[Ahhhhhhhhhh, congratulations to Zaizai for perfectly clearing his first instance! Well done! He’s the undisputed MVP!]

[This is the highest player clearance rate and NPC survival rate in the history of the “Mental Hospital” instance. The only variable was this NPC cub, which means what? It means it’s all thanks to Zaizai!]

[As expected of our cub, Little Rong Zaizai is amazing. Zaizai, fly bravely, Auntie will always be with you!!!]

[Damn, so many players were crushed by an NPC cub. You’ve disgraced all players!]

[Their disgrace is their business. Don’t represent me, thank you.]

–

Gu Rong went crazy in “The Mental Hospital” instance and became famous in one battle.

Every player who frequented the game forums knew about this NPC cub.

Gu Rong himself didn’t know that, as an NPC, he had garnered many player fans, who even gifted him many points during his livestreams.

There were countless game players. While some aunties loved Zaizai, naturally, some players couldn’t stand this NPC cub.

First of all, not everyone likes children. Even if they’re cute, it won’t evoke any sympathy from them.

Secondly, a two-year-old cub who could barely walk steadily was doing too well in the instance. NPCs and players were not just taking care of him, they were practically being biased.

This caused an imbalance in the hearts of some players. Why should he receive preferential treatment just because of his young and cute appearance?

When did horror games start caring about respecting the elderly and loving the young?!

Because of their prejudice, they couldn’t see Gu Rong’s efforts and strength at all. They would only think that this NPC cub was unworthy of his position.

[In the first instance, this cub just got lucky. His young and cute appearance lowered the players’ guard to the maximum extent. He won’t be so lucky in the next instance.]

[The number of reservations for Mu-shen’s Zaizai-killing livestream has already exceeded 1.5 million. Please look forward to it, hehe~]

[There are countless instances. Can Mu Xingye find this cub in the sea of instances?]

[Don’t underestimate a top 100 ranked player in the entire server. Finding an NPC cub is a piece of cake. Naturally, killing this cub is also a piece of cake. However, Mu-shen likes to take his time, play with them, and torture them enough before killing them. That’s what makes it interesting! [grins]]

[A bunch of perverted psychopaths. Torturing adults doesn’t give you enough stimulation, is that it? Do you have to drag such a young cub into it to torture? Aren’t you afraid of retribution!]

[Hehe, this is the consequence of being unworthy of his position. Just relying on a soft and cute appearance to attract most of the viewers, letting NPCs be biased towards him, and showing off, taking all the benefits, someone is unbalanced, you know? This is a horror game, do you think it’s a parenting channel?]

[Being soft and cute is also something he was born with. Zaizai hasn’t offended anyone. If you don’t love him, please don’t hurt him!]

[Support Mu-shen. I’m following, I’m following. Damn, I hate those who are unworthy of their position the most. Get lost!]

[Seeing this cub’s aunties getting anxious, I’m also anxious, anxious to watch the Zaizai-killing livestream. I can’t wait!]

[Tsk tsk, this cub’s traffic is really something. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he’s a little top streamer, right?]

[The more people follow, the more excited Mu-shen will be. It’ll be more interesting to kill him! A highly anticipated Zaizai-killing livestream. Are you ready? [wink]]

–

The game forum was buzzing with discussion. Hot posts followed one after another. It was lively!

Players who had watched the “Mental Hospital” instance almost lived on the forums, not missing a single discussion post about Zaizai, constantly refreshing the posts, afraid of missing a billion.

Besides Gu Rong, the most discussed person was Lin Xuezhu.

Gu Rong was an NPC and didn’t participate in the player rankings. Lin Xuezhu deservedly became the number one player.

–

As soon as the players left the instance, they entered the game lobby.

Including Lin Xuezhu, a total of six players cleared the instance.

The players emerged from the instance one after another. Because they had cleared the instance without any pain, Zhuang Yu and Shen Hanxiao were relaxed and in a good mood.

When they left the game, Gu Rong and Lin Xuezhu were standing together, and the two of them left first.

At this moment, they were reviewing the instance and waiting for the cub to come out.

Five players had already come out. The last one to come out was the tall, slender, and handsome Lin Xuezhu.

He was no longer dressed in a white coat but in a simple and casual black T-shirt. The short hair that had been combed back was now naturally falling on his forehead, making him look three or four years younger than he had in the instance.

He looked full of youthful energy, completely like a college student, or even a high school student.

Lin Xuezhu was thin and bony, with delicate features and skin so pale it was almost cold white, but his thin lips were as red as blood, creating an extremely strong contrast.

It has to be said, he was so good-looking that it was hard to take your eyes off him.

Everyone was stunned when they saw Lin Xuezhu dressed like this.

Shen Hanxiao poked Zhuang Yu’s arm and whispered, “What did I tell you? Dr. Lin and Father Noah are the same, so good-looking they don’t even look human. It turns out that Dr. Lin, just like that little ghost, was born with good looks.”

Zhuang Yu was also emotional, and then he frowned: “Why hasn’t Rongrong come out yet?”

Shen Hanxiao’s expression also became serious.

Gu Rong was with Lin Xuezhu. Logically, they should have come out together, even if there was a slight delay, Gu Rong should have come out by now.

But Lin Xuezhu had been out for several minutes, and Gu Rong’s little figure was still nowhere to be seen.

Until the system notification sounded, the “Mental Hospital” instance was closed.

The system announced the number of players who cleared the instance and the player rankings in the public livestream chat.

“The ‘Mental Hospital’ instance, number of players who cleared: 6 (Wow, this created the highest clearance rate in the history of the ‘Mental Hospital’ instance. Amazing! Each surviving player has the opportunity to receive a small gift~)”

“Player ranking, first place, Lin Xuezhu, points…”

Zhuang Yu: “…”

Shen Hanxiao: “…”

Everyone: “…”

Why were there 7 players, but in the end, only 6 players cleared the instance?

Because among those seven people, there was also an NPC mixed in.

And now that cub hadn’t left the game with them, hadn’t appeared in the game lobby.

What did this mean?!

The answer was obvious, but everyone didn’t dare to think about it, didn’t dare to believe it.

More importantly, they couldn’t accept that, throughout an entire instance, they hadn’t discovered any clues.

The truth was already in front of them, but everyone fell silent.

The answer was none other than that that cub, that Zaizai, was the NPC who had infiltrated the players!

The Zaizai who had ultimately obtained the keys and helped them clear the instance was actually an NPC disguised as a player?!

“…………”

Everyone’s silence was deafening.

Finally, everyone’s gaze turned to Lin Xuezhu.

Lin Xuezhu’s expression hadn’t changed. He wasn’t surprised at all, which meant he had already known that Gu Rong was an NPC.

Everyone thought that when they learned that Lin Xuezhu was a player, Gu Rong nodded his little head in agreement.

Could it be that the two of them had colluded and acted together?

At this moment, Yang Chunsheng let out a “damn,” and gasped.

Everyone turned to look at him.

Yang Chunsheng saw everyone looking at him and said nervously, “W-why don’t you, you guys also go to the game forum and take a look?”

Everyone: ???

A few moments later…

Everyone let out the same exclamation as Yang Chunsheng: “Damn!!!”

–

The players revisited the “Mental Hospital” instance livestream from the perspective of the audience.

This time, they followed Gu Rong’s perspective.

They didn’t say a word after watching.

Only then did they finally and completely see through the fog, realizing belatedly that their clearance was truly just luck because they hadn’t even figured out the rules of the instance.

They didn’t even know that the devil was the final BOSS and the final stage. If it weren’t for this little cub, they would have ended up wiped out.

They watched Gu Rong scare Yang Chunsheng in the middle of the night, do mid-air aerobics, Jessie proactively hand over the brush and the key, and then take the Eye of Wisdom from Prometheus’ palm…

Only then did they realize that Prometheus’ key was hidden in the eye in his palm.

And the eye on Gu Rong’s little forehead wasn’t Prometheus’ eye, but one he had copied using the copy card.

This little cub had obtained the keys so easily?

Next was Gu Rong and Lin Xuezhu’s strong alliance. Seeing this, the people were silent on the surface, but their hearts were a mix of emotions.

When they saw Gu Rong and Lin Xuezhu split up, one to lure Jessie away and the other to act as a hostage to lead them to the Black Forest, everyone didn’t know how to react.

They saw Gu Rong kick the stillborn fetus away with one kick, easily obtaining the Key of Power.

Then Gu Rong went to the chapel but was captured by the priest, and then rescued by Lin Xuezhu using the stillborn fetus to threaten the nun.

Gu Rong used the copy card to copy the mental hospital, trapping the priest and escaping…

After watching the live stream, everyone was unable to calm down for a long time.

So this instance was so exciting and suspenseful? And all they did was follow a routine of eating and sleeping, going to the chapel for prayers, and reading in the library, and always worrying about how to get to the Black Forest.

OMG, were they just there to make up the numbers?!

Zhuang Yu frowned, his expression serious.

He wasn’t concerned about whether he was embarrassed, but about another matter: “This player named Mu Xingye, ranked in the top 100 in the entire server, seems to have set his sights on Rongrong.”

Shen Hanxiao’s expression was also ugly: “I noticed it too. The problem is, we know, but the little ghost doesn’t, so he can’t even prepare in advance!”

“From the looks of it, this idiot seems to have a way of tracking NPCs?”

“…”

Zhuang Yu was taken aback by Shen Hanxiao’s blunt address, and he said unceremoniously, “Then in the next instance, whichever instance this Mu idiot enters, I’ll enter the same instance. I don’t care about anything else, but if it weren’t for Rongrong in this instance, I’d be dead. No matter what, I can’t just stand by and watch.”

Shen Hanxiao spread his hands: “You can’t, but can I? If it weren’t for the little ghost, I wouldn’t have cleared the instance either! The little ghost is an NPC, but so what? He’s still that little ghost!”

Zhuang Yu deeply agreed.

Rongrong was Rongrong. Whether he was a player or an NPC, he was the little cub they knew, and that wouldn’t change one bit.

As they spoke, the two of them looked at Lin Xuezhu, who was radiating an aura of a “dalao.” (big shot/boss/master)

The dalao was incredibly strong, not someone ordinary people could compare to. Just holding an arm without changing his expression was something ordinary people couldn’t do.

If Lin-dalao could also participate, then this Mu idiot wouldn’t be a threat.

But the said dalao was also radiating an aura of “don’t bother me.” He looked like a loner. The only one who could get him to cooperate was probably that cub.

Shen Hanxiao, with a flattering tone, said with a smile, “Dr. Lin, what are your plans for the next instance?”

Lin Xuezhu wasn’t corrected when he was called “Dr. Lin,” and his tone was light, his attitude ambiguous: “We’ll see.”

The two of them: “…”

It seemed that the dalao didn’t intend to get involved in this matter.

Not necessarily.

But since Lin Xuezhu didn’t state his position, they still had to rely on themselves.

The two sighed and decided to go and keep an eye on that Mu idiot first. No matter which instance Mu Xingye entered, they would enter the same instance.

At this moment, they had the same idea as the three NPCs. At critical moments, they could take turns being cannon fodder.

Shen Hanxiao suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up: “I got it, I’ll go find my senior brother to help!”

Zhuang Yu: “Your senior brother?”

He remembered, “Hanxiao Jiuquan’s Jiuquan?” (T/N: Jiuquan is a city and can also mean ‘underworld’.)

Shen Hanxiao was quite proud when he mentioned his senior brother, and he raised his chin slightly: “Yes, it’s my senior brother Zhao Jiuquan! My senior brother is someone who would rather use his fists than his mouth!”

Rather use his fists than his mouth? Then he must be quite strong!

Seeing Shen Hanxiao’s confident appearance, Zhuang Yu also felt relieved.

Shen Hanxiao: “Mainly, more people mean more cannon fodder.”

Zhuang Yu: “…”

Shen Hanxiao: “Hahaha, just kidding. With my senior brother here, even if the two of us become cannon fodder, he can still collect our corpses, right? Besides, I cleared the instance thanks to the little ghost, so I owe the little ghost a life. And my senior brother owes me a favor, so, no need to feel any psychological burden.”

Zhuang Yu: “…Just don’t feel any psychological burden yourself.”

–

At the same time, Gu Rong also left the game.

He didn’t return to the real world immediately but returned to the game’s virtual space.

006 had already quickly flipped through the posts on the game forum. Seeing players praising the little host, he nodded with a smile. Seeing that some players were waiting for the next instance to torture the little host, he sneered disdainfully.

Not to mention anything else, the Eye of Wisdom could petrify the opponent in minutes. He wasn’t afraid at all.

Besides, the little host wasn’t a pushover!

That being said, 006 still couldn’t help but remind Gu Rong: [Little host, you’ve become a hit on the game forum, becoming a little top streamer in the infinite world.]

[But there’s a psychopathic player named Mu Xingye who seems to have set his sights on the little host. He wants to catch the little host in the next instance. We need to be careful!]

Gu Rong was eating a lollipop. Hearing this, he tilted his little head, not really caring, and said in a babyish voice: [Why does he want to catch Zaizai?]

006 was afraid of scaring Gu Rong’s young heart, so he said vaguely: [Probably to mooch off your popularity. After all, the little host is popular now. Any livestream with the little host in it will receive gifts from viewers without discrimination!]

It searched the game forum for posts about Mu Xingye, extracted important information, and told Gu Rong.

[Mu Xingye, ranked 99th in the entire server…]

006: …

Uh, well, 99 is still in the top 100, no problem.

This Mu Xingye was known for his cruel torture of NPCs. Based on strength alone, he wasn’t qualified to enter the top 100 in the entire server. But this person was vicious and cunning. In the recently cleared instance called “Museum of Oddities,” he backstabbed an old player who had been helping him clear the instance, taking the other player’s items and experience points, which allowed him to enter the top 100 in one fell swoop.

Players were forbidden from killing each other, but they could use others as tools.

That old player was ranked 149th in the entire server. He trusted Mu Xingye completely, who had been acting subservient and flattering him. In the end, he became part of the museum exhibits.

“Museum of Oddities” made Mu Xingye famous. The game forum had the entire process of the “Museum of Oddities” livestream, and some particularly disturbing images were widely circulated. It was not suitable for children, so 006 only glanced at them briefly and didn’t show them to Gu Rong.

Gu Rong had to strictly abide by the 18+ restriction. In his eyes, these kinds of images and videos would be completely mosaic-ed.

In conclusion, any NPC targeted by Mu Xingye would be killed. Of course, he wouldn’t target NPCs he didn’t have the confidence to kill.

Gu Rong was a two-year-old cub, had a lot of traffic, and looked really weak and pitiful like he couldn’t do anything but eat.

It wasn’t surprising that Mu Xingye had set his sights on Gu Rong.

Gu Rong ka-beng crushed a piece of the lollipop, and nodded his little head, not knowing if he was listening to 006 seriously. It seemed that apart from eating… he didn’t care about anything else.

006: […]

Gu Rong raised a little foot, that little foot looked like a cute mini-French baguette: [If a bad guy catches Zaizai, Zaizai will kick him away!]

006: [Yes, that’s right, kick him away!]

Gu Rong demonstrated on the spot, making a kicking motion with his little foot, indicating that he knew how.

006 smiled with relief: [Little host, should we go back to the real world now to get your things?]

Gu Rong nodded his little head: [Okay, okay!]

He crossed his little arms and dadada-ed forward, like a little penguin, or a little old man.

006 thought the cub was really cute. How could anyone have the heart to torture such a cute cub? It was simply insane.

–

It was late at night in the real world.

No wonder the cub was so eager to get his belongings. As soon as he returned, he saw a bad zombie stealing from his home, holding his blue Ultraman little backpack.

That was the little backpack his Daddy and Mommy had bought for him before the apocalypse.

Besides the little backpack, Gu Rong also had a small, patched-up bundle that he had found while scavenging for scraps.

At this moment, the small bundle was pathetically thrown into a corner, covered in dust.

Besides the small bundle and the little backpack, all his other belongings had been damaged. Even the big bowl Gu Rong used to eat had been smashed.

Gu Rong was furious, his little face fierce. Without a word, he used the [Hanged Little Ghost] identity card, flew over, punched the zombie in the head with his little fist, knocking its head off, and snatched back his little backpack.

Gu Rong went over and picked up the small bundle. Fortunately, the small bundle was only covered in dust and hadn’t been damaged.

Gu Rong stomped his little feet on the ground. If this zombie’s head hadn’t already been knocked off, making it as dead as could be, he would have wanted to go up and stomp on it a few more times!

006: […]

The patches on the small bundle had been sewn on by Grandpa Ming, who had asked someone else to help because Grandpa Ming didn’t know how to sew either.

At that time, Gu Rong was still a crybaby cub, crying wawawa.

Grandpa Ming was annoyed and didn’t know what to do: “Damn dead kid, stop crying!”

Probably because he thought Gu Rong was too noisy, his little body was even shaking from crying, looking like he might cry himself to death at any moment. Grandpa Ming tried to sew the small bundle himself, but the more he sewed, the worse it looked.

Gu Rong cried even louder, even hiccupping from crying.

Grandpa Ming had poor patience and a bad temper. He was old and didn’t like noise.

Having such a cub, his head hurt from his crying. He could only find someone to mend it, spending all the few blood bags he had left.

The patch was even carefully sewn into the shape of a little red flower. Gu Rong carried the little bundle on his back, finally stopped crying, and hopped and skipped as he walked.

His two little arms even swung back and forth, very cute.

Seeing a big zombie, Gu Rong would deng deng deng run back, hug Grandpa Ming’s leg, hide behind him, and only peek out his fluffy little head.

Grandpa Ming, seeing the cub using him as a shield, said, “Annoying.”

But he’d shift his body slightly, blocking the cub completely, and even pat his fluffy head.

Grandpa Ming wasn’t a good-tempered grandpa, and he even had a strange temper.

Later, Grandpa Ming was bitten by a mutant and was dying.

Gu Rong threw himself on Grandpa’s body, crying sadly, “Grandpa no die! Grandpa no die!”

Grandpa Ming patted his head, looking at the lonely little cub, his eyes moist: “Child, Grandpa was too harsh on you before. Grandpa is a bad grandpa.”

Gu Rong shook his head, hiccupping from crying: “Grandpa good, good grandpa!”

Grandpa Ming became fierce again: “I said bad, so bad!”

After saying that, he started coughing uncontrollably. Perhaps he was angry, and he coughed up blood.

Not angry with Gu Rong, but angry with himself.

He was so useless, bitten by a mutant, and now he was going to die.

From now on, only the little cub would be left alone.

Gu Rong’s little face was pale with fright, hiccupping as he nodded: “Bad, bad grandpa!”

Grandpa Ming thought that he should be more fierce. This way, this child might not be so sad because of his death.

But Gu Rong threw himself into his arms, crying wawawa: “Rongrong likes bad grandpa!”

“…”

Grandpa Ming was stunned, and tears welled up in his cloudy eyes.

Gu Rong’s little voice was choked with sobs: “Bad grandpa no die, bad grandpa no die, wuwuwu…”

But in the end, Grandpa Ming still died.

–

The past came flooding back.

Gu Rong’s little voice was low: [Grandpa Ming died. Will Rongrong be able to see Grandpa Ming if Rongrong doesn’t die?]

006: […Yes, you can.]

Gu Rong hmmed, put on his little backpack, and treasured the small bundle, putting it into the system backpack.

Gu Rong had no concept of death, but he knew that when someone died, he would never see them again.

Just like when Grandpa Ming died, he didn’t know where to find Grandpa Ming.

Although the cub didn’t understand the concept of death, he seemed to have a special ability to distinguish.

For example, Grandpa Ming also said “die, die” usually, but he wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t afraid when he himself was hanged in “The Mental Hospital” instance. He wasn’t afraid when Lord Devil said the three NPCs were dead.

Death had to be visualized in front of him for him to be afraid.

Grandpa Ming died in front of him, and he cried so sadly.

006 was about to say a few words to comfort the little host.

The next second, Gu Rong raised his little head, his eyes sparkling, alert: [No good, humans are coming. Zaizai, run!]

Human flashlights were moving towards the bridge not far away.

006: [?]

The little host isn’t afraid of the devil, but he’s afraid of mere humans?

006 said: [Little host, don’t be anxious, don’t panic. Humans are no match for us. Besides, we have the Eye of Wisdom. There’s no need to be afraid!]

Gu Rong said: [Grandpa Ming said that once humans see Zaizai, they’ll catch Zaizai to study because Zaizai is different from other zombies!]

006: [Little host is different from other zombies?]

[Yes!]

Gu Rong nodded, and patted himself: [Other zombies ugly, Rongrong cute!]

006: […]

The little host is really good at praising himself.

However, the little host was indeed different from the generally ugly and ferocious zombie image. He was fair and tender. At first glance, he looked like a human cub with extremely high looks, completely different from ordinary zombies.

The reason why humans would catch the little host to study him was also for this reason. He was clearly a little zombie cub, but he didn’t look like a zombie at all. They would definitely want to catch him and study him.

–

There was no Grandpa Ming in the real world. Gu Rong remembered to work hard to earn points and soon returned to the game’s virtual space.

006 said: [Little host, before entering the next instance, do you want to rest for two days?]

Gu Rong looked at the empty virtual space and said crisply: [Rongrong go find Big Brother, Little Brother, and Doctor Uncle!]

He thought that if he entered the instance, he could see Zhuang Yu and the others again. He didn’t know that he was an NPC, and the others were players, and there were countless instances. The possibility of entering the same instance again was very, very small.

Unless they used a tracking item, but this kind of item was only available to players ranked in the top 100 in the entire server. Zhuang Yu, and Shen Hanxiao, including Lin Xuezhu, were all new players, not even on the rankings, let alone in the top 100.

Except for Lin Xuezhu appearing on the Rising Star List, but the instance’s limelight was stolen by Gu Rong, and his fame didn’t spread.

006 didn’t say that they might never see Big Brother and the others again, afraid of discouraging the little host: [Then what instance should we choose? Or should we just close our eyes and choose one?]

Gu Rong was generally round, his hair dark and soft. He also had a little backpack on his back, overall looking like a little gas tank.

The cub nodded, actually closed his eyes, and pointed his little hand at the void in front of him, randomly choosing an instance.

The card’s background was a deep blue sea, unfathomable. On the surface of the sea was an ancient warship, and below the deep, cold surface of the sea were colorful and beautiful flowers, surrounding various ferocious and terrifying undead…

Then, the two words “Terror Cruise” appeared.