Chapter 340: Non-Copy Players

Words : 1461 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

Chapter 340: Chapter 340: Non-Copy PlayersOn the second floor, Xu Huo heard that the other guests had successively returned to their rooms. By now, it was past midnight, but the game had not given a second prompt, indicating that the session must have started the moment he arrived at the castle. However, the game did not indicate the number of participating players. Including the guests mentioned by the middle-aged butler and the six he had seen in the hall, there were a total of twelve players. But this did not mean that all twelve players were participants in this session. The invitation of the lady in the cheongsam was different from that of the session players. The one he had provided to the middle-aged butler upon entering was the lady’s invitation, and the other party hadn’t shown any surprise or refusal. This suggested that even with a session underway, the castle would not refuse entry to players. This was probably a feature of a non-sealed session, where both non-session players and session players could enter the venue before the time limit. Therefore, among the other eleven guests, there were likely others like him who held invitations from the black market. The second task of the session, to unravel the truth behind the disappearance of a guest, could involve non-session players mingling in, which may be the truth or part of it. As to the specifics, he would have to wait until tomorrow, but intercepting the lady in the cheongsam early had given him a head start. Additionally, the fact that the lady was a wanted criminal had caught her unawares. He had initially thought she was just a low-ability player lurking in the castle city, but it turned out she was also a fugitive. It was a coincidence that taught him how to avoid the penalties for missing a session. Indeed, even the most perfect system has its loopholes—this was an unexpectedly good piece of news. Xu Huo touched the "Umbrella of Justice" beside him when he suddenly felt a gaze upon him. He turned his head to look outside the window and saw a pair of crimson, bloodshot eyes swiftly pass by. After waiting a few seconds in silence, he opened the window and stepped out onto the balcony, but those spying eyes were nowhere to be seen. However, a human head was placed on the windowsill, its long hair fluttering outside, face turned towards him with eyes staring fixedly at him. It was none of the players he had seen in the hall before. Watching as the other party kept that pose while reaching out to comb her long hair, Xu Huo closed the window without expression. The night passed without incident, and the next morning in the dining room, he saw all the players. Mr. and Mrs. Ma, the two men and a woman from the entertainment room, and the six individuals from the hall the day before. The couple appeared very affectionate, feeding each other obliviously, and the man seemed to have a bad temper. The three from the entertainment room included a tall, slim middle-aged man, a broad-shouldered strongman, and the long-haired woman who had displayed the human head the night before. Among the six from the hall, there was a pair of twin brothers, an unassuming young woman, and the baby-faced man who had shared the car ride with him; he was talking to a handsome young man beside him, next to whom stood a silent man with a dark complexion. When Xu Huo observed him, the man looked back and nodded slightly. Xu Huo coldly turned his face away. At that moment, the middle-aged butler approached and said through ventriloquism, "Please wait, breakfast will be ready shortly." "Has Mr. He not gotten up yet?" asked the prim woman. "The master is in poor health and generally has breakfast in his room. He asked me to apologize on his behalf. Although the music appreciation event is scheduled for five days, the master doesn’t have the stamina to accompany everyone all the time, so during the rest of the time, everyone is welcome to explore the castle as they wish," the butler explained. "He will join everyone for dinner in the evening." This session was slightly different from the previous ones as it did not provide a complete story background. The game only prompted them to enter the castle at the specified time without telling them their exact purpose, which was only revealed through the butler’s words at this moment. The players exchanged glances, and Mrs. Ma asked, "What places in the castle are worth visiting?" "As you can see, there are two large gardens in front of the ancient castle, and it is currently the season for the roses’ blossoming. Guests who enjoy flowers are welcome to go and admire them, and feel free to pick some," "Behind the main building is a botanical garden that houses special plants from different parts of the world, suited for taking a break and relaxing, with very fresh air." "The courtyard features a Garden Maze, covering a vast area. It can be seen from the second floor of the main building, but please do not enter without guidance, as it is easy to get lost." Listening to the butler’s words, Xu Huo glanced at the servant carefully wiping the ornaments. After sitting down at the dining table, he asked, "Are the rooms inside the castle open for visiting?" "Of course," said the butler. "There are three entertainment rooms on the second floor, along with a piano room, a painting studio, and at the end, there is a large study. Guests are welcome to use everything there." "Where shall we go for the music appreciation event?" asked the muscular man eagerly. "In the small concert hall on the third floor," the butler answered without hesitation. "However, unless invited by the gentleman, please don’t go up to the third floor at will." It seemed the third floor was a place of importance. When it came to the missing guests, certainly the most suspect were the people inside the castle, with the owners of the castle being the most suspicious. The players tacitly understood this, and just then, the busy servants brought in breakfast. The woman with long hair took a couple of sips before tossing her spoon out, covering her mouth with a nauseated expression, "There’s a spider in the soup!" The dark-faced man sitting next to her prodded the soup plate, and indeed there was a small black spider that had been boiled to death. "What in the world is going on with this castle? I already saw a spider in my bedroom yesterday, but let that pass. And now, even the food has spiders in it—is this how you treat your guests?" the refined woman raised her voice and questioned the servant. The servant apologized profusely and offered, "I will replace it for the lady immediately." "Never mind!" the refined woman said with a look of distaste. "A pot of spider soup, who could swallow that?" Her words made the others give up on their soup plates, and right then, the youthful gamer and the woman with long hair left the dining table. Xu Huo stirred his soup plate, and although he didn’t see any spider, he also noticed many corners of the castle were adorned with cobwebs. Moreover, when he had come out of his room earlier, he saw the servants deliberately avoiding the spider webs as they cleaned. "You must be the last one to arrive," Mrs. Ma suddenly said with a smile, her eyes hook-like as she looked at him. Both the husband and wife were staring at him, but their expressions were contrasting. S~eaʀᴄh the novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Without speaking, Xu Huo flicked a dining knife towards Mrs. Ma’s hand reaching for the black umbrella, the blade firmly embedding itself in the table just in front of her fingers, startling her into withdrawing her hand. She then turned to calm Mr. Ma who was suddenly standing up, "Stop it, we are guests." Mr. Ma’s eyes, however, bulged with anger, fixed firmly on Xu Huo. It took Mrs. Ma a good while to pacify him, her hand on his shoulder, but her lingering look stayed on Xu Huo’s face, "I have a thing for young men with a cold exterior but warm heart." Having said that, she even threw a flirtatious glance at him. Mr. Ma kissed the back of her hand, "Be decent, I can wear any hat, except for a green one." At his words, Mrs. Ma finally withdrew her gaze, and the couple became lovey-dovey again.

Chapter 340: Non-Copy Players

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