This bug is amazing!

Chapter 180 Strange Sleep During the Mutation Period
Upon hearing the system announcement, all four of them showed expressions of astonishment.

Ji Yi, however, immediately saw through Ye Luoyan's surprise, which was entirely feigned.

Did you figure it out, or did I?

Ji Yi fell into thought.

Two of Ye Luo's statements were lies.

Let's leave aside the last paragraph about Misaki for now; the key point is the sentence before Ye Luo: "She didn't see the [Russian Big Beta], and she was alone from beginning to end."

Ye Luo lied about this, so does that mean Beta's death is related to Ye Luo Yan Yu?

After all, under normal circumstances, death only results in a drop in rank. Unless you're as unlucky as Ji Yi, how could you possibly die forever?

It's most likely Ye Luo's doing!

Thinking of this, Ji Yi's killing intent towards Ye Luo intensified.

Ye Luo Yan Yu has reached his current strength by killing countless players; we absolutely cannot let him get away with this.

In silence, Ji Yi gradually formed a plan in her mind.
A moment of silence fell over the field.

"Looks like it's just the four of us left. Everyone's here now."

At this moment, Panties stepped forward and took on the role of leader.

"After careful consideration, I realized that contacting ghost stories and seeking their cooperation is too risky. The examples of Ji Yi and the number one scumbag are enough to illustrate this point."

As she spoke, Panties took out something—a map.

"This is a map of the entire Liuli County that the three of us found on the road, and our location, Dayan City, is this place."

He pointed to a spot slightly above the center of the map.

"Based on the current information, the Ghost Stories Forbidden Zone covers the entire Liuli County area, and we need to travel about 200 kilometers and pass through about 7 cities to get to the nearest exit edge."

Because Liuli County is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and crossing the sea to leave is not practical, falling into the water in case of any accident basically means death.

Therefore, Ji Yi and the other three could only cross 200 kilometers along the coast to get out of this area.

But that's not the hardest part. The forbidden zone of ghost stories is probably not accessible to everyone, so the group still needs to find the right way out.

"In addition, you will encounter many strange tales along the way that are at least S-rank. It can be said that the difficulty of this dungeon is unlike anything I have ever encountered before."

As she spoke, Panty picked up a pen and began drawing a route on the map:
"Following this route, considering the mountainous terrain and the possibility of encountering strange tales, it will take us at least seven days to walk, not even including the possibility of encountering dangerous situations."

Ji Yi listened to his analysis and couldn't help but marvel at how surprisingly good this chubby little guy's thinking ability was.

Just then, Data Eye popped up the following text:

I'm sorry I didn't warn you beforehand, but it's not too late now. You should tell others about the strange movement of the black sun in the sky.

sun?

Under God's gaze, Ji Yi could see the sky without looking up.

A dark sun was visible in the gloomy sky, descending at a speed visibly to the naked eye.

The "Anomaly Period" has begun. The ghost stories will undergo terrifying changes randomly, and absolute darkness will descend. Don't worry, at least torches will still work.

Seeing this, Ji Yi slowly raised her head and exclaimed in surprise, "Look at the sky!"

The other three also looked up at the gray sky.

Then the black sun slowly moved into the distance.

Ji Yi added, "Have you noticed that the sky has dimmed a bit? I don't think this is a good sign. Maybe we should find a chance to hide?"

He sought opinions from Pangci and Xiaomang.

The two understood each other perfectly, and Xiao Mang added, "It's probably a special rule of the Ghost Stories Forbidden Zone. It should symbolize that something even more dangerous is coming. Come on, let's pack our things quickly. At this rate, the sun will disappear completely soon."

Ye Luo let out an "Ah?" sound, perfectly revealing her innocent and student-like side.

The four quickly packed their things, and ten minutes later, before it got completely dark, they finally found a place to hide.

The location they chose for hiding was excellent; it was a bank.

The group hid inside and closed the grille-style roller shutter door outside.

Through the glass, it was clear that the outside was completely dark. No one dared to light a lamp until they groped their way into the inner room and made sure that no light could get outside. Only then did someone pick up a candle and light it.

Before entering the room, Ji Yi, who was in charge of the rear guard, looked back at the street outside one last time.

The so-called "anomaly period" isn't hard to understand; just think of it as the night in a forbidden zone. It usually lasts for 16 hours, during which time most of the strange tales become more dangerous.

I strongly advise against going out at this time, if you don't want to die.

Ji Yi doesn't have true night vision, and her reconnaissance abilities would be significantly weakened, so she really can't go out.

Thinking about it, Ji Yi entered the bank office.

In the cramped space, only a single candlelight cast a golden glow on the table, illuminating the ever-changing expressions on everyone's faces.

"It seems our escape has become even more difficult, and we don't even know how long this night will last."

As Xiao Mang spoke, some things were scattered haphazardly on the swivel chair:
"How about we just go to sleep?"

Ji Yi agreed, saying, "Yes, it is indeed a good time to sleep. I'll go to sleep too."

He quickly sat on the sofa and lay down.

Ye Luoyan looked at Pangci with a blank expression: "Pangci-ge, what do we do now?"

Panties thought for a moment and said, "Rest. Also, to prevent any accidents, we'll take turns keeping watch, and you can start first."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yi sat up abruptly.

He didn't want the three of them to fall asleep, but he wanted Ye Luo to be the only one awake.

"How about we take turns keeping watch? Let's be more conservative for now, and once we're sure it's safe, we can switch to single-person night watch."

Panties hesitated slightly: "Then I'll..."

"Let me keep watch with a bag of rice. You can rest first, you've been working hard all day."

In the darkness, Pangci gave a barely perceptible bitter smile. Although he didn't understand why Ji Yi wanted to do this, he still nodded in agreement.

And just like that, Panty and Little Busy fell asleep quickly.

Ji Yi and Ye Luo stared at each other blankly.

The office was eerily quiet; you could hear a pin drop. While still lucid, Ji Yi was still plotting her plan to kill Ye Luo:
'If we put the Faceless One's Mask on him while he's sleeping, the success rate should increase significantly.'

Given the current situation, this is the most feasible option.

Another method is to use the Stand effect of [Lake Mirror] to permanently replace Ye Luoyanyu with a Stand. This would allow the Stand to infiltrate the Headhunter Alliance and destroy the entire organization, while simultaneously enhancing the Stand's strength. It can be described as killing three birds with one stone.

However, the success rate is extremely low.

As for finding help, such as using Misaki or Guilou, they could completely suppress Ye Luo in terms of force.

But Ye Luo wasn't stupid. At worst, he would just die and lose a level; he wouldn't give you a chance to kill him completely.

'What if we use the "Superhuman Delivery Service Card"? As long as the price is right, he should be able to deliver something quite valuable. It doesn't seem like the Forbidden Zone of Ghost Stories can stop him.'

There seem to be quite a few special pieces of equipment that can, in some sense, "completely eliminate" the player.

'Then there's the NPC control panel.'

Ji Yi summoned the control panel, and the "Controllable" section was currently empty.

He hesitated to use it because S-rank dungeons are everywhere, and using it too early would be a disadvantage later.

'But if a ghost story can directly "annihilate" the player, then it's worth using.'

This is also a luck-based approach, relying entirely on chance.

While Ji Yi was silently pondering, Ye Luo continued to act like someone his age. He was seen holding a candle, rummaging through things in the office like a restless, hyperactive person.

Only when Pangci's snoring grew louder did he look at Ji Yi with curiosity:

"Why are there two people on watch? Do you have some clue?"

As he spoke, he placed the candle in front of his chest, and the candlelight shone from below, making his face look sinister and terrifying.

"Also, I always feel that although Panty Guy holds a leadership position in the team, he seems..."

"She listens to Brother Ji very well."

Ye Luo spoke in a relaxed tone, his youthful voice making him seem very casual.

Hear the words.

Ji Yi's face remained calm and composed.

"Have it?"

Ji Yi scratched his head: "I feel alright, after all, I think my suggestion was quite valuable."

His expression was equally flawless.

Look at this, veteran actors putting on a show of acting prowess! I think you two could go into movies; you'd definitely win awards.

After making its joke, Data Eye presented another piece of textual information:
His suspicions did not increase further, for the time being.

Ji Yi maintained her expression, thinking to herself:

'His suspicions have indeed been aroused by Misaki's situation.'

The murderous intent in his heart gradually grew stronger.

'Why not do it while he's sleeping? If we delay any longer, we might miss our chance.'

Ji Yi found the situation increasingly difficult.

This situation is completely different from when we first saw the leaves fall.

Who were Ji Yi's teammates last time? Top-tier players, the absolute best of the best: Zui Wan Gu Hong, Miss Cat, and one other person who was just there to fill the spot, but I forgot their name.
In short, Ji Yi's camp had an easy time facing Ye Luo back then, but this time is different.

It turns out he was leading a team of top-tier players.

What kind of team is this? You're asking them to lead? What's the skill level of mid-level players? With just a few people, can they coordinate well? No, they can't. They don't have the ability, you know?

If things continue like this, it's like turning a state into a state; Ji Yi might end up losing more than he gains.

'Ultimately, it's because I'm too weak. Before, when I teamed up with Gu Hong and Miss Cat, Ye Luo was like a complete clown.'

But now Ji Yi feels the pressure when she has to deal with things on her own.

Actually, it would be fine if he were dealing with Ye Luo alone, but now his teammates are obviously more likely to drag him down.

'I have no choice but to try my best, and wait until he falls asleep.'

"Crench!"

Suddenly, a noise came from outside the bank.

That was the sound coming from the security iron door.

"Crunch, crunch!!"

The sound came again, quite loud, but strangely, Xiaomang and Pangci did not wake up.

Just from the noise, it sounded like an ape clinging to the iron gate, shaking it with all its might.

“Crunch, crunch, crunch!!”

The sound became more and more frequent, and the teeth-grinding noise, combined with the terrifying range of the room, was enough to send one's adrenaline soaring.

Ji Yi and Ye Luo exchanged a glance, both seeing fear in each other's eyes.

"Hurry up and wake them both up, I don't think we can handle this."

Ji Yi pretended her voice was trembling, and even managed to control the goosebumps that stood on end.

Physiological reactions are almost impossible to fake, but Ji Yi managed to do it, and she was determined to fool Ye Luo.

Seeing this, Ye Luo nodded in agreement.

The two of them went together and each approached another person, shaking their sleeping bodies.

Since your acting is so good, it shouldn't be a problem for me to influence your genuine emotional expression, right?

[Panty has fallen into a "strange sleep" and won't wake up for 6 hours. Don't worry, he's just having a nightmare right now.]

'Strange sleep?'

Ji Yi continued shaking her panties without changing her expression, slapping him twice as she did so, while asking the Eye of Data a question.

"Strange sleep" is a physiological phenomenon that occurs when living people sleep during the "mutation period" in the forbidden zone of ghost stories. Everyone must experience strange sleep at least once a night, otherwise they will die suddenly the next day.

This is a reaction caused by an excessive amount of malevolent substance. During the "mutation period," a massive amount of malevolent substance becomes active, and living people exposed within the area need to eliminate the effects of the malevolent substance through "strange sleep." You can understand this as a kind of detoxification reaction.

Of course, the price is that you cannot be woken up during this period, and you will have constant nightmares during your sleep.

"Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier?"

Ji Yi was thinking about something completely different at that moment.

If he keeps watch alone and lets Ye Luo rest, wouldn't he be able to directly use the Faceless Mask to kill the other party?

Well, data analysis isn't truly omniscient; complete information can only be obtained through observation.

But at least now Ji Yi has a clear opportunity to kill Ye Luo.

We must seize this opportunity.

However, for now, we must first resolve the immediate crisis.

Thinking of this, Ji Yi withdrew her hand from covering Pangci's mouth and nose, and Pangci's purple face gradually regained its rosy color.

"It seems he really won't wake up. I wonder if he won't wake up at all during the entire night."

Ye Luo sighed.

Ji Yi looked terrified: "How about we go take a look first?"

"Crench!"

After a brief silence, the sound outside the door rang out again.

Seeing this, Ye Luoyanyu stiffened her neck and said, "Let's go, let's go then."

And so, the two seasoned veterans, who weren't afraid at all, pretended to be timid young people and left the office together.

Ye Luo didn't dare to go out directly with the candle, but whispered, "I have [Temporary Visual Enhancement]. Although it only lasts for three minutes, it will give me night vision."

Ji Yi said "Oh" and pulled Ye Luo to her side.

Although he cannot see it, the eye of data can still provide information to a certain extent.

Name: Electric Ghost

[Danger Level: Extremely Dangerous]

Rating: S

[Introduction: I think you should be familiar with him. His name was Yuya Murayama, and he was a writer. You might not remember him if I said that.]

[The ghost in the "Island Nation Ghost Stories" instance that only has a head left.]

(End of this chapter)