The metallic scent of blood still hung heavy in the banquet hall. The candlelight flickered in the draft, stretching the four Anomaly figures into twisted, grotesque silhouettes.
Player 2 sat frozen in his chair, cold sweat trickling down his temples.
He slowly opened his mouth, his throat so dry it ached. His gaze moved stiffly across the room.
He looked at the half-human, half-fluid Anomaly before him, the eye-covered creature on the table, the dual-blade monster sharpening its blades in the distance, and the rodent-like creature that had just crawled out of the fat chef's head.
Four distinct, terrifying auras enveloped him from all sides, pressing down until he could barely breathe.
After struggling for a long time, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"S-so... was Player 11 actually a Potion Apprentice?"
The hall fell into an eerie silence the moment he spoke. The candlelight seemed to freeze, the mist stopped swirling, and even the sound of Lu Zihan sharpening his blades paused for a heartbeat.
Ren Yi remained silent for two seconds before slowly nodding.
This kid's focus was truly one of a kind.
"...Oh." Upon receiving a definitive answer, Player 2's tense shoulders actually relaxed slightly. A look of relief washed over his face, as if a nagging worry had finally been put to rest, and even the terror in his eyes faded a fraction.
He steadied himself and looked cautiously at Ren Yi, his tone both respectful and apprehensive. "You just said... you had something to tell me?"
"Yeah," Ren Yi replied. He didn't bother with any preamble and went straight to the point. "I noticed you're pretty good at board games."
Player 2 blinked, instinctively following the thread of conversation. A hint of frustration and indignation colored his voice. "I'm... I'm alright, I guess. If it weren't for..."
He cut himself off halfway, his peripheral vision stealing a glance at Player 1's corpse nearby.
Player 1's eyes were wide open, staring into nothingness, the terror he felt in his final moments still etched onto his face.
In the next second, Player 2's expression contorted. He ground his teeth, his voice thick with resentment. "I always get stuck with these self-righteous 'geniuses' who are impossible to carry!"
Seeing him look like he wanted to jump up and start a post-game argument with a dead man—practically wanting to skin Player 1 alive—Ren Yi suddenly felt a subtle pang of regret.
Had he killed Player 1 too early?
It seemed he had accidentally robbed himself of the most entertaining part of the game: the post-match bickering.
He let out a soft sigh. What was done was done; Player 1 was as dead as could be, his soul completely dissipated. Even if Ren Yi wanted to resurrect him just to have him argue with Player 2, he didn't have the power to do so.
After venting his anger, Player 2 quickly regained his composure and asked tentatively, "P-please... can I live?"
Judging by Ren Yi's current attitude, the other party clearly had no intention of killing him immediately. There was a high probability they wanted something from him.
Ren Yi blinked, deliberately softening his tone. "Don't be so scared. We aren't the kind of Anomalies who just kill innocents for no reason."
Player 2 remained silent, not feeling comforted in the slightest.
He silently looked up, his gaze sweeping over the dead Player 1, then toward the bloody scene involving Player 11 and Player 6.
The sight was a brutal assault on his mind. His stomach churned; he couldn't take this extreme visual stimulation anymore. Embracing the thought that a quick death was better than this torture, he threw caution to the wind and asked.
"Then please, what do I need to do to trade for my life?"
This question actually caught the composed Ren Yi off guard.
He froze for a moment, his brow furrowing as he fell into serious thought for two seconds. Finally, he replied with a hint of hesitation.
"It seems... you don't actually have to do anything?"
Player 2's expression went blank, his eyes glazing over. He was completely bewildered.
Just then, Ren Yi slapped his own forehead. The impact caused the gray-white mist swirling within the cracks of his body to fluctuate wildly, leaking out in wisps.
"Sorry, I'm still a bit new to the trade. I almost forgot the main business."
"Your opinion, actually, isn't that important."
He was, of course, referring to the Alliance's rules for converting NPCs.
Player 2 had performed exceptionally well in this board game Instance. He was clear-headed, logical, and had great adaptability—a high-quality human player. He was perfect for the role of a permanent NPC in an Instance centered around board games.
More importantly, no matter how you looked at it, Player 2's board game skills were definitely far superior to that unreliable fellow, Lord Cha!
So, what were the conversion regulations for a kid like this again?
...
【When there are Participants in your Instance who have not cleared it, you can pay a fee to the Alliance to actively convert them into NPCs.】
【This method is not limited to the Pasture world; it also applies to Participants from worlds currently being invaded.】
【The advantage is that the Participant's consent is not required.】
【The disadvantage is that it is very expensive.】
【The stronger the Participant, the more abilities they have, and the rarer the special items they carry... the more expensive it becomes.】
...
The good news was that all the prerequisites had been met.
The bad news was: why did it have to cost money?
It went without saying that 'money' here referred to energy crystals.
Ren Yi naturally wouldn't bear such an expense alone. His eyes shifted, his gaze accurately locking onto Lord Cha in the corner.
At this moment, Lord Cha was huddled at Zhang Qiuqiu's feet, his head buried low, though he would occasionally steal a peek upward.
A harmless, faint smile played on Ren Yi's lips.
"Hey, Lord Cha. There's something I almost forgot."
Lord Cha's entire body stiffened. The fur on his back stood on end as his heart skipped a beat. A powerful sense of crisis instantly flooded his mind.
Steeling himself, he slowly looked up, forcing a fawning smile onto his face. "R-Ren Yi, what's up?"
Ren Yi's smile didn't change, but his tone gradually grew heavy, each word clear and deliberate.
"Don't we... still have a debt to settle?"
Rate on N.U.
