This exclamation of “Big Brother” is ear-piercing!
Everyone turned around to look at the senior student ‘A’ standing expressionless behind Rong Yi.
Rong Yi: …Shocked my whole family!
When she activated the skill [Meet the Parents], she had always been the only one recognized as a relative. This was the first time her teammates were recognized too!
Like Luo Huayue, her innate skill also received an upgrade after experiencing three instances. The system only mentioned that the daily usage time had increased to 1 hour after the upgrade.
Perhaps the upgraded skill might add some functions that require her to explore on her own?
For example, randomly selecting a teammate to join the family?
Maybe, after her level increases, not only could the family size expand, but she could also choose family titles, such as elder sister, mother, second aunt, great-grandmother, in addition to big sister-in-law.
In the end, the whole team plus NPCs would be a happy and auspicious family!
“Luo Huayue exclaimed, “A senior… are you her big brother?”
The red-clothed female ghost lowered her head, using her long hair to cover her cheeks, looking somewhat shy. When asked a question, she didn’t dare to speak loudly, just nodding shyly.
Why did she specifically choose him as her big brother?
Rong Yi pondered as she touched her lips.
She recalled her character setting, which originally involved “School tyrant elder sister and her studious male partner”, with the senior student ‘A’.
So, this female ghost, in terms of character setting, was considered a younger sister to the senior student ‘A’?
In this way, the relationship between big brother and big sister-in-law could be easily explained!
The details of the instance are really well done; the relationships between characters are portrayed so delicately.
Rong Yi said, “Oh! I think I understand now!”
She thought she had understood everything and looked at the senior student ‘A’ with a hint of sympathy in her eyes.
“Condolences. Although your younger sister has passed away, being an NPC ghost still allows her to exist in a comforting way.”
Senior student ‘A’:…
Zhang Haiyang finally finished reciting the conic curve equation, only to notice they were facing the female ghost. He quickly took the mirror from Ice’s hand and pointed it at her, saying, “Evil spirit, begone! Demon, retreat! May Amitabha act quickly!”
Everyone:…
The female ghost tidied her slightly messy hair in the mirror.
Zhang Haiyang asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be afraid of mirrors?”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” The female ghost apologized as if she had committed a grave mistake. “It’s just that I’m not the type of ghost who fears mirrors.”
A chill ran down Zhang Haiyang’s spine. “What do you mean? Are there other ghosts in this instance?”
“Yes,” the red-clothed female ghost nodded. “Ah, here it comes!”
Zhang Haiyang agilely dodged behind Ice, hiding.
Rong Yi looked in the direction the red-clothed female ghost pointed at, only to see a white-clothed female ghost slowly emerging from the wall.
Her semi-transparent figure was alluring, with elaborate makeup, golden voluminous curly hair cascading down, framing her face that blended Eastern and Western features.
Rong Yi asked, “…School Doctor, what’s wrong with you, School Doctor?”
The School Doctor, taken aback by the composed crowd, exclaimed, “…Holy crap, are none of you afraid of ghosts?”
The female ghost nervously glanced at the senior student ‘A’, floated over to tug at the School Doctor’s sleeve, and whispered, “They are all allies; please be a bit more courteous.”
The School Doctor looked at her in amazement, “You can speak? Then why did you ignore me when I spoke to you yesterday?”
Female ghost sheepishly smooths her hair, “There is no special channel that allows communication between NPCs and players. I’m sorry, I can only follow the settings of the instance.”
Rong Yi keenly captures the key point, “NPCs and players? Are you a player?”
She looks towards the school nurse, looking at her slender legs wrapped in stockings—
The only thing is that these long legs are missing feet, gradually disappearing into the air.
The muscle mass in the legs, a bit too developed for a woman.
Rong Yi: “Little Rose?”
The white-clad female ghost stiffens all over, slowly retreating into the wall.
Luo Huayue also realizes, clapping her hands, “Ha! She seems like Raymond’s gender-swapped version!”
Rong Yi thinks of the rose on the medical room desk, thinks of the “NPCs and players” mentioned by the red-clad female ghost, almost certain now!
She can’t help but chuckle, takes the mirror from Zhang Haiyang’s hand, strides forward, and thrusts the mirror in front of the white-clad female ghost, “Why are you afraid of the mirror? You love beauty so much, you should love mirrors, shouldn’t you?”
At the sight of the mirror, the white-clad female ghost covers her face, exclaiming in agony, “Rong Yi! Take this thing away! I don’t want to see myself as a woman!”
“Clearly, it’s a campus instance, with so many vibrant female students, the live stream popularity would be off the charts this time! But as soon as I came in, I was assigned a female identity, this instance is toxic!”
Rong Yi laughs heartily, asking how he became a ghost, which faction he belongs to, and if there is a possibility for cooperation.
Raymond sighs, “You guys are spies among the students, right? I saw it through the wall yesterday.”
“I have a higher level than you guys, so I receive solo missions. During the day, I’m the school nurse, lurking on campus to gather information on student activities tonight; after nine, I turn into a ghost, harvesting SAN values with the red-clad female ghost.”
“I can’t expose my identity in front of ordinary players; doing so means mission failure. Nor can I just ignore collecting SAN values; the mission has a passing score requirement.”
Rong Yi says, “So, your character’s settings allow you to ally with us spies, so it’s fine to reveal yourself in front of us?”
Raymond nods.
Rong Yi: “Then why didn’t you recognize me when I went to get the bedsheets during the day?”
Raymond with a deadpan expression, “…if appearing in front of you all means I have to look like this, I’d rather barely pass on my own!”
It’s not that he’s averse to turning into a woman; it’s just that the faction he can ally with is filled with close acquaintances— it’s like cross-dressing at work— he just can’t get over that mental hurdle.
Ice looks at him with interest, “This sister—she was originally a man?”
Zhang Haiyang: “Not just a man, but a sea man.”
Ice clicks her tongue in amazement, “Don’t lie, quite good-looking.”
Raymond closes his eyes in despair, only calming down after a while, “Since the cat’s out of the bag, I won’t hold back either.”
“Let me join your team! My colleague—” he points at the red-clad female ghost, “is truly very passive and affects my performance a lot!”
The red-clad female ghost covers her face embarrassedly, whispering, “I’m sorry.”
Rong Yi looks puzzled, “How is she being passive? Yesterday she scared everyone to death, and today she didn’t spare us either.”
Raymond smacks his transparent forehead, “She wasn’t trying to scare anyone; she just took a stroll there and accidentally fell down the stairs! I saw it all clear as day from behind!”
Crowd:
The woman in red covered her face and let out a cry.
“Today, she didn’t even want to come to work. It was only after many players left that she remembered to knock on the door. What’s the point of scaring you all like this? Even if I strip you of all your “san value,” it still wouldn’t be worth a fraction of an ordinary player!”
“Anyway, I have to cooperate with you all, or else I won’t be able to survive this instance!”
Ruo Huayue thought for a moment, “Your joining the team actually isn’t something we disagree on, but Rong Jie is the one who blocked you!”
Just as Rong Yi was about to explain that there really was no blacklist, Raymond shouted, “Who else could have done it? It must be your stupid and rich boyfriend! He must have used some mall items to block me from your system!”
“He must have misunderstood something from our previous live stream interactions. It was just an act!”
“Tell him, I really don’t have any other intentions towards you, I just genuinely think you are strong and admirable! Earlier, I thought you had leadership qualities, you were calm. Just now, I saw your abilities – honestly, no player would remain unmoved!”
“Besides, adding me to the team won’t cost you anything. I spend a lot of time in the game, my level is high, and I can handle both attacks and control! I just want to explore a different path with you, not be constantly played by the game!”
“Everyone here is a team member, right? If you still don’t believe me.” Raymond pledged to the sky, “I didn’t do a live stream today, I’ll put my biggest secret on the line here. If I give up a spot in the team for someone else, how about that?”
Rong Yi was about to say it wasn’t necessary, really not necessary, whether to add him or not was not something she could control.
But Raymond was eager to join a team and blurted out, “Actually, I have had a girlfriend for a long time! And I have been loyal and faithful to her!”
Crowd:
Ice watched the scene with delight and asked Zhang Haiyang softly, “Didn’t you say he was the King of the Sea?”
Raymond: “Being called the King of the Sea was just part of the persona I created for the live stream. My girlfriend said that people who don’t know me would think I’m a playboy at first sight. Because of my acting background, I tend to be a bit exaggerated…”
Rong Yi immediately thought of the scene where he knelt down to form a team.
She had thought Raymond had a twisted sense of humor. Unexpectedly, he was genuinely sincere.
Raymond continued with a serious face, “So, do you believe me now? This persona is what I rely on for my livelihood through live streaming. If I ever do anything that disrespects you all, just go to the forums and expose me!”
This was a very earnest gesture.
Rong Yi listened to her team members suppress their laughter but couldn’t bear it and said, “How about this, I will send you a team invitation. If you receive it, it will count as a successful team-up. If you don’t receive it… after we finish the instance, I’ll ask my boyfriend to see if there’s some bug in my system—”
*Ding dong.*
Raymond floated up in excitement, “Received it! That’s great, my sincerity moved you!”
Rong Yi: …Not really.
She wasn’t sure why Raymond could receive her team request. Was the blocking only one-sided?
A senior suddenly emerged silently from the darkness. Just as he had quietly slipped out of the sight of the crowd before, no one noticed.
With the teamwork issue resolved, Raymond felt much lighter in mood and had the energy to pay attention to his colleague with a weak presence:
“Miss.” He drifted over to the red-clothed female ghost and patted her shoulder. “What’s the matter with you? Are you intentionally trying to hinder the players in the dungeon?”
The red-clothed female ghost looked timid and almost reflexively said, “I’m sorry.”
“Why do you always apologize?” Raymond circled around her, forcing her to lift her face. “You’re not ugly, why do you act so timid?”
“But, but my boyfriend said I’m not good-looking… and now I’ve become a ghost. I have to avoid people when not on a mission, can’t scare them…”
Ice usually dealt with female students, being a friend to women at the gym, and couldn’t stand such words. She immediately retorted, “This is nonsense! Men who say such things are just nonsense! Why care about what he says?”
Rong Yi keenly sensed something – it was the vibe of a woman in love, but slightly different from what she had experienced.
She asked the red-clothed female ghost, “Do you have a boyfriend? Are you distracted at work because of a disagreement with him?”
The red-clothed female ghost nodded, then shook her head. “…It’s not exactly a disagreement, just that… I’m very worried…”
“Worried about what?”
“…Worried that if I stay a ghost for too long, he won’t want me anymore!” The red-clothed female ghost said, tears welling up as she covered her face and cried.
The sound of her wails echoed in the empty gymnasium, far more impactful than the knocking from earlier!
Zhang Haiyang pleaded, rubbing the goosebumps on his arms, “Sister! Stop crying! Your tears are washing away my charm!”
“I-I’m sorry!” The red-clothed female ghost apologized through tears. “But I feel so terrible. When the players leave, I’m the only ghost left in this dungeon; there’s no one to confide in…”
Rong Yi sighed, then turned to A-Senior and said, “Look at the kind of person your sister chose. How come you, as her brother, didn’t vet him?”
A-Senior:…
She assumed the role of an elder sister, sat down, and patted the space beside her, saying, “Girl, come, sit down and talk to Big Sister. Big Sister will take charge for you!”
The red-clothed female ghost hesitantly glanced at A-Senior, who barely nodded, before drifting over to sit beside Rong Yi, cross-legged, and began to tell her story…
Initially, in the Seven Nights Ghost Story dungeon, there were no ghosts, just a light-hearted player versus player camp confrontation, a fun dungeon where players would try to scare each other.
The red-clothed female ghost – perhaps still a red-clothed girl and her boyfriend – in this dungeon, would casually fall in love, sticking together besides progressing through the dungeon plotline.
Three years ago, the game underwent a major rule change, requiring the addition of real ghosts in the Seven Nights Ghost Story to increase game difficulty and the probability of players going insane.
New ghost roles would be selected from existing NPC teachers and students, with the final slot being decided between two NPCs.
Yes, the red-clothed girl and her boyfriend.
“He told me many things back then,” the red-clothed female ghost whispered, “Said girls are more suited to be ghosts, while boys should go out and earn points to support their families.”
“He also said my grades weren’t good, continuing to stay in class as an NPC student wouldn’t improve the average much. It’s better not to study, going out to be a female ghost would have more prospects.”
Rong Yi couldn’t help but ask, “Did you believe him just because he said so?”
The red-clothed female ghost looked blankly at her, “But what he said was true… my grades are indeed poor, always dragging down the average, hindering the NPCs…”
“He also said that if he became a ghost, then in the future, no one in the class would help me because besides him, no one else would like me.
“I have a shy personality and I’m not good looking… being able to date him is truly the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me in my life…
“Yi couldn’t help but ask again, ‘Did he tell you all of this?’
“The red-dressed female ghost nodded, ‘He always speaks with reason. He told me to listen to him so that I could have a future.’
“At this point, she couldn’t help but cry, ‘But when I listened to him and became a female ghost, he seemed like a different person.’
“‘Before becoming a ghost, he said he would come to see me after every mission at night. Initially, for a month, he came every day. Then, he came less frequently, every two days, every week, then every half month, and every month…’
“‘The last time he came to see me was already two months ago…’
“‘He said it was because of changes in the dungeon rules, he had to work overtime frequently…’
“Ice clicked his tongue, ‘What kind of important work is there for NPCs to do? Is he finding someone else behind your back?’
“‘Don’t say that about him!’ The red-dressed female ghost glared at him stubbornly, ‘We still have a communication system. When I give him the points I earn every month, he buys things for me!’
“Yi asked incredulously, ‘Why do you give him the points you earn?’
“‘Because I’m not good at managing money…’ the red-dressed female ghost said, ‘He often tells me that I don’t know where to spend the points, and by keeping them with me, they will only decrease. So, I hand them over to him, let him manage them, and save for our future little family…’
“As she spoke, she started to cry again, ‘But, but recently, he replies to my messages later and later, and when we occasionally meet, he says I look uglier as a ghost, it scares him.’
“‘He says he doesn’t mind me outwardly, but, but I’m really afraid that he doesn’t want me anymore…’
“‘Now that I’ve become a ghost, he’s the only one willing to communicate with me. If he doesn’t want me anymore, I, I—’
“She burst into tears, as if the long-suppressed anxiety, sadness, and unease were finally being released.
“Zhang Haiyang struggled to control his trembling amidst the ghost’s crying, but he still heard the system’s notification sound for dropping sanity points.
“Luo Huayue squatted beside the red-dressed female ghost with a heart full of pity, ‘Break up, break up, just break up quickly, the next person will be better!’
“The red-dressed female ghost shook her head, refusing to break up no matter what.
“Yi’s expression was serious, ‘Girl, in this state, it seems like you’ve been manipulated by a pickup artist.’
“‘What do you mean seems like! It is!’ Raymond clenched his fist, ‘Earlier, to become the Sea King, I studied some professional knowledge. I can guarantee with my own expertise in pickup artistry that this is indeed PUA, although the methods are a bit low-level, but it’s insidious and despicable!’
“‘Tell me, who is this scumbag? Sister, no, brother will make sure he’s ruined!’
“The red-dressed female ghost sobbed, ‘He, he isn’t a scumbag… he’s just busy… truly…’
“She raised her tear-filled ghostly eyes, ‘By the way, you guys know him too!’
“Author’s note: Yi said, ‘Oh! I think I understand now.’
“She looked at senior A, ‘Take comfort. Although your sister may have died, being an NPC and existing as a ghost is a kind of solace.’
“Senior A: …You understand nothing.
