Black Cat Mine Now

Supreme honor.

Zhu Yan chewed over the phrase and found it a bit amusing.

The broadcast's wording was peculiar, but it clearly explained that [Thrilling Pleasure] was a power originating from the [Carnival Paradise].

If he accepted it, Zhu Yan would likely gain an additional upgrade path as an instance BOSS.

The taxi had already entered the bustling downtown area. Some storefronts along the street were still lit up, their lively red and green lights vividly stimulating Zhu Yan's eyes.

Of course, he didn't want to live for only two more days, but if the consequences of choosing [Thrilling Pleasure] were worse than death, he would rather die.

Besides, nearing the end of his lifespan wasn't the issue; a mental breakdown was.

The red text for the choice did not pop up in Zhu Yan's field of vision.

So he patiently waited for the ensuing broadcast to see if there was any more information.

"If you choose to accept [Thrilling Pleasure], you will possess the identity of an instance BOSS under the name of a human player."

Wow.

This meant that accepting it would directly confirm the police department's suspicions.

The explanation provided by [Carnival Paradise] wasn't even "replacing a [Demon] to become a [Demon]" or "being corrupted into some sort of horror creature," but rather "under the name of a human player."

Awesome, truly awesome.

In other words, if Zhu Yan really accepted it, when he went on a mission, the instance information would show that the BOSS was named Account Deleted.

Zhu Yan couldn't hold back and, quite inappropriately, revealed an eerie smile.

"We will grant you the privilege of freely entering and exiting [Carnival Paradise] without suffering any harm."

"You will need to go to the [Recitative Counter] on time to buy a cup of coffee and select your instance BOSS mission."

[Recitative Counter]—the style of this name sounded very much like a location in [Carnival Paradise].

Zhu Yan concentrated and pricked up his ears.

"Every time you complete a BOSS mission, the [Thrilling Pleasure] within your body will be upgraded, and correspondingly, your player level will also increase."

Zhu Yan understood.

If he accepted [Thrilling Pleasure], he would still be a player, just simultaneously holding the identity of a [Carnival Paradise] BOSS.

His player level would also be affected by BOSS missions, but completing player missions would not upgrade [Thrilling Pleasure].

"Once [Thrilling Pleasure] is upgraded to a certain level, horror creatures will view you as one of their own."

"However, your dietary structure will also slowly undergo changes."

He understood.

He would gradually mutate from eating pork to eating human flesh.

"Player, please make your choice. Do you accept [Thrilling Pleasure] to become a [Hunter]?"

This time, distinct red text popped up in his field of vision.

Zhu Yan fell silent.

Hunter.

The driver was still humming along to a cheerful tune, and the cat that had grown a white-tipped tail lay obediently on his lap, purring softly.

However, it seemed as though a thick barrier separated him from these sounds. All of Zhu Yan's attention was focused on the two large words before him.

If he chose no, he would suddenly die in a day and a half. All his previous endurance at his aunt's house and all his efforts after receiving the card would be in vain.

If he chose yes, he would become [Carnival Paradise]'s sharp blade thrust toward his compatriots, truly becoming an object of deep hatred for everyone.

But correspondingly, he would gain buffer time and special access privileges to enter and exit [Carnival Paradise].

The former meant the possibility of finding a solution.

The latter meant being able to obtain much more information than anyone else.

The colorful lights around him were glaring. Zhu Yan blinked and finally fixed his gaze on "Yes."

"Congratulations," the female voice said calmly.

A scorching heat suddenly flared up from the palm of his left hand, hurting so much that Zhu Yan gasped.

The driver stopped humming and tilted his head slightly back.

Zhu Yan didn't make another sound because the immense pain was about to melt his internal organs.

That scalding power rapidly burned into his heart, then traveled from his heart down his right arm, burning all the way to the palm of his right hand.

It felt as if hundreds of sharp awls had evenly pierced every alveolus in his lungs. Zhu Yan curled up in the backseat in agony, but the sharp pain in his chest rendered him unable to make a sound.

Yet amidst this intense pain, there was an undeniable thrill of pleasure mixed in.

Faint electrical currents carrying pleasure swiftly surged through his limbs and bones.

This was stronger than any of his previous feelings of happiness—much, much stronger.

For a few seconds, Zhu Yan's mind was completely blank—

But the cat let out a light, brisk meow. The sound blurred together with the ringing in his ears, pulling him back to reality.

Zhu Yan's vision blurred into a hazy mess.

He didn't know how long it took, but that scalding pain finally slowly evaporated.

Zhu Yan stayed curled up on the seat, the clothes on his back completely soaked and sticking to him with sweat.

He raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat and tears from his face, gasping heavily to fill his tortured lungs with the less-than-fresh air.

The driver turned his head back once more.

"Are you sick? Don't you go having a medical emergency in my car."

Zhu Yan felt the changes in his body and waved a hand. "I'm fine."

Compared to before, the changes weren't too obvious; he just felt more energetic.

Also, the palm of his right hand was stinging with a burning pain.

Zhu Yan relaxed and stretched out his body, using the light from outside to examine the pattern on his right hand.

It was a new, exquisite pattern: a drawn black bow and arrow.

The style of the bow and arrow was quite classical, and the arrowhead was painted a dazzling gold.

Zhu Yan thought of the caged bird that represented the players—

This was a clear parallel.

He would deal with future matters later; for now, he had at least bought himself some time.

"Player, you have successfully merged with [Thrilling Pleasure]."

The female voice said joyfully.

"I hope you work hard to become one of us as soon as possible and contribute to [Carnival Paradise]."

"But first, I want you to drink that bottle of [Plague Potion]."

Zhu Yan had stuffed the [Plague Potion] into his ring.

With a thought, he took out the small bottle with the long straw inserted into it.

As the car moved, the outside lights and tree shadows crisscrossed over the bottle, allowing Zhu Yan to clearly see the pale pink liquid inside.

"[Plague Potion] can prevent and cure the plague transmitted by the [Plague Demon]—even if you are terminally ill."

Zhu Yan took a hard suck and emptied the small bottle.

To his surprise, this strange medicine actually tasted like lychee.

The female voice paused before continuing to broadcast the next item.

"Please use the [Demon Cloak] properly."

"The [Demon Cloak] is a garment favored by certain [Demons]."

"It can help a [Demon] form a long tubular mouthpart, making it easier and faster to extract a person's life force."

Hmm, a weapon to deal with players.

With a thought, Zhu Yan held the thin, light cloak in his hand.

The material of this thing was somewhere between silk and linen. To be precise, it felt more like a piece of burlap covered in slime or mucus.

"Furthermore, the [Demon Cloak] will carry a very heavy [Demon] aura."

"Wearing it, there is a high probability that you will be mistaken for a wandering [Demon]."

Good stuff.

If he encountered a horror creature of level 5 or above and Acting was no longer effective, there was a high probability that this cloak could save his life.

Zhu Yan stroked it a couple of times. The bizarre, disgusting texture felt somewhat novel to him.

"As for the horror creature Cat," the female voice rose in a joyful pitch, "the Cat chooses its own master."

The cat seemed to hear this, raising its tail to rub against Zhu Yan.

When it lifted its face, Zhu Yan realized it had turned into a beautiful tuxedo cat, with a rather standard dick shape right in the middle of its face.

Zhu Yan was utterly shocked.

He... didn't really look like that, did he?

"Unfortunately, the Cat's dietary habits are not entirely influenced by its master."

The female voice took on a gloating tone.

"Even if its tastes become quite similar to yours, you will still need to occasionally feed it human flesh."

"This is an essential nutrient for horror creatures."