A bizarre and terrifying experience; I messed up the dungeon world.

The fifth point made Shen Yu stop.

"Words spoken by the dead" - This means that the ghosts in the dungeon can talk and will actively communicate with people.

She looked at the skill descriptions on her system panel:

[Con artist - Lv1: When conversing with non-humans, your language is deceptive. The other party is more likely to believe you and voluntarily reveal information in a state of trust. Cooldown: 30 minutes/use.]

A rhetorical skill specifically designed for non-humans.

Shen Yu closed the instruction booklet, took the key to room 209, and went upstairs. She needed a quiet place to clear her mind.

The room wasn't big, with a bed, a table, and a wardrobe; the window faced the backyard. Shen Yu sat on the edge of the bed, going over the information in her mind—

The core objective of the instance should be to find the ghost in the inn. "An existence not belonging to humanity"—among the twenty-two people, how many aren't human? Or is the ghost hiding somewhere else?

Her breakthrough lies in communication. Her con artist skills allow her to extract information from ghosts.

The problem is, she has to find the ghost first.

Shen Yu took a deep breath and stood up. She couldn't wait until dawn; she'd go check out the studio first. She knew that if the studio was open all day, it was probably an important place.

The art studio was at the end of the corridor on the first floor. The door was open and the lights were on.

There are already people inside.

A woman in a beige cardigan sat in front of an easel, holding a charcoal pencil, sketching the night outside the window. She looked to be in her thirties, with her hair loosely tied up and a gentle demeanor.

Shen Yu went inside. The woman turned around and smiled at her.

"Want to draw too?"

"I can't sleep," Shen Yu said. "What about you?"

"I've always been here," the woman said. "This studio is mine."

Shen Yu noticed the painting on the easel. The black charcoal lines depicted a house—exactly the same as Guichen Residence. However, all the windows of the house in the painting were black, except for the one at the far left on the third floor, where a sliver of white light shone through.

That room that cannot be entered.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Shen Yu's mind. Rule number five of the check-in instructions: Don't believe what the dead say.

The woman said, "I've always been here," and "The studio is mine."

However, the check-in instructions clearly stated that the twenty-two players were "invited". This woman was not on the list of twenty-two people.

She is not a player.

Shen Yu controlled her expression and did not back down. She walked to an empty easel, sat down, and took out a sketchbook from her canvas bag.

"Your painting is really beautiful," Shen Yu said.

The system panel flashed.

[Con artist Lv1 activated]

"Thank you." The woman's smile deepened. "I've been painting for many years."

"Do you use the art studio by yourself?"

"Others come during the day," the woman said, "but at night it's just me. I don't like too many people."

"Me too," Shen Yu said casually, flipping through her sketchbook. "Some rooms in this building look unoccupied. Have they been empty all this time?"

The woman paused for a moment. Then, in a casual tone, she said, "No one can live in that room on the third floor. Anyone who does will meet with bad luck."

"What is it?"

"They will become paintings."

Shen Yu's fingers tightened around the pencil. "Drawing"? What does that mean?

She tried to press for more information, but the woman had already turned back to drawing and stopped talking. The con artist's skills have limited effectiveness; one cannot relentlessly press for answers.

Shen Yu sat for another ten minutes or so, and when he was sure the woman didn't intend to speak again, he got up and said goodbye.

The moment she stepped out of the art studio, she hurried down the corridor, her mind racing. That room on the third floor—whoever enters turns into a painting. What are those "paintings"—food for ghosts? Collectibles? Or the core of a dungeon?

As she turned the corner of the stairs, she nearly bumped into someone.

No—it's not human.

There was something standing in the hallway. It was wearing a guesthouse employee uniform, slightly hunched over, its face hidden behind long, flowing hair. It was laughing, a laugh that didn't even make a sound.

Shen Yu froze.

The thing reached out its hand towards her.

The next second, a force grabbed her from the side by the back of her collar and dragged her back two steps.

The man in black appeared out of nowhere, clutching a metal tube-like object in his other hand. A dark red light shone from the tip of the tube, which he aimed at the creature's face.

There was a muffled "bang," not very loud, like a stone hitting a pile of cotton.

The thing disguised as an employee tilted its head back, its entire body suddenly snapping open like a tightly wound spring, and collapsed to the ground. White gas rose from its body, dissipating completely after two or three seconds.

The corridor returned to its normal quiet.

Shen Yu leaned against the wall, feeling her back covered in cold sweat.

The man in black put away the metal pipe and glanced at her.

"What did you say to that woman in the studio just now?"

Shen Yu was taken aback. "You've been outside the whole time?"

Answer my question.

Shen Yu hesitated for a second before choosing to be honest. "I tried to get a few words out of her. She said that anyone who goes into that room on the third floor will turn into a painting."

The man in black's expression changed. It wasn't so much surprise as it seemed; it was more like he was confirming some suspicion.

"How did you get her to say it?"

"My skills," Shen Yu said. There was no need to hide them; the other party had just saved her life.

"What skill?"

"A con artist. I can make non-humans trust me more easily and voluntarily reveal information."

After a few seconds of silence, the man in black said, "Team up with me."

It is not a question.

Shen Yu retorted, "On what grounds?"

"Because I just saved you," he said, "and because your skill is very useful in this instance. I need someone who can pry information out of them."

The words were straightforward, without any beating around the bush.

Shen Yu thought for a moment. She knew she wouldn't survive more than three days fighting alone.

"Okay," she said, "but on one condition."

"explain."

"What's your name?"

The man glanced at her, and the corner of his mouth twitched—it was hard to tell if it was a smile.

"Gu Huai".

In the twelve hours following the formation of the alliance, Shen Yu gained some basic understanding of Gu Huai.

First, he was extremely familiar with the dungeon mechanics. While Shen Yu was still figuring out the loopholes in the rules, he had already drawn up a floor plan of Guichen Residence and marked all the suspicious areas.

Secondly, he didn't fully trust her. While they cooperated, he always only revealed half of the crucial information. For example, he didn't explain what kind of artifact the metal pipe was. He also didn't reveal what his other task in this instance was.

Third, his bizarre methods of murder were clean, efficient, and decisive, as if he had been doing this for a long time.

During the day, Guichen Residence appeared normal on the surface. Sunlight streamed through the windows, people moved about in the corridors, and the aroma of stir-fried dishes wafted from the kitchen. Of the twenty-two players, most were still in a state of confusion, gathering in twos and threes in the hall to exchange information. A few veteran players, however, had already begun to act independently.

Shen Yu and Gu Huai did not join either side.

At 10 a.m., the two met at the corner on the second floor.

"The woman in the art studio last night isn't the core monster of this instance," Gu Huai said bluntly.