1: Chapter 1 Don't be afraid, this is a jade pendant worn by Qin Shi Huang.

First step of the opening, brain storage area

...

"S-rank! It's an s-rank instance, 'Midnight Mansion'!

"Damn Thriller Game! This is forcing the Pei family to a dead end!"

A scarlet beam of light, like viscous blood, pierced directly through the residential building of an old neighborhood in Jiang City, shrouding the Pei family's living room on the third floor in a deathly dark red.

Outside the window, caution tape had long been set up, and police sirens echoed through the streets. The onlookers were devoid of their usual clamor, most with grave expressions.

In Dragon Country, the arrival of an s-rank instance meant the inevitable demise of a compatriot; it was a collective sorrow.

Before Pei Duo, a translucent live broadcast panel had automatically unfolded. Because it was the first opening of an s-rank instance, global live streams instantly connected, and the number of online viewers surged exponentially.

And the comment section had long become a carnival of schadenfreude for various countries.

[(IP: USA) God! Dragon Country again? What good luck, S-rank Midnight Mansion, this is a forbidden zone that even our top player 'Hand of God' wouldn't dare touch!]

[(IP: Japan) Yo-shi, Dragon Country's national fortune is going to be reduced again! This little girl looks so frail, I bet she won't last three minutes. Anyone want to bet?]

[(IP: Kimchi Country) Tsk tsk, Dragon Country is destined to decline. In such a certain-death situation, even immortals would have difficulty saving them.]

Interspersed among these glaring foreign comments were the desperate and powerless counterattacks from Dragon Country viewers.

[Shut up, you bandits! Duo Duo, hang in there!]

[Alas... stop scolding, save your strength. This is Midnight Mansion, the legendary S-rank with no survivors.]

[Pei Duo is still a sophomore, is Thriller Game trying to cut off the Pei family's roots?]

Pei Duo's face was pale, and she clutched the corner of her clothes tightly.

She was only a sophomore.

Just a minute ago, the Thriller Game's cold announcement exploded in her mind, giving her no psychological preparation.

She was chosen.

And it was the legendary s-rank instance that no one had ever cleared—Midnight Mansion!

"Dad, Mom... your daughter probably... can't fulfill her filial duties anymore." Pei Duo's voice trembled, the chattering of her teeth particularly clear in the dead silent living room.

On the peeling offering table in the living room, there was a black and white portrait of her older brother, Pei Fei.

Two years ago, Pei Fei was a veteran who had cleared an A-rank instance, but after being inexplicably drawn into a D-rank instance called "Wuyou Grocery Store," he vanished without a trace.

In this world, no signal, no return, and a black screen for two years was irrefutable proof of death.

Mother Pei, with her white hair, seemed to have her spine removed, stumbling and collapsing before the offering table. Her hands trembled violently, the lighter clicking repeatedly but failing to ignite.

"Feier! If you can hear me down there..."

Father Pei, who had been silently smoking in the corner, suddenly extinguished his cigarette butt, not even noticing he had burned his hand. This man, usually as silent as a mountain, had alarmingly red eyes. He strode over, snatched the lighter, and forcefully lit three incense sticks.

The veins on the back of his hand bulged as he inserted the incense, his voice hoarse as if he had a mouthful of coarse sand: "Feier! We've already lost one, we can't lose Duo Duo too! If you have a spirit in the afterlife, you must protect your sister with your life!"

Mother Pei could no longer hold back, collapsing to the ground and wailing: "That's an S-rank! That's a man-eating hell! Feier, if you have a spirit in heaven, please save Duo Duo!"

The comments in the live stream scrolled rapidly.

[So tragic... both siblings in the family are being tormented by the Thriller Game.]

[Although I know it's useless to beg the dead, this is indeed the only hope in this desperate situation.]

[(IP: Japan) Hehe, what's the use of begging ghosts? Why not beg our great Japanese Onmyoji, maybe they can at least leave a complete corpse.]

Pei Duo bit her tongue, using the pain to force back her tears.

The malice in the comments was practically overflowing the screen.

Despair, like a black tide, was about to engulf Pei Duo.

"Ding-dong—"

Just at this suffocating moment of farewell, a crisp, cheerful doorbell sound abruptly rang out.

Pei Duo shuddered, her scalp tingling. Mother Pei's crying also stopped abruptly, as if her throat had been choked.

The live stream comments instantly froze, then exploded.

[What the hell? Who dares to knock at this time? Aren't they afraid of being swept into the terrifying light pillar as a sacrifice?]

[Could it be that the vengeful spirits are coming to collect people early? Is the s-rank instance starting already?]

[Don't open the door! Absolutely do not open the door!]

Pei Duo couldn't care less about that now.

Only two minutes remained on the countdown.

Whether it was human or ghost, it didn't matter anymore.

Could things possibly get worse than they already were?

She stiffly moved her steps and yanked open the security door.

Outside the door, there was no one.

Only a tattered, dusty cardboard box sat all alone on the doormat.

There was no delivery slip on the box, only two large characters written crookedly with a brush, faintly recognizable as—"Pei Duo."

Pei Duo's pupils suddenly constricted.

She recognized this handwriting even if it turned to ash! It was her brother!

"This is..."

Her hands trembling, she tore open the cardboard box like a madwoman.

Inside the box was a heavy stone box, carved with ferocious ghost-face patterns, emitting a chilling Yin energy that made her bones ache.

On the lid of the stone box, a letter was pressed down.

Pei Duo grabbed the envelope, and the familiar handwriting came into view, her tears instantly bursting forth.

The content of the letter was simple, with a familiar, irritating tone:

"Sis, bro got held up with something outside and can't come back for a while. Heard you're going into an s-rank instance. Bro previously bought a jade pendant for two yuan at the Wuyou Grocery Store; the vendor said it was worn by the First Emperor of Qin, definitely warding off evil. This thing has been with bro for two years, take it for self-defense. We can talk about the specifics when you clear the instance. —Pei Fei."

Pei Duo read the letter, both crying and laughing, yet a sense of absurdity arose in her heart.

Two yuan? Worn by the First Emperor of Qin?

Bro... even if you're dead, you still don't forget to trick me? What time is it now!

The live stream instantly exploded, the original sad and desperate atmosphere shattered by this outrageous letter.

[??? I didn't misread, right? Bought for two yuan?]

[First Emperor of Qin: I'm not taking the blame for this! I've never worn anything so cheap!]

[(IP: Star-Spangled Nation) Hahaha! I'm dying of laughter, is this Dragon Country's dark humor? Two yuan trash?]

[(IP: Japan) As expected of an inferior civilization, still engaging in such feudal superstition even at death's door, and it's a street stall item at that.]

[Although it's inappropriate, I kind of want to laugh...]

Pei Duo ignored the comments.

This was from her brother.

Regardless of its authenticity, this was her only lifeline at the moment.

She took a deep breath, her hands trembling as she opened the stone box.

A rotten, ancient smell wafted out, like opening an ancient tomb sealed for a thousand years.

Inside the box, a black jade pendant covered in cracks lay quietly.

It was covered in black grime, looking dirty and even somewhat patinated.

"This is what bro said... worn by the First Emperor of Qin?"

The moment Pei Duo held the jade pendant, the fear she had felt due to the s-rank instance's arrival inexplicably dissipated somewhat.

Just as she was about to close the letter, the corner of her eye suddenly caught sight of another line of small text on the back of the letter.

"Note: The s-rank instance rewards are very generous, don't be afraid. If there's any danger, just shove this jade at those things' faces, and they'll give this jade some respect."

Give some respect?

Pei Duo was stunned, her brain a little frozen.

Vengeful spirits... would they give someone respect?

Or give respect to a broken jade pendant bought for two yuan? Bro, are you sure you're not messing with your sister?

Before she could think further, the scarlet light pillar suddenly contracted, and a piercing alarm blared in her mind, like a death knell.

[Teleportation countdown: 10...9...8...]

"Duo Duo!"

Mother Pei cried out, trying to rush forward, but Father Pei held her back tightly. Father Pei's eyes were red, veins bulging on his neck, as he shouted at his daughter in the light pillar: "Survive! You must come back alive!"

"Dad! Mom! Wait for me to come back!"

Pei Duo clutched the cracked black jade pendant tightly, as if grasping her only chance at survival.

The countdown reached zero.

Only her last words lingered in the air, echoing in the empty living room.

"Brother said he's still here, he said this thing is useful... I believe him!"