"Damn it, if I quit the instance now, wouldn't all my efforts over the past five days be wasted?" Jiang Xiaobai cursed unwillingly.

"This instance is really a trap," Cobra shook his head.

Logically, at their level, the instance they entered shouldn't be this difficult.

"The instance rewards are secondary; if we don't complete this instance, the bonus from the employer will be gone too," Black Bear said, troubled.

Among the seven of them, a few, like Qin Nuo, were actually substitutes for others.

Some wealthy individuals, discovering curses on themselves and fearing death in the instance, hired professional players to enter on their behalf.

These substitute players earned quite a bit.

Not only could they receive rewards after completing the instance, but they also got paid by the employer.

Under the protection mechanism, the risks were greatly reduced.

Therefore, this industry was very popular at the time!

Of course, if the instance wasn't completed, the curse remained on the original owner, and the payment was lost, significantly reducing their credibility in the industry.

Black Bear, Cobra, and Jackson were all hired players.

"There's a way. We can lay out all the clues we've gathered and narrow down the most suspicious residents," Black Rose suggested.

"And then have those with immunity tokens identify them," she added.

Jiang Xiaobai glanced at her, "Besides us, there are twenty-three residents in this building. How many can you identify?"

"Moreover, we've been focused on the main instance tasks these past few days and haven't gathered any clues for the side quests."

Cobra suddenly stood up and said, "You guys play on; for the next five days, I'll choose to hide in my room. This way, my chances of surviving until the end of the game are at least higher."

"Reasonable," Jiang Xiaobai agreed with Cobra's idea.

Now, they only hoped to survive until the end of the game and complete this instance.

As for finding the killer...

That was already a distant hope!

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"You guys still have immunity tokens, but I've already died once. If I'm hunted again, I'll really be dead!" Black Bear said with a dark expression.

Cobra and Jiang Xiaobai ignored him and turned to leave.

When disaster strikes, everyone looks out for themselves.

Jackson was also anxious, having been killed once as well.

"If the game instance fails, at least I can participate again. If I lose my life, it's really gone."

"I'm out. See you all if fate allows!"

Jackson pulled up the game panel and confirmed his exit from the instance.

A beam of light enveloped him, and he disappeared in an instant.

"Player 'Jackson' exited the game early, instance completion failed!"

Black Bear kicked the cabinet hard in frustration, "Damn it, I'm out too!"

With that, he also clicked to exit.

"Player 'Black Bear' exited the game early, instance completion failed!"

In the room, only Qin Nuo and the two women remained.

Black Rose looked at Qin Nuo, "What do you plan to do?"

"At least I still have an immunity token, so I can take some risks."

Qin Nuo put his hands in his pockets, "People need to have some hope. The game isn't over, and I'm not dead, so anything is possible."

With that, Qin Nuo also left.

Princess Yao Yao looked at Black Rose and said pitifully, "Sister Rose, can I stay with you for the next few days?"

Black Rose frowned slightly, initially wanting to refuse, but then thought that having someone around might come in handy.

She smiled slightly, "Sure."

Meanwhile, Qin Nuo returned to Room 404.

After closing the door, he took out a notebook from under the drawer and wrote down the names of four residents.

"Liu Meng, Xia Xinlu, and the old landlord."

"What are you doing?" Blood-Eyed Ghost asked.

"This is my final gamble," Qin Nuo said, putting down the pen.

"My only advantage is having two substitute scarecrows, giving me two more lives than the other players."

"In the battle royale mode, there's a detailed rule: players can identify the killer in advance. Once identified, if the killer makes a move against you, you win."

"I have four lives and can identify three ghosts."

"These three are currently my top suspects."

Blood-Eyed Ghost was still a bit confused, "And then?"

Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "For example, I now identify the most suspicious Chen Meng, then cross her name off the notebook."

"Later, I'll be erased, losing the memory of seeing the killer. If I revive, then Chen Meng is cleared of suspicion, and when I return to the room and see this notebook, I'll know Chen Meng can be ruled out."

"Then, I can verify the next suspect!"

Qin Nuo explained.

This strategy could completely bypass the memory-erasing rule of the game.

Blood-Eyed Ghost was somewhat surprised.

This kid's mind worked quite well.

"Don't forget, Liu Meng's parents are also suspects. How can you be sure the killer is among them?"

"This apartment has 23 residents."

Qin Nuo shrugged, "If none of them are, then I'll just hide until the game ends like those guys."

"If I use up all three lives, I'll exit the game."

"At worst, I won't take the reward and will help my sister participate in another instance."

He had realized it.

This instance was too difficult, not at all suitable for their level.

There must be some special reason that increased the difficulty of the instance, leading to this battle royale mode!

It had to be said, this was indeed quite a trap!

"You really plan to take a gamble," Blood-Eyed Ghost said.

"Fortune favors the bold. If you don't fight, you're waiting for death. I've never been one to admit defeat in games!"

Qin Nuo said, opening the door to Liu Ze's room.

"What's up?" Liu Ze still had that cold expression.

"I've run into some trouble and need your help, Brother Liu."

Liu Ze naturally agreed.

With Liu Ze's help, Qin Nuo also knocked on the doors of Fat Homebody Ghost and Little Yuan's Mom, and they agreed to help as well.

Last time with the Face-Flaying Ghost, they couldn't help much and owed him a favor. This time, when Qin Nuo asked for help, they agreed without hesitation.

Qin Nuo felt grateful.

Connections are truly important!

With the help of the three residents on the fourth floor, Qin Nuo continued his investigation into the main task over the next two days.

He wasn't afraid of being hunted by the killer.

He had four lives, hoping it would come for him!

The players hiding in their rooms, like Cobra, were dumbfounded seeing Qin Nuo still swaggering around the apartment.

Bro, it's a battle royale.

Can you not be so arrogant?

From the old landlord, he won two more chess games, redeemed the items pawned by two households, and completed two D-level instance tasks.

At the same time, he obtained a main task clue—"The landlord's 2011 resident information sheet seems to hide something. Why not take a look? You might discover something!"

2011.

That was the resident information sheet from ten years ago!

Qin Nuo hesitated for a moment, then smiled at the old landlord, "Old man, could you help me with one more thing?"

"You've taken two deposits, and you're still not satisfied?"

The old landlord's face darkened again.

Losing two games in a row without a single win had shattered the confidence he had regained.

Two chess games, one clue gained.

But the goodwill was lost!