“Forget level 19, what the hell is up with this level 10?”

“Is the 【Spirit Calamity Game】 trying to kill us?”

“So the real nightmare in this Instance is our teammates?”

Aside from Zi Jin and Shutong, the two high-level players who remained silent, the other three couldn’t help but exchange shocked remarks. They had never encountered an Instance with such an immense level gap.

For a moment, they were at a complete loss. Was this the game’s way of putting pressure on them?

How was a level 10 player supposed to survive a Nightmare-level Instance? He’d die the moment he stepped outside!

What a joke!

Zi Jin turned to the others.

“Alright, everyone, please quiet down for a moment,” she said. “Let’s first explore the current room. We’ll leave together in five minutes to avoid anyone getting separated.”

Then, she looked at Wu Wang.

“I’ve given you my suggestion. If you insist on not changing your makeup back, then please, try not to get too close to us. Don’t blame us if a misunderstanding occurs.”

Wu Wang squinted at the Qingyi Zhengdan. She clearly had a leader-type personality.

From the start, she had used her knowledge of opera to help everyone analyze their roles. After confirming she had the highest level, she had taken the initiative to whip open the red cloth in front of him, creating the impression that she would take charge in the face of danger.

Now, she had smoothly become their decision-maker, arranging a plan for the group. The entire process was exceedingly natural.

Her reason for ostracizing him was also simple.

Worrying that his damaged makeup would trigger additional dangers was only part of it. Her other objective was to use him as a pathfinding stone.

And she probably wasn’t the only one with that idea.

Sure enough, upon hearing Zi Jin’s words, the Executioner brandished a bloodstained greatsword out of thin air. He pointed the massive weapon at Wu Wang.

“You hear that, kid? Either you open the door and get out now, or I’ll send you out.”

A heart-pounding pressure pulsed from the greatsword as he spoke. Just looking at the blade made one’s neck itch, as if it could be lopped off at any moment.

A level 10 player probably wouldn’t even survive the first day in this Instance. So, before he died, he might as well be put to good use. He could scout ahead for the group and explore the unknown.

In response, Wu Wang just shrugged. He waved a hand and smiled.

“Then don’t block the way. I’m going out for a stroll…”

Bang!

Before he could finish, the room’s door was pushed open.

This caught everyone off guard. They all turned toward the entrance with vigilance.

A shrewd-looking, skinny old man walked in. He held a broom, and a rag was sticking out of his pocket. His faded, worn-out clothes were a clear testament to his low status.

Upon seeing the group, he spoke quickly.

“Ah, my masters! I’ve finally found you! What are you all doing, hiding away in this old storage room?”

“The Troupe Master and the Prince have been waiting for you for a long time. If you don’t hurry, I’m afraid you’ll anger them both.”

“Quickly now, follow this old servant.”

With that, the skinny old man pushed the door wide open. He turned and began to lead the way.

Everyone exchanged glances. Half a second later, they all stood up and walked toward the door.

Under these circumstances, they couldn’t refuse the NPC’s request.

The Instance introduction had made one thing clear. This Prince was not only noble but also possessed the power to bring ruin upon the entire opera troupe. They couldn’t risk angering him.

One mistake, and the Instance might end right as it began.

Meanwhile, Wu Wang was lost in thought. He didn’t know what the other players had seen in their Instance introductions. But his own introduction explicitly stated that he, the Chou or Clown, had killed the Troupe Master. This meant there were two possibilities.

Either everyone else’s introduction was the same as his, and only his role was special. Or each player’s introduction content differed according to the role they played.

Wu Wang was more inclined toward the latter.

If so, he could make a bold guess. Why would the system provide differentiated information that only each player could know?

The reason was simple.

Their characters had all done something sordid, something that could not be revealed to the other players in this Instance.

His act of killing the Troupe Master was likely the most serious, as it would lead to a direct pursuit by the man’s Fierce Ghost. But the others’ secrets were likely just as dangerous.

That would be troublesome.

Under these circumstances, trying to get information about their Main Quests would be extremely difficult. He didn’t know their quests, so spending too much time with them risked blowing his cover and arousing suspicion.

Therefore, acting alone was part of his plan from the start. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have changed into The Joker’s costume to deliberately make these players ostracize him.

Amid his thoughts, the skinny old man led them to a large room on the opera troupe’s grounds, one used to receive esteemed guests.

“This is the place,” the old man said. “This old servant will take his leave. You must all act with caution after you go in.”

Strangely, four saber-wielding guards in military uniforms flanked the entrance. Their ferocious expressions, like those of Wrathful Guardians, dared anyone to look them in the eye. The murderous aura emanating from them suggested they had just returned from a bloody battlefield.

Zi Jin glanced at Wu Wang and couldn’t help but sigh.

“Everyone, get ready.”

She wasn’t telling them to prepare to meet the Prince. She was telling them to prepare their life-saving measures.

Things had happened too suddenly. There was no time to forcibly repaint Wu Wang’s makeup. For him to appear before the Prince and the Troupe Master with such an outlandish look…

She simply couldn’t imagine the consequences.

The key was that they had no choice. They were being forced to play it by ear right at the start.

This guy really deserves to die…

With that thought, she slowly pushed open the door.

In the vast reception hall, the first thing they saw was the man seated in the main seat, draped in a four-toed python robe.

Even sitting, he was nearly as tall as the 1.9-meter 【Power King】. The very chair he occupied was several sizes larger than normal. One could only imagine how imposing he would be standing up.

But most critically, his skin was pale, his face a deathly blue. He had fangs. The fingernails of the hand swirling a teacup were long, black, and sharp.

He looked at the crowd with great interest, his eyes a ghastly gray-white filled with the aura of death. There was not a single trace of a living being on his entire body.

“Holy crap! This guy isn’t a living person at all!”

“This Prince is a Jiangshi!?”

Seeing this, the players’ minds went blank as a sense of dread washed over them. Even Zi Jin, who had encountered Jiangshi-type monsters before, broke out in a cold sweat.

From the guards outside, it wasn’t hard to tell. This Prince was not some decadent noble, but a vassal king who guarded the frontier.

A Jiangshi formed from a border-guarding king. She dared not imagine how powerful he would be.

Just as everyone recovered and was about to kneel in greeting, a sudden voice shattered the heavy atmosphere.

“Prince, you don’t look so well today. Your face is so blue.”

“Could it be from overworking day and night and not getting enough nutrition?”

“I have a folk remedy here that can help you calm your nerves and nourish your body. Do you need it?”

The moment the words were spoken, the other players were dumbfounded.

He was a damn Jiangshi! Of course his face was blue! Cracking jokes at a time like this? If he wanted to die, he didn’t have to drag them down with him!

They looked at Wu Wang in despair.

They saw that the kid was actually fumbling for something in his pocket.

The next second, he spoke again, and their vision went dark.

“Ta-da! The Six-Flavor Sweet Potato Pill!”