Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Anna watched as the Dragon Hunter Spider curled up at Lin Yi's feet like a house cat, a hint of helplessness flashing in her deep purple eyes.

The Dragon Spider holds a rather special position in the House of the Dead—it looks fierce and terrifying, but its actual combat strength is only considered above average among the many dangerous entities in the House of the Dead.

But it has an advantage that other "residents" don't: it is relatively controllable and maintains an instinctive loyalty to the owner of the Death House.

Anna's choice of it as her guide was a last resort.

The truly terrifying beings deep within the House of Death are either mentally unstable and difficult to communicate with, or governed by bizarre and uncontrollable rules, and some are simply moving natural disasters.

In contrast, while the dragon spider is gluttonous, short-tempered, and occasionally forgets commands, it can at least understand commands and control its behavior to some extent.

Of course, the premise is that it has to be fed.

Anna glanced at the Dragonslayer Spider, who was contentedly squinting, and sighed inwardly.

I just hope this guy doesn't embarrass himself in the upcoming tests.

The banquet hall fell silent for a moment.

Lin Yi sat on the sofa, unconsciously stroking the bristles on the side of the Dragon Hunter Spider's head with one hand.

Those bristles may look hard and sharp, but the base of the bristles is actually quite gentle to the touch, with a hint of warmth.

Su Xiao had left the round table and walked to the wall on one side of the banquet hall, looking up at the huge oil paintings.

Shangyue stood not far from the round table, her black wings slightly folded.

Her gaze would occasionally sweep across the dark corridor outside the golden gate, then return to the banquet hall.

The waiting time passed second by second.

Anna coughed lightly, breaking the silence: "We can only proceed to the next round after all the participants have arrived."

Su Xiao's ears twitched slightly.

This statement reveals that although Mond and Dylan were thrown into the so-called "Labyrinth of the Dead," their lives were at least not in immediate danger.

Otherwise, Anna should have said "wait for the remaining contestants to arrive," instead of "all the contestants."

It seems those two still have a chance.

Anna's gaze shifted to Lin Yi, who was sitting on the sofa, his expression calm, seemingly unperturbed by the wait. However, she still felt it wasn't appropriate to leave Lin Yi waiting like this.

After a moment's hesitation, Anna coughed lightly again, her voice unusually clear in the empty banquet hall: "Waiting any longer is a bit boring, so how about... we play a few riddles?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi looked up at Anna, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

He now suspects that Anna is deliberately going easy on him, but she's too embarrassed to openly offer benefits in front of Su Xiao and Shang Yue, so she came up with this roundabout way.

As for why this speculation exists—it's quite simple.

Because in the past, when chatting with Hill, Hill often enjoyed playing various brain teasers and riddles with Lin Yi.

Some of those riddles were ancient legends, some were metaphors for hidden stories, and some were simply made up by Hill for his own amusement.

If Anna and Hill have a close relationship, then using riddles to "test" or "take care" of herself would be very much in Hill's style.

Anna ignored Lin Yi's suspicious gaze, simply raised her hand, and lightly tapped her fingertips in the air.

At the center of the round table, a soft beam of light shot into the sky, unfolding into a semi-transparent light curtain about one meter above the tabletop.

The text of the first riddle appeared on the light screen:

[Riddle 1: I was born in silence, grew up in words, and died in betrayal. What am I?]

Below the puzzle is a countdown: 10:00, which is decreasing second by second.

"Give us the answer in ten minutes," Anna said calmly. "Everyone can try. If you answer incorrectly, the countdown will reset, but the puzzle will become more difficult. If someone answers incorrectly three times, they fail the test and will be sent to the Labyrinth of the Dead."

Thirty seconds have passed in the countdown.

Su Xiao walked back to the round table from the wall, her brows furrowed, and quickly analyzed the text in her mind.

“Born in silence, grow in words, die in betrayal…” he repeated in a low voice, “It sounds like some kind of abstract concept.”

Shangyue also walked over, her silver eyes fixed on the light screen, lost in thought.

A few seconds later, she tentatively said, "Maybe it's 'trust'? Trust is built in silence, deepened by words, and broken by betrayal."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Anna.

Anna showed no reaction, neither approving nor denying. She simply stood quietly by the round table, her pale face appearing almost translucent in the light.

The countdown continues to decrease: 9:21, 9:20...

Lin Yi sat on the sofa, looked at the line of text, and said almost without hesitation, "It's 'Secret'."

Anna turned to look at him, her deep purple eyes showing no surprise.

This riddle was designed by her and Hill a long time ago. At the time, they both believed that if someone could come up with the answer immediately, then that person must have a deep understanding of the essence of "secret"—not just knowing that the secret exists, but also understanding the entire process of the secret from its birth to its demise.

It would be strange if Lin Yi, as Hill's successor, couldn't even solve a riddle of this magnitude.

"What's the reason?" Anna asked, her tone carrying a test-like quality, but a hint of barely perceptible expectation lurked deep in her eyes.

“Secrets are born in silence,” Lin Yi explained calmly, his voice clearly audible in the banquet hall. “Many secrets initially exist only in one person’s heart, without being told to anyone. At this stage, the secret is pure and complete, but also fragile.”

"As secrets are shared and passed on, more and more people know about them. The influence of secrets expands, but at the same time, they begin to mutate. Everyone's understanding of secrets may be different, and everyone may add their own interpretations. Secrets gain 'life' at this stage, but they also begin to deviate from their original form."

"Finally, it dies in betrayal. When a secret is leaked, made public, and used as a weapon or bargaining chip, it is no longer a secret. Betrayal can be intentional informing or unintentional slip of the tongue. But the result is the same—the secret dies, becomes public information, and loses all its uniqueness and power."

Anna listened quietly, and after a moment, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

The text on the light screen disappeared, replaced by a new line of text:
[Correct answer. Obtain the 'First Key': The Key of Silence.]

A silver-white key appeared out of thin air in the center of the round table. The key had a peculiar shape, resembling a tightly closed lip with delicate lines and even the finest details clearly visible.

The countdown stopped at 8:47.

“The first riddle is the easiest,” Anna said softly, her gaze sweeping over Su Xiao and Shang Yue. “The ones that follow will get increasingly difficult. And…”

Before she could finish speaking, the second riddle had already emerged:

[Riddle Two: I have no life, yet I breathe; I have no flesh and blood, yet I bleed; I have no heart, yet I can stop beating. What am I?]

Countdown reset: 10:00.

This question is clearly more difficult than the first one.

Su Xiao stared at the words, her brain working at lightning speed.

It can breathe even without life—the essence of breathing is gas exchange.

It could refer to a natural phenomenon, such as wind or tides, or a mechanical device.

It can bleed without flesh and blood—"bleeding" usually refers to the outflow of liquid.

It can stop beating even without a heart—stopping beating means stopping function.

All three conditions must be met simultaneously.

"Machinery?" Shangyue asked tentatively. "Machinery has no life, but it can be designed to simulate breathing; the leakage of machine oil or coolant can be regarded as 'bleeding'; the cessation of machine operation is 'heart stopping'."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Anna.

Anna shook her head.

A line of red text appeared on the screen:
[Incorrect answer. Remaining attempts: 2/3.]

The countdown has been reset, but the time has been shortened to 9:30.

The punishment mechanism has been activated.

Su Xiao closed her eyes and rearranged the conditions in her mind.

He suddenly opened his eyes, but Lin Yi's voice rang out first:
It's 'tides'.

Su Xiao looked at Lin Yi and saw that he was still sitting on the sofa, with one hand still on the head of the Dragon Hunter Spider.

“Tides have no life, but the rise and fall of tides are like breathing,” Lin Yi continued. “When the tide recedes, seawater flows out from the crevices of the reefs and the holes in the sand, like bleeding from a wound. And when the tide stops rising and falling—for example, under certain astronomical conditions when the tidal effect is extremely weak—it’s like ‘heart stopping’.”

Anna glanced at Lin Yi, then looked at the light screen.

The light screen remained silent for a few seconds, then the text changed:

[Correct answer. Obtain the 'Second Key': Key of the Tides.]

A blue key appeared on the round table, its shape resembling a solidified wave, its surface shimmering with a flowing luster. Su Xiao watched this scene, then glanced at the almost tacit understanding between Anna and Lin Yi, and understood.

This wasn't a random riddle test at all; it was clearly Anna offering Lin Yi a benefit.

As for why he didn't receive the same treatment—Su Xiao was quite aware of the reputation of the Destroyers of Law in the void.

It's clear from Anna's indifferent and distant attitude when she first met him that the Queen of Pain didn't have a good impression of the Spellbreakers.

However, Su Xiao didn't care.

He was never the kind of person who would expect special treatment from others.

He takes what's offered and relies on himself when there's nothing to gain; this is his basic principle for survival in the cycle of reincarnation.

While Lin Yi was guessing the riddle, Su Xiao took something out of her storage space.

That was a gold coin.

The gold coin was shrouded in an ominous luster.

This was a special piece of equipment that Su Xiao had obtained before, and it had changed inside the Death House.

In the current environment, it might come in handy.

Su Xiao twirled the gold coin between his fingers and then tossed it high into the air.

Ding--

The crisp sound of metal clashing echoed in the banquet hall.

The cursed coin slowly rotated in mid-air, reflecting the light of the crystal chandelier, and finally stopped at a height of about one meter above the ground. It neither rose nor fell, but just hung in mid-air, slowly rotating.

The side with the thorn pattern should face up.

Crying face down.

reverse side.

Almost the instant the gold coins stopped, Su Xiao felt a familiar malice lock onto him.

The malice came from outside the banquet hall, from the depths of the corridor outside the golden gate, carrying with it endless disgust.

[Warning: The hunter is about to be hunted by the 'Gluttonous Beast'.]

Su Xiao's expression remained unchanged as he placed his hand on the hilt of the Dragon Slayer Blade and turned his gaze toward the golden gate.

He needed to confirm one thing—whether the so-called gluttonous beast could enter the banquet hall, this "safe zone."

If possible, he needs to prepare in advance.

If not, then this cursed coin might be a good trump card.

Everyone else in the banquet hall was drawn to this sudden turn of events.

Lin Yi stopped stroking the Dragon Hunter Spider and looked up at the doorway.

Shangyue slightly spread her wings, her hand already resting on the hilt of her curved sword.

Even the dragon-hunting spider, which had been half-closing its eyes, raised its head, turned its eight compound eyes toward the door, and made a low gurgling sound in its throat—not a threat, but more like a reminder.

Anna frowned, looking at Su Xiao, then at the gold coin hanging in mid-air, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes.

A few minutes later, heavy footsteps came from the depths of the corridor.

Boom, boom, boom...

Each step was firm and steady, as if some enormous creature was approaching.

The footsteps grew closer and closer, finally stopping outside the Golden Gate.

Su Xiao looked towards the door.

The double golden doors were wide open, and in the dimly lit corridor outside, stood a humanoid creature that was at least four meters tall.

It was fat and strong, with a round belly that almost reached the ground, and its body was wrapped with rusty iron chains.

The chains weren't tied to its body; instead, they were deeply embedded in its flesh, with some links even completely submerged, leaving only marks and a constant flow of dark red liquid.

The Gluttonous Beast has no head.

At the center of its fat and strong body is a huge, longitudinal slit.

The edges of the crack were irregular folds of flesh, and several jagged, sharp teeth protruded from the top and bottom of the crack, with rotten flesh and unidentified mucus hanging between the teeth.

In the Glutton's thick hands, it held a broad-bladed axe almost as tall as itself.

The axe blade was thick and heavy, its surface covered with layers of dried bloodstains, giving it a dark reddish-brown metallic sheen in the dim light.

Rather than calling it a "gluttonous beast," calling it "Axe Bro" might be more fitting.

Its aura was slightly weaker than that of the Dragon Spider, but its undisguised gluttony made it appear even more dangerous.

Su Xiao could sense that this thing wasn't very fast; it was the kind of thing where you'd be fine as long as you didn't get caught, but once you were caught, you'd have to think about how to die more peacefully.

At that moment, Axe Bro, covered in blood, was slowly pacing outside the door.

Its headless torso always faced Su Xiao in the banquet hall, and the crack in the center of its torso opened and closed, making a wet, sticky sucking sound, as if it was tasting the flavor of the air.

But it did not enter the banquet hall.

Not a single step.

It just lingered outside the door, staring at Su Xiao with its eyeless "face," occasionally dragging its giant axe across the ground, making a screeching sound.

After confirming that the Gluttonous Beast could not enter the banquet hall, Su Xiao withdrew his gaze.

He looked at Lin Yi and Shang Yue, took the cursed coin that had stopped spinning from the air, and handed it to them.

"have a look."

Lin Yi took the gold coin; it felt slightly heavy in his hand and had a cool surface.

Almost the instant he made contact, he sensed the ominous power contained within the gold coin.

That wasn't an ordinary curse; it was more like the manifestation of some kind of rule, subtly echoing the atmosphere of the House of Death itself.

Shangyue also came over to take a look.

Their eyes fell on the gold coins, and Lin Yi simultaneously saw detailed attribute descriptions.

【Cursed Gold Coins】

Origin: Void - House of Death
Type: Special Equipment

Note: This equipment has been unrestricted and will burn up after the hunter leaves the Death House.

Equipment Effect: Echo of Fate (Active) - Toss this coin. If it lands heads up, you will gain a buff; if it lands tails up, you will gain a debuff. This process ignores the Luck attribute.

Buff effect (random):

1. Permanently increase Luck attribute by 1 point (can be triggered up to three times).

2. Restores 50 health points per second for 30 minutes (no limit on the number of times it can be triggered).

3. Shadow Stone (Shadow Stones can only be used inside the Death House and will be retrieved after leaving the Death House. There is no limit to the number of times it can be triggered).

Debuff effects (random):

1. Temporarily reduces Luck attribute by 15 points, lasting for 1 hour. This effect can be stacked.

2. Be chased by 'Gluttonous Beasts' for 1 hour (if triggered multiple times, you will be chased by multiple Gluttonous Beasts, and the duration can be stacked).

Note: Echo of Fate (Active) has no cost.

Note: Echo of Fate (Active) has a 30-minute cooldown.

Summary: Make good use of it before it burns out completely.

Selling price: Not available for sale.

After reviewing the attributes, Lin Yi and Shang Yue both understood what had just happened.

Su Xiao tossed a gold coin, which landed tails, triggering the debuff "Be chased by a Gluttonous Beast for 1 hour".

That's why the headless monster carrying an axe was standing outside the door, staring intently at Su Xiao. (End of Chapter)