Who invited the witch into the eerie game?

Chapter 173 Entering Saferon Castle

Zhang Qingyu seemed completely oblivious to the players' growing distance from her.

She even enthusiastically introduced these players to Su Xiaoshuang: "This big-bearded guy, who looks reliable, is Arthur Cresston, a professional Grand Knight, Sequence 2."

Arthur Cresson's face immediately turned ugly.

However, considering that Zhang Qingyu was standing right next to Su Xiaoshuang, he couldn't make a scene.

"The one in leather armor, with a single ponytail and a very hot figure is Isabella Rossi, a professional assassin, Sequence 4. It is said that she has tried to assassinate a Sequence 1 demigod, but without success."

Zhang Qingyu introduced the situation with a wise look in her eyes.

Judging from that look in her eyes, she seems proud of Isabella Rossi, except Isabella is already thinking about how to kill Zhang Qingyu.

"This little girl wearing a fluffy bunny ear outfit looks very cute and shy. Her name is Tang Weixi, a professional illusionist, Sequence 2."

Zhang Qingyu pointed at the little girl who was trying to hide behind the other players and said.

She added casually, "Don't let her young age fool you; she's a legally recognized loli, but her real age is probably close to 200."

Tang Weixi instantly bristled, glaring angrily at Zhang Qingyu.

Su Xiaoshuang was originally very socially awkward.

However, seeing Tang Weixi's reaction, his eyes lit up, and he really wanted to grab Tang Weixi, pinch her, knead her, and rub her...

"This quiet-looking guy who doesn't like to talk is Yu Mo, a professional tomb raider, Sequence 4."

Zhang Qingyu pointed to a young man with black hair wearing a mask and said.

Yu Mo was also carrying a black longsword, which made him look like a character from a novel; it's unclear if it was related to Counter-Strike.

Unlike the others, Yu Mo remained silent about being introduced.

"This is Zen Master Liaohen, a professional monk, Sequence 2."

Zhang Qingyu pointed to a master who was silently reciting scriptures and said.

Master Liaohen looked to be in his fifties, with a kind and benevolent face.

However, given the bizarre game invasion, it's unclear whether the background music accompanying this Zen master's actions is the Great Heavenly Dragon or the Deadly Sanskrit Chant.

Su Xiaoshuang was a little curious and believed that it wouldn't be long before she could find out.

"This is Yuta Imai, a professional ninja, Rank 3."

Zhang Qingyu pointed to a young man carrying a katana not far away and said.

The other person bared their teeth at Zhang Qingyu.

As for Su Xiaoshuang, I dare not for the time being.

"Judging from his appearance, I don't know how he's survived this long. He seems like cannon fodder," Zhang Qingyu added.

Oh, this.

Su Xiaoshuang glanced at Zhang Qingyu's intelligent eyes, then at the ninja named Imai Yuta, and made no comment.

"This is Rinako Shimada, a professional illustrator, Sequence 4."

After introducing the last person, Zhang Qingyu said, "There are some other players in the distance that I don't know yet, so I can't introduce them. But roughly speaking, there are a total of 65 players in this strange game instance."

error?

Are there still some players?

Su Xiaoshuang looked into the distance and realized that those people were not some strange NPCs, but players.

Previously, similar eerie games were generally limited to 8 players.

Even someone like Linus.

There may be more than 8 players involved, but the players are divided into batches and games, and there are significant differences between the two.

However, the Safiron Castle banquet attracted a surprising number of players.

That's very interesting.

"Rinako Shimada, I have a question. I wonder which world you come from?"

Zhang Qingyu stared at the artist with a clever look in her eyes and asked curiously, "Did you know? All the Japanese islands in our world have sunk into the Pacific trench. The surviving Japanese people all live in Brazil. Is that true where you are?"

?

Rinako Shimada looked confused.

After a brief period of contact, she realized that Zhang Qingyu had her eye on her, and if she didn't satisfy her curiosity, Zhang Qingyu wouldn't give up.

"Sorry, I was born on a moving island and have never heard of neon islands."

"I see."

Zhang Qingyu said, "It seems that the neon islands in your world sank even earlier."

Rinako Shimada trembled slightly and dared not continue the conversation.

Because the floating island she now lives on is also facing the risk of sinking.

At that moment, the castle gates opened, and a butler in a sharp tailcoat stepped out, bowing slightly: "Honorable guest, Prince Safilon has been waiting for you. Please show me your invitation."

Su Xiaoshuang blinked and found that the invitation had turned into a card with a dark gold sheen, displaying her information:

Guest Name: Celia Xavier Position: Director of Qingshan Hospital Capital Held: Blood Pact Gold Coins: 10000

The eerie NPCs and players, who were invited, entered holding invitations.

Basically, the butler greets every guest with a standard smile: "May your stay be as you wish, please come in."

When it was Su Xiaoshuang's turn, the butler bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle: "So it's Dean Celia Xavier. Your arrival has brought honor to the entire castle. We hope you enjoy this dinner."

"Um."

Su Xiaoshuang nodded and walked into the castle under the awe-inspiring gazes of Zhang Qingyu and the other players.

Meanwhile, several players who suspected Zhang Qingyu was the mysterious messenger approached her, showing goodwill in the hope that they could benefit from her in the upcoming game and survive.

After all, so far, only Su Xiaoshuang has made the housekeeper lower his stance like this.

At this moment, Su Xiaoshuang had already entered the castle.

The architecture here leans towards the European aristocratic style of the 90s, giving it a very artistic feel.

Since it was the guests' arrival ceremony, the castle owner did not appear; only some waiters walked around greeting the guests.

Su Xiaoshuang glanced around the room briefly and sat down at a table laden with delicious food.

She was ready to evaluate the food at the castle banquet.

I also took the opportunity to learn about the rules of the banquet at Saferon Castle through the game terminal.

The castle's core rule: You must remain elegant.

1. Within the castle, your every move is subject to banquet etiquette. A score below C will trigger a penalty, and a score of zero will be considered rude and result in your removal.

2. You must always keep your clothes clean. If your clothes are torn, you must go to the changing room to change them immediately. Changing clothes will cost gold coins or you will have to complete a waiter's task.

3. Running, shouting, crying or laughing inappropriately are prohibited. Such violent emotional fluctuations are extremely impolite.

4. When speaking to any castle owner or high-ranking guest, you must first bow.

5. Food and drinks on the long table are free to use, but please pay attention to the material of the serving containers:

Served in silver containers: Relatively safe; consumption can restore energy; has a slight effect on decay.

Golden vessel: Can greatly restore energy or grant temporary abilities, but will significantly increase the corruption scale.

Serving in crystal vessels: The effects are unknown; it may bring blessings or cause sudden death or mutation. It is best to observe the reactions of others or consult a bartender before tasting.

6. Wasting food, keeping food from the banquet hall, or adding foreign objects to the food are strictly prohibited.

7. You must not refuse your master's (that is, a member of the Saphiron family) invitation to dance or talk.

8. Do not inquire about the true origins and purposes of other guests unless they reveal it voluntarily.

9. Do not attempt to spy on or steal other people's goods before the transaction is completed.

10. The west wing of the castle is the Endless Market, home to merchants from all over the world. Trading here can grant you power.

Intelligence and exit credentials.

11. Blood Pact Gold Coins are the basic currency here. They can be won by completing temporary tasks within the castle, such as delivering messages, cleaning up clutter, participating in entertainment performances, selling personal items and abilities, or gambling with other guests.

12. Soul Prisms are the high-level currency here. They are usually obtained by mortgaging a portion of memories, emotions, lifespan, or physical functions. They are used to purchase legendary items or information.

13. If you really have no money, you can borrow on credit from certain merchants or members of the Saphiron family, but you will be burdened with a contract that must be fulfilled, and the consequences of defaulting will be severe.

14. All products here are priced, and merchants cannot lie. However, product descriptions may omit key side effects and do not guarantee that the effects will meet expectations.

15. Transactions are based on the principle of voluntariness and are irrevocable once a transaction is completed.

16. The castle does not guarantee the authenticity of its products, nor does it provide authentication services. If you encounter an authentication agent, you may be scammed.

17. Be careful with these popular items:

[Faded Pocket Watch]: Pauses a portion of time for 3 seconds. Cost: Permanent loss of perception of a certain color.

[Substitute Doll]: Blocks one fatal attack. Cost: Randomly loses one skill, and has memories sealed for 24 hours.

[Castle Partial Map]: Shows safe zones, secret passages, or traps. Cost: Your location will be intermittently revealed to all hunter-type guests.

[Clue for leaving]: Fragments of information about how to obtain a farewell certificate, with outrageous prices and questionable authenticity.

18. Please always pay attention to your corruption scale. Consuming forbidden foods, using Abyss items, engaging in certain transactions, being corrupted by the power of the castle, and staying there for extended periods will all increase your corruption scale.

Below 30: No effect, at most a slight sensory enhancement.

30-60: You will begin to experience hallucinations, hear whispers from ancient castles, and exhibit mild inhuman physical characteristics, such as narrowed pupils and sharpened nails. Some businessmen will become more interested in you.

60-80: Maintaining human form is difficult; willpower is required to maintain the disguise. Gain partial darkvision and damage reduction, but are countered by holy abilities. Members of the Sapphiron family will view you as a potential ally.

80 and above: On the verge of permanent transformation. Must constantly devour Order or Life to maintain its existence, otherwise it will collapse into a monster.

They have the opportunity to gain immense power, but there is almost no turning back.

If purification is required, you will need to obtain the rare item Angel's Tear.

The Mysterious Boss of Saphiron Castle:

1. The host of the banquet: Prince Saphiron.

He was a handsome and dignified middle-aged man with purple eyes, dressed in a classic prince's robe, and exuding an unfathomable aura.

The main banquet hall and the throne room were his domain.

Prince Safiron would randomly invite favored guests to dance.

Accepting and perfectly performing the dance will earn you generous rewards. Making mistakes or refusing to dance will result in a significant deduction of etiquette points and may also lead to being flagged by the dance troupe.

If a serious conflict arises among the guests, he can make a ruling, which is usually extremely favorable to one party and fatally unfair to the other, thus finding amusement in the process.

Looking directly into someone's eyes for more than 10 seconds without looking away is seen as provocation or a thirst for the truth.

He will bestow upon the other party an irresistible truth, which usually leads to a breakdown of their sanity or a surge in corruption.

In a sense, Prince Saferon embodies the rules of the castle; the fun lies in observing the guests' struggles within those rules.

Trading and corruption.

2. Market Fraudster: The Silent Mammon.

This is a merchant who likes to be shrouded in a magnificent robe, always wearing a golden mask on his face, and his fingers are slender golden keys.

He was the highest-ranking merchant, selling the most precious and dangerous items, such as a promise from a prince or the core blueprints of an ancient castle.

During the transaction, he will demand something whose value you have not yet realized, such as a talent you have not yet awakened, an important memory for the future, or a deep bond with someone else.

You will only gradually realize the loss after the transaction is completed, and you will regret it for the rest of your life.

If you attempt to use counterfeit money in front of him, or forcibly renege on a transaction afterward, his golden key finger will pierce your heart, extracting a penalty equal to the transaction amount in life time.

In essence, he is the embodiment of contract and greed, and even more so, a hidden demon.

3. Bartender: Bloody Mary.

This is a graceful lady in a blood-red dress, always mixing drinks behind the bar in the corner of the banquet hall.

Her concoctions have magical effects, such as temporarily seeing through disguises, gaining language proficiency, and greatly restoring sanity.

But each drink requires a story as payment. It must be a real, emotionally charged story that you have personally experienced, whether it be about horror, love, betrayal, or anything else. The better the story, the stronger the effect of the drink.

If the story is deemed false or fabricated, the wine consumed will become highly poisonous or trigger terrifying hallucinations.

She also sells intelligence on the side. The price is a secret, and it needs to be a secret you've never told anyone before. The higher the value of the secret, the more critical the intelligence.

Remember, violence is prohibited in the bar area; she is an absolutely neutral guardian.

In fact, Mary is a good person. She just likes to collect emotions and secrets and feeds on the experiences of others, but for some reason, she is always misunderstood as a serial killer.

4. Houndmaster: Lancelot the Faceless.

This is a tall knight wearing gleaming armor. There is no face under the helmet, only darkness. Behind him are several ceremonial hounds made of shadow and metal.

He will be responsible for maintaining banquet etiquette, and he will start paying attention to you when your etiquette score drops to C.

If your rating drops to D, he'll send a hound to correct you.

With the rating reduced to zero, Lancelot will personally come to carry out a permanent removal, which means elimination.

Within his rules, he will be immune to all impolite attacks, and he will only accept formal duel challenges that conform to ancient knightly etiquette.

5. Guides: Twin maids Ella and Ava. They are a pair of adorable maids who look exactly alike and have sweet smiles. Ella has blonde hair and wears a blue dress, while Ava has silver hair and wears a red dress.

They will proactively guide lost guests.

Please note that Ella only tells the truth, but she may lead you to dangerous places, such as monster lairs and deadly traps.

Ava often tells lies, but the directions she points to are usually safe or advantageous.

They don't reveal their identities directly and they pretend to be someone else.

But it doesn't matter. You just need to remember that Ella tends to turn her skirt clockwise, while Ava turns it counterclockwise; Ella is afraid of silver, while Ava dislikes gold.

Do not attack them because of their pranks, as this will immediately trigger Lancelot's pursuit.

They were merely mischievous sprites of the castle, tasked with testing the guests' observational skills and intelligence.

Player's rules for clearing the game:

First, he received a farewell from the prince.

Accumulate enough Blood Pact Gold Coins and Etiquette Rating, maintaining at least an A rating.

Purchase three rare tributes from the market or obtain them through quests as gifts for the banquet. Present the tributes to Prince Saphiron at the height of the banquet and request to leave.

If he is in a good mood, he will give you a farewell kiss ring, which allows you to leave safely at the gate.

But you may always miss the nights in the castle.

Second, win Mammon's contract.

To make a stunning deal with Mammon, the offer was enough to entice him.

He might offer a cross-dimensional contract that will teleport you directly to another specified world, but not necessarily the original world, and make you bear some of the causal consequences.

But you will owe him a debt that you can collect at any time for the rest of your life.

Hopefully you never encounter him in the weird game, or if you do, you'll be able to kill him.

Third, speed through the castle.

You can find the core of the castle's dynamic rules; it may be in the prince's bedroom, the catacombs, or the deepest part of the market.

If you find it, either steal it or destroy it. This will cause the castle's rules to temporarily collapse, all constraints to disappear, the banquet to be ruined, but it will also trigger the wrath of the entire Saphiron family, who will hunt you down.

In such situations, you can look for a crack to escape from the extreme chaos.

Whether you can leave or not depends entirely on your luck.

Finally, please note:

The castle bells chime periodically, reminding you of the progress of the evening banquet.

"May your wishes be fulfilled at Saferon Castle."