Fortunately, Wen Shi’s choice this time was useful.
The notification tone is finally no longer the same old rejection tone.
"The secret competition between the bride and the earl makes every crimson night in the castle surge with undercurrents. No one knows that there is another force hidden under this undercurrent. They are monsters that survive in the cracks. The owner of the castle treats them as cockroaches and will step on them to death whenever he sees them. The bride treats them as food, drawing energy from them to become stronger."
"In order to survive, the monsters have to work together to keep the bride in check."
"Welcome to the Monster Alliance. Although they are the only ones who welcome you, you are a favorite in the eyes of monsters!"
"The main quest has been updated, please check it out."
Wen Shi opened the panel and saw the new main task.
[main mission:
Monster Alliance's Counterattack (Choose one to complete)
Optional counterattack goal 1: Revenge at the bottom of the food chain (seal or kill the real bride within seven days)
Optional counterattack target 2: Battle for the picture frame (they want to live in the picture frame belonging to the real bride and obtain the identity of the "work")
The owner of the castle will not destroy his own work, and the monster's safety will be guaranteed from now on.
Mission Reward: Monster's Blessing
Tip: After completing any goal, the monster will tell you a secret passage to help the player leave the castle.]
bless.
When Wen Shi saw these two words now, it was like seeing the word lucky, and his eyebrows jumped.
He glanced at the owner of the castle calmly.
The monster wanted to get rid of the real bride once and for all, but he didn't dare to kill the owner of the castle, which shows that the latter's power is stronger than expected.
“What a hassle.”
Who would consider a cockroach in their home as a work of art? It is definitely impossible to get the owner of the castle to voluntarily agree to let the monster enter the frame. These two counterattack goals mean that they stand on the opposite side of the castle owner and the real bride at the same time.
The first thing Wen Shi considered was how to get the picture frame.
Three ways: rob, steal, and cheat.
The first one is simply seeking death, and the second one only gives you one chance, and if you hit it, you will definitely die.
Then the only thing left is lying.
But how to get away with it after cheating is also a problem.
When Wen Shi tried to sort out the logic, the owner of the castle had already put down his knife and fork.
"It smells better and better." The food brought by the guards was not to the castle owner's taste, so he was not praising the steak on the plate this morning.
Wen Shi raised his head and saw the undisguised desire to eat in those eyes. He realized that the reason why the castle owner refused his help was probably not only because the real bride disliked him, but also because the other party must have another desire hidden in his heart: to kill him.
A normal player would be scared out of his wits if targeted by such a powerful boss.
Wen Shi was very calm, because there were more troublesome zombies to deal with. This was a time bomb. If the owner of the castle wanted to kill him, he had to follow the rules, but the zombies didn't, and they could stab him in the back anytime and anywhere.
He continued to eat slowly, then frowned.
When the castle owner said "fragrant", he meant the soul. When the prompt said that he was a favorite in the eyes of monsters, what did he mean? Wen Shi didn't think it was a good evaluation. He was sure that when an NPC described you as fragrant, it basically meant one fact: the other party wanted to kill you.
After dinner, Wen Shi went to the study.
The fluffy curtains moved and he felt the wind passing by. He guessed it was Xie Tangyan.
"What are you worried about?" Xie Tangyan could see that he was worried.
Wen Shi explained the situation of the camp in detail: "The picture frame and the bride are the first things that the monsters need to deal with, but now they seem to regard me as their prey."
He particularly emphasized the discomfort that the word "fragrance" brought to him.
Xie Tangyan pondered for a moment and asked, "Could it be that this fragrance is not describing you?"
"Um?"
"According to our previous speculation, the owner of this place suddenly described you as 'fragrant' after I appeared. The monsters might be the same," Xie Tangyan said. "Think carefully, when did they become interested in you?"
Wen Shi had only dealt with monsters a few times, except for the first day, when it was just a normal chase.
He was silent for a long time, not knowing what he was thinking about, when suddenly his eyes lit up: "Sister, you are such a genius! It's a wandering corpse."
If you peel off the outer shell of the dungeon's story background and look at it from a more realistic perspective, you will find that there is no love element at all in this dungeon.
Peng Lu said that NPCs can be divided into six categories: Yin creatures, ordinary monsters, high-level demons, evil creatures, evil spirits, and true spirits. The True Bride is far superior to ordinary evil creatures. If it is given some more time, it may evolve into an evil spirit.
The true spirit is in touch with gods, and the count certainly cannot reach the level of a true spirit, so he is an evil spirit.
If the True Bride evolves into an evil spirit, she will most likely replace the Count as the boss of this dungeon.
The mission mentioned that the True Bride can gain power by devouring monsters, and monsters can definitely devour something to evolve.
Zombies are high-level demons and can restrain monsters in principle, but these monsters are obviously not good people. They can even restrain the real bride to a certain extent by banding together, and it would be easy for them to devour the zombies.
To put it bluntly, this is a food chain story in which big fish eat small fish and ants band together to devour elephants.
The game acts as a mediator, imposing restrictions on all parties while providing opportunities for the conflict to proceed in a relatively mild manner.
Xie Tangyan saw the problem very clearly. After he finished his analysis, he said, "Then you can cultivate the wandering corpses well. They will surely have great potential in the future."
If this speculation is true, the gap between monsters, high-level demons and evil creatures is not that big. As long as there are enough of them or they have powerful weapons, they will be able to defeat the strong.
Wen Shi nodded: "Even if the real bride doesn't like me, she won't dislike our common interests."
The monsters gathering together was an invisible threat to the real bride, and she would ruthlessly destroy them if she had the chance. He could take this opportunity to solve the hidden danger of the zombies going berserk at any time while sleeping.
"I need to talk to the real bride."
Xie Tangyan took out a book called "Negotiation Skills" from the bookshelf and gave it to him.
Wen Shi took it, and took a book called "Self-cultivation of Actors" and quickly flipped through it. Without warning, he widened his eyes and said, "Come on, your eyes are scarlet."
Xie Tangyan: “…”
"Come on, let the veins pop out." The veins on his temples twitched in coordination.
"The last step, the stubborn look of someone who would rather die than surrender."
Unintentionally seeing Xie Tangyan's expression, Wen Shi said thoughtfully: "Sister, you look like you are looking at a mentally retarded person."
Xie Tangyan turned her head away, avoiding his gaze for the first time, and denied, "You must have seen it wrong."
Wen Shi practiced some facial expressions that might be used.
"I have other plans tonight."
The implication is that one should act alone.
Xie Tangyan did not stop him, but nodded and said, "When you can't hold on any longer, shout for help."
Wen Shi nodded solemnly and went to the studio alone.
In the quiet studio, he sat down and took a few seconds to relax, then picked up the silver needle pen beside him and began to paint on the drawing board to pass the time.
Wen Shi's painting style is very abstract, with chaotic lines, sometimes heavy and sometimes large shadows. However, the distorted monsters he draws are vivid and lifelike.
By the time the images of the monsters appeared on the paper, it was already dark.
It is a consensus among players that night is a playground for monsters.
Seeing that the time was almost up, he began to speak to the air in the studio: "I know you are here, you are nostalgic, but you just don't want to come out to see me."
Wen Shi used the clue given by the prompt tone without changing his expression.
"The monsters have formed a group. I can help you solve the hidden dangers."
The candle went out.
The temperature in the studio began to drop drastically. Wen Shi took out a small lantern. In the darkness he looked like a target.
There was no movement in the studio for a long time, as if time had stood still.
The smell of blood blew to Wen Shi's nose, and the first thing he felt was murderous intent. He was relieved instead, because things would be much easier if the real bride was willing to show up.
Wen Shi explained the reason for the cooperation: "The corpse I took away last time was refined into a zombie by me. The monster wants to devour him, which is not good for me. If we cooperate, it will be a win-win situation."
Peng Lu was killed by the real bride herself, and she witnessed the scene.
Wen Shi became more and more excited as he spoke, and finally he almost danced around describing the entire plan, and then asked, "How?"
He was certain that the real bride would agree, and failure would not affect her in any way.
A cold wind blew, and the drawing paper turned the pages automatically and strangely, and a bloody red word appeared on the paper: OK.
After getting the answer he wanted, Wen Shi stood up and walked out.
The lights in the corridor were as dim as ever.
When Wen Shi walked into the dining room, chaotic black shadows appeared on the wall, and distorted human faces gradually "floated" out of the wall.
In the dim light, Wen Shi tried his best to focus on the eyebrows of the distorted human face. Every monster has an organ that is particularly beautiful, and this human face with eyebrows like distant mountains is much more comfortable to look at than the overall abominable face.
In the same camp, the monster showed up on its own initiative and did not kill him directly like it did on the first night.
"Aaron—" The cold walls are the monsters' nests. Except for the fact that they dare not go near the underground studio due to fear of the real bride, they will roam every corner of the castle at night.
"Aaron, this is William."
[William: One of Aaron's friends. Not long ago, after a party, you went to the gallery together and met the owner of the castle. You were invited as a psychiatrist, and William was invited to attend the wedding.]
"Aaron, I'm in so much pain, help me, I don't want to die."
[Kady: One of Aaron’s friends. Not long ago, after a party, you went to visit the gallery together and met the owner of the castle. Katy was invited to attend the wedding.]
“Save us.”
[Catherine: One of Aaron’s friends.]
Most people who died in the castle would turn into monsters, and they were no exception.
"Aaron, come with us. There is a secret passage in the castle that leads to the attic."
The voice was intermittent, trying to convey the message to him.
“We’re going to live in the frame.”
“Don’t be stepped on like a cockroach.”
Wen Shi hesitated: "But you wanted to kill me before."
"Dear Aaron, we are controlled by the devil, and each time we are awake, we are only awake for a short time."
Good man, you're acting opposite him, right
"So that's how it is." Wen Shi swallowed and asked cautiously, "Then, is there really a secret passage?"
"Of course. If we wanted to kill you, we would have done it a long time ago. Aaron, save us."
Wen Shi paused strategically for three seconds.
The monster threw down the biggest chip: "If you want to leave here, you can't do without our help."
Wen Shi pretended to hesitate and nodded, "Okay, take me to the secret passage, I will try to steal the picture frame and give it to you."
There are almost no lights on the three floors upstairs at night.
Wen Shi stood in the middle of the aisle holding a lantern, but the limited light could not illuminate the way ahead. The color of the wall had changed, and the stone wall seemed to be covered with a thick layer of powder. Wen Shi could vaguely smell the smell of rotting meat, and when he looked at the wall again, it looked like a swollen corpse, thin and swollen.
He followed the monsters to the study and took down all the books in the row of "Beauty and the Beast" according to their instructions. As the last book was taken down, the weight was reduced and the bookshelves moved automatically to both sides, revealing a secret passage behind the wall.
It was a very ingenious design. Wen Shi and Luo Xiaolai had stayed here for such a long time last time that they didn't realize there was something wrong with the wall behind them.
Before entering, he stopped and said, "If everyone follows together, we will be easily discovered."
The monster showed no signs of leaving, but moved back a little symbolically.
Wen Shi stood at the entrance, hesitating, and began to lower his requirements: "You also want the picture frame, right? No one wants to fail at the last minute, William, Caddy, Catherine..."
Reading out the names of my old classmates one by one: "Just you guys stay with me. I don't know the others. If they all follow me, I'll be a little scared too."
Wen Shichang is like a rose with thorns, tough and dangerous. In fact, his appearance is very suitable for pretending to be pitiful, especially when he lowers his eyebrows, his fragility is fully exposed.
The darkness could not cover the monsters' eyes, and they were confused by the momentary sense of fragmentation.
The monster whose name he called had no objection.
But the other shadows in the wall were very dissatisfied and twisted together in an exaggerated posture. Wen Shi saw an extremely thin and long arm relying on the thin and long body to "pull the carrot" at the monster below, pulling the head part upwards.
This fight had a limit. Before it escalated into a fight to the point of killing each other, Catherine whispered something in a gentle voice, and they achieved a brief unity: half of the monster stayed, and the other half stayed with Wen Shi.
Wen Shi started walking towards the secret passage, with his old classmates transformed into monsters on both sides.
The secret passage was winding and gradually going upwards for a very long distance. Wen Shi stepped on something soft and sticky. He looked down and saw that it was a mushroom.
The surroundings were too humid, so the monster used the stone walls on both sides to move forward.
Wen Shi paid attention to the mushrooms that popped up from time to time. While he was distracted, a slender black shadow stretched out from the wall. The arm that had just attacked its companion continued to stretch like plasticine, but this time it was aimed at Wen Shi.
Wen Shi seemed not to notice anything and continued walking.
It was not until his neck was touched that he dodged sideways and summoned zombies. As the blood was lost, Wen Shi's face and lips turned pale: "My old classmates, what are you doing?"
"fragrant."
The wandering shadows cast greedy glances at him, and the scent in their mouths was not from the same source as the one the castle owner was referring to.
After an unknown amount of blood was shed, the zombie that was forcibly awakened finally appeared beside Wen Shi.
Wen Shi: It’s good that you’re awake. Let daddy show you.
All the black shadows rushed over in an instant, not targeting Wen Shi, but the wandering zombies.
Wen Shi deliberately raised his voice, as if he suddenly understood something, and shouted with wide eyes, "Asshole."
He stopped the zombies behind him and questioned these monsters.
The monsters surrounded them from all directions. Wen Shiqing's handsome face showed an angry expression: "I agreed to help you steal the picture frame, but you wanted to eat my partner!"
He ordered the zombies to go back.
"Hand it over." The slender arms strangled Wen Shi's neck.
Another arm grabbed Wen Shi's wrist from the other end, and a dark shadow emerged from the ground, pulling his legs against the wall, as if intending to dismember Wen Shi in this secret passage.
"I will never betray you, buddy." Wen Shi was sweating profusely, and he insisted on speaking word by word, his limbs seemed to be about to separate in the next second.
[Zombie's loyalty to you 1]
[Zombie rationality value increased by 0.5]
"Aaron, you're so stupid." Catherine said in a tone of pretended sadness, "You've been a doctor for so long that you even consider that kind of monster as a partner."
Yes, that’s right, that’s how you introduce me!
Wen Shi endured the pain and said: "I will not abandon any of my friends."
[Zombie's loyalty to you 1]
[Zombie rationality value increased by 0.7]
Catherine's tone turned to bewitching: "Aaron, hand over that thing, and we will be your partners."
"No!" After another rejection, Wen Shi could no longer speak. His throat was squeezed too hard and his vocal cords were injured. He could only whimper like a baby animal.
[Zombie's loyalty to you 2]
[Zombie rationality value increased by 0.8]
When it falls, it's like riding a roller coaster, and when it rises, it rises by a few tenths. How can people do anything
Even when he was dying, Wen Shi did not buy any props. He tried to freeze the black shadow and ran out to ask Xie Tangyan for help.
Because there was no need for this. If these monsters wanted to kill him, they should have killed him right away like they did the first night they chased him.
If I kill him now, I won't be able to steal the picture frame or devour the zombies, and it will be a waste of time.
"Since you won't kill me..."
The suffocation made his face look a little red again. Wen Shi's eyes were filled with an abnormal and happy smile, and he mouthed: "Then wait to be killed."
The blood river flowed silently down at some point, submerging the mushrooms in the crevice. A graceful figure slowly stood up in the river. The figure first recovered some of the blood, and then the body became three-dimensional.
The first thing the monster saw was a paper knife, and then the real bride standing in the river of blood.
After a brief moment of shock, the black shadows began to flee in fear.
Wen Shi regained his chance to catch his breath.
The real bride held a paper knife in her hand, expressionlessly slashing at the monsters one by one. Her other hand was not idle either, with her skinny fingers pulling a black shadow out from the wall, chopped the monster into several pieces like an earthworm, and swallowed it.
The real bride didn't even blink and continued to wave the paper knife
“Aaron.” The monster who was hacked by the swords wailed in pain: “Didn’t you say that you would never give up any of your friends? Save me!”
Pooh.
Everything now is the result of Wen Shi's manipulation. He would have to be crazy to try to stop it.
Although I thought about it, I said, "Our friendship ended when you tried to hurt another friend of mine."
Holding the lantern, Wen Shi watched the monsters being slaughtered with an indifferent expression while opening the panel.
[Species: Zombie
Current rank: High-level monster, with a certain chance of transforming into a corpse
Rationality: 3 (Appropriate loyalty can make up for low Rationality)
Loyalty: 5 (His loyalty to you is actually greater than zero, he loves you so much)
Summoning method: Blood summoning]
(End of this chapter)