house, and whether there was a possibility of other players existing.

There wasn't even a shadow of a clue for those three pieces of information yet!

Zhu Yan nodded, gesturing for the landlord to lead the way.

"Alright," he said. "I'll go with you."

As soon as the landlord began shuffling forward in his slippers, he focused his mind and instantly activated his Level 4 ability: [Complain]!

Stepping across the creaking floorboards, Zhu Yan kept his voice to an absolute whisper, ensuring the landlord couldn't hear him.

"The outside of this house is barely passable, but stepping inside, it's an absolute joke—like a toad jumping off a cliff to play Batman, or hanging seven gourds in the yard just to act like the big boss..."