Chapter 51: Blood-Red Paper Figurine, A New Instance

"Wagering?"

Ji Yan was puzzled by Miss Xu's mention of a wager. From the sound of it, giving those three paper cutouts to him meant she wanted to extract something of greater value from him in return.

Yet he was dirt poor; what kind of treasures could he possibly have?

Even though Miss Xu was clearly an instance NPC, every time they spoke, Ji Yan felt as though she were not some rigid NPC at all, but rather a flesh-and-blood player...

"Now that you've obtained the key to the apartment building's front door, where are you heading next?"

Miss Xu asked.

Ji Yan shook his head. "I don't know."

"The outside world is so vast; one should always go and see it."

Once the main quest line of this instance was completed, it was considered a standard clearance.

Unlike that small fraction of conservatively minded players who believed the outside world was perilous and therefore willingly remained trapped in a single instance forever like birds in a cage, he felt differently.

Without passing through those seemingly dangerous and unknown mists, how could one truly see this world clearly, and how could one ever find a way back to his original Blue Star?

In Ji Yan's eyes, lingering in a single instance was tantamount to a slow death.

"In the past, many residents also left this apartment as soon as they got the key. They were like people inside high walls, yearning to see the outside world."

"Once they went outside, they never returned."

"Since you are leaving the apartment, I'll give you one more gift as a small farewell token."

As Miss Xu spoke, she handed over a small cosmetic box.

Opening the box, it contained yet another paper figure.

However, this paper figure looked as though it had been soaked in blood, completely crimson from head to toe.

"Ding! Congratulations to the player for obtaining the hidden instance reward — [Blood-Red Paper Figure]."

"Quality: ???"

"Description: According to legend, when a person's path in life becomes choked with countless disasters and bloodshed, a blood-red paper figure will appear by their side. It will guide the host, out of myriad paths of blood and catastrophe, along the single surviving route. So, will you be that person of blood catastrophe?"

"Easter Egg Description: This reward is a blessing from a 'Specific NPC' of the [Crimson Apartment] instance. Detailed abilities and functions must be unlocked in a new instance. Please look forward to it."

A Specific NPC?

What kind of identity was this, and what role did it play within the instance?

Ji Yan felt puzzled, and his curiosity regarding Miss Xu's identity grew even stronger.

He pinched the thin, palm-sized paper figurine between his fingers.

By gazing at it, he directly triggered his innate talent.

Are you kidding? With a bug-level talent like [Omniscience and Omnipresence], trying to figure out any hidden easter eggs was entirely redundant!

Yet the next second, reality slapped him in the face.

"Talent Analysis: Notice! This reward is a special anomalous artifact. It exerts different effects in different instances, and cannot be precisely interpreted."

Ji Yan suddenly understood.

It wasn't that his talent failed to analyze it, but rather that it couldn't be locked down to a fixed output.

The [Blood-Red Paper Figure] was like a flammable substance, capable of triggering entirely different chemical reactions depending on the instance.

But this also indirectly revealed a piece of information to Ji Yan.

The [Blood-Red Paper Figure] was an anomalous item compatible with any instance!

"A blessing reward, a specific NPC... Exactly how many settings in this instance remain unknown to the players?"

Ji Yan couldn't help pondering to himself. After exchanging a few more brief pleasantries, he exited Room 801.

Upon leaving, Miss Xu smiled and said, "The next time we meet, you will know what my true identity is."

This remark left Ji Yan with several conjectures.

The next time they met,

did she believe he would return to the Crimson Apartment?

Or could it be that Xu Xin, this instance-specific NPC, was capable of breaking free from a fixed instance, wandering across various instances to play different roles?

Ji Yan did not dwell on it deeply; there was no need to overemphasize events of the distant future.

Returning to Room 404.

Although the lost items belonging to his anomalous mother and grandmother hadn't been retrieved, resulting in a failed daily task, the completion of the main quest caused the side quests to be directly refreshed.

The next day.

The apartment looked as though it had undergone overnight renovations, entirely repaved as all signs of cracks and damage vanished completely.

It was evident that the number of players had decreased significantly.

A single main quest had directly eliminated the vast majority of slackers and drifters.

When the number of players in an instance dropped to a critical minimum, a forced matchmaking mechanism would be triggered.

Consequently, back on Blue Star early the next morning, a few more unfortunate souls—who had been sleeping soundly just a second earlier—were pathetically transported into the anomalous world.

The 404 apartment was no exception.

Due to Dong Chu's elimination, a new player arrived early the next morning to take his place.

The new player appeared in the living room, wearing the exact same expression Ji Yan had worn on his very first day.

Transitioning from numbness to astonishment, and from astonishment to despair.

Ji Yan didn't pay too much attention to the new member; welcoming newcomers seemed to have become the exclusive duty of Liu Yitong, the veteran player.

After a day of transition, Ji Yan stopped dallying and brought the progression of this instance to a close.

The first-floor lobby.

The bandage-wrapped administrator stood by the door, gazing at Ji Yan. "I don't understand. Everyone else breaks their heads trying to stay in the apartment, so why are you in such a desperate rush to leave?"

Ji Yan shrugged. "Ah, the confinement of high walls."

"Whenever people find themselves in a certain environment, they always yearn for and romanticize the unknown."

"The outside world is far more cruel and filthy than you can possibly imagine."

"You will soon regret your decision to leave this safe haven at this very moment."

Whether the bandage-wrapped entity's words were meant as mockery or a sincere warning, Ji Yan couldn't tell.

Ji Yan picked at his ear and tossed the apartment key to the other party. "That's my business to worry about."

"Neither my grandmother nor my mother fussed over me this much. Open the door."

The bandage-wrapped entity shook its head, took the key, and unlocked the front door of the apartment.

As the door swung open, thick fog outside completely blocked out all visibility, as if portending that once Ji Yan stepped out of the apartment, he would be cast into some utterly unknown instance.

Four paper boxes suddenly materialized in the bandage-wrapped entity's hand. It turned its head and said to Ji Yan, "Pick one."

"What are these?"

Ji Yan raised an eyebrow.

"Every departing resident must choose one as a protective talisman and a good omen."

Even though the entity framed it that way, Ji Yan was certain of one thing.

The instance would never design meaningless gimmicks without a purpose.

Ji Yan picked one at random and opened the paper box.

Inside lay an exquisite, blood-stained dagger, looking both bizarre and inexplicably creepy.

"Hah."

Upon seeing the dagger, the bandage-wrapped entity let out a strange chuckle. "What a wonderful omen."

It stepped aside and made a gesturing motion to see him off. "You may go now."

Without lingering over further thoughts, Ji Yan stepped forward and walked out through the apartment door. The next instant, the heavy, blinding fog swallowed his figure whole.

"Another foolish bird yearning to fly away from its cage."

"Believing that escaping the apartment means flying out of a cage, without ever realizing that this entire world is itself a colossal cage?"

Muttering to itself, the bandage-wrapped entity slowly closed the apartment door.

...

Once the thick fog completely cut off his vision, Ji Yan felt as though he had been cast into an isolated, solitary space.

Unable to distinguish directions and unable to see the path beneath his feet, Ji Yan simply kept walking forward.

After walking for an unknown length of time, a game notification suddenly echoed sharply in his mind.

"Ding! Player 'Ji Yan' has successfully cleared the instance [Crimson Apartment]. Beginning rematch matching for the second instance."

"Based on the 'wish' chosen by the player at the conclusion of the previous instance, a relevant instance—[Undead Hospital]—has been successfully matched!"

As the voice faded, Ji Yan's realization suddenly clicked into place.

Damn it!

So those final four paper boxes were actually selecting the next instance!

And that exquisite, blood-stained dagger was none other than a surgeon's scalpel...