【Welcome, player Ye Shu, to the Survival Game. This is your third successful clearance. As a reward, your chances of obtaining high-tier cards will be increased. Furthermore, in light of your previous SSS-grade clearance, you have earned an extra card draw.】

【Would you like to draw cards now?】

【Congratulations! Power attribute +3】

【Congratulations! You've obtained an S-grade item: "Love-Struck Mind." Effect: Whoever is bound to this item will have a 200% increased affection for the owner.】

【Congratulations! You've received a portion of Spicy Skewers. Effect: Each skewer eaten increases stamina by 2 points.】

【Congratulations! You've obtained 100,000 Underworld Coins. Effect: Reduces contamination from the strange, can be used to purchase peculiar foods.】

Ye Shu swept the floating cards into her inventory, yet a wave of unease crept through her.

She glanced around. There was nothing but endless darkness in the game space, yet she couldn’t shake the sensation of being watched.

……

Deep within the system space of the game.

【Beep... Strange Descent instance failed...】

【Beep beep... Furious Sea Carnival game instance failed...】

【Beep beep... Jade Lake City game instance failed...】

After dying three times in a row, Lin Qingyue regarded the silhouette on the glowing screen with growing mistrust. Only when the new game theme was announced did the man’s displeasure vanish, replaced with a malignant glare toward a shadowy corner.

……

Ye Shu opened her eyes and found herself in a bedroom, with a pair of sunglasses perched on her nose.

A luminous screen automatically appeared before her.

【Player: Ye Shu】

【Game ID: 10096】

【Current players remaining: 1,000,000/999,999】

【Starter Items: Phone ×1, ID Card ×1】

【Stamina: 100 points】

【Game Overview: Your name is Ye Xiaoshu, a mom currently staying at home and out of work. You and your husband have two children. Your husband is a programmer. &%##……#@@ (To see the rest, please pay 500 points.)】

【Game Mission: Survive to clear the instance**￥#￥￥ (To see the full task, please pay 300 points.)】

Ye Shu nearly shattered her sunglasses in anger.

This damn game was pushing its luck—charging for every little detail, even making you pay to view your mission! She’d never heard of such a thing.

At the same time, players all over Blue Star who’d been drawn into the game collectively lost their minds.

The game was already hard enough, and the introduction was key for making it out alive. Now only half of it was revealed—how were they supposed to play?!

Worst of all, the forum was forcibly closed.

Private messaging too was muted; the trading platform sat in a no-man’s land, barring all exchange.

A bad premonition settled on Ye Shu. This round... was anything but normal. It was likely a special instance, in the same vein as Strange Descent.

She looked about and saw she was seated on a bed, beside her, a cane lay unattended.

The bedroom was sparsely furnished: a bed, a table and chair set, a wardrobe—nothing more, nothing less. It barely felt like a couple’s room. To the left was an alcove for the bathroom, its cold white light ghastly and out of place.

Ye Shu adjusted her sunglasses and let her gaze fall on the photo frame hanging behind her. Her breath hitched, and she clutched the cane tighter.

It was a wedding photo. The bride’s dress was a shimmering white, clutching a bouquet of roses, her smile radiant... and the face was identical to Ye Shu’s. The groom’s face, however, had been meticulously cut out.

She found a slip of paper in the desk’s hidden drawer.

【Welcome, player, to the Rule Narrative: Bittersweet Home. To better ensure your survival, you must strictly abide by the following rules.】

【Rule 1: Never let anyone discover you’ve regained your sight.】

【Rule 2: Only four people live in this house. If you see a fifth, it is merely a hallucination.】

【Rule 3: Your husband loves you, without a doubt, and can be trusted completely.】

【Rule 4: As a mother, you love your children dearly. Remember, avoid refusing the children’s requests whenever possible.】

【Rule 5: The children are always adorable. Do not pull strange faces when you see them.】

【Rule 6: The study does not exist. Should you find it, do not be startled; simply ignore it.】

【Rule 7: No food on the dining table may be wasted.】

【Rule 8: The bedroom is absolutely safe. It cannot enter.】

Ye Shu instantly realized this instance was anything but ordinary. Disobeying any rule would lead to an ill fate.

But—who was "it" in the rules?

Could it be a creature as uncanny as those she’d already encountered?

From the corner of her eye, Ye Shu glanced at the black cat perched on her shoulder and asked, “Da Piaoliang, are there any other strange presences in this house?”

"Awoo... Not for now."

"Master, I can sense something odd about those rules... Some of the text has been altered…"

Da Piaoliang pointed at Rules Two, Six, and Eight.

Ye Shu’s heart sank. She countered, “Can you see what the original rules were?”

"No. I'm not a native of this world. My power is suppressed here. I can only tell those rules have been corrupted."

That settled it—this game had everything to do with the uncanny. Ye Shu was about to probe further when a click sounded from the door. She immediately stored the note away.

A young girl, dressed in a little sundress and clutching a drawing pad, raced in and hurled herself into Ye Shu’s arms, cooing, “Mommy, since when did we have a cat?”

Ye Shu, unfazed, countered easily, “There’s no cat in our home.”

The little girl stared at the black cat, then looked back at Ye Shu, unconvinced. But Ye Shu would not budge.

"See how pretty my flowers are, Mommy? Pink blossoms, green trees, blue skies..."

The little girl’s voice was syrupy sweet as she gazed at Ye Shu with hopeful eyes.

Ye Shu, shielded behind her sunglasses, peered at the drawing. There were no blue skies or clouds to be found. Only a grotesque head crudely sketched in red crayon—close enough that she could smell the copper tang of blood oozing from the paper.

The rules said to avoid rejecting the children. If she failed to respond, it would count as a violation—she could be contaminated, assimilated by the uncanny.

Feigning ignorance, Ye Shu nodded and praised, “Yueyue, this is wonderful! It’s just a pity that Mommy can’t see it.”

The girl’s smile froze. Her gaze circled the room before settling back on Ye Shu, “Mommy, are you sure I drew flowers and trees? Won’t you take a closer look?”

Ye Shu replied with certainty, “Yes, of course.”

"Silly Yueyue, Mommy can’t see… I’m sorry, sweetheart, it’s my fault. I just can’t see your lovely art."

The girl’s face twisted in frustration, but after a moment, as if spotting something amusing, she grinned and lifted her own head from her neck. Blood seeped from Yueyue’s collar—

"Mommy... crack crack, mommy..."

Holding her own head in her hands, Yueyue’s eyes began to bleed. Dark veins split her face as plump, wriggling maggots spilled from her sockets, trickled down and disappeared into her mouth.

Ye Shu sat unfazed, as if none of this were out of the ordinary.