Chapter 145: Memories of the Wax Museum (Part 4)

Chapter 145: Memories of the Wax Museum (Part 4)

Jie Fangcheng's abrupt outburst left the bystanders stunned, while he himself had already taken two steps towards a wax figure.

The room was not illuminated, only the golden hue of the sunset outside penetrated in, casting half a glow on the wax figure's face. Half revealed the beeswax hue, while the other half was bathed in a golden-red light, making the waxy complexion slightly translucent, reminiscent of flesh stripped of its skin.

This was a statue of a young high school student, seemingly around fifteen or sixteen years old, standing there. As if by coincidence, the surrounding wax figures were placed somewhat haphazardly, and, coincidentally, this statue was facing Jie Fangcheng, its eyes "fixated" on him.

At this moment, despite knowing that there was something odd about these wax figures, everyone couldn't help but harbor a fleeting thought: Has the boss gone mad?

On the first floor, all these wax figures stood upright in various orientations. No matter how you looked at them, they merely seemed to be facing Jie Fangcheng purely by chance, their eyes seemingly fixated on him.

Yet, Jie Fangcheng, wielding his sword, slapped the wax figure discontentedly.

"Playing dead, are you? Were you originally standing here?? Crowding over to watch the spectacle, huh?" he grumbled.

Upon hearing Jie Fangcheng, everyone suddenly realized that something was amiss.

Although the wax figures were positioned chaotically, there was a gap equivalent to an arm's length between each of them.

But the one pointed out by Jie Fangcheng was almost pressed against the surrounding figures, indeed resembling someone who had squeezed through to gawk at the happenings, just as Jie Fangcheng described.

The light of the setting sun grew increasingly dusky and crimson, and a gust of wind from an unknown source suddenly shut a window.

The room darkened further.

The mobile wax figures, the terrifying wax museum, the unknown events of the last save, and the powerful companion who had perished about an hour ago...

Everything seemed like a scene from a horror story, which should have sent shivers down everyone's spine... if not for Jie Fangcheng, who was emanating a growing green glow in the darkness.

Jie Fangcheng's voice resonated powerfully, interrogating the wax figure before him as if confronting a subway pervert.

"You were staring at me while I was on the second floor, I even deliberately avoided you when I came down, yet you pressed closer to watch. What are you looking at? How utterly rude!"

He was very displeased, his sword already hoisted in his hand. However, before making a move, he glanced back at Zong Daoan, and then lowered his sword.

"This young fellow is truly bothersome," he remarked. Positioning his sword under his arm, Xie Fangcheng reached out to grasp the head of the wax figure, giving it a firm twist.

A muffled sound, akin to breaking bones, emanated from the wax figure, accompanied by a barely audible shriek.

Initially, the wax figures stood in rigid rows, akin to terracotta warriors undergoing inspection.

Now, an anomaly appeared within the straight lines.

A wax figure stood erect, yet its head was twisted at a ninety-degree angle, the neck area showcasing clear signs of fracturing, with a pus-like liquid seeping out continuously.

Xie Fangcheng's motive to twist its neck was not solely based on the reason he had voiced.

The wax figure harboured a discernibly hostile gaze, its eyes continuously scanning Xie Fangcheng, exhibiting not only a bizarre expression mixed within its murderous intent but also a notable lack of decorum and an annoying demeanor.

In the past, Manager Xie would have directly cleaved it with his sword, but he had promised Zong Daoan to refrain from using force unless absolutely necessary.

Sigh, all these concessions just to clear this dungeon, he had even started to exhibit restraint and subtlety.

Silence pervaded the first floor, everyone gazing at him with dazed expressions.

What just transpired?

What had they witnessed??

Even though Qi Chanyang was well aware of his audacious and violent tendencies, witnessing it again made him realize... this was exceedingly brazen!!

While everyone was mentally prepared for the possibility of the wax figures harboring sinister intentions and potentially attacking them, being prepared did not diminish the fact that the creatures of this second-level dungeon were formidable adversaries.

Yet, amongst their ranks, there existed an individual who treated these formidable adversaries with absolute indifference!

Was this even human?

Regardless of humanity, once Xie Fangcheng took action, he keenly sensed that the once aggressive and malicious NPC before him had lost its fire. If not for the numerous eyes fixated on it, this NPC would likely have fled, vowing never to appear before Xie Fangcheng again.

Well, at least it demonstrated some sense of propriety.

Xie Fangcheng was quite satisfied.

At this moment, a furious shout echoed from the second floor.

"What are you all doing standing around here instead of working?"

Xie Fangcheng raised his head, following the source of the voice.

On the second floor, a sallow-faced, thin elderly man with patchy white hair stood, his gaze filled with evident disdain and mistrust as he looked at Qi Chanyang and the others on the first floor.

Soon, the old man's attention shifted to the seven unfamiliar faces of Xie Fangcheng and his companions.

Qi Chanyang hurriedly explained from the side, "Deputy Manager, these individuals are tourists visiting our establishment."

His voice was low, yet the Deputy Manager on the second floor seemed to "hear" him clearly.

The elderly man paused momentarily before forcing a smile onto his face, although the disdain evident in his gaze and expression seemed almost tangible, even more pronounced than what he usually displayed towards other staff and players.

"Welcome to the 'Authentic Wax Museum'," he said, offering a perfunctory greeting before swiftly adding, "Dear guests, every single one of our wax figures is a precious one-to-one replica. Please refrain from damaging them during your visit."

A light bulb seemed to go off in everyone’s heads.

From the NPC's implication, it seemed that damaging the wax figures might potentially trigger fatal consequences.

However...

Everyone couldn't help but turn their gaze towards Xie Fangcheng, who had just damaged a wax figure moments ago.

Unaware that he had already breached a potential fatality rule once, Xie Fangcheng merely glanced at the Deputy Manager before moving closer to Jiang Daoan.

"He has a foul stench about him."

It wasn't to say that lacking a foul smell automatically made one a good person, but having it indicated that the Deputy Manager was undoubtedly involved in some significant criminal activities.

Furthermore, Xie Fangcheng wasn't one to pass judgments, and he wasn't particularly sensitive to the mingled rotting smell within souls. He couldn't detect the odour emanating from ordinary crimes, including specific cases where deaths occurred accidentally. If he could perceive the smell, it signified that something was decidedly amiss with the person.

After uttering these words, Xie Fangcheng added another statement.

"But there's also a golden glow around him."

Doing good deeds would accumulate spiritual merit, which, when accumulated sufficiently, would materialize as a golden aura.

This "sufficiently" was not a level achievable by anyone performing good deeds throughout their life; to manifest as a golden glow, one would have had to have been a hero who had saved lives.

It wasn't rare to find individuals possessing both the golden glow and the foul stench, especially in ancient times. For instance, generals guarding cities earned a golden aura for saving civilians but bore a stench due to the massive killings, attracting the resentment of wandering spirits.

However, in more recent times, such individuals were scarce.

Usually, individuals holding some authority in the dungeons reeked horribly, but this was the first time encountering one that harbored both a stench and a glow.

Hearing this, Jiang Daoan gave Xie Fangcheng a somewhat perplexed look.

Just as Xie Fangcheng was about to ask "What are you looking at?" coincidentally, six player NPCs who were exploring a room on the second floor suddenly came out.

The group was in the midst of a conversation when they encountered the Deputy Manager.

"What are you guys up to?" the Deputy Manager inquired, his brows furrowed in concern.

A representative from the group of six player NPCs stepped forward, offering a forced smile, "We simply couldn't resist these marvelous wax figures. After exploring the first floor, we were eager to see if there were more masterpieces on the second."

Their excuse sounded utterly fake and insincere, yet the Deputy Manager seemed not to mind their antics, sparing them only a fleeting glance.

"Dear guests, only the wax figures on the first floor are open for viewing. The second floor is a private living area. Please refrain from coming up here at your own discretion in the future."

The six of them nodded insincerely, saying "Certainly," before descending from the second floor.

The assistant manager managed to force a smile as he gazed upon the throng of people.

"Regardless, welcome to the 'Authentic Wax Museum'. As it's getting late, we have prepared a lavish dinner for all of you. Please, enjoy your meal."

Although referred to as a lavish dinner, once the dishes were served, over a dozen people huddled around a table that bore three dishes: one pickled vegetable dish, one cold dish, and another that resembled a dark mushy substance. In the end, the only appealing item on the table seemed to be the cornbread placed before them.

The table was positioned in the very center of the first floor, surrounded by numerous wax figures, the nearest of which was no more than a meter away.

With those uncanny figures watching over them, both the players and the six player NPCs found themselves holding their chopsticks and steamed buns, unsure of how to swallow their food.

Only Xie Fangcheng managed to pick up some cold dishes and then some pickled vegetables with his chopsticks.

He wasn't too picky, considering that during his time in the underworld, there wasn't much good food to enjoy. After years of enduring the same mundane meals, he was nearly sick of it. The underworld lacked fast-food outlets or delivery services, only during missions could he occasionally enjoy a taste of offerings.

However, not being picky didn't mean he could stomach the lump of substance before him.

His chopsticks hovered above the bowl of mush for several seconds before he hesitated, unable to bring himself to take a bite. With a sigh, he set down his chopsticks.

The dinner prepared by the assistant manager was solely for the guests. The five staff NPCs including him, stood aside without joining the meal.

His gaze swept across the thirteen individuals before him.

"I apologize for the confusion, dear guests. I was informed that eleven college students would be visiting the wax museum, and you booked tickets for eleven as well. However, it seems we have two extra persons now, don't we?"

Zong Dao'an was much more adept at crafting excuses compared to the six player NPCs.

"We heard from Liu that this wax museum is quite interesting, so we decided to come along for the visit."

"Liu?" The assistant manager's brows furrowed in concern.

The individual who had died in the afternoon while working part-time seemed to have had the surname Liu.

It was his sudden "fall" into the wax vat that granted the assistant manager the opportunity to attend to other matters.

However, these part-time workers were strange, constantly looking around rather than focusing on their jobs, as if searching for something.

They posed a significant threat.

After this group of guests leaves, he should dismiss these individuals. The wax museum didn't require this many people, and his "assistant" was sufficient. If only the manager hadn't insisted on hiring…

No matter, all he needed to do was get through tonight.

But if these two new visitors were friends of that "Liu", did they share the same curiosity about the secrets of the wax museum as those part-time workers?

Observing his expression, Zong Dao'an simply pointed towards Liu and Qing seated nearby.

"Yes, they are my classmates."

The assistant manager finally regained his composure.

So it was the “Little Liu” among the tourists.

The assistant manager managed to squeeze out another rigid smile.

Qi Chanyang was closely observing him all the while.

Since they entered the instance, it was this assistant manager who was guiding them. The old man seemed to have a hearing problem and his limbs were very stiff. When Qi Chanyang got close to him, he could smell an unpleasant odor. It was only when they reached the boiler room that he realized, the smell was that of simmering wax liquid.

It might have been an illusion, but as the old man neared the burning furnace, his silhouette seemed to sag a bit, with a hint of yellowish fluid seeping from his ears.

But upon leaving the boiler room, he appeared unchanged.

Moreover, at all times, the assistant manager had a large flashlight hanging from his waist, carrying it even during the day.

Initially, when the old man smiled, Qi Chanyang thought it was because he didn’t smile often, which made his expression so stiff. But now, looking at his smile, a spark of realization seemed to flash across Qi Chanyang's mind.

At that moment, the assistant manager turned his gaze towards the five part-time workers standing nearby.

“Oh right, we need to add more firewood to our furnace. You... three over there,” the assistant manager pointed to three individuals, “follow me to add the firewood.”

Saying this, the old man took the lead.

Qi Chanyang was among the three people he pointed at.

In front of so many people, including six player NPCs, Qi Chanyang could only communicate with Zhang Dao'an through glances, casting looks at the wax figures and then at the assistant manager, trying to convey his message through his eyes.

He seemed to have chosen the right person to signal to.

Zhang Dao'an gave him a nod, his expression showing no surprise; evidently, he had noticed it long ago.

Even if this old man wasn't a wax figure, it seemed like his body... might contain wax liquid.

Qi Chanyang let out a breath of relief, hurrying to catch up with the assistant manager and the others who were moving ahead.

As soon as they left, the six NPCs immediately started communicating with each other, disregarding their surroundings.

Someone pulled out a few thin grid notebooks from their pocket and placed them on the table.

“Continue, continue!”

The six of them bowed their heads and flipped open the grid notebooks.

This palm-sized grid notebook seemed to belong to a young student for practicing handwriting; flipping through the initial pages revealed nothing but ordinary characters.

“Zhou”, “Oil”, “Wood”...

The person writing was very serious, crafting each stroke carefully. Each character in the grid was neatly written, perfectly aligned, and although lacking in strokes, it was evident that the person had a very earnest attitude while writing.

A whole notebook filled with grid characters was complete, leaving the six NPCs furrowed in thought.

"Is there any clue in here? Whose grid notebook is this?"

"Let's check the next one!"

There were about seven or eight grid notebooks, and they didn't find any other valuable items in that bedroom. The room had very few possessions, all of which were mundane household items; it was quite barren.

Only these few grid notebooks seemed somewhat unusual.

Flipping through another notebook yielded nothing once again.

However, someone couldn't help but complain, "The person practicing handwriting is quite persistent, continuing to practice despite it looking like this."

The writing on two of the grid notebooks was neat, but this kind of neatness was as if written with the guidance of a ruler for each stroke, lacking in flair and pause points, resembling a juvenile who hasn't attended school and could only write characters stroke by stroke.

Yet, upon reaching the third grid notebook and flipping to the middle, there was a sudden change in the handwriting.

It was as if the person practicing handwriting had a sudden enlightenment, the words still meticulously written, but now with points where the pen paused.

By the time they reached the last grid notebook, the person’s handwriting had already taken on a stylistic form.

"Whose handwriting is this?" The six NPCs started discussing again, paying no mind to the others.

During the time the six of them were going through the grid notebooks, they didn't avoid the players. Everyone's vision had been enhanced through numerous system upgrades, surpassing that of the average person; they didn't need to gather around to have followed along with the viewing of the grid notebooks.

Jie Fangcheng was bored out of his mind.

The assortment of dishes in front of him included the legendary fish mint salad, which Jie Fangcheng couldn't get accustomed to. The pickled vegetables, on the other hand, had a greasy clam-like taste, making it the first time Jie Fangcheng was sitting blankly in front of a meal.

Zhang Dao'an, however, pulled out another burger to offer him, which Jie Fangcheng politely declined.

"This dungeon is quite quick, isn't it? Let's eat at a restaurant once we get out."

When given a choice, one should enjoy a good meal!

His luck couldn't possibly be so bad as to have a poor meal every single time, right?

Harboring such pleasant hopes, even the typically inactive office worker became active, all in the anticipation of a good meal after work.

Jie Fangcheng nudged Zhang Dao'an with his elbow.

"Whose grid notebook is this? The old man's?"

His guess seemed to be quite well-founded; the second floor was employee living quarters, but it clearly wasn't for part-time workers like them who just arrived. Considering the description from the six NPCs earlier about an occupied bedroom, it had to be either the manager's or the assistant manager's.

They hadn't met the manager, but there were numerous signs posted around the wax museum, all warning visitors not to touch the wax figures indiscriminately. The handwriting on these signs was vastly different from the handwriting in the grid notebooks.

These grid notebooks didn't seem very old either; the handwriting in the most recent one looked quite fresh, not appearing to be written a long time ago.

In the entire wax museum, there were only two living individuals, the manager and the assistant manager. If it wasn't the manager's, then it probably belonged to the assistant manager, right?

Zhang Dao'an smiled, "We're thinking along the same lines."

The conclusion wasn't difficult to draw, and soon, the six NPCs also arrived at the conclusion that "the grid notebooks belong to the assistant manager."

"He's practicing handwriting at this age? What is the purpose behind it?"

After someone voiced their confusion, the gaze of the six NPCs shifted back to the second floor.

"Shall we go again?"

Earlier, they only searched through one bedroom. Now, with the old man absent, perhaps they should take a look in the room he emerged from.

As soon as the speaker finished, the person beside them tugged at them, pointing towards the clock hanging on the wall.

"It's almost time."

Almost time?

For what?

Clearly, something had occurred at this point in time during the last save, which was still fresh in the NPCs' memories.

The expressions of the individuals who had been somewhat lackadaisical since entering the instance became significantly more solemn, showing extra concern for the impending event.

A player who had been listening to their conversation couldn't help but ask, "What's about to happen?"

The six NPCs only glanced at him briefly, ignoring him entirely.

In the instance, players generally had a lackluster attitude towards background NPCs, treating only the key NPCs with a little more consideration. Now faced with the same attitude from the NPCs, this player's face immediately turned sour.

"Damn it!"

Swearing aloud, he was about to say something more when the ringing of a bell accompanied by darkness arrived.

Dong — Dong — Dong —

The pallid light vanished instantly, seemingly due to a power outage.

The players felt a sudden tightening in their chests.

While their vision did allow them to see objects in the darkness, the sudden blackout meant their eyes needed a moment to adjust, leaving them temporarily impaired.

In this moment, everyone was effectively blind... well, not entirely, as a faint green glow cast eerie light upon their surroundings.

However, this light resembled ghostly flames, failing to fully illuminate the ground floor and instead making the areas it touched seem even more terrifying.

Something was moving in the darkness, prompting the players to reflexively reach for their weapons.

At that moment, Jie Fangcheng's furious voice echoed through the darkness.

"What are you doing? Wasn't the beating this afternoon enough for you?"

With a “thud”, the green light lifted its foot and kicked a wax figure flying, even following it with a couple of steps forward.

However, it seemed to remember something and retreated back.

"What happened?" Zhang Dao'an asked.

Jie Fangcheng pointed to the spot where the wax figure he had kicked flew.

"That brat tried to ambush me!"

Jie Fangcheng had no idea where this fellow got such audacity. Having been dealt with by him in the afternoon, the figure managed to creep up to him under the cover of darkness, acting suspiciously as it reached out its hand, perhaps with some nefarious intent.

Jie Fangcheng actually held back some of his strength with that kick, fearing it might be a key NPC that he could inadvertently kill.

He did not harbor a killing intent, but hearing him say this, a wave of killing intent emanated from Zhang Dao'an, prompting Jie Fangcheng to restrain him.

"Never mind, let's discuss this after everything's over!"

The surrounding players seemed to be in a daze.

In this perilously thrilling darkness, a green light was already outrageous enough. Everyone entered the instance with bated breath, especially encountering unexpected situations, where everyone wished they could kowtow to the NPCs begging for mercy.

Why does this big brother seem even more terrifying than these surrounding wax figures?

Although Jie Fangcheng's actions were extreme, they indeed boosted morale immensely.

Didn't you see that the footsteps of the encircling wax figures in the darkness all halted?

Just when everyone was unsure of what had transpired, the assistant manager, who was heading to the boiler room, finally arrived, albeit late.

"What's going on? Who turned off the lights?"

His voice carried a note of urgency, and the glow of the fire from the still open boiler room illuminated the scene.

Under the gaze of so many eyes, the silent wax figures slowly turned, staring straight towards the direction of the boiler room.

This eerie scene made everyone's hair stand on end, and both players and NPCs on Jie Fangcheng's side couldn't help but huddle closer to him, while those following the assistant manager involuntarily stepped back.

The assistant manager quickly turned on the flashlight he carried, and promptly shut the door to the boiler room.

The high-powered beam from the flashlight shone out, almost like flipping on another light switch, illuminating the entire first floor in clear detail.

With the firelight gone and the flashlight illuminating the surroundings, the wax figures on the first floor finally calmed down once again, each standing in its place.

The old man holding the flashlight moved to the wall, flipping the light switch a couple of times, but the lights remained off.

"The bulb's blown out," the assistant manager stated, beginning to head anxiously towards the staircase leading to the second floor.

In the blink of an eye, just as the assistant manager turned his back to head upstairs, amidst the chaos, one of the statues hidden amongst the standing wax figures - the one that had been sent flying by Jie Fangcheng's kick - suddenly rose up.

Although Jie Fangcheng had held back some of his strength, avoiding delivering a fatal kick, the shell on the wax figure had already shattered into pieces, revealing the rotting, foul-smelling innards and muscles concealed within.

As it moved, what had initially resembled a high school student shed its outer skin, transforming into a brown-red monster. It growled lowly from its throat and rapidly charged towards the assistant manager.

"What the hell is that?!"

A few cries of shock erupted instantly on the first floor; everything happened too swiftly.

If it were a normal NPC, it might have turned its head by now, coming face-to-face with this monster, but unfortunately, the assistant manager was deaf.

Unperturbed, he lifted his leg and continued walking forward.

Just as the monster seemed about to pounce on him from behind, it appeared as if it was caught by some red, fine lines, halting its advance abruptly.

It was this brief pause that allowed Qizhanyang and others, who had reacted swiftly from near the boiler room, to catch up with the monster, working together to pull it away from the staircase.

Only at this moment did the assistant manager feel the tremors on the staircase. He turned his head to see the monster and Qizhanyang and others who were restraining it.

The old man's face showed a moment of surprise, followed by a complex expression. However, he didn't stop; after ascending to the second floor, he entered a room... then closed the door with his flashlight still in hand.

Darkness engulfed the space once again.

This old man!

The wax figure gallery in the darkness was evidently very dangerous, something the old man clearly knew.

When he opened the door moments ago, light seeped through, indicating that the lights in the rooms on the second floor were not broken.

Despite this, he took his flashlight with him and then closed the door.

Qizhanyang and the others had just saved him, and he just left his saviors outside the door like this?

With the assistant manager's figure disappearing from their sight, the monster that Qizhanyang and the players were holding quickly shifted its focus, attacking the trio instead.

Jie Fangcheng finally arrived at the scene. This time, he didn't hold back; with a swing of his massive sword, the howling monster met its end.

The wax figures in the darkness became active once again.

They feared the sword in Jie Fangcheng's hand but were fascinated by the fresh flesh before them, crowding and hesitating to move forward.

"What should we do? Should we go straight to the second floor to drag the assistant manager out and take his flashlight?" Qizhanyang asked.

Meanwhile, the six NPCs were also inquiring.

"What's going on? This time it's different from the last!"

Their vision was that of normal humans; they couldn't see clearly what was happening in the dark, while the players could.

But they had the experience from the previous time.

In the last save point, when darkness descended, it was unclear who made the first move - they suspected it was initiated by their six "enforcers".

Just like them, these six "NPCs" formed their own group after entering the game; although they interacted with them during scripted dialogues, they mainly operated as an independent unit at other times.

Before the meal, they were discussing whether to seize an opportunity to smash the wax figures... These NPCs would also utter some peculiar phrases like "public dungeon", "clearance rate", and "difficulty reduction", evidently looking for a chance to directly experiment and assess the situation.

In the last save, they didn't get the chance to search for clues on the second floor since it was constantly guarded by part-time "NPCs".

Only the scene where the assistant manager went to the boiler room with three part-time employees was a fixed event, but this time, the subsequent developments were completely different from the last.

As the clock chimed, the lights went out, and in the darkness, the wax figures came to life.

Then, after they initiated the conflict, before the wax figures could even retaliate, the three part-time employees stepped in to intervene.

As everyone engaged in combat, the surrounding wax figures also rushed over, indiscriminately attacking everyone present.

Chaos.

Absolute chaos.

In that moment of darkness, some of the six players were somewhat clueless about how they died, forcibly ejected from the game, while others could vaguely perceive what was happening through the sporadic flashes of light.

"Supernatural NPCs! These NPCs have supernatural abilities!" someone exclaimed excitedly upon exiting.

This was expected, as if they were all regular humans, who could withstand the onslaught of these monsters in the instant the wax figures erupted? Only these supernatural NPCs could.

Until the last "player" was also ejected from the game.

He was the last to die. Before his death, the assistant manager switched on his flashlight, revealing the gruesome scene at the site.

"It's disgusting, the ground is covered with fragments of flesh, mostly organs and such from inside the wax figures... Those enforcer NPCs, one of the six who entered the game with us, died, seemingly killed by one of the opposing part-time employee NPCs."

——This was the incident from the last save.

The "players" didn't obtain any useful clues in the last save, and they weren't in a rush this time with the reset.

After all, if things didn't go well, they could just exit and reset the game, it wasn't a big deal.

But no one expected that this save would be drastically different from the last.

"Has the plot changed too drastically? How did the relationship between those part-time NPCs and our NPCs suddenly improve?" someone pondered, frowning.

"Ah, forget about it! Anyway, we have more clues in this save than the last one! If danger arises later, we can prioritize gathering clues, and if we die, we can just restart!"

At this point, the six of them lowered their voices.

The game rules stipulated a clause prohibiting the disclosure of "game save" situations, to prevent NPCs from learning that they are entities within the game, lest these high-intelligence AIs malfunction, with the players bearing the consequences.

In the minds of the six players, the "consequences" might involve damages to the gaming headset or similar issues.

No one was curious about how these intelligent NPCs would react if they truly learned the reality of the dungeon.

At this moment, the group of six were deliberating, straining to discern what was transpiring in the darkness.

All efforts proved futile.

Only a faint green glow enveloped the surroundings.

Xie Fangcheng had drawn his sword.

The wax figures, not the brightest, seemed to perceive the danger yet were driven by a carnivorous urge, gradually enclosing the group. At a glance, there seemed to be over a hundred of them.

"Have all been eliminated?" Xie Fangcheng inquired.

Zhang Dao'an, however, first cast a glance at the six "players" around them.

In this scenario, even Qi Chanyang, who was aware of Xie Fangcheng's capabilities, displayed anxiety on his face. But these six "players", relying on their immunity to actual death, only exhibited a trace of exhilaration in their expressions.

Many among them were whispering to each other, eagerly eyeing the second floor, still contemplating on how to obtain clues at this critical moment.

"Death" is a terrifying prospect for players, but these individuals, having experienced it before, seemed entirely unphased, clearly treating the game as nothing more than that, perhaps even devoid of the anguish associated with death within the game.

This kind of game, where no punitive mechanisms were in place, presented a terrifying prospect for the genuine infinite players... as no one could predict the choices these player NPCs would make.

Zhang Dao'an leaned closer to Xie Fangcheng, murmuring a few words.

Xie Fangcheng paused, looking at him: "Are you serious?"

"Without taking a gamble, if they find any aspect unsatisfactory, they will undoubtedly restart the game," he responded.

Their dissatisfaction could stem from not just significant objectives like "not completing the level" or "not surviving," some players were obsessed with unlocking every "treasure chest," attaining every "achievement"... and even viewed the other players as mere pawns. If someone harbored thoughts of exploiting these "resources" fully, triggering a game reset even after knowing the truth to achieve the “success without any player NPCs” accomplishment, how could the real players salvage their situation?

Since entering the instance, Zhang Dao'an had been closely observing these six "players," also pondering why no player had successfully completed it before... something seemed amiss.

In a save-reload type game, no matter how intricate the design, there would eventually be a way to crack it.

Furthermore, these six players possessed no significant combat power, rendering them incapable of facing the wax figures. Hence, they would strive to preserve the life of their side's combatants.

While it might not be apparent with a larger group, as their numbers dwindle to one or two, the focus of these "players" would shift to them, and any danger to the life of the player guests would prompt a game reset to ensure sufficient combat power on their end.

In the end, leveraging countless save-respawns, as long as the instance had been successfully activated once, it was implausible for it to remain unconquered.

Unless... even after uncovering the truth, these six player NPCs remained unsatisfied.

"Perfect Completion" to them meant achieving all their desired objectives, only then would they consider it truly perfect.

Xie Fangcheng cautioned him, "If we really reset, I might not retain the memories from this time."

Zhang Dao'an nodded, "But if they obtain the truth smoothly and someone feels the instance was cleared too easily, lacking thrill, and opts to restart... their intentions would be entirely unpredictable."

"Satisfaction" is an exceedingly personal matter, and the "perfection" within "Perfect Completion" is too ambiguous and encompassing.

The danger of this instance does not lie in the wax museum itself, but in the fact that all the conditions for clearing it are directed towards the personal senses of six strangers. Entrusting all the hopes of clearing it on the most unreliable human emotions, is this instance truly on par with the universally accessible instances renowned for their decreased difficulty levels?

Jie Fangcheng looked at him again, didn't say anything, and just nodded.

"Alright."

Saying this, Jie Fangcheng, who was initially holding his sword at the forefront of the wax figures, suddenly turned around to look at the six player NPCs behind him.

The expressions on the faces of the six NPCs held a hint of excitement and curiosity, resembling spectators at a zoo eager to witness a thrilling and bloody show.

The wax figures are quite disgusting... but also very exhilarating!

Naturally, those who come to play this horror game are seeking sensory stimulation. The previous puzzles don't matter; just this one battle between the supernatural NPCs is worth watching over and over! Get on with the fight! Use those skills to battle! The last save showcased a pretty good fight, even though it was hard to see anything in the darkness... but the flares and sparks emitted by the supernatural abilities were truly fascinating!

Just as the six individuals were preparing to enjoy the show with such anticipations, the strongest NPC among those expected to fight suddenly turned around and stared directly at one of them.

"Li Qiulang."

The NPC named Li Qiulang froze for a moment, then let out an uneasy "ah".

This was his real-life name, not the gaming ID he had registered with. What's going on with this game? Has it evolved to the point where NPCs can directly know the real names of the players?

"What..."

He was about to inquire further, but before he could finish, the NPC fighter in front of him had already rushed to his side, raising the giant sword high.