Chapter 108. Surviving players, please evacuate immediately! ...

Xu Yi looked at the prop in her hand and found it quite strange.

Because she already has a cheat code, the dungeon manager won't give her any extra items to clear the dungeon. She can accept items given to her by others, as they are usable normally.

I studied it for a bit and then put it away.

Gao Lin stayed in the room, peering out the window.

"Sister Yi, there are more and more withered roses in the rose garden."

The roses have lost their bright red color, making them quite conspicuous in the rose garden; you can spot them without even looking for them.

For the next two days, they remained on high alert, worried that another mission might suddenly come their way.

Nothing particularly noteworthy happened at the manor.

The more this happened, the more anxious they became. The owner of the estate loved these roses and couldn't bear to watch them wither and die.

But they didn't even know where the owner of the manor was, and could only wait for the mission countdown to end.

More and more of the red roses in the three plots of land in the manor were withering, so they simply picked all the withered roses.

Xu Yi also took the withered roses back, and it's unclear what she did with them.

The housekeeper was also busy, and was often nowhere to be seen.

Gao Lin and the others didn't really want to see the housekeeper either. They all felt that the whole family's smiles were too eerie, giving them a chilling feeling.

Xu Yi read the rules carefully again and vaguely noticed the problem.

The second rule, in particular, seems very strange no matter how you look at it.

Everyone was in the restaurant during mealtime.

There were many people when they first arrived, but now only the four of them remain, and the restaurant seems empty.

Lu Ziyang glanced at the countdown and felt much more relaxed.

"It'll be quick. In less than twelve hours, we'll be able to clear the dungeon smoothly."

"Don't relax too much. As long as the mission countdown hasn't ended, we could all be left here forever by the monsters," Yu Jin said, adjusting his glasses.

His words instantly killed Lu Ziyang's smile, and he found his food tasteless.

The bread tasted bland, and a sense of unease welled up inside me.

"That's strange, do you smell anything odd?" Gao Lin said, putting down the spoon in her hand.

She smelled the food in front of her again, but didn't smell anything strange.

It's not the smell coming from the food.

"There's a bloody smell," Xu Yi said.

Especially now, the stench of blood in the air is getting stronger and stronger, so strong that they can't eat.

"What's going on?" Lu Ziyang got up and looked around. "There's no blood dripping from the ceiling. Could it be that the so-called pet has come back?"

"No, the smell of blood came into the restaurant from outside," Yu Jin said.

"You all stay here, I'll go see what's going on."

Seeing that Xu Yi was about to leave, Gao Lin quickly followed, "Let's go together."

"What if this is a trap deliberately set by the Weird to separate us? I also think it's better to act together."

“Yes, yes, let’s act together,” Lu Ziyang quickly agreed.

They followed the scent, went up the stairs, and stopped in front of the manor owner's bedroom.

The strong smell of blood was coming from inside.

"What's going on? This is the manor owner's room. According to the rules, we can't go in and look, can we?" Gao Lin didn't even dare to look inside.

Lu Ziyang and Yu Jin didn't plan to go in, but the strong smell of blood made them want to vomit.

Moreover, the smell has been spreading throughout the castle, filling the air with it. If it's not dealt with, the smell could knock them unconscious.

Xu Yi was able to block out the smell and wasn't greatly affected.

"Butler, may I go in and take a look?" Xu Yi asked, looking at the butler who had appeared behind them at some point.

The butler stood there quietly, his figure very tall. Upon hearing Xu Yi's words, he immediately smiled and said, "I'm sorry, but no one is allowed to enter the master's house. Everything inside is taken care of by the master himself."

Xu Yi shook his head, looked at the butler, and said calmly, "Aren't you the master? As long as you allow yourself to go in, it's not considered a violation of the rules."

"Sister Yi, are you sure you're not mistaken? He's the butler, how could he be the master?" Lu Ziyang said in disbelief.

Yu Jin suddenly realized, "It's not impossible. Do you remember what Rule Two said?"

Gao Lin thought for a moment, "The owner of Rose Manor is very hospitable, but now there are only butlers and maids in the manor."

"The master is very hospitable, but when the master is not around, the butler can still serve the guests the master's favorite rose wine. Moreover, rule four says that if you see the butler holding a red rose, you can ask him for a suitable weapon. I think the butler mentioned earlier is the real owner of the manor, while the butler holding the rose later is the real butler."

Xu Yi looked at the butler in front of her and said, "Aren't you right? Mr. Rost, the owner of the manor?"

The butler immediately laughed, his voice somewhat shrill, "What a clever guest."

His body shape changed, his appearance changed, and even his voice changed.

She transformed into a wealthy foreigner, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and a diamond ring shaped like a rose made of red gemstones on her finger.

"You're right, I am indeed the owner of the manor. But I have a question: how do you know my name?"

"Your pet, before it died, I saw your name on its neck."

Mr. Rost nodded and said, "I see."

The others looked warily at Rost, the owner of the manor in front of them.

"Could it be that the person who brought us in at the beginning was the owner of the manor?" Lu Ziyang said.

“That’s right. Only the butler holding roses is the real butler; at other times, it’s the manor owner in disguise,” Yu Jin said.

The manor owner deliberately released his beloved pets so that they could nourish the roses with their blood.

There were still three plots of roses that hadn't been nourished, and Mr. Rost was also bound by the rules. Looking at those withered roses, he couldn't resist luring these taskers into his trap.

Mr. Rost was not angry when Xu Yi exposed his identity. He had a cane in his hand, which was engraved with a pure gold rose.

Mr. Rost took two steps forward with his cane, stroked his beard with the hand adorned with a rose ring, and immediately laughed.

“You shouldn’t have come here. I know you’re different from them,” Rost said, looking at Xu Yi.

"Nothing is different. Now that I'm here, I'm a mission taker recognized by this place."

"No, no, no, you are really different. My babies are all afraid of you."

As he spoke, a few roses drifted in through the window and surrounded Mr. Rost. He reached out and stroked the roses, his expression filled with anger. "You killed my darling. I went through so much trouble to create this, and you killed him so easily."

Ignoring the thorns on the rose stem, Mr. Rost reached out, took a rose, and offered it to Xu Yi. "Let's make a deal."

Xu Yi didn't speak, and Mr. Rost didn't wait for her reply either, saying to himself, "My rose garden must be watered with blood. I can give you a gift: you leave here, and the three of them stay. How about that?"

"dream!"

"Are you really not going to reconsider? I only need the three of them."

"Mr. Rost, I doubt anyone can leave your rose garden alive?"

Those mission takers were all turned into nutrients for the Rose Garden by Rost, which is why the Rose Garden is filled with waves of bloody smell.

The stench of blood that permeates the air now is left behind by the fallen mission members.

“You can be the first one.”

"No, I don't need it," Xu Yi refused again.

Rost's patience had run out, and his face instantly darkened. "I think you're stubborn and determined to die. Even if you want to leave now, you can't."

He tapped the floor twice with his cane, and the oil painting of red roses hanging on the corridor wall seemed to come alive, sprouting branches and blooming with beautiful flowers, blocking Xu Yi and the others' way.

They even deliberately separated Xu Yi and trapped the other three people together.

They couldn't move; as the thorny rose vines drew closer, they could only retreat.

Behind that is Mr. Rost's bedroom, which he wants to lure people into, forcing them to break the rules.

Just like those mission takers who died before, exploit their greed, amplify their desires, and then lure them into breaking the rules, thereby killing them and using their flesh and blood as nourishment for the roses.

Many of the people who died had successfully cleared several dungeons and wouldn't be tempted by mere gold and silver unless someone used some underhanded means.

For example, amplifying people's desires.

Once the thought takes hold, desire will continue to grow until it leads to reckless violations of the rules.

“Mr. Rost, are you trying to break the rules by taking this first?” Xu Yi asked, holding a dagger and looking at Mr. Rost.

"Rules mean nothing to me. Staying here is a kind of immortality. I just hope that the most beautiful red roses can bloom in my manor. These days, my roses have been suffering. They are telling me that they need nutrients."

Mr. Rost looked at them and said, “With just three people, one of you can still survive and leave this place.”

"You want us to kill each other?" Gao Lin said, looking at Mr. Rost.

"Don't put it so harshly, it's called selflessness," Mr. Rost scoffed.

"Pah! I don't believe your nonsense. Believing in nonsense will bring you bad luck for life," Gao Lin said.

Mr. Rost's face immediately darkened. The rose thorns were closing in again, and if he retreated any further, he would really be forced back into the room.

"I think you're going to refuse a toast only to suffer a penalty shot."

If they break the rules, they could really lose their lives.

Mr. Rost watched them as the rose thorns continued to close in, forcing them to make a choice.

Killing one's own comrade seems like such a wonderful thing.

Blood splattered out, spraying out like a bright red rose.

Without hesitation, Xu Yi's dagger slashed at the roses, severing their stems. Then, she scattered something at the roses, causing the red roses to instantly fade and wither.

"What are you doing? What have you done to my babies?" Mr. Rost demanded angrily.

Xu Yi held up what she was holding. “Mr. Rost, this is powder made from the petals of those withered roses. Your roses are indeed very beautiful, but I don’t know if they can still bloom so beautifully when they encounter rotten roses.”

If you carefully consider the hints in the rules, you can find a way to break through them.

Why can you touch withered roses? Because those roses also hate withering. These roses, nourished by humans, have long since become one with this eerie world, becoming part of it all.

They love beauty and enjoy the way they bloom.

They cannot accept withering, nor can they accept those withered roses touching them.

Therefore, they constantly draw blood from humans as nourishment, hoping to maintain their blooming appearance forever.

Xu Yi threw the things made of withered rose petals to the others.

With this, they felt more confident.

They can even reuse the withered roses on the ground.

Mr. Rost was heartbroken to see his carefully cultivated red roses fade and wither due to the meddling of these people.

"No, no, my rose, no one can hurt my darling."

"Gui, Gui, where are you? Come out quickly, kill them, kill them all."

Mr. Rost roared.

Bright red rose petals flew up and solidified in mid-air into the shape of a person, who then climbed in through the window.

Mr. Rost took the dagger and cut his palm, then placed his hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Kill them, kill them quickly! Your brothers and sisters are about to give up, kill them quickly!"

Gui immediately sprang into action, rushing towards Yu Jin and the others.

Yu Jin quickly retrieved the items he had obtained earlier.

It was something like wings that tightly protected the three of them inside, keeping Gui outside and preventing her from touching them at all.

Xu Yi used a dagger to cut down the rose blocking her path, then threw the dagger, which pierced the heart of the rose.

Seeing that Rose was about to disappear again, Rost cried out anxiously, "My rose, my rose cannot die."

He then took the knife and made new cuts on his body.

"Gui, my child, come, here is my blood, come and drink my blood. Come quickly, my child."

The roses transformed back into petals and rushed towards Rost, swirling around him and frantically sucking his blood.

"Mine are all mine, and no one can destroy my roses."

Rost let out a maniacal laugh, but then the laughter stopped abruptly, and his expression froze for a moment.

The blood in his body was drained by the rose, and his whole body visibly shrank.

Then he made a hoarse sound, as if laughing, "My child, my dear child, use my blood to kill them, kill them."

Rost collapsed. Xu Yi sprinkled the powder from the withered rose onto the rose, which let out a painful cry before turning into withered petals.

No, my child!

The roses on the ground withered quickly and the withering spread to the rose garden outside.

Rost died, his eyes wide open, filled with resentment.

"Run!" Xu Yi shouted.

Yu Jin immediately withdrew his protective gear, and they turned and ran downstairs. Then they heard an explosion, and withered rose petals floated in the air. The force of the explosion sent them flying downstairs, where they crashed heavily to the ground.

Before they could get up, the whole house was shaking, and pieces of gravel were falling from the ceiling.

"The castle is about to collapse, get out quickly."

Lu Ziyang took two steps, tripped over the carpet, and fell straight down.

Gao Lin was closest to him, so she turned back, grabbed his arm, and pulled him up.

"Hey, time's almost up, don't die here."

Lu Ziyang was terrified. "I hurt my leg. I can't run away. I don't want to die!"

A huge brick came crashing down, about to hit them, when a figure flashed past, grabbing one person with each hand and running away. Just then, the castle collapsed.

The roses outside withered in an instant.

The ground shook, and they all felt like they couldn't stand up straight.

"What's going on? Why is even this place shaking?"

[Warning! Warning! The Rose Manor instance is about to collapse. Surviving players, please evacuate immediately!]

After the electronic announcement ended, a door appeared about ten meters away from them.

Before them, the crumbling castle had begun to weather away and was disappearing very quickly.

"Run!"

Xu Yi practically dragged Lu Ziyang towards that door.

The weathering is happening so fast that it has already spread to the withered roses.

As soon as they stepped through that door, the instance collapsed, the withered roses vanished completely, and even the smell of blood in the air disappeared.

Congratulations to the four participants for successfully completing the mission!

When the electronic voice came, they were in a confined space.

"The dungeon is over, but why didn't I see the door to the next level appear?" Yu Jin asked, puzzled.

They entered through the same doorway, but what lay before them was not the scene for the next instance.

"Didn't they say there would be a reward for completing the level? I was waiting to give it to Sister Yi. We really owe her a lot just now," Gao Lin said.

None of them actually thought of scattering withered rose petals on the roses.

"I noticed that the red roses around the withered rose seemed to automatically avoid it, so I thought I'd give it a try, and I didn't expect it to actually work," Xu Yi explained.

There was no response, and they didn't know which way to go, so they just looked around the space.

Soon the surrounding scenery changed, and the layout was somewhat similar to the Rose Manor from before.

"Strange, how did we end up back here?"

"Yes, it's exactly the same scene as before, even the roses are the same."

Xu Yi said, "Now that we've successfully cleared the level, there shouldn't be any danger here. Let's go check out other places; maybe we can find a portal."

Everyone nodded and searched one by one. "We didn't see the portal."

“We’ve searched everywhere else, except for the manor owner’s room,” Lu Ziyang said.

“Now that we’ve cleared the checkpoint, the restriction on going there no longer exists. Let’s go take a look,” Yu Jin said.

He even took the lead.

When I went in, nothing happened, but I did see a coffin in the room.

Inside lay a woman with very pale skin, surrounded by red roses, her face serene as if she were asleep.

She was also holding two rose dolls in her hand.

Xu Yi recognized it; one of the dolls looked exactly like the one that was playing hide-and-seek.

The other doll looks a lot like the child named Gui.

A newspaper floated down, and Xu Yi reached out and caught it.

This happened a hundred years ago.

The owner of the manor was a very wealthy nobleman who had married a very beautiful wife.

He had an almost pathological love for his wife, going to great lengths to provide her with the best of everything. His wife loved red roses, so he planted the entire estate with them.

His estate is also known as the Red Rose Estate.

But in the end, his wife still unfortunately passed away from illness.

He gradually transferred his longing for his wife to this rose estate. He developed many strange hobbies. Gardeners came and went, but he never saw a gardener leave the estate.

Even his rivals and enemies have disappeared without a trace.

But his roses bloomed more and more beautifully, possessing a captivating magic.

Later, the entire estate, along with Mr. Rooster, disappeared without a trace. No one knew where they went, and no one ever saw the estate of roses that bloomed so beautifully again.

Now, Mr. Rost has been drained of his own blood by the roses he grew, and without his master, everything in the manor has vanished.

The scene before them quickly disappeared, replaced by a portal.

"Look, the portal has appeared."

A door appeared before them; it was a portal to the next instance.

Everyone also saw their rewards for completing the level.

It is a rose cross.

After Gao Lin received it, she handed it to Xu Yi, saying, "Sister Yi, as we agreed before, you saved me, and I'll give you my reward for clearing the level."

Although Lu Ziyang was reluctant, he still gave it to them. Xu Yi had saved them, and he couldn't go back on his word.

"You gave it to me, and the portal appears randomly. What if we get separated? This is your first time clearing the game, and you don't have any items later?"

Yu Jin pushed up his glasses and said, "Actually, as long as we pull each other in, we'll go to the same instance and won't get separated."

"That's great, I want to go with Sister Yi." Gao Lin quickly took Xu Yi's arm.

Lu Ziyang didn't move either, but his expression clearly showed that he also wanted to follow Xu Yi. In the end, they pulled each other's sleeves and entered the portal.

Holding Gao Lin's sleeve, she walked at the back. When entering the portal, she reached out and patted her pass on the door, otherwise she would have been rejected by the dungeon manager again.

Keep it up, you're already a very experienced task performer.

Seeing the familiar words floating by, Xu Yi felt a strange sense of peace.