She hadn't known before, so she had struggled to clear missions on her own.
But ever since she learned she had a powerful alternate personality, her mindset had inevitably shifted.
Giving up on herself was one thing.
Dependence was another.
She keenly felt that this couldn't continue. The words Nan Yue had spoken to her stabilized her wavering heart.
Precisely because she had calmed down, she realized how dangerous her recent negativity had been.
She couldn't control the alternate personality, and according to Wen Xiang Yuan's explanation, the alternate personality actually didn't share many similarities with her.
They merely shared a single body. In some extreme cases, they even had to fight for control over it.
So why had she taken it for granted that she could rely on someone she wasn't even familiar with?
How could she hand over her own safety, and even the safety of her teammates, to such a person?
Zhu Xi Ning gritted her teeth and slapped herself across the face.
The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the hallway.
Zhu Xi Ning, pull yourself together!
She worked hard to calm down from the mental shock. Only then did she notice a small figure standing at the end of the hallway, where Nan Yue had been standing.
The figure blocked the way out, and Zhu Xi Ning wasn't the kind of fool who thought turning around and running would work.
She keenly sensed a thick sense of dissonance coming from the girl.
Malice.
A heavy, suffocating malice.
However, Zhu Xi Ning didn't feel the same sense of danger from her as she did from ghosts.
She put the Ant Mask on her face, and the sensation became even stronger.
But as her divine sense strengthened, her thoughts also quickly cooled down.
She realized the girl was dangerous, but the danger didn't stem from the girl herself.
The girl wouldn't kill her, yet her life was still in jeopardy.
In what situation would such a possibility arise?
Saying the wrong thing, or... doing something she shouldn't.
Zhu Xi Ning took a deep breath and walked toward the girl.
The difficulty of this mission wasn't high; as long as she remained steady and calm, she could pass.
"Big sister."
Jessica lifted her head. Zhu Xi Ning's eyelids jumped wildly, nearly startled by Jessica's abnormal appearance.
"Have you seen my ball?"
Zhu Xi Ning didn't speak; she simply shook her head.
Ants slowly seeped out from her body, forming a small puddle of shadow on the ground.
Jessica seemed to pause. Her deformed eyeballs quivered as she stared at the small patch of shadow on the floor.
After a long time, Zhu Xi Ning heard her say, "...I don't need you to help me find the ball anymore."
Zhu Xi Ning was stunned. "Huh?"
By the time she reacted, Jessica was gone, and Nan Yue was standing not far away, beckoning to her.
She retracted the ants and took off the mask, her expression somewhat complicated.
Just now... was she being snubbed?
"A-Nan, does this count as passing the adventure?"
Nan Yue nodded. "I told you, the small adventures in this mission won't be too difficult. Especially since we determined that the key to passing is staying calm, the subsequent adventures shouldn't be hard."
Zhu Xi Ning let out a breath. "Then what was the key to this adventure?"
Nan Yue pondered for a moment. "Do you remember the nursery rhymes she sang?"
"I don't think her ball is an actual ball."
...
Guo Yi had originally been in the restaurant, but after stepping out to smoke and get some fresh air, he found himself pulled into an illusion again.
The previously bustling deck was now completely empty. The air was terrifyingly silent.
He rubbed his arms, feeling a bit cold.
"Big brother."
Guo Yi's body froze. Something was behind him.
He swallowed hard and turned around.
Behind him was a little girl. Although her head was lowered, her clothes looked very exquisite.
Guo Yi breathed a sigh of relief.
That was right. This ship was full of mental attacks; there were no ghosts. He didn't need to be so afraid.
"What is it, little sister?"
Jessica lifted her head, her eyelids twitching unnaturally. Her split lips pulled back into an eerie smile.
"Have you seen my ball?"
Guo Yi was suddenly confronted with such a face. Because she was so close and he was completely unprepared, he stepped back in terror, leaning against the railing.
However, he remembered to swallow the scream that almost escaped his throat.
He looked at the child in front of him with dread. The facial orifices on Jessica's face began to twitch.
Guo Yi felt as if she were angry, yet that grotesque expression looked more like excitement no matter how he viewed it.
Jessica took two steps forward. "Big brother, are you very afraid of me?"
"Do I look terrifying?"
Guo Yi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no sound came out.
His neck felt very cold, and the scene before him flipped upside down. It seemed... he had fallen onto the deck.
A pair of exquisite red leather shoes stopped before his eyes.
"My new ball, so this is where you were!"
...
Nan Yue and the others were waiting in the restaurant. Many scavengers who had survived their ordeals would return here to find their own people.
They had already seen many scavengers return with faces full of terror.
Zhu Xi Ning and Wen Xiang Yuan went around asking questions. Everyone's encounter was similar. The adventure wasn't hard; the key was simply not to show a fearful expression to Jessica.
Nan Yue thought back to why Jessica had mentioned Decapitation Valley. Penny had said it was easy to lose one's head while passing through there, though the reason was unknown.
But a human head... in a horror mission, it was very easy to associate it with a ball.
Nan Yue suspected that what they needed to do wasn't to find Jessica's ball, but... to avoid becoming Jessica's new ball.
Just then, Su Qian ran in, looking panicked and distressed.
"Miss Zhu, did you encounter Jessica?"
She was Zhu Xi Ning's roommate, and Zhu Xi Ning was the only person she could find who might help her.
Zhu Xi Ning nodded. "It's fine. As long as you didn't show any disgust toward her, you'll be okay."
Su Qian's worry didn't fade. "But I still don't know where to find the ball."
Nan Yue looked over with a serious expression. "You promised to help her find the ball?"
As soon as Su Qian heard this, she knew she had agreed to something she shouldn't have. She was almost moved to tears by anxiety.
"I was in the cabin bathroom at the time. When I turned around, the bathroom door was locked. She was right behind me; I saw her in the mirror."
"I was so terrified that I agreed in a daze."
Nan Yue frowned and pressed for more details. "What did she say?"
Su Qian's voice carried a sob. "She said... she said she would come to me to collect the ball before the day is over."
Based on everyone's experiences just now, not everyone was asked to help find the ball.
Some who were clever would ask for more clues, at which point Jessica would give up the request.
Some who were timid and remained silent would eventually cause Jessica to lose patience.
It was indeed a relatively simple adventure.
But now that Su Qian had promised her, things had become very troublesome.
Rate on N.U.
