Npc 92

[What?? Did he just say what I think he said?]

[Damn… He wants Jiang Yan?? This kid’s got guts!]

[Is he out of his mind? What does he mean by 'he’s just an NPC, like any other game NPC'? That’s Jiang Yan!]

[Even if it weren’t Jiang Yan, that’s still completely disrespectful! There’s a huge difference between real NPCs and system NPCs, okay? Don’t treat us like we’re AI!]

[How old is he? How did he end up like this?]

The middle-aged man stared at his son in shock, unable to believe his ears.

After a long silence, he finally said, "Are you crazy?!"

"Shh!" The boy with the braided hair pressed his finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

He glanced anxiously at the crack in the door, listening closely. The sounds of joy from inside continued. Only then did he relax slightly.

Lowering his voice, he shot a glare at his father and said, "Are you out of your mind? If the giant inside hears, he’ll rip your head off!"

"You’re worried about the giant?"

"That Jiang Yan is his wife! They just got married today! Do you really think he’s going to let you get away with this?" The middle-aged man scolded.

"That giant is just a system NPC," the boy dismissed. "Do you even know what a system NPC is? It’s just code. Jiang Yan is a real NPC. They’re completely different."

"Different? What’s different? Did you forget about that terrifying monster that crawled out from under Jiang Yan’s skirt this afternoon? Do you really want to be chased by that thing again?" the father warned.

"But that monster just chased me—it didn’t kill me! Do you understand what that means?" The boy smirked, clearly enjoying the attention. "It means I’ve been chosen by the gods!"

"I didn’t even apply for this game! The gods pulled me in! Today, the man in the dungeon died, but I survived! That proves it! The gods are watching over me. I’m going to be the main character in this game! The main character! Do you understand?" His excitement was palpable, and his voice trembled with a mix of joy and awe.

He spoke faster now, practically bubbling with enthusiasm. "That Jiang Yan… From the moment I entered the game, he’s been trying to get my attention. He even used that tentacle under his skirt to chase me... It’s all intentional! He’s definitely trying to grab my attention! He’s flirting with me!"

[Is this kid for real?]

[Has he completely lost it?]

[Is there anyone sane in this game?]

[This madness... It reminds me of Su An back in the day.]

[No, Su An only went mad over game tasks, not stuff like this!]

[Yeah, this guy hasn’t cared about the main storyline since the beginning. He’s obsessed with Jiang Yan and still thinks his future’s bright?]

[Poor Jiang Yan...]

[We just share our admiration for Jiang Yan in the bullet comments, but this guy... his actions and views are something else entirely.]

The middle-aged man couldn’t find the words to respond. He just stared at his son, feeling a mixture of disbelief and concern.

After a long silence, the middle-aged man finally spoke, his tone filled with helplessness and even a touch of pleading.

“You promised me… you said you’d change.”

A father, desperately pleading with his son.

“Dad,” the braided-haired boy softened his tone. “This is the last time. I want him.”

The middle-aged man didn’t respond immediately. His mind filled with dark, horrifying memories:

A cold, shadowy school corridor… a boy lying naked in a storage room, lifeless… damp, freshly disturbed soil buried deep in the mountains…

“It really is the last time! And besides, didn’t I promise to change because we were afraid of the police catching on back then? But here, in this game, killing someone isn’t illegal… Plus, I’ll be careful. I won’t play with him to death so quickly,” the boy said as he tugged on his father’s sleeve.

The middle-aged man pursed his lips. “How do you know that killing here won’t have consequences once we leave the game? What if they find out—”

“They won’t!” the boy interrupted impatiently. “People die here every day! Why would they come after us?”

“But…” The man hesitated, unsure. “But my personal system says that Jiang Yan is a very special real-person NPC.”

“Exactly! That’s why I want him!” The boy’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Come on, Dad, please!”

The man looked away, conflicted.

From inside the room came another startled cry from Jiang Yan.

The braided-haired boy’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Dad, listen… Don’t you like him too?”

“Why him?” the middle-aged man asked, his resolve wavering but still trying to reason with his son.

“Because he’s the most tempting man I’ve ever seen! Have you seen his eyes? They’re blue! And those lashes, thick and dark, trembling with every blink…” The boy’s voice was filled with suppressed excitement, careful not to alert the people in the room.

The middle-aged man unconsciously glanced through the crack in the door.

There, he saw Jiang Yan’s delicate, trembling leg hanging over the side of the bed, glistening slightly in the dim light.

His Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily, and his throat felt dry.

“Dad?” The braided-haired boy noticed his father’s reaction and pressed on, his tone now filled with temptation. “If I get him, we can play together. Just like… last time.”

Last time.

At those words, the man’s fists clenched tightly.

Faintly, he seemed to hear cries and pleas from the past, echoing in his ears.

“Come on, Dad! Don’t you want him too? In this game, nothing is illegal…” The boy tugged on his father’s sleeve, shaking it slightly, continuing to coax him.

Nothing is illegal here.

After what felt like an eternity, the man’s clenched fists slowly relaxed.

With a resigned tone, he finally gave in. “Fine. Just this once. The last time.”

“Thanks, Dad! I knew you’d agree to anything I asked!” The boy beamed with excitement.

Releasing his father’s sleeve, he immediately pressed himself against the door, peering through the crack again.

His eyes locked onto the slender leg dangling over the bed, trembling faintly, while the sounds of struggle and gasps filled the room.

The boy’s crimson eyes burned with greed and madness.

Jiang Yan… would be his.

“You’re here!”

A voice suddenly sounded from behind the braided-haired boy and the middle-aged man.

Startled, the boy, who had been leaning against the door and lost in his own fantasies, jumped in fright. He turned around to see a bespectacled girl standing behind them.

“You scared me! Do you walk without making any noise?” The boy patted his chest, his tone impatient.

“Sorry, we were just thinking about something and didn’t notice,” the middle-aged man explained politely, his attitude much more composed than the boy's.

“What are you two doing here?” the bespectacled girl asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice as she noticed something unusual.

The boy shifted his position slightly to block the partially opened door with his body. “What are you doing here?” he countered.

“I was looking for you,” the girl replied, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

“Looking for us?” The boy and the middle-aged man exchanged a glance. “Why?”

“A player named Tao Shi asked me to find you. He said he wants us to gather and go over the dungeon's content together. Apparently, he’s ranked fifth on the game’s leaderboard and seems very skilled,” the girl explained.

[Wow, Tao Da is such a kind and handsome person!]

[Newbies are so lucky to meet a veteran like Tao Da!]

[Forget this little psycho, Tao Da!]

[Yeah, just let him fend for himself!]

“Dungeon content?” the middle-aged man asked, confused.

“Yes. We entered the dungeon to complete tasks. Only after completing them can we leave. If we fail…” The girl shivered slightly, fear flashing across her face. “We’ll die here.”

Her words left the braided-haired boy and the middle-aged man stunned. Their focus on Jiang Yan’s allure had caused them to forget about the tasks they needed to complete. Failing to complete them meant being erased by the game.

“What’s the task?” the middle-aged man asked urgently.

The girl shook her head. “The main quest hasn’t appeared yet. That’s why Tao Da suggested we discuss the dungeon content together to see if we can figure out any clues from the existing storyline. Everyone’s waiting in the lounge, but since you weren’t there, we split up to look for you. I didn’t expect to find you here.”

“Oh, we were just wandering around,” the middle-aged man said with a smile, attempting to cover their tracks.

“What were you looking at just now?” the girl asked, standing on tiptoe and tilting her head, trying to peek past the boy. However, he firmly blocked the crack in the door.

“Nothing! Stop looking around!” the boy snapped, clearly annoyed.

“If it’s nothing, why are you here?” The girl didn’t believe him at all. The more evasive he was, the more curious she became.

“It’s really nothing!” the boy said, his tone growing harsher.

“Really, it’s nothing. Um… everyone’s waiting for us, right?” The middle-aged man quickly interjected, extending a hand to gently pull the girl aside.

“Stop… ah…”

A high-pitched cry suddenly rang out from inside the room.

The three of them froze in place, their movements halted.

For a moment, the hallway fell completely silent, the quiet so profound it seemed like you could hear a pin drop. Jiang Yan’s voice, however, became even more pronounced amidst the silence.

Suddenly, Jiang Yan’s voice rose sharply, followed by a deep murmur from the giant. Then, Jiang Yan’s voice fell to a muffled sobbing that leaked through the door, audible to the three standing outside.

The girl’s face turned crimson in an instant!

Though young, she understood all too well what might be happening inside.

After a moment, the middle-aged man released her hand and offered an explanation. “It’s nothing… They’re married, right? We just thought we’d join in on the fun during their wedding night.”

“Oh… oh…” The girl, blushing furiously, pushed her glasses up her nose to cover her embarrassment.

“Didn’t you say everyone’s waiting for us? Let’s go,” the man quickly changed the subject.

“Yes… okay,” the girl stammered, turning away. “Follow me.”

“Thank you,” the middle-aged man said kindly, maintaining a calm demeanor.

As the girl walked ahead, the braided-haired boy hesitated, casting a longing glance back at the door. It was clear he didn’t want to leave.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man grabbed his son’s arm and leaned in to whisper, “Patience. There will be time later.”

Reluctantly, the boy followed, his gaze lingering on the door until the last moment.

As the three left, the giant in the bedroom, who had been greedily kissing his little one, suddenly paused.

He glanced toward the door, his expression darkening the moment he noticed the faint crack in it. Lowering his head, he whispered something into his wife’s ear.

“Hm? Who…? Who saw it?!”

Jiang Yan, caught in a daze, suddenly opened his eyes wide.

“No one should’ve seen anything…” Yu Xiu muttered, a chilling glint of bloodlust flickering in his emerald-green eyes.

No one could covet his Yan Yan! If anyone dared, he’d gouge out their eyes.

Thinking this, Yu Xiu grabbed the blanket draped around his waist and pulled it over both of them, cocooning himself and his little one completely beneath it.

“Mm… Yu Xiu…”

Muffled beneath the blanket, Jiang Yan’s voice sounded faint and sulky.

“Don’t even think about it! You’re not going in!”

—

When the middle-aged man and the braided-haired boy arrived at the lounge, all the players were already waiting there.

“They’re here,” the bespectacled girl informed Tao Shi.

“Thank you for your effort,” Tao Shi said with a smile, before noticing something. “Why is your face so red?”

“N-Nothing!” the girl stammered, lowering her head as she gave a vague response. She quickly returned to her seat, picked up her teacup, and took a sip, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Her odd behavior didn’t go unnoticed by those present.

Cao Yufeng exchanged a look with Tao Shi and asked, “Did something unusual happen?”

“It’s nothing!” The middle-aged man chuckled awkwardly. “We just passed by the giant and Jiang Yan’s room on the way here and heard a little… commotion. The young lady got shy.”

Commotion…

Cough, cough. Cao Yufeng cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Well, now that everyone’s here, let’s sit down and discuss the content of the instance,” Tao Shi quickly interjected to change the topic.

The middle-aged man and the braided-haired boy took the vacant seats.

“There’s red tea and clean cups on the table; feel free to pour some for yourselves,” Tao Shi added.

Hearing this, the middle-aged man picked up the teapot and poured tea for his son, commenting as he did, “This tea table is almost the size of a bed, but the cups and teapot are regular-sized.”

“Probably because we’re not giants, so they prepared accordingly,” Cao Yufeng explained.

“Can we drink this? It’s not poisoned, right?” The braided-haired boy eyed his cup with disdain.

“We’ve had some, and we’re still alive,” Cao Yufeng joked.

The boy, clearly not catching the humor, rolled his eyes at Cao Yufeng and took two sips from his cup.

[What attitude is that?!]

[Does he even know who’s sitting in front of him?! Tao Shi is gracious enough to guide him, and this is his response?!]

[Forget him, Tao Shi! Guide me instead! Look at me! Pick me!]

[Maybe he doesn’t know yet? He’s just a kid; it’s somewhat understandable.]

[Understandable?! Since when does being young or clueless justify disrespect?]

[His personal system must have informed him who’s in front of him. There’s no way he doesn’t know Tao Shi!]

Faced with the boy’s indifferent attitude, Cao Yufeng simply smiled faintly, unconcerned. After all, they had encountered many newcomers, and such arrogant teenagers were not uncommon.

Besides...

“He’s as annoying as you were back then,” Tao Shi murmured softly to Cao Yufeng.

“I never rolled my eyes at the boss like that!” Cao Yufeng protested.

“No, you didn’t. You just looked at him with your nose in the air the entire time,” Tao Shi retorted.

Cough! Yu Jia cleared his throat, cutting off their whispered conversation.

Tao Shi glanced at the wide-eyed Cao Yufeng, chuckled lightly, and then turned to address the group. “As players summoned into this game, I understand that you must all feel scared and helpless upon entering…”

Tao Shi, conducting the discussion like a players' meeting, first extended some empathetic remarks to the new players, followed by an overview of the game rules. Finally, he steered the conversation toward the current instance.

[Ugh… so envious! Having Tao Shi guide them as newcomers is such a dream. So jealous!]

[Back in my day, the veteran players I met when I was new… Don’t even get me started. It’s a painful memory!]

[I wish I could time travel and have Tao Shi’s guidance during my newbie days!]

[Granting you Su An!]

[Wait, what about Su An? Who’s talking about him? Who dares badmouth Su An? Come out! Does Valen Chapel have no defenders?]

[I’m sorry! I kneel in apology! Su An is amazing and unbeatable!]

Listening to Tao Shi speak for over an hour, the new players displayed various expressions.

“So, you’re saying all the plotlines we’ve been following so far are pointless?” Jian Hou asked.

Tao Shi shook his head. “The main system doesn’t create pointless storylines. At the very least, the way the elves treated Jiang Yan during the day hints at something. Did any of you listen carefully to what they said when scolding him?”

The newcomers shook their heads.

Jian Hou rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “They mentioned… Jiang Yan has dark blood. Does that count?”

Tao Shi snapped his fingers. “Exactly! Jian Hou has the right idea. That scene tells us Jiang Yan has a dark lineage. Initially, we thought his black hair was an anomaly within the elf race, tied to his uniqueness. But hearing that line, it became clear it’s part of the instance’s design,” Cao Yufeng explained.

“What’s the significance of that?” the braided-haired boy asked, confused.

“It’s significant because Jiang Yan seems to be the key NPC in this instance. Everything about him could be crucial, and we shouldn’t overlook anything,” Yu Jia explained.

Hearing this, the braided-haired boy’s eyes glimmered slightly. “Jiang Yan… He’s really something special!”

Yu Jia let out a cold laugh. “You’ll see just how special he is soon enough.”

The boy’s lips curled into a faint, greedy smile. He liked Jiang Yan’s uniqueness. Such a special Jiang Yan would soon be his!

[Ugh... just seeing that kid smile sends chills down my spine.]

[It’s so obvious he didn’t pick up on what Yu Jia really meant, let alone understand what’s truly special about Jiang Yan!]

[Haha… I’m genuinely curious to see what happens when he tries to mess with Jiang Yan.]

[He might not even make it to Jiang Yan’s retaliation. The main system will probably take care of him first, right?]

[Where’s Jiang Yan’s fan club when you need it? Forget banning people on the forums—let’s see some real punishment for this kid who’s openly plotting against him!]

[...]

Tao Shi summarized, "For now, this is all we know about the instance. The main quest hasn’t been revealed yet, but based on our analysis, it should appear by tomorrow morning at the latest."

“That’s it?” the braided-haired boy furrowed his brow and looked at Tao Shi with impatience.

Tao Shi smiled calmly. “That’s it for now. Everyone, go back and rest. Tonight should be a peaceful night.”

He stood up as he finished speaking, and the other players followed suit.

“Thank you!” the middle-aged man said to Tao Shi with a smile.

“You’re welcome!” Tao Shi replied. “Get some good rest. Once the main quest begins, you probably won’t get another chance.”

The middle-aged man pulled his son along, nodding and smiling as they left.

The players all gradually dispersed, heading back to their rooms.

As they walked, Jian Hou glanced at the braided-haired boy and his father ahead of them and muttered, “Teenage boys like him are so annoying—impossible to deal with!”

“But the dad seems pretty reasonable,” Tao Shi commented.

“Too much kindness spoils the child,” Jian Hou retorted in a low voice. “That boy’s attitude reeks of being overindulged.”

Crash!

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass and something heavy falling echoed from the dark end of the hallway.

Everyone froze in their tracks.

“What was that?” Jian Hou asked nervously.

“I’ll go check it out!” Cao Yufeng volunteered.

He began walking toward the source of the noise but abruptly stopped when he came face-to-face with a maid emerging from the shadows.

Standing over two meters tall, the maid towered above the players in her high heels. She stared down at them coldly and said in a chilling tone:

“Dear guests, after midnight, please refrain from wandering around the castle.”

“...”

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