Huh?

Why can’t I suck anything up!

Gu Rong held the silver straw in his little hand, examining it from every angle. Before he could figure it out, he made eye contact with the male player, who was staring at him with a baffled expression.

He looked at Gu Rong, then at the straw in his hand.

The male player: “…”

Did he just try to stab his head with a straw?

He touched the spot where he’d been poked. It didn’t hurt, it was just very strange. Why would he stab his head with a straw for no reason?

Was his head made of milk?

Zhuang Yu had seen the whole thing. His right hand involuntarily trembled.

He’d been right that the concentric circle mark on the back of his hand wasn’t an illusion. From the looks of it, this little cub had probably poked him with the straw.

What was this little cub trying to do?

Something wasn’t right, something was completely off.

But he couldn’t put his finger on what exactly was wrong.

Not only were Zhuang Yu and the player who’d been poked in the head confused, but the live stream viewers were also completely bewildered.

Earlier, Gu Rong had poked Zhuang Yu’s hand with the straw, then tried to poke Lin Xuezhu’s hand. This was the third time, and it was getting more and more confusing.

[Wait, does anyone understand what’s going on?]

[I don’t get it, I don’t get it at all]

[Is there anyone who understands baby talk and can translate?]

[Hahaha, damn, I think this little cub thinks the players’ heads are milk or coconuts or something. Is he delirious from hunger? [Gifts points]]

[You know what, you might be right. I was wondering what his smooth move reminded me of. Good grief, isn’t it just like stabbing a milk carton?]

[Milk, coconuts, hahahahahaha, you’re killing me! [Gifts points]]

[Do you guys really think he wants to drink milk? Don’t forget, no matter how soft and cute this cub looks, he’s still an NPC in a horror game!]

[…What a way to put it, “milk”! Are you trying to coax kids here!]

—Spoilers are only visible to the audience—

The player who got poked in the head: “…”

Okay, enough!

He was starting to feel like his head wasn’t a head, but this cub’s beverage.

But, just because he got poked in the head, he was getting points as gifts? Was it that funny?

This player’s name was Shen Hanxiao. He was sixteen years old, a minor, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, red lips, and white teeth – a feminine-looking boy. He wasn’t very tall, but his features were extremely beautiful.

Shen Hanxiao straightened up, put his hands under Gu Rong’s little body, and lifted him up, looking at him fiercely.

Gu Rong, unsuccessful in his attempt to suck blood, was instead caught. His little face was bewildered as he looked at this little brother.

The little hand holding the straw was quickly hidden behind his back, afraid of having the evidence seen.

Shen Hanxiao: “…”

Oh, so now you’re scared? Why weren’t you scared when you were stabbing my head earlier?

Shen Hanxiao looked at this adorable cub and wasn’t angry, just curious.

“Hey, little imp, what were you doing stabbing my head with that broken tube?” He gestured to his head. “Is my head something good to drink?”

Gu Rong, being held in mid-air, actually looked his head over carefully, nodded, then shook his head, and said honestly, “Dunno.”

He hadn’t drunk human blood before, so he didn’t know if this kind of human blood was good or not.

Shen Hanxiao: “…”

Damn, he actually dared to nod, and he even dared to say he didn’t know.

But, that little baby voice was just too cute.

Shen Hanxiao was a sucker for fluffy things. He didn’t usually like kids, but this kid was soft, chubby, and incredibly cute, almost like a fluffy pet.

He suddenly felt the urge to tease the child: “Little imp, your big brother here eats little kids for a living. I could eat one of you in a single bite.”

Gu Rong had seen many mutants in the apocalypse. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen people eating people with his own eyes. He heard Shen Hanxiao say he ate children for a living, and he was a child.

He struggled to get down, his little voice urgent: “Don’t eat Rongrong, don’t eat Rongrong!”

Zhuang Yu couldn’t stand it anymore. He walked over, snatched Gu Rong away, and held him in his arms.

He was half a head taller than Shen Hanxiao, and he glared at him coldly.

Gu Rong was a quick-witted one. As soon as Zhuang Yu picked him up, he immediately wrapped his soft little arms around Zhuang Yu’s neck.

Shen Hanxiao innocently spread his hands and grinned: “Don’t be nervous, just kidding.”

[Shen Hanxiao wants to eat the cub, Shen is bad. Zhuang Yu protects the cub, Zhuang is good.]

[Shen Hanxiao is such a dog. The cub is so cute, how could you eat the cub? Cub, come to Auntie’s mouth, ah!]

[LOL, it’s the first time I’ve seen players almost come to blows over an NPC, and the key is they don’t even know it.]

—Spoilers are only visible to the audience—

With the little interlude of Gu Rong stabbing heads with a straw, the previous tense atmosphere had dissipated.

The patient NPCs in the dining hall had all looked away and were focusing on eating their meals, no longer staring at the players with their creepy gazes.

The players breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhuang Yu held Gu Rong, chose a seat, and sat him down. He looked at the number on his wristband: “3416… Kid, what’s your name?”

The number displayed on Zhuang Yu’s wristband was 3415, one number before Gu Rong’s.

Gu Rong obediently let him check his wristband and said in a clear voice, “My name is Gu Rong, Big Brother.”

Zhuang Yu smiled when he heard him call him Big Brother: “Then can Big Brother call you Rongrong?”

Gu Rong nodded his little head: “Uh-huh, zaizai is called Rongrong.”

He was called zaizai, and he was also called Rongrong.

Zhuang Yu smiled: “Rongrong, you sit here, and I’ll go get some food.”

Gu Rong patted his little tummy: “Rongrong go!”

He meant that Rongrong wanted to go too.

Zhuang Yu said, “You watch our seats, don’t let anyone else take them.”

Gu Rong was an obedient cub. He immediately wrapped his short little arms around the table: “Rongrong watch seats.”

Zhuang Yu thought he was incredibly cute, smiled, and turned to go get food.

Shen Hanxiao was sitting in the seat next to them. He had already quickly gotten a bowl of porridge and a few steamed buns, and a bottle of milk.

He poked Gu Rong with his index finger: “Little imp, how old are you? Are you weaned yet?”

Gu Rong saw the child-eater coming, his little face paled, and he hugged his little arms, moving backward, not answering, trying his best to distance himself from him.

Shen Hanxiao raised an eyebrow and poked his soft little body again.

Gu Rong sat on the seat, his little feet dangling, his bottom moving further back, away from Shen Hanxiao.

Shen Hanxiao thought this kid was really fun and was about to poke him again when Zhuang Yu returned with the food.

Gu Rong immediately hugged Zhuang Yu’s leg, finally regaining some courage. He turned his head and stuck his tongue out at Shen Hanxiao, making a face: “Don’t eat Rongrong!”

Shen Hanxiao: “…”

Damn, he even knew how to stick out his tongue and make a face.

This cub was so human-like… ahem, he was just small, not stupid.

Gu Rong, after all, had survived in the collapsed civilization of the apocalypse. Sticking out one’s tongue was nothing.

It could be said that his ability to politely thank people and address them properly was already top-tier manners in the apocalypse.

Shen Hanxiao handed the milk over: “Little imp, didn’t you want to drink milk? Big Brother will treat you to milk.”

Zhuang Yu had also gotten milk and was about to say it wasn’t necessary, the child was still small and couldn’t drink that much.

But before he could get the words out, Gu Rong had already taken the milk with both hands, instantly changing his expression, and saying obediently, “Thank you, Little Brother.”

Zhuang Yu: “…”

Shen Hanxiao: “…”

Shen Hanxiao was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, pounding the table.

He instantly attracted the gazes of dozens of patient NPCs.

Shen Hanxiao forced himself to stop laughing: “Sorry, sorry, fellow patients. I’m a bit crazy, that’s why I was admitted.”

The patient NPCs: “…”

Shen Hanxiao wasn’t polite at all; he sat down directly across from Gu Rong and Zhuang Yu, at the same table.

Zhuang Yu glared at him.

Shen Hanxiao, completely shameless, ruffled Gu Rong’s little slicked-back hair. He’d been bought off with a single bottle of milk; this kid was easy to please.

Gu Rong swung his little legs, holding the milk with both hands and drinking it, his little face full of joy.

In the apocalypse, you couldn’t get milk. It was a good thing if you could scrounge up a nutrient solution every ten days or half a month.

But Gu Rong was naturally good-looking. After becoming a little zombie, his body’s stats increased, and his looks doubled. He also had a round head and face, chubby, with arms and legs like plump, white, and tender lotus roots.

Even though he was often hungry, this little zombie cub was still raised to be so fair and tender, which had something to do with his naturally good genes.

Although he was plump, he wasn’t fat overall.

006 said: [Little host, a new task has arrived. Please accept the new task.]

[Task: Randomly scare a player before midnight tonight.]

[Success Reward: 50,000 points.]

[Failure Penalty: None.]

Gu Rong: [Rawr!]

006: […]

Alright, he’s getting the hang of it.

The first two tasks had no failure penalties. This was considered a newbie benefit for Gu Rong, something 006 had worked hard to get for him. If it had been anyone else, anyone not this cute, they wouldn’t have gotten such a good deal.

Gu Rong quickly finished his milk and looked at Zhuang Yu’s food with bright eyes.

The cafeteria food was actually pretty good, appealing in color, aroma, and taste.

But there was one strange thing: it was all vegetarian, with no meat in sight.

Shen Hanxiao had gotten buns and porridge, and Zhuang Yu had gotten rice with stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, an egg custard, and a fruit salad.

Milk and eggs were the only two foods that had anything to do with meat.

Shen Hanxiao took a bite of his bun and frowned: “Ugh, why is even the bun filled with vegetables? Does this hospital promote vegetarianism?”

Zhuang Yu put a little bit of everything onto another plate and placed it in front of Gu Rong.

Gu Rong picked up his spoon and started eating on his own. Even though it was all vegetarian, the little cub, because he couldn’t afford to eat his “staple food,” had long since switched to a vegetarian diet and wasn’t picky. He still ate with gusto.

Shen Hanxiao smiled: “Should we buy this little imp a bib from the system store?”

Zhuang Yu was a new player, but because Gu Rong had been on screen earlier, he’d received quite a few points as gifts… Naturally, Zhuang Yu thought it was because of his good looks, but regardless, he had more than enough to buy a bib.

Zhuang Yu bought a bib with a little strawberry pattern on it, very cute.

He tied it around Gu Rong’s neck.

Shen Hanxiao burst out laughing again: “Hahahaha, damn, why doesn’t this little imp have a neck?”

Gu Rong tried to stretch his neck out: “Zaizai has a neck!”

Shen Hanxiao measured with his hand. It was a short two centimeters, practically nonexistent. Because Gu Rong’s little face was so chubby, it made him look even more neckless.

Zhuang Yu, more understanding, chuckled and said, “Rongrong is still little. His neck hasn’t grown in yet.”

Children’s necks are usually short, and they grow longer with age. At first, it’s practically like they don’t have one.

But Gu Rong was indignant. He crossed his little arms and said, “Zaizai’s neck is here! You can’t even see this? Big dummy!”

Shen Hanxiao: “…”

Zhuang Yu: “…”

This time, it was Zhuang Yu’s turn to burst out laughing. He immediately attracted the attention of many patient NPCs, and even the other players kept glancing over.

What was going on? They were in an instance, their lives were on the line, and they were still so boisterous?

What was so funny?!

Zhuang Yu pointed at Shen Hanxiao and explained to everyone, “Sorry, his mental illness is contagious. I’m afraid I’m starting to get it too.”

Shen Hanxiao: “…Damn.”

Everyone: “…”

Gu Rong, with the little bib tied around his neck, finished all the food on his plate. He patted his little tummy and said, “Tummy not full!”

Zhuang Yu and Shen Hanxiao were both surprised by Gu Rong’s appetite. This little radish head had quite an appetite!

Zhuang Yu got Gu Rong another bowl of porridge, and Shen Hanxiao gave him a bun.

Gu Rong’s baby teeth weren’t fast, but he ate with great relish. Without realizing it, Shen Hanxiao and Zhuang Yu put down their chopsticks and focused on watching this little cub eat.

Gu Rong finished the porridge and the bun, and then patted his little tummy again: “Tummy not full.”

Zhuang Yu: “…”

Shen Hanxiao: “…”

Wasn’t he eating a bit too much? Were they sure he wouldn’t get sick?!

[Small, pitiful, but can eat.jpg]

[The cub is just eating a little bit more, don’t make such a fuss!]

[Is the little cub not getting enough to eat normally? Poor baby, even this bland food tastes so good to him! [Gifts points]]

[Seriously, I’m telling you, why are you gifting points to the players because you like this cub? No matter how much you gift, it won’t go into this cub’s pocket. You’re just benefiting the players for no reason.]

[How is it for no reason? NPCs don’t have livestreams. If we don’t mooch off the players’ livestreams, how can we see the cub? Just for letting me see the cub, I have to gift at least one [Gifts points]]

[That’s right, that’s right [Gifts points]]

—Spoilers are only visible to the audience—

Zhuang Yu and Shen Hanxiao both received a lot of gifts.

The two of them looked at each other.

Yep, looks. It had to be because of their looks.

“Ah—”

Just then, a male player screamed and started to struggle in pain. He knocked over the table, chairs, and food, and finally convulsed on the ground.

He clutched his own throat, seeming to be in extreme pain. His face was purple and bloated, his eyes rolled back, and he couldn’t speak, only making gasping and choking sounds.

The wristband on his wrist, the number was 3410.

Everyone was shocked and didn’t dare to approach. Zhuang Yu, quick-witted, picked up Gu Rong.

The player struggled in pain for a while, then suddenly, “rip—tear,” accompanied by the sound of tearing skin, several writhing, coiling tentacles burst out of the orifices of his face.

Mouth, face, eyes, and head, all sprouted octopus tentacles.

These octopus’ tentacles were all alive, coiling in the air like twisting, dancing little snakes.

The male player lay still on the ground, clearly dead. And at his feet, several takoyaki had rolled out.

And the wristband on his wrist, in an instant, changed from pale purple to pale blue, and then quickly dimmed, turning gray.

“…”

Seeing this, everyone was horrified.

They all looked at the wristbands on their own wrists. Seeing that they were still emitting a pale purple light, they breathed a sigh of relief.

Did it mean that when a player died, the wristband would turn gray?

The colors of the player and NPC wristbands were also different. The players were pale purple, and the NPCs were pale blue.

Just now, the 3410 player’s wristband color had first changed from pale purple to the NPC’s pale blue and then turned gray.

This meant that before he died, he first transformed into an NPC, and then died instantly.

The players’ faces were pale, and some of the more timid ones even started to cry.

They carefully examined the food in front of them.

Okay, okay, none of them had eaten takoyaki. But, was the other food safe?

Today it was takoyaki, tomorrow it could be another food.

No!

The entire dining hall was vegetarian. Where did the takoyaki come from?

The dead male player had become a breeding ground for the octopus. The octopus tentacles quickly absorbed nutrients from the player’s body, becoming more and more plump and vibrant, as if they were full of fresh blood, waving and writhing even more vigorously.

The others were terrified, and some players immediately tried to induce vomiting.

Gu Rong, however, had a bewildered little face, unable to see anything clearly.

His vision was completely filled with mosaics, and the mosaic pattern was actually a chibi version of Ultraman.

Even though Gu Rong was an NPC, he was still a child, and he had to strictly adhere to the 18+ restrictions.

Gu Rong pointed with his little finger: “Ultraman!”

Zhuang Yu didn’t hear clearly: “What?”

At this moment, the huge dining hall suddenly fell silent.

At the entrance of the dining hall, the black figure of Sister Ishmael appeared.

Behind her were Lin Xuezhu and Jessie.