Chapter 37 Stay-at-Home Dad (1)
Wait, can't I buy on credit?
The first dungeon has been unlocked, the Ghost Coins have been settled, and the player's current status is after deducting any outstanding health points.
In other words, all deductions have been made, leaving only 0.1.
But Bai Ye still laughed, a very happy laugh.
This 0.1 is not the same as that 0.1; there's still 6000 in the account.
Although I lost nearly 20 health points, I still managed to gain 4000 points in the process.
"Not a loss, tsk, not a loss."
Bai Ye immediately chose to exchange for health points, exchanging 3000 for 30.
Once the health points were restored, the body's blood immediately warmed up, and the person instantly came back to life.
Bai Ye sat up on the spot and turned on the screen to check the situation.
He was actually quite curious about why he was able to complete the game.
The information panel has now been updated:
Day and Night: Regular Players
Health: 29.9
Damage: 2
Dungeon cleared: 2
Forum Level: Level 1 (The higher the level, the higher the salary)
Number of Level 1 players on the forum: 235
When Bai Ye saw the number 235, his eyelids twitched violently.
The last number I saw was 328. How come it has decreased so much in just one instance?
But then I thought about it again, and realized that I had been immersed in the second instance character for several months.
It is also quite possible that players will be eliminated or devoured.
However, "How come I've cleared two dungeons?"
Bai Ye originally wanted to investigate why he had cleared the second dungeon, but to his surprise, he also cleared the first dungeon, which had previously been imprisoned.
How did you beat the game?
What did I do?
Bai Ye touched the screen and opened the dungeon menu.
The first dungeon, "Happy Deliveryman," is followed by a note: "Completed, achieving the 'True Achievement'."
Touching upon "true feelings" again, more details follow: Tears of True Feelings.
Bai Ye quickly recalled the last errand order the deliveryman had taken, which was the job of acting as a mourner.
Seeing the skeletons being pushed out of the incinerator in the funeral home was so traumatic that it brought back a vivid dream of his grandfather's death.
He was only fifteen years old that year, a rebellious teenager with no concept of death. But when his grandfather's skeleton suddenly appeared before his eyes, his world collapsed in half.
The collapsed half of the world buried his youthful ignorance and hid his sorrow along with it.
Seeing the skeleton again after many years, I could no longer hold back the tears I hadn't been able to shed more than a decade ago.
The old man in front of him was not a customer, but a blurry figure he often thought of in the dead of night, the person who had been the source of his childhood laughter and play.
We cry because we miss someone.
The tears were genuine.
Unexpectedly, they accidentally cleared the dungeon.
Bai Ye couldn't help but wonder if every single task he accepted in the first instance had a chance to trigger true feelings.
I just treated it as a job and didn't think too much about it.
Or perhaps, it was the first time facing something eerie, and aside from diligently completing one's duties, all the remaining courage was used to overcome inner fear.
Until I received Mr. Fan's errand request...
Bai Ye snapped out of his thoughts and touched the second dungeon, "Fire You and Plant My Vegetables," which was followed by a note: "Completed, achieving the Benevolence achievement."
Similarly, it touches on "benevolence," with a detailed description of it as: unbiased love.
When Bai Ye saw the words "unbiased love," images of various bizarre forms immediately surfaced in his mind.
From the initial faceless fist-shaped infant, to the bamboo viper with a human head and snake body, to the super cabbage worm with a human head and insect body, to the watermelon infant that can split on its own, and the three-inch diced creature with a mini lettuce on its head that transforms into a child when mature...
Not to mention the little green spheres that keep running around with their figurines.
Time was short, and he didn't even have time to see what form the mature strawberry baby would take.
Although he was in a strange world, it was his good fortune to encounter these strange plants.
Bai Ye thought of the villagers who were so divided yet so friendly and kind, and the rice ghost!
This is something I can't think about too much, it makes my heart ache. They clearly agreed on six life points, but they actually drained ten of his life points.
As a rice plant, and a friendly, second-highest-growing, strange rice at that, how can it go back on its word like this!
"If it weren't for the fact that my vegetables and fruits were saved in the end, I would have bought a [Clock Ornament] and gone back into the dungeon to give it a good dressing down."
[Players please note that the dungeon cannot be re-entered after clearing it. The current status is complete, and the dungeon has been removed from the gacha pool.]
white night:"……"
I don't believe it; it must be to protect that rice plant.
However, "Forget it, spending 500 to enter the dungeon twice is not worth it. Only a fool would do such a thing. Even if I could get in, I would rather die than do it."
Bai Ye stared at his 29.9 health points, boredly observing for five minutes before checking his remaining Ghost Coins.
After exchanging for life points and paying back the 100 posts I owed for being featured and pinned, I now have 2900 left.
"It's normal for things to be weird; they didn't skimp on my money."
In a good mood, Bai Ye didn't pay much attention to the 2 damage values that appeared.
Thinking about it, it was most likely that the damage was caused when the rice plant drained his life force.
But I have 2900, so the treatment cost is nothing to me.
Bai Ye continued flipping through the pages, and on the second page, a red envelope and a gift box appeared in the information section.
He knew about the red envelope; it must be a settlement for a private business deal, something that Guiyi had mentioned before.
Upon touching and opening it, it was indeed a gift from the Rice Demon.
But this rice plant is really stingy. Not only did it not give away any ghost coins as a friendly gift, it also shamelessly gave away a single grain of rice.
One grain, and only one grain.
What kind of kind person would give a gift so shamelessly? They're incredibly thick-skinned.
However, when you click on the instructions, the subsequent content is truly eye-opening.
[Golden Rice: Can directly melt high-level monsters. (Note: One-time consumable, but ignores the number of monsters.)]
Bai Ye: I admit I spoke a little too loudly just now.
"This rice plant still has a lot of affection for me."
Then, the touch box spilled out a variety of items: a few watermelon seeds, a mini figurine, and a strawberry that wasn't fully red yet.
Bai Ye's smile froze, especially when she saw the little figurine.
That shower of green "rain" was simply too dazzling.
He sighed inwardly before slowly opening the instructions.
[Watermelon Seeds: Strange seeds from a plant, capable of listening to eerie thoughts; essential for gossip and entertainment. (Note: Single-use consumable; one seed can only be used on one strange entity.)]
[Figurine: A bizarre plant companion item, used to create a sophisticated, eerie look. (Note: One-time use only.)]
[Strawberry Fruit: A strangely shaped finished product that increases "strange" affinity. (Note: One-time consumable.)]
Bai Ye didn't pay much attention to the words "disposable consumable." After all, Weird Products was notoriously stingy.
However, he was deeply moved by the friendly gift of vegetables and fruits.
It wasn't a waste to raise these little monsters; we fed them with poop and pee every time they grew up, so it was worth it.
...
Bai Ye went to Night Moon Town to heal two points of damage.
However, when I walked around the lobby, the staircase leading to the second floor was gone.
"Hidden again? What's going on!"
Bai Ye went to the front desk and banged on the counter, calling out to the phantom.
"Your service is terrible. I paid money to rent a room here, and now I can't even find my way back to my room. Is this how you treat your tenants?"
"Your service quality is terrible, I'm going to file a complaint."
The illusory voice was gentle, "Dear tenant, we have detected that you have been away for several months and have not paid your rent on time. The room is currently locked and not open to you at this time."
Bai Ye nodded, "I know, then I'll rent it for another month."
The phantom continued, "Dear tenant, please pay the overdue rent and any late fees first. Once the room is reset, it will be available for rent again."
"What the hell? Explain yourself clearly."
"Okay, dear tenant, you rented room 201 several months ago on a monthly subscription basis. Upon inspection, you owe a total of 1500 in rent, resulting in a late payment fee of 150."
"..."
Bai Ye stood in the lobby, his once energetic self suddenly looking listless.
Not only that, but the whole person felt dizzy and the world seemed to be collapsing.
He stared at the illusory figure, unwilling to give up, wanting to see what kind of face the strange "employee" really had, that he could say such shameless things.
"I didn't renew the lease, so don't try to scam me."
"Dear tenant, this is the situation: when you activate the rental service, the default is the renewal mode. If you do not need it, please inform us in advance and we will cancel the renewal service for you."
"I didn't see it. Where did you get this lease renewal option? There isn't one at all."
The illusory image flickered and quickly brought up the rental scene from a few months ago. Then, pointing to the contract that was handed over for signature, it said that the renewal option was clearly stated on it.
Bai Ye froze the image, then zoomed in again and again. After zooming in 100 times, he indeed saw a line of small print in the middle: "Once the lease is in effect, the lease renewal service will be automatically renewed."
The illusory figure remained gentle, saying, "Dear customer, as you can see, we clearly informed you of this service and there has been no breach of contract. Please pay the rent and late fees first so that we can reset the room."
Bai Ye had never suffered from continuous monthly subscriptions. Even when he had no choice but to buy a membership before his death, he would immediately cancel the monthly subscription after purchasing one month's subscription.
Of those members who were alive, the only one with a conscience was that they informed the members in advance, and in a fairly obvious way.
Unexpectedly, even the supernatural would pull this stunt, playing word games.
"Your behavior is so disgusting, why don't you just rob us directly?"
"Just rob us! It's faster that way. Since you're the only ones in the business, we're going to use the sanatoriums no matter what. You might as well set an outrageously high price and take all the money we've earned..."
Bai Ye was seething with anger. The thought of having to give away most of the money she had just earned made her heart bleed.
What's the difference between this and sucking my blood directly?!
"Day and night?"
A voice came from behind.
Bai Ye turned around and saw a blurry face walking towards him, but the voice was easy to recognize; it was Xiangyang Xiaokuihua.
"It's you." Bai Ye replied weakly.
Sunflower walked to the front desk and told the illusory figure that she was renting the room for one month. At the end, she added, "I'm not renewing the lease; it's just for one month."
After saying that, he turned his head and said, "Do you rent a room day or night? Then you must pay monthly rent. It's a real rip-off. Although annual rent is cheaper, it requires mandatory renewal. You have to rent for one year and then renew for another."
"Although the monthly subscription is automatically renewed, at least you can cancel it in advance. Oh, by the way, you're on a monthly subscription, right?"
Is the annual rent really that excessive?
Bai Ye was shocked, then her voice turned pitiful, "Yeah, I pay monthly rent, but I've already been ripped off."
"What?"
"I was doing dungeon quests and would be gone for months at a time. When I came back and was ready to use the recovery pod, it told me that I owed several months' rent and late fees..."
Sunflower felt very sorry for the player after hearing this. How could there be such a miserable player?
"Didn't you carefully read every clause in the contract before you signed it?"
"There are so many terms and conditions, how am I supposed to read them all?"
“I read it carefully, every single word.”
"...You're awesome."
“I’m used to it. I used to sell insurance part-time before I died. I’m familiar with the terms and conditions and I know the tricks.”
As he spoke, he patted Bai Ye on the shoulder again, "Don't be sad. Even I, the strongest survivor, have been tricked. Each of them was tricked for at least a month. Does what I said comfort you?"
Bai Ye was truly comforted.
Sure enough, seeing that my friend was in just as bad a situation as I was made me feel much better.
After paying the "overdue" rent and late fees, Baiye rented 201 again, this time for only one month, and repeatedly confirmed that the renewal option had been cancelled.
Two days later, the healing ended, and the damage value was reset to zero.
White Night Descends Downstairs
Upon reaching the lobby, I couldn't help but go back to the front desk and call out to the virtual figure, "Let me confirm with you again, my 201 is a monthly rental, and the renewal mode is not enabled, right?"
The phantom seemed to waver for a moment; this was the eleventh time the player had asked the same question.
Two days ago, when signing the contract, this player asked the question ten times in a row.
The illusory voice remained gentle, "Yes, dear player, you did not activate the renewal mode. Dear player, please don't be so alarmed. We are a legitimate rental business, and there are no hidden costs."
"I don't believe it. Everything you say and do is a trap."
Bai Ye confirmed everything again before heading to the relaxation area.
There I encountered "The Strongest Survivor" and a stranger, a fake player who doesn't tell the truth.
"The day and night deliveryman instance was unlocked, and each player was given 500 Ghost Coins. There were more than 200 players in this instance at the time, and the Ghostly NPCs were practically bleeding money!"
"Survival is the best" patted the other person on the shoulder and said, "Brother, you've lost out."
I didn't feel like I was at a disadvantage, whether it was day or night, "I cleared the second dungeon."
"What?"
"I was also surprised by the strange notification during the settlement."
As for the situation in the first instance, Bai Ye subconsciously concealed it.
I'm really curious about the dungeon clearing game, since I know many players have cleared it. But the key is that those players are so arrogant that they don't even bother with us.
Not to mention sharing tips and tricks for passing the game.
But the daytime and nighttime are different; this player is very simple and very friendly.
I, the strongest survivor, clung to him, shoulder to shoulder, even hugging one of Bai Ye's arms.
"Brother Baitian, you've really broadened my horizons! Can you tell me how you beat the game?"
After saying that, he immediately leaned closer and whispered, "Bro, I can pay for content. Name your price."
In my opinion, the secret to clearing the game is a top secret, and even if the other party is willing to tell me, I will have to pay for it.
He just wasn't sure how much he should pay.
Thinking of his pitiful remaining Ghost Coins, the strongest survivor couldn't help but feel short of breath. "Can I pay in installments? I promise I can live for a while longer. I cherish my life."
“I’ll pay in ten installments. I’ll pay you the first installment, um… 100, oh no, I’ll pay you 200 first.”
As he spoke, he opened the screen to transfer money.
Bai Ye waved his hand, "No need, it's just a matter of a few words, I won't charge you."
Survival is the strongest! I was stunned. How could there be such a simple-minded fool in the world?
But after hearing just two sentences from the other person—and really just two sentences—he fell silent.
It seems like I said something, but it also seems like I didn't say anything.
"Treat others with sincerity."
"Civilized, harmonious, dedicated, and friendly."
"Survival is my greatest strength," he repeated, scratching his head vigorously. "I know the second sentence; it's in the forum rules, a work guide. But what does the first sentence mean?"
The dummy standing to the side, who hadn't been telling the truth, finally spoke up: "Gou Huo, is your friend playing you? He just said two useless things."
"No, that won't do. My brother is a bit simple-minded and doesn't have any guile. I need to go back to the forum and check the rules. I need to study them."
When a fake person realizes that a conversation is going nowhere, they simply get up and leave.
However, Sunflower and Money-Making Level 2, who had just sat down next to each other, each had their own thoughts upon hearing these two sentences.
On the other side, after much consideration, Bai Ye decided to return to the dungeon lobby and continue the dungeon quest.
Although he envied those who could unlock their power level, he intuitively felt that he didn't currently have that ability.
Furthermore, with the friendly gift from the weirdos, it's quite a powerful weapon. Even after the newbie protection period, it shouldn't be too scary.
"Strange, activate the instance immediately."
"Wait a minute, I'll buy a [Misfortune Repelling Card] to exclude the learning instance."
Once the operation was complete, Bai Ye felt relieved enough to flip the cards.
The three cards were flipped over. The card I chose was "Mom goes to work, Dad takes care of the kids," while the other two cards were the same: "Borderline Cards."
Upon seeing a card with no content hints for the first time, Bai Ye became extremely curious about the so-called "Critical Card".
Before he could think any further, a tremendous suction force came from behind the door.
The door opened quickly, a flash of white light appeared before Bai Ye's eyes, and the world was plunged into darkness.
In the darkness, a somber nursery rhyme was softly hummed:
"One, two, three children"
"Four, five, or six children"
"Seven or eight adorable children"[1]
Bai Ye felt a chill run down his spine and stood frozen in the darkness, too afraid to move.
He was pondering the current situation: was this place, so dark, indoors or outdoors?
"If it's indoors, where can I find it?!"
A flash of lightning suddenly streaked across the window, illuminating a corner of the room.
Bai Ye could clearly see that she was standing in a room filled with dolls.
The dolls were all different shapes and sizes, with expressions that were neither smiling nor frowning, and the curve of their lips was unsettling.
Those eyeballs slowly rolled, their color shifting between black and white, some dripping bloody tears...
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