Zhuang Xiaodie was utterly bewildered, "Why?"
"For success in your exam, and for future promotions, wealth, and blessings."
"But..."
"No buts, if you want to get into a good university, do as I say. Anyway, remember, be calm, careful, and cautious. Don't trust anyone easily." Su Qingyu hung up the phone.
Zhuang Xiaodie thought Su Qingyu's words were a reminder about her exam. Although she firmly believed that only by studying hard could she achieve good grades, her best friend's words made her wonder if it might work if she did as she was told.
It's better to believe it exists than not to believe it exists.
Zhuang Xiaodie decided to buy an extra textbook to burn for herself.
Su Qingyu couldn't explain the appearance of the Rule Horror, nor could she explain how to follow the rules, and certainly couldn't tell Zhuang Xiaodie to burn ghost money.
She could only offer a well-intentioned reminder.
As for whether Zhuang Xiaodie would do as she said, that was beyond her control.
《 Thriller Descends 》 This novel could only guide Su Qingyu on how to prepare before the strange descent. After the strange descent, the rules for each instance were different and not mutually referential.
The difficulty of the instances varied, and it gradually increased after the strange descent.
The number of people entering each instance also varied. Generally, the fewer the people allowed, the simpler the instance.
Su Qingyu reminded Zhuang Xiaodie not to go out casually because the novel 《 Thriller Descends 》 mentioned that if she stayed at home, there was a one-third chance of entering the 【 Sweet Home 】 instance.
【 Sweet Home 】 is a solo instance with low difficulty. There's a chance to obtain Eerie Items as instance rewards.
As an early-stage instance, it allows ordinary people to better understand the rules and how to survive in the strange world.
Of course, the price was heavy.
Many people paid the price of their lives.
However, if she went out, she would most likely enter a multi-person instance. Multi-person instances were difficult and it was impossible to avoid encountering teammates who courted death.
The mortality rate for going out was higher than staying at home.
Su Qingyu set her alarm clock. The alarm would ring one and a half hours before the strange descent.
Being mentally alert was important.
Maintaining a clear state of mind could reduce cognitive errors.
She needed to have one last peaceful sleep.
The alarm rang.
Su Qingyu woke up from her dream. She stretched her muscles and bones, feeling her vision was clear and her mind was sharp.
She glanced at her watch. The time was 10:30.
Offerings would only appear after the strange world descended.
Su Qingyu decided to stay in her room and gamble on that one-third probability.
Midnight struck.
It was pitch black outside the window, with no moonlight.
Su Qingyu was enveloped by a faint sandalwood fragrance.
A ball of white smoke appeared before her, with many small cards floating within it, emitting a gloomy aura.
Su Qingyu raised her hand, and the small cards in the white smoke flew towards her palm.
A stack of cards landed in Su Qingyu's hand.
It was a Heaven and Earth Bank Card and hundreds of Tribute Cards.
The Heaven and Earth Bank Card was bound to Su Qingyu's birthdate. By touching it with her fingertip, the balance of the bank card would appear in her mind.
She raised her hand, stroking the cards.
The current balance was: 999999999999...
Su Qingyu immediately kissed the Heaven and Earth Bank Card excitedly. It felt so good to have money.
The Tribute Cards were divided into several colors, and Su Qingyu didn't know what these colors meant for now.
She saw the pictures on the front of the cards, which were the offerings she had burned a couple of days ago.
The pair of paper figurines she burned the day before yesterday had transformed into young people in ancient costumes on the cards. Their appearances were more realistic, and the material of their clothes was more detailed, as if they were real people.
The style had changed from abstract to realistic.
At the bottom of the card, in small print, it read: "Can be used with a drop of fresh blood or by paying ten ghost coins."
A drop of fresh blood didn't sound like much, but it meant harming her own body, so Su Qingyu decisively passed!
As for the ten ghost coins...
She had to pay a fee to use the offerings she had burned for herself.
Su Qingyu gritted her teeth. It felt like she had bought a house outright and had to pay property management fees before even moving in.
Fortunately, she had prepared enough ghost coins beforehand, otherwise, just looking at them without being able to use them would be too much of a rip-off.
Su Qingyu held the Heaven and Earth Bank Card and thought of ten ghost coins, and ten ghost coins appeared in her hand.
She tossed out a Tribute Card depicting an ancient woman, along with ten ghost coins.
Accompanied by white smoke, a beautiful woman appeared before Su Qingyu.
The woman wore a double-bun hairstyle, with two strands of black long hair falling on her chest. She had an oval face and her eyes were hollow and vacant.
She exuded a ghostly aura, and her whole being felt ethereal.
She was also a strange entity!
Su Qingyu asked, "What is your ability?"
The young woman opened her mouth and said expressionlessly, "My name is Shuangxi. In life, I was a little maid in a wealthy household. You are my Master, and I will not harm you. You can trust what I say, but I cannot guarantee that my judgment is correct."
"Can you protect me?"
Shuangxi stood there blankly, "I will do my best, but in the territory of other strange entities, I am weak."
Su Qingyu asked again, "Will you harm other living people?"
Shuangxi answered without reservation, "I will act according to the Master's requests."
This meant that if Su Qingyu asked her to harm a living person, she would.
Strange entities also had strengths and weaknesses. They had independent thoughts and judgments, and they also had rules they had to obey.
In principle, different strange entities would not harm each other.
Strange entities would harm living people unless they had signed a contract with them or were inherently subordinate to them.
Su Qingyu was silent for a moment.
Perhaps she could use the strange entity before her, which harbored no malice towards her, to understand what strange entities truly were.
"Do strange entities have emotions?"
"..." Shuangxi did not answer directly. She tilted her head, "Probably not."
She used the word "probably."
It was an uncertain answer.
Su Qingyu showed her the Tribute Cards in her hand, "Do you know the uses of these cards?"
Although Shuangxi's eyes were empty, when she saw so many Tribute Cards in Su Qingyu's hand, her hollow eyes widened slightly.
And she said strange entities don't have emotions.
Shuangxi's reaction just now was clearly shock.
"I don't understand their uses," Shuangxi only knew that for one person to control so many strange entities meant they were an extremely powerful being.
Shuangxi said, "My memory is limited to myself. I just woke up, and I have no memory of other strange entities before this."
The Tribute Cards belonged to Su Qingyu. Since Su Qingyu couldn't discern the function of all the items and time was pressing, she had simply burned a pile of offerings.
Now, using the offerings would require Su Qingyu to explore on her own.
But one thing was certain.
【 Offerings are loyal to their owner. 】
Therefore, the maid named Shuangxi would not lie to her.
Su Qingyu asked again, "What are your rules?"
"My rules only take effect after the Tribute Card is broken."
Su Qingyu nodded.
Shuangxi's current state was like a tamed strange entity.
A dog with a collar wouldn't harm its owner.
With a thought, the Tribute Cards could appear and disappear.
Su Qingyu put away the other item cards.
As they were talking, the room suddenly changed.
Shuangxi's head turned 180 degrees and then turned back.
She grinned, "Master, we have entered an instance."
The strange descent!
Instance 【 Sweet Home 】 activated.
Number of Trialists: 1 person.
Difficulty: ★
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