Waking up to see a fleshy, worm-like thing just inches away was a shock, especially since the creature was clearly aggressive.
Those layers of writhing little tentacles were like fleshy teeth, rising and falling in a rhythmic swallowing motion.
If she were to be eaten by this thing...
The creature swayed its body, hovering over Nan Yue's bed, its base hidden in the darkness so she couldn't see where it had crawled out from.
Has it been hiding somewhere in this castle all along?
More urgently, had Nan Yue violated some rule?
Why had this thing targeted her?
Nan Yue calmly observed the thing before her. The others sleeping on either side of her were clearly still immersed in their nightmares, unable to wake up at all.
Nan Yue found it strange. The creature obviously wanted to attack her, considering its mouthparts were wide open.
Yet it hesitated, as if it were uncertain or wary of something.
After a moment, the worm-like thing slowly wriggled backward, eventually vanishing into the darkness.
Nan Yue rolled out of bed and chased after the spot where the thing had disappeared. She gently turned the door handle; the castle outside was deathly silent.
Though the creature was massive, it was incredibly agile, and in that short time, it had vanished without a trace.
Nan Yue walked to the outside of Miss Wen's bedroom and listened for a moment. It was quiet inside, with no movement at all.
She hesitated for a second but ultimately decided not to return to the bedroom. Instead, while everyone else was trapped in nightmares, she began to explore the castle.
The fourth floor contained nothing but Miss Wen's bedroom and a walk-in closet. The closet was huge, but there was nothing noteworthy inside.
Most of the entertainment rooms on the second and third floors were unlocked, allowing Nan Yue to enter easily.
However, as she looked around, a thoughtful expression appeared on her face.
From what they knew so far, the West Castle belonged to Miss Wen, while the East Castle belonged to Master Wen, who rarely returned.
Yet, in the entertainment rooms of the West Castle, most of the facilities were things men would be more interested in.
Billiards, a bar, an electronic game room, and even a small golf course.
None of these seemed like things a disabled Miss Wen would play.
This further proved Nan Yue's previous suspicion. Although Eden Garden belonged to the two siblings, Master Wen was the one truly in power.
Miss Wen was in a weak position to begin with, and her physical disability had caused her to lose control over the Wen family.
She didn't even have a single reliable servant.
For a moment, Nan Yue didn't know whether she should pity Miss Wen. Despite living such a luxurious life, she was trapped here, unable to go anywhere.
Like... like a kept rose.
As Nan Yue reached the end of the second floor, she heard a faint cry for help.
It was just like what Huo Fuyu had heard—a man's voice, extremely weak, but the source was impossible to find.
"Help..."
"He...lp..."
Nan Yue looked at the only locked room on the second floor. It was the place all the team leaders had warned them not to explore.
And yet, it was supposed to be just another entertainment room.
Nan Yue stepped forward, and black mist covered the lock. With a click, the door opened.
A thick scent of blood rushed toward her, causing Nan Yue to lean slightly to the side.
She narrowed her eyes and looked inside. The candlelight from the hallway allowed her to see part of the room.
Blood was everywhere, along with scattered human limbs. A brutal slaughter had clearly just taken place here.
Nan Yue's gaze paused. She stood at the door and watched quietly for a moment before closing it.
The corpse in the room was unrecognizable, but she had seen something among the scattered clothes.
Something an NPC here would absolutely not have.
A cigarette box.
Nan Yue recognized the brand; it was the one Gu Xiang Kai liked.
The cigarette box lay silently in the pool of blood, reflecting a faint glimmer.
Nan Yue naturally didn't think the corpse inside was Gu Xiang Kai. Since the item was on someone else, it was either stolen or given to them by him.
With Gu Xiang Kai's skills, the idea of someone stealing from him was a fantasy.
Therefore, he must have given it to someone to confirm or test something. Now, it seemed his test had been proven right.
Zhao Xiao Shu had simply vanished, but this person, who likely didn't even know what they had done wrong, had been brutally murdered.
It appeared there were two ways to die in this castle.
Zhao Xiao Shu's silent disappearance made Nan Yue lean toward the possibility that he had encountered the creature she had just seen.
But where did the cries for help on the second floor come from?
...
An hour ago, the skinny man was patrolling the third floor of the East Castle, with the cigarette box Gu Xiang Kai had given him tucked in his pocket.
He was looking for a place to smoke. They were told not to have any bad habits upon entering, but when Gu Xiang Kai had offered him a cigarette that afternoon, he hadn't been able to resist, and it seemed no one had noticed.
Most people were asleep now, and the patrols were spread thin. The scent of roses was so strong here that even if he smoked, it probably wouldn't be discovered.
The man found a corner and lit the cigarette, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
Just as he was about to finish it, he suddenly heard a sound.
Swish.
It sounded like something moving quickly across the carpet.
The man had only been in Eden Garden for two days. He had known it was wealthy before coming, but only after entering did he realize how eerie it was.
The rules here didn't treat people like human beings. Of course, low-class people like them weren't considered human in the Federation anyway; they were just slightly better than the trash workers like scavengers.
However, he always felt that Eden Garden was sinister. Despite having so many people, everyone seemed to be cast from the same mold.
So, when he heard that sound behind him, the man thought it was a ghost.
He turned around in a panic, nearly burning himself with the cigarette butt.
But there was nothing behind him.
Just an empty corridor with a single candle lamp emitting a dim, yellow light in the distance.
What the hell.
I'm just scaring myself.
The man hurriedly put out the cigarette. He didn't dare throw it on the floor, so he dropped it into a vase of roses.
Suddenly, a powerful force constricted his neck. He was caught in a chokehold, unable to struggle.
A few seconds of heavy pressure on his carotid artery made his vision swim. In the final second before passing out, he saw the person who had attacked him.
How could it be?!
How could it be him!
The man lost consciousness.
When he woke up again, he was in a room with no lights, lying on the floor in agonizing pain.
Unable to see, the man reached out to touch the places that hurt the most, only to find that his body had been carved with hundreds of deep, bone-deep gashes.
I'm going to die!
That was the man's first thought.
He stood up unsteadily and began to grope around the room.
Rate on N.U.
