Chapter 6: Mission Accomplished, Ingredients Exploding

With a sense of inexplicable humiliation, Ji Yan opened the bag. Inside were some common rations: bread, compressed biscuits, and some nameless dried meat. Although they were coarse, in this eerie world, such human food was considered a luxury. This portion was enough for him not to worry about hunger for at least a week.

"Speak. What are you here to borrow?"

"Blood Pipa."

Upon hearing "Blood Pipa," the Succubus Ghost immediately understood: "You are the kid of that drunkard in 404."

"Yes, my father's leg is aching terribly. He sent me to ask for medicine."

"Who told you that was medicine?" The Succubus Ghost sneered, clearly despising the Gluttonous Ghost. "That alcoholic only cares about his liquor. I didn't expect him to resort to a sob story."

Ji Yan frowned, puzzled. "Why didn't he just say so?" The mission was mandatory; whether the Blood Pipa was wine or medicine, the player had to complete it. Why go through all this unnecessary trouble?

The Succubus Ghost rested her chin on her hand and chuckled softly. "To keep you from having other ideas. He never intended for you to come back alive; from the very beginning, you were just a commodity. I have an agreement with that guy: as long as he sends a child over, I reward him with half a bottle of Blood Pipa."

In other words, this was a single supply chain. Whenever 404 refreshed a player, the Gluttonous Ghost would use the mission to lure them to 101 to serve as a supplement for the Succubus. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement that didn't violate the apartment rules.

Ji Yan's expression darkened. So, this was the real trap.

The Succubus tossed a bottle the size of a soy sauce container toward him. Ji Yan caught it hurriedly. "According to the deal, it should only be half a bottle."

"I'm in a good mood today, so have a full bottle. It'll make it easier for you to report back."

Ji Yan stared at the liquid in the bottle. It was a dark, blood-red color and looked incredibly viscous. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of wine could make the Gluttonous Ghost so greedy.

"If you're curious, you can take a secret sip, but don't blame me for what happens afterward. Besides, you'll never guess what I used to brew this wine~"

Hearing the slightly provocative tone of the Succubus, Ji Yan shivered involuntarily. He dared not think about it, nor did he have any interest in doing so. He just wanted to complete the mission honestly. It would be best if it poisoned the Gluttonous Ghost to death!

"May I go now?" Ji Yan asked, fearing the female ghost might become too obsessed with him and forcibly keep him here as a permanent plaything.

The Succubus certainly wanted to, but game missions were mandatory, and even as an NPC, she could not defy them without penalty. "Go on then. But I am still curious: how did you discover I had such inclinations?"

Ji Yan coughed twice and bit the bullet to bluff: "Some things don't need to be said out loud. Sometimes, you can just tell from a single look."

The Succubus let out a dazzling, sultry smile. "You look so honest, yet I didn't expect you to be even more perverted than me."

To survive, Ji Yan didn't care whether he played the innocent boy or the sadist; it was all just an act. As he turned to leave, the door behind him slowly opened, and the Succubus offered a meaningful farewell: "Little brother, see you next time."

Ji Yan didn't respond, thinking to himself that only a fool would return. He stepped out of the room, which had been a sight for sore eyes.

Seeing Ji Yan flee as if running for his life, the Succubus slowly extinguished her cigarette and lifted her fair, long legs. "Stuck with that drunkard father of yours, you won't be able to escape. You're mine!" She licked the corner of her lips, still craving more, and gently stroked the healing wounds on her cheek, her eyes dazed and reminiscent.

***

The door opened, and Cheng Fang, who had been waiting to clean up after Ji Yan, trotted over with a cart. However, he was stunned to see Ji Yan walk out.

"What the hell! Are you human or a ghost?!"

Ji Yan retorted, "Do I look like a ghost to you?"

Looking at Ji Yan's blood-stained clothes, Cheng Fang stood frozen, his brain momentarily crashing. "You didn't... you didn't kill that female ghost, did you? No, that's impossible. You must have found some loophole." He knew how terrifying the Succubus was; if she could be killed, so many players wouldn't have met their doom at her hands.

Ji Yan replied, "I told you before I went in: just satisfy the ghost."

As if to prove Ji Yan's point, the voice of the Succubus drifted from the room: "Little Cheng, clean the room. I'm going to sleep."

Cheng Fang hurriedly answered, his gaze toward Ji Yan completely changed. Every time the Succubus's desires were satisfied, she would fall into a deep sleep, often for days—the most peaceful time for Cheng Fang.

"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving." Ji Yan grabbed the Blood Pipa and turned to go.

Cheng Fang grabbed his arm, his eyes full of admiration. "Brother, don't rush off! Can you tell me what hidden strategy you found? How about this: I'll trade you three days' worth of rations!"

"Five days! Just sit down and let's talk!" For a player stuck in 101, Cheng Fang faced the Succubus in terror every day. If he could find a way to tame her, he would be set for life.

Ji Yan naturally wouldn't reveal the hard-won method. Everything loses its novelty, and he might have to deal with this Succubus again. If he told Cheng Fang and the guy kept using the same trick, the Succubus would quickly become desensitized, and it wouldn't work next time. That would be cutting off his own path.

"No strategy, just pure skill. I told you, weapons are useless if your firepower isn't sufficient."

Leaving those words behind, Ji Yan walked away, leaving Cheng Fang with a comical expression, unsure whether to believe him or not.

Stepping out of room 101, the mission was finally complete. Ji Yan let out a long sigh of relief; this deadly first task had been completed through many twists and turns. He didn't linger and headed straight upstairs. Soon, he returned to 404. Liu Yitong and Dong Chu had not returned yet, so Ji Yan walked straight into the Gluttonous Ghost's room.

"Damn brat, you haven't left yet?" The Gluttonous Ghost's face turned grim the moment he saw Ji Yan, instinctively assuming he hadn't even departed. According to his private deal with the Succubus, if Ji Yan had gone to 101, he shouldn't have come back alive. The only thing that should have returned was the Blood Pipa, delivered by Cheng Fang.

"Father, I have obtained the medicine." Ji Yan took the Blood Pipa from his waist and placed it on the table.

"What did you say?" The Gluttonous Ghost froze, staring at the bright, dark-red liquid. At a glance, he was certain it was the Succubus's Blood Pipa. He looked at Ji Yan’s unharmed body in disbelief, various guesses flooding his mind. How did this kid come back alive?

"How did you get it?"

"The sister was very easy to talk to. I told her my father's leg was rotting badly and he couldn't sleep at night. She was very moved and just gave it to me."

Listening to Ji Yan's calm, unblinking lie, the Gluttonous Ghost's face turned black. That woman, moved? He wouldn't believe that nonsense even if he died! But upon seeing the Blood Pipa, the Gluttonous Ghost's brain was occupied by the item, and he didn't even have the heart to think about how Ji Yan had survived. He unscrewed the wooden stopper and greedily gulped it down.

Soon, Ji Yan caught a whiff of an extremely foul odor. It was thick and fishy! It was like wine, yet not quite; how could it be so tempting to the Gluttonous Ghost?

"Get out! Don't be an eyesore here!" The Gluttonous Ghost's eyes began to drift, filled with intoxication, and he barked impatiently at Ji Yan. Even though Ji Yan had brought back a full bottle, he received no kindness in return. In his eyes, these players were just there to serve him; they were more like slaves than children. If he wasn't happy, he could just kill them and get a new batch.

Ji Yan said nothing and turned to leave the room. As he closed the door, he heard the Gluttonous Ghost’s voice, a mix of love and hate: "That bitch's blood... how on earth does she brew it? I've never tasted such wonderful wine in my life!"

Ji Yan choked, feeling a wave of nausea. Damn it! After all that, the raw material was menstrual blood. The things in this eerie world were truly more explosive one after another.