Chapter Four: Rose Manor (Part Three) – The New Rules

The atmosphere froze momentarily.

Lin Chen blinked in astonishment, genuinely not expecting Zeiss to pull such a stunt.

Isn't this a team dungeon? Why would someone make such a joke at a moment like this?

Shen Ming wanted to say something but reconsidered, realizing Zeiss was no newcomer and not easily fooled, so he gave up.

In the end, Zou Yan smiled to ease the tension: "Don’t take it personally with Xiao Lin. He’s new here and doesn’t understand much. His question was a bit abrupt."

Zeiss remained indifferent, casually grabbing an apple from the table and wiping it as if uninvolved.

His earlier words had been said jokingly, open to many interpretations.

If anyone teased him, he would naturally backtrack, dismissing it as a joke, then quietly reveal the obvious conclusion.

But now, all the veteran players took him seriously, seemingly accustomed to his secrecy, adopting an attitude of “sharing public clues is kindness; withholding is duty.” This made him start to doubt:

Does this team dungeon truly require players to unite and cooperate? Is collaboration really the best way to clear the dungeon?

...Interesting. Could it be that everyone dying is the actual way to clear it?

In the heavy silence, the butler appeared like a ghost and said to the players, “Dear guests, it is late. I will arrange your accommodations.”

He paused, a disquietingly fake smile crossing his face. “Please forgive our neglect; it is simply not suitable to go out at night. Once dawn breaks, you may freely enjoy the roses you have been eagerly awaiting.”

On the system interface, the four words “Beware the Roses” appeared with an eerie, unsettling aura.

Shen Ming carefully asked, “Butler, do the roses pose any danger? Are they perhaps poisonous?”

“No, roses are roses. How could they be poisonous?” The butler replied with some displeasure.

He then turned stiffly and led the way, maintaining a steady pace.

No one dared to lag behind; they all hurried after him, ascending the uneven stone steps.

The stairs were unevenly built with stones, with tiny plant roots growing between the gaps, or perhaps originally single stone slabs torn apart by roots.

The wall on the left was seamless, like cement sealing a coffin, as if trapping living beings within; the handrail on the right was broken in many places, corroded by time or recalling the ruins left by a struggling giant.

The players held their breath, silent as if afraid to awaken some ancient creature sealed there.

The group reached the second floor of the castle in this eerie stillness. The roughly two hundred square meters of flat space spread out before them.

The gray walls were mottled with grimy water stains, moss and ferns crawling through the cracks, exuding a sinister, oppressive atmosphere.

Three brown doorways were embedded gloomily within the walls. The worn wooden doors were patched with wedges of varying ages and materials, creating a patchwork of colors.

Like on the first floor, a huge, cumbersome mechanical clock stood in the corner, relentlessly displaying the exact time.

Time, it seemed, was indeed crucial in this dungeon.

The butler took three keys from his waist and handed them to Shen Ming, speaking in a businesslike tone: “Please avoid leaving your rooms at night. Each room accommodates only two people. Guard your keys carefully; they may very well save your lives at a critical moment.”

Yezi frowned in dissatisfaction: “This castle is so large. Can’t there be more rooms? We barely know each other. Is it really okay for two people to share a room?”

She was clearly trying to extract more information from the butler.

The butler smiled brightly: “There are only three rooms. We have only three rooms.”

His voice dropped to a whisper, making the atmosphere somewhat eerie. Yezi wisely fell silent.

At the moment when they spoke, Zeiss scanned the surroundings but found no second staircase.

If the staircase they used to ascend were blocked, the players could easily be trapped inside, surrounded and ambushed.

Zeiss looked at the butler politely and asked, “Sir, may I ask where the lovely Miss Anna stays?”

Upon hearing “lovely,” the butler grinned broadly, replying cheerfully, “Miss Anna lives on the third floor... Oh, I forgot to tell you—Miss Anna doesn’t like guests prying too much into her life. If she finds out you’ve been to the third floor, she will be very angry.”

So, it’s safe if they don’t get caught?

It seemed they had no choice but to visit the third floor.

Zeiss appeared thoughtful.

Meanwhile, all players heard a system notification:

[Rule Breakthrough Progress Updated]

[New Rule Refreshed]

As the alert sounded, a new line of text appeared beneath the eight existing rules on the system interface:

[9. Please avoid going to the third floor. If you do, do not let Miss Anna discover you.]

For a moment, the veteran players regarded Zeiss with newfound consideration.

Being able to ask a question that triggered a new rule was a skill in itself, whether by accident or design.

Zeiss knew this indirectly confirmed his claim of “entering the dungeon for the second time.”

Unfazed, he continued, “Butler, where do you stay? If we need you, where can we find you?”

The butler twisted his head, the joints creaking like rusty machinery.

He smiled and pointed to the ground: “I’m... underground.”

Underground? The castle had no basement; the so-called underground must be literal...

Terrifying thoughts grew like creeping vines. The players’ expressions turned strange, and Lin Chen looked pale, as if he’d seen a ghost in a horror film.

The butler ignored the players and turned stiffly toward the stairs, descending step by step like a puppet pre-programmed, unmoved by outside words.

Only when the butler’s figure disappeared into the shadowy corner formed by the stairs and wall did Shen Ming speak hesitantly, “Everyone, what do you think about this new rule and the third floor?”

“Luckily Zeiss asked in advance, or someone would have had to break the rule to reveal it,” Zou Yan said with a smile toward Zeiss, tinged with some approval.

“But if we want to understand the world’s lore, we definitely need to go to the third floor for more clues. If we only want to clear the dungeon, we can ignore the third floor and strictly follow all rules.”

Lin Chen agreed: “Then let’s focus on surviving first and worry about the lore later.”

No one objected. It was only the first day in the dungeon; many things were unknown, and further discussion would be fruitless.

Suddenly, the clear sound of a clock rang unexpectedly—seven chimes. It was seven o’clock.

Yezi pulled Zou Yan and laughed, “It’s getting late. Let’s split up and choose rooms. I’ll share with Sister Zou. Please take good care of me.”

It was natural for the two women to room together, but how to divide the remaining four men remained to be decided.

Zeiss glanced subtly between Shen Ming and Lin Chen and said, “Shen, losing members early in a team dungeon hurts everyone. You’re a veteran; why not guide the newcomers?”

Shen Ming looked troubled. “Honestly, I’m not even an official player yet. Like you, I’m still circling in the novice pool. My strength might not be much better.”

He turned to Lin Chen and asked seriously, “Xiao Lin, you’re new. What’s your preference—who do you want to room with?”

Lin Chen paled when suddenly addressed.

He knew well that newcomers were often despised.

Without experience, he couldn’t contribute much. If he died, he’d bring suspicion. Shen Ming not wanting to room with him was understandable.

Though each room had to hold two people, at least he wouldn’t be alone. But what if his roommate didn’t care whether he lived or died?

Who should he choose? Chang Xu, the self-proclaimed “police officer”? That profession might offer protection...

Lin Chen opened his mouth to ask, but Zeiss, who had been watching from the side, spoke up just then: “Lin Chen, room with me. I may not have Shen’s experience, but if you follow my lead and don’t act rashly, I’m confident we can avoid some simple death traps.”

Lin Chen was stunned.

From Zeiss’s earlier probing of Miss Anna, he had assumed this young man was a big shot; later, when Zeiss refused to share his discoveries, he thought him selfish and unreliable.

So what was this now?

Still, this big shot was offering him a lifeline when he was helpless—surely not a bad person...

Shen Ming happily dropped the hot potato and agreed immediately: “Xiao Lin, then you and Zeiss can room together. I don’t think he’s any less capable than me.”

Lin Chen snapped out of his daze and nodded quickly, “Th-thank you, Brother Zeiss! I’ll try not to be a burden!”

Zeiss smiled, eyes curved like a crescent moon, looking at his grateful temporary roommate.

This so-called room arrangement essentially divided the six-person group into three small units.

—Compared to smart, capable teammates, he preferred tools who were obedient and easy to deceive.

Lin Chen was the only one who barely fit the bill.

Naturally, Shen Ming paired up with Chang Xu.

A visibly strong teammate was a welcome presence in a perilous dungeon. Chang Xu, standing over six feet tall, certainly inspired confidence.

Unfortunately, the stoic, cool-faced “police officer” seemed unsociable. Even when Shen Ming tried to strike up a conversation, Chang Xu only gave a perfunctory “hmm.”

Zeiss, seeing the groups nearly settled, boldly approached Shen Ming, took the key marked “3” from his hand, and led Lin Chen toward the deepest room down the hallway: Room 3.

Shen Ming watched their departing backs with a troubled expression.

Room 3 lay on the central axis between the other two rooms. If a monster came, it wouldn’t be the first place visited, whether traveling clockwise or counterclockwise.

He had planned to pick this room himself but never expected Zeiss to act so swiftly and without courtesy!