Chapter 62 Swan Castle (Second Update Combined)
Just as Elf Prince himself said during the second simulation, he entered Swan Castle in advance to look for the mirror, and set his sights on the top of the castle tower.
After sensing the exact location of the Elf Prince, Yu Naixin summoned the Priest's Folding Fan, stepped onto its surface, and flew directly to the highest point of the castle.
The speed, efficiency, and ease of the method drew unanimous surprise and envy from the viewers in the live stream.
[This fan is amazing! I remember a long-time viewer saying it was a special magical artifact at the Domain Lord level? This is the first time I've heard of a special magical artifact at the Domain Lord level... No wonder it's so extraordinary!]
[If the female guest were willing to put it up for auction, it would definitely fetch an astronomical price!]
[To qualify for the auction, she needs to be on the title list... Even if she really is the Purple Star you guys are hyping up, she still needs to participate in several more dungeons to qualify for the title. Right now, she's not even stable on the popularity list, which has no entry requirements. Talking about these things is too far in the future.]
[Something just doesn't feel right to me. Given the style of the "Heartbeat 1000%" program, it's unlikely they would come up with a prop with such an incredible effect, one that can carry a completely powerless novice guest effortlessly through the air and underground? It would be more reasonable for the female guest to possess spiritual power to wield the fan, wouldn't it?]
[Wake up! The show's guests can only unlock the Summoning Pill in the system's special shop if they survive and complete all three dungeon episodes! Even the strongest guest in the history of "Heartbeat 1000%"—"Surging Waves"—and the current most accomplished—"Jade Blade"—are no exception!]
[It was quite windy outside the castle, and the little witch's dress and long hair looked absolutely stunning as they blew around!]
[The moonlight was too bright, and the wind and the color and style of her dress also affected the visibility, making it difficult to tell if she had any spiritual energy fluctuations. I also don't think this is a built-in function of the fan; the female guest must have manipulated it.]
Amidst the various questions and speculations in the comments, Yu Naixin made a light leap upwards, using the priest's folding fan as a stepping stone, and easily arrived at the top of the castle tower.
At the very top of Neuschwanstein Castle is a conical spire, wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, with a sculpture of a swan spreading its wings in flight at the very tip, its texture resembling that of a metal like gold.
It's clear that this place wasn't built with anyone in mind; there's nowhere for people to stop, except for the rose petal-shaped edge at the base of the spire where one can barely stand.
Having flown all the way from the second floor of the central round tower to here, Yu Naixin was able to see the structure of Neuschwanstein Castle from the outside for the first time.
The fourth floor of the princess's residence is not the top floor of the castle. There is a fifth floor above the fourth floor, and the exterior decoration is even more gorgeous and precious than the fourth floor. However, when Yu Naixin looked inside with the princess's privileges, she found it to be completely empty without even a piece of furniture.
The princess's access does not include the memories of the previous princesses. Yu Naixin does not know what the fifth floor is for, but it is not difficult to deduce that it is the residence of the "His Majesty" who ordered the princess to go on blind dates.
The entire fifth floor was a mere formality, completely devoid of any real purpose. Not only was it empty, but the height between the floor and the ceiling was also ridiculously low; Yu Naixin estimated it to be at most 1.2 meters.
Unless this "Your Majesty" is a dwarf or a goblin or some other special race, normal humans simply cannot live there; it would be too cramped even as a children's room.
This further proves that the character "Your Majesty" is purely a background NPC in this instance.
Yu Naixin's arrival was too sudden. The Elf Prince's perception was already greatly weakened in his phantom form, and he was focused on finding a place where the mirror might be hidden.
Suddenly, she noticed a gust of wind that defied the laws of nature blowing by. When she turned her head, the Elf Prince and Yu Naixin were already facing each other across the central conical spire, each standing on a piece of metal petal at the base.
The base of the spire is about as thick as four or five adults could hug. Even though Yu Naixin and the Elf Prince are in completely opposite positions, the distance between them is only a few steps, and they can see each other.
Elf Prince: "...?!"
The elven prince's azure eyes suddenly contracted.
Without the slightest hesitation, the moment he saw Yu Naixin's figure, the Elf Prince, like the Werewolf Knight, quickly burned a small amount of spiritual power to create a somewhat blurry physical form in order to deal with any possible situation.
Now, the viewers in the live stream were finally able to see him.
[What?! How did a figure suddenly appear?! You scared me!]
[Is this... the elf prince from the guest list for the instance?]
Wow, what a handsome young man! For a moment, I thought I wasn't watching "Heartbeat 1000%" (a popular Chinese dating show). He looks so pure and righteous, even more so than the female guest in the snow-white dress!
[Wow, I knew that looked familiar! Didn't that werewolf look a bit blurry at first too? What's with all the guest stars in this episode?!]
[This feels so familiar. Has the little witch encountered yet another unusual situation?]
Compared to the blaring alarm bells of the Elf Prince, Yu Naixin was much more relaxed and carefree.
"Good evening, Mr. Elf who has come from afar." She smiled and raised her right hand to the Elf Prince, waving her palm casually at him. "You have quite the refined taste, leaving the comfortable banquet hall to come to the top of the tower to enjoy the cold wind all by yourself."
Yu Naixin's tone was not sarcastic at all; she was simply stating a fact in a calm manner.
But to the Elf Prince, it was a different story.
When the Elf Prince learned that his original instance, "Rose Spire," was going to merge with another instance and mutate into a completely new instance, he was mentally prepared.
The female guests sent by the "Heartbeat 1000%" program team afterward were definitely not ordinary people.
She would be far more sophisticated, stronger, and more difficult to deal with than any female guest he had ever met.
However, in those endless cycles of time in "The Rose Spire," no female guest ever left alive, whether she ended up in her own hands or in the hands of the vampire duke.
Therefore, deep down, even if the Elf Prince had some reservations about Yu Naixin, it wasn't that much.
He was confident that he would eventually win over the upcoming guest.
It's roughly like the Elf Prince knowing that a downpour is coming and will cause some trouble, but he already has a full set of rain gear and isn't afraid to go out in the rain without bringing anything.
But when Yu Naixin actually appeared in front of him, the Elf Prince realized with profound clarity that things were far more complicated than he had thought.
The four male guests' decision to search for Swan Castle in advance was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and now only forty minutes have passed since the official start of this episode.
In such a short period of time, the new female guest was able to find him so accurately throughout the entire Swan Castle, and even lock onto his phantom form, which was theoretically impossible for others to see. This cannot be explained by mere "luck".
Even though the other guest stars weren't very familiar with the show's setting, Yu Naixin was able to quickly understand it and find her way up.
Knowing his exact location already means that Yu Naixin has gained certain special privileges in this episode.
What's even more frightening is that... Yu Naixin may have already managed to win over the other three guests to some extent during those few tens of minutes, which is why she was able to obtain so much hidden information.
The Elf Prince felt a chill run down his spine.
Just what kind of monster is this female guest?!
Out of the corner of his eye, he looked down at the endless sea of red roses surrounding Swan Castle.
And... this female guest actually dared to expose herself so openly outside Neuschwanstein Castle, and seemed quite relaxed and comfortable?!
Regardless, we still have to get through this hurdle.
The Elf Prince quickly composed himself, gave Yu Naixin a very gentlemanly and polite smile, placed his right hand on his chest, put his left hand behind his back, and bowed slightly in an elegant gesture.
Wow! Someone has appeared who can rival the female guest in poise!
[What a delightful scene! No wonder he's known as the "Elf Prince," he's incredibly charming! My heart skipped a beat the moment he lowered his head! It felt like something out of an idol drama!]
[Congratulations to the female guest on the show "Heartbeat 1000%"! You have received 6 Sweet Coins from a viewer with the ID "Old Man's Girlish Heart"!]
[Indeed, compared to Beauty and the Beast, Princess and Prince suit me much better! Under the moon, amidst a sea of flowers and a tall tower, the princess and prince begin their first conversation—the scene is so beautiful!]
[Congratulations to the female guest on the show "Heartbeat 1000%"! You have received 9 Sweet Coins from a viewer with the ID "Isn't it good to be well-matched?"!]
[Seriously, they're a perfect match, like a princess and a prince! Their status, looks, and charisma are all so perfect! They don't need any words or actions; just standing together gives them an incredible sense of being a couple!]
[Congratulations to the female guest on the show "Heartbeat 1000%"! You have received 3 Sweet Coins from a viewer with the ID "EatCandyEatCandy"!]
"Greetings, Your Highness, beautiful and noble princess," the elf prince said politely. "It was my rudeness to cause you trouble, and I am very sorry."
After bowing, the Elf Prince raised his eyes and gazed at Yu Naixin with deep affection: "Is there anything I can do for you now?"
He didn't mention why he was at the top of the tower, and used his appearance to quickly try to divert Yu Naixin's attention and shift the focus of the conflict elsewhere.
A very clever approach.
Yu Naixin couldn't help but smile at this.
“Since you’ve said so,” Yu Naixin said, as if she hadn’t heard anything, following the Elf Prince’s words, “then I’ll accept it without hesitation.”
Yu Naixin extended her left index finger and pointed to the sea of red roses below the castle next to her: "These red roses are blooming so beautifully."
She looked into the eyes of the Elf Prince, her peach blossom eyes shimmering with tears, her smile charming and captivating: "Mr. Elf, didn't you come here specifically to compete for my husband's position? Then—pick a red rose yourself and give it to me?"
[!! I've been amazed countless times already, but the way the female guest acts coquettishly is just too damn beautiful, too damn alluring! I really felt a tingling sensation all over my body!]
[She's so good at this, flirting and seducing me. We've only exchanged a few words, and I feel like I'm about to give in!]
[I knew it! When the little witch really focuses on conquering the dungeon guests, her charm is incredibly potent! She truly is as alluring as a witch!]
[The male guest personally picked a red rose and gave it to the female guest—how romantic! How sweet! Just imagining this scene makes me want to faint!!]
[Congratulations to the female guest on the show "Heartbeat 1000%"! You have received 15 Sweet Coins from a viewer with the ID "Throw Away Your Brain"!]
However, contrary to the reaction expected by the viewers in the live broadcast room, the Elf Prince's face visibly stiffened after hearing Yu Naixin's words.
It was clear that the Elf Prince was very opposed to the idea of going down into the sea of red roses to pick a single rose.
Yu Naixin's smile deepened.
Okay, I understand. The pain and malice of the previous female guests contained in these red roses will not only affect her, the new female guest, but will also have a significant negative impact on the male guest, the Elf Prince, who is the culprit.
【No, is the elf stupid? Why isn't she saying anything? Hurry up and say yes! I'm waiting to see you hand the roses to the female guest!】
Why does the male guest seem reluctant?
[This shouldn't be happening! The guest stars on the sidelines are like dogs seeing a bone, each one more eager than the last. Now the main guests are even offering the guest stars a way out, so why is this elf completely unmoved?!]
The Elf Prince's reaction speed was quite fast.
Taking advantage of his slightly stiff expression, he paused for a moment, then gave Yu Naixin a somewhat guilty and apologetic smile: "These roses... belong to Your Highness. As a guest of the castle, I really shouldn't be picking them at will."
The Elf Prince took a small step forward, a half-step towards Yu Naixin, conveying enough that he wanted to get close without being offensive.
"If you are willing to accept me as your future husband right now..." The elven prince's eyes were full of affection, and his voice deepened, becoming exceptionally magnetic, "then, even if I had to pick all the roses myself and place them in your arms, I would... be more than happy to do so!"
This is yet another smooth way of shifting the focus of the conflict.
It has to be said that even Yu Naixin has some respect for the Elf Prince's ability to seize an opportunity.
Even though it was her request, the Elf Prince not only refused to comply, but also came up with a high-sounding reason that seemed to be for her benefit. In the end, he didn't forget to take the opportunity to ask her for more.
Yu Naixin hasn't tested what would happen if she chose these four male guests as her husbands, but it's not hard to guess that it would definitely be beneficial to the male guests' hunting conditions.
Although the male guest in this mutated fusion instance has already faced relatively few restrictions in terms of hunting conditions, who wouldn't want to have even more lenient restrictions on themselves, and perhaps even increase the final hunting rewards?
Just as TV show guests receive extra rewards after winning over a guest in a dungeon to the maximum level of favorability, the reverse is also possible.
Holy crap, this Pokémon is really good at this!
[These two are really like masters facing off; their skill levels are both incredibly high, it's just a matter of who's more skilled!]
[A sweet and evenly matched contest, I absolutely love watching it!]
[Congratulations to the female guest on the show "Heartbeat 1000%"! You have received 8 Sweet Coins from a viewer with the ID "Just Want a Strong Couple"!]
Facing the Elf Prince's expectant yet cautious gaze, Yu Naixin let out the loudest laugh since their meeting in the real-world instance: "Haha!"
Ignoring the elf prince's reaction, Yu Naixin immediately took two steps forward, completely eliminating the remaining distance between herself and the elf prince.
Reaching out her right hand, Yu Naixin grabbed the Elf Prince's collar and pulled him down sharply.
Originally, to show his respect and admiration for Yu Naixin, the Elf Prince lowered his head slightly and did not straighten his back when speaking to her.
Now, with Yu Naixin holding his collar down, the Elf Prince was caught off guard and forced to bend even lower, his body becoming somewhat unsteady.
Yu Naixin forcefully pulled the Elf Prince's head up to a level almost touching her forehead.
The Elf Prince's expression still carried some lingering astonishment and confusion. He could feel Yu Naixin's warm breath on his face and could clearly see the wicked smile on her lips.
“It’s just a red rose…” Yu Naixin’s voice also lowered. “It’s not like I’m asking you to pick a hundred for me. What’s there to refuse, Mr. Elf?”
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Author's note: Today's post is a bit short, but there's a surprise tomorrow!
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-08-14 23:04:26 and 2024-08-15 23:56:12!
Thank you to the little angels who watered my plants with nutrient solution: I think it's not too much to ask for both bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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