Episode 06

Fang Zhiyi looked at him—this minister was a good man, loyal to the country, caring toward his subordinates, and never one for empty gestures.

"Some schools don’t tie graduation to grades. Handing in a blank paper won’t stop you from graduating... it’ll just look bad on your record," Fang Zhiyi said as he walked away. "After all, with so few points, you can’t summon anything too powerful..."

The minister’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t expected the conditions for passing to be so simple! Everyone had overcomplicated it! But what shocked him even more was that Fang Zhiyi dared to leave such a glaring loophole out in the open!

Watching Fang Zhiyi’s retreating figure, he shook his head and glanced around once more to ensure no one was nearby before leaving in relief.

Generally speaking, even in a dungeon with no time limit, you couldn’t just idle forever. As time passed, the supernatural forces within would grow stronger, and the chances of survival for those trapped inside would dwindle until they either perished or were assimilated by the eerie forces.

Fang Zhiyi knew full well that a normal dungeon would likely be cleared easily. After all, his opponents weren’t natives. Meanwhile, the challenges from other countries continued, though what had once been two questions had now multiplied into dozens. Mei Lin’s expression had turned numb and vacant—losing her system had been a blow. Faced with questions that might as well have been written in an alien language, her spirit was on the verge of collapse. At first, she could still resist the encroaching supernatural forces with her mental strength, but now, she was barely holding on.

Before Fang Zhiyi could fully enjoy his vacation, a blinding white light flashed, followed by the sound of a countdown.

"Seriously...?" Fang Zhiyi sighed, tossing aside his game controller. Getting a chance to play was rare enough as it was.

As he vanished, the live broadcast in Dragon Nation resumed.

A flood of viewers poured in. There were all sorts of rumors about Fang Zhiyi among the public, but the official statement was that he was unharmed. Naturally, this only fueled everyone’s intense curiosity. After watching a few rounds of dungeon competitions between humans, the people finally understood the situation—no wonder Fang Zhiyi had suddenly changed so drastically. Humans were far more terrifying than the supernatural!

Meanwhile, the supernatural live stream was also flooded with eerie entities.

This human, Fang Zhiyi, had piqued their interest immensely.

"Finally, this guy’s back."

"Last time, my kid was so scared he didn’t eat for days."

"You don’t think he’s actually one of us, do you?"

The dilapidated house had a vaguely familiar style. The tree in the courtyard swayed in the wind, almost as if it were alive.

Fang Zhiyi blinked and looked down at his clothes—a full suit—then at the file folder in his hand. He lifted it for a glance.

"Mission Objective: Uncover the past of the abandoned old house and pacify ‘that thing.’ Warning! From the moment you step inside, it will latch onto you. Good luck. Time Limit: Three days."

Fang Zhiyi nodded. He remembered now—this felt like a plot straight out of an island nation’s horror stories.

"Damn, the Chrysanthemum Nation’s dungeon looks seriously creepy."

"Not gonna lie, their horror movies are legit terrifying. The stuff in there doesn’t play by any rules."

"Think Fang Zhiyi can handle this?"

Meanwhile, high-ranking officials in the Chrysanthemum Nation were all glued to their screens.

"Kojima, do you think this Dragon Nation contestant can clear it?" an old man asked.

Kojima bowed slightly before answering. "This dungeon is the culmination of our nation’s top horror screenwriters’ efforts. Even if he’s a bloodthirsty madman, there’s no way he’ll make it through."

The old man burst into laughter. "Dragon Nation’s been putting on this act of unity and goodwill—what a joke. This time, we’ll seize their national fortune!"

"Yes, sir!" Kojima glanced at the man on the screen, who seemed lost in thought. Though Fang Zhiyi had once helped him, for the sake of the nation, he had no choice but to strike without mercy.

Back in Dragon Nation, the analyst team was already hard at work, scouring through Chrysanthemum Nation’s horror films and novels for clues to break the dungeon’s curse.

Just then, Fang Zhiyi moved.

Everyone watched nervously as he... turned around and walked away.

"What kind of nonsense is this? ‘You’ll be haunted the moment you step inside’? Then why the hell would I go in?" Fang Zhiyi muttered under his breath.

The live chat was instantly flooded with ellipses.

Fang Zhiyi zigzagged through the streets until he reached the main road, then began exploring with great interest.

"Whoa, never tried this before. Let’s give it a taste."

"This looks fun. One order, please."

"Hey, beautiful, wanna take a stroll by the beach?"

The audience watched as Fang Zhiyi switched into full tourist mode.

"Okay, I’m all for this food vlog vibe, but is it safe to eat stuff inside a supernatural dungeon?" someone finally pointed out. But Fang Zhiyi showed no signs of distress.

Of course, Fang Zhiyi wasn’t actually eating—most of the food ended up in Little Black’s mouth.

He wasn’t worried. The original protagonist of this dungeon had cleared it too, though he’d gotten injured saving a character, which led to his death in the next dungeon.

Like hell I’d tell you guys I’ve got cheats.

"Fang Zhiyi!" A middle-aged man with a dark expression suddenly appeared in front of him. Wearing black-framed glasses, he stormed toward Fang Zhiyi, visibly furious.

"You were supposed to take photos of the house for sale. What are you doing here, fooling around?"

Fang Zhiyi glanced at him, then smirked. "I did go."

"You went?" The man frowned. "Then where are the photos?"

"Didn’t take any."

"Didn’t take any?" The man’s anger flared again. "Do you even want this job?"

Slap!

The sound of the strike left the man stunned.

"What’re you gonna do if I quit, huh?" Fang Zhiyi taunted.

"You—!" The man was about to explode, but then something seemed to occur to him. "You have to take those photos. Our shop’s reputation is on the line."

Fang Zhiyi pretended to think for a moment. "Fine. But I can’t find the way back."

The man blinked. He got lost? Is this guy an idiot?

But seeing Fang Zhiyi’s innocent expression, he had no choice but to lead him back, scowling all the while. Whatever. That cursed house kills everyone who enters. At least this slap won’t go unanswered.

After a series of twists and turns, they arrived at the house.

"Here. Now go inside and take the photos. I’ll—" His words were cut short.

Fang Zhiyi kicked him square in the rear.

The man stumbled forward and face-planted onto the ground. He scrambled up, ready to curse, but then realization dawned.

"I didn’t mean to! I didn’t mean to!" he shrieked, frantically apologizing to the empty air before bolting away at top speed.

The live stream fell into dead silence.