At the exact moment Su Zhiyan was caught, Su Zhi and the other three had already successfully arrived at Instance No. 4 through the passage.
Because all the NPCs from Instance No. 4 had gone off earlier to chase Su Zhi and An Chenru, when the four of them emerged from the secret passage, the entire dungeon was eerily quiet.
“Holy sh*t!”
The instant Du Weihan stepped out of the passage, he came face-to-face with a mannequin in the room. He was so startled that he staggered back three steps and blurted out a curse.
Su Zhi ignored Du Weihan and instead fixed her sharp gaze on the cameras installed by the production team inside the haunted house.
“There’s no way the production team would design an unsolvable difficulty for us. After all, the number of us guests is far smaller than the number of NPCs. If the NPCs split up, chased us while blocking the exits at the same time, then all of us getting caught would be a foregone conclusion. So I’m guessing there must be a way to eliminate NPCs, right?”
Viewers watching the livestream could feel the sharpness in Su Zhi’s eyes through the camera. Paired with her stunningly beautiful face, many appearance-focused fans could not help but gasp.
【Damn, Sister Zhi’s face is unreal! I can’t find a substitute for her anywhere in the entertainment industry!】
【Wait, are you looks-only fans not listening to what Su Zhi is saying? She’s just guessing that there’s a way to eliminate NPCs. There’s no evidence at all. And she still dares to start a counterattack?】
【I’m speechless. If you want to die, don’t drag others down with you!】
But just as that comment flashed by, the broadcast from the production team sounded at the same time.
“Congratulations to guest Su Zhi for successfully unlocking the method to eliminate NPCs. Please note that to eliminate an NPC, you must tear off the name tag on their back! During the process, you must not be caught by an NPC, or you will be eliminated!”
With that announcement, the haters who had been mocking Su Zhi’s wild imagination all fell silent. Even Du Weihan, who had wanted to throw in a sarcastic remark, shut his mouth.
Hearing the broadcast, Su Zhi’s lips curved slightly, and she spoke again, “If my deduction is correct, then the number of NPCs chasing us right now should only be about half of the original group. Because even they can’t tell which secret passage we took.”
When Su Zhi voiced her judgment, both the production team and the viewers watching the livestream were stunned.
【Uh…… is Su Zhi really this smart?!】
【Holy crap, don’t tell me this was also part of Su Zhi’s plan?!】
【I always thought Su Zhi was just a pretty airhead. Turns out the idiot was me all along?】
After hearing the broadcast, Jiang Guxue did not relax at all. “Even if your guess is completely correct, tearing off their name tags from behind is definitely not easy. The difficulty might even be no less than breaking through their encirclement.”
Su Zhi looked at Jiang Guxue when she heard that. “That’s why you can leave the name-tag tearing to me. You only need to do one thing.”
“What is it?” The other three guests asked in unison.
“Be bait.”
……
When the NPCs came out of the secret passage, they saw the guests waiting at the entrance.
Apart from Su Zhi, whose whereabouts were unknown, there was not a trace of fear on the faces of the three guests.
When the NPCs saw the guests, excitement burst forth in their eyes.
To be honest, they had been chasing them for a long time already, and they were eager to catch the guests and get out of work early.
So the moment they saw the three guests, the NPCs charged forward without hesitation.
Du Weihan, Jiang Guxue, and Cheng Feiran exchanged a glance the moment the NPCs appeared. By the time the NPCs rushed at them, the three had already sprinted forty meters away.
The NPCs chased after them without the slightest suspicion.
To create a gloomy and terrifying atmosphere, the ghost bride instance not only used dim red lighting, but also played classic background music from famous horror films.
The guests ran in front, the NPCs chased behind, and with the lighting, music, and the ferocious makeup on the NPCs’ faces, the scene looked no different from a horror movie.
It was at this moment that the three guests reached a three-way intersection.
Facing the intersection, they immediately split up and fled along the routes they had agreed on beforehand.
But when the NPCs reached the fork in the road, they hesitated.
After a brief moment of indecision, they ultimately chose to split into three groups and continue the chase.
Originally, there had been many NPCs chasing the guests, but after repeatedly splitting up, only three or four NPCs remained behind each guest.
Looking at Jiang Guxue just a step ahead, the NPCs’ eyes filled with joy. It seemed that they would be able to catch her in less than thirty seconds.
But at that moment, Jiang Guxue suddenly stopped right in front of them.
Seeing this, the NPCs slowed their pace as well.
The leading NPC asked Jiang Guxue, “Ms. Jiang, are you choosing to surrender voluntarily?”
Jiang Guxue neither nodded nor shook her head. She simply pointed behind the four NPCs.
The four immediately turned around when they saw her gesture.
They saw that Su Zhi had appeared behind them at some point, completely unnoticed.
And in her hand were four name tags!
When the NPCs saw this scene, their pupils shrank violently. Disbelief filled the eyes of every one of them.
At the same time, the broadcast from the production team sounded at the perfect moment.
“NPC 045, 004, 009, and 015 eliminated!”
The viewers who saw this scene were equally incredulous.
Because they had not noticed at all when Su Zhi had torn off those NPCs’ name tags!
At this moment, viewers who had been watching the livestream from Su Zhi’s perspective provided the answer.
【Su Zhi tore them off when Jiang Guxue stopped, and the NPCs slowed down. Su Zhi’s movements were unbelievably smooth and practiced!】
【Holy crap, seriously! I apologize for doubting Sister Zhi five minutes ago. I actually thought she was bluffing. Turns out, even if I can’t imagine it, Sister Zhi can definitely pull it off!】
……
Just as the comments were still reeling from shock at Su Zhi’s technique, Su Zhi’s voice sounded in the livestream.
“Now we go to Cheng Feiran.”
When Su Zhi and Jiang Guxue arrived at Cheng Feiran’s side, he was struggling fiercely while being besieged by three NPCs.
After what happened with An Chenru, Su Zhi already knew that a guest would only be eliminated when they were completely restrained by NPCs and lost the ability to move.
So even though Cheng Feiran was surrounded, the broadcast announcing his capture had not sounded yet.
When Jiang Guxue saw that the NPCs surrounding Cheng Feiran had already noticed them, she felt a sense of foreboding.
Earlier, Su Zhi had been able to eliminate four NPCs instantly, largely because those four had not been on guard against her at all.
But now things were different. The NPCs knew the method of elimination. After hearing that their companions had been eliminated, what they cared about most was the name tags on their backs.
Seeing the wariness in the eyes of the three NPCs, Su Zhi showed no difficulty on her face. Instead, she cracked her knuckles.
When 007 saw Su Zhi’s movement, it immediately sensed danger.
〖Host, what are you planning to do?〗
A bright smile bloomed on Su Zhi’s face. “Since they won’t cooperate, then we’ll just solve everything with brute force.”
After saying that, Su Zhi walked toward the three NPCs.
When the three NPCs saw Su Zhi approaching, they abandoned Cheng Feiran and fixed their gaze on her.
They exchanged a look and unanimously decided to capture Su Zhi first.
But the moment they made a move, Su Zhi also moved.
She lunged forward, instantly closing the distance between her and the NPC in front. Just as his hand was about to grab her, she twisted his arm sharply backward. With a light turn of her left hand, the NPC spun like a top, exposing his back.
The moment she saw the name tag on his back, Su Zhi showed no mercy. She grabbed it and tore it off with force!
This exchange lasted only three seconds, yet one NPC was successfully eliminated.
Five seconds after Su Zhi tore off the name tag, the broadcast finally sounded.
“NPC 012 eliminated!”
Hearing the broadcast, the other two NPCs snapped out of their shock. Fear filled their eyes as they looked at Su Zhi.
Su Zhi shook the name tag in her hand and said to them, “Will you cooperate and let me tear off your name tags, or will you be forcibly eliminated like him?”
Looking at their companion who was still standing there, terrified, the two NPCs ultimately chose silent submission.
One minute later, the broadcast announced the elimination of the remaining two NPCs.
Having successfully rescued Jiang Guxue and Cheng Feiran, Su Zhi stretched lazily and said to them, “Let’s go. It’s time to rescue Young Master Du.”
Although Su Zhi said ‘rescue’, her movements were leisurely, completely different from the swift decisiveness she had shown when saving Cheng Feiran.
Du Weihan’s fans: ……
How should they put it? Su Zhi was really good at holding grudges.
At this moment, Du Weihan looked utterly disheveled. Not only were his clothes in a mess, but even his bangs were soaked with sweat. However, despite that, he still could not escape the fate of being caught by the NPCs.
When the first NPC grabbed Du Weihan’s right hand, he struggled, but immediately afterward, another NPC pinned down his left hand.
Seeing this, Du Weihan’s fans were on the verge of tears.
Yet even while being restrained, Du Weihan still refused to give up.
Just as the production team was about to announce his capture, he actually resorted to using his mouth and bit down hard on the arm of the NPC holding his left hand.
A scream rang out in the livestream.
Du Weihan’s fans stared at the sky in silence. At that moment, they suddenly did not want to admit they were his fans anymore.
The NPC who had been watching from the side immediately stepped in to replace his bitten companion.
And to prevent Du Weihan from attacking with his mouth again, the two NPCs holding him pressed him firmly against the wall.
As Du Weihan’s face was pressed tightly against the wall, a trace of despair flashed through his eyes.
Although being caught only meant having his Heartbeat Coins cleared, for prideful Du Weihan, it was no different from a humiliating disgrace.
Seeing the expression in their idol’s eyes, Du Weihan’s fans, who had been feeling awkward, could not help but feel indignant as well.
【This is all An Chenru’s fault! If it weren’t for him, the battle royale mode wouldn’t have started at all. Our Weihan would have escaped the haunted house long ago!】
【Wuuwuuwuu…… I kind of blame Su Zhi as well, but when I think about how she did save my brother several times, I can’t really blame her. I’m so conflicted!】
【It’s over now. Weihan is definitely getting eliminated. I don’t even know how upset he’ll be.】
【Ahhh, I really can’t bear to watch anymore! When you see Weihan get eliminated later, remember to tell me. I’m skipping this part.】
Just as that comment was sent, the broadcast sounded in the livestream.
“NPC 019 eliminated!”
【I’m so sad. Our Weihan got eliminated.】
【Wait, the one eliminated doesn’t seem to be Du Weihan!】