Chapter 106: More Cruel Than the Bizarre World? Only Reality!
Zhang Yangqing didn’t care what outsiders thought.
Otherwise, what did they think he had those people come over for yesterday? It certainly wasn’t just to deliver the seal.
He had already anticipated today’s situation and called them over in advance.
Did they think he was bringing them along to witness him clearing the instance?
Why not use free labor when it’s available?
What other chosen ones were considering today, Zhang Yangqing had already thought through yesterday—even coming up with countermeasures.
There was no helping it. Yesterday, everyone else was too busy just trying to survive, with little time to plan ahead.
Even if some of the smarter chosen ones had foreseen it, they lacked the means to prepare.
For them, just completing the day’s tasks and gathering intel was already an impressive feat.
Some chosen ones knew they’d have to throw the cat out today, so they deliberately didn’t feed it much in the morning—just enough to stave off hunger.
After obtaining the drug from the basement, they mixed it into the cat’s food.
Once the black cat ate it, they closed the door and went to search for the little boy.
They feared the cat might realize it had been drugged and fight back, potentially injuring them.
Returning after the drug took effect was undoubtedly the safest option.
By now, the surviving chosen ones were either extremely detail-oriented or had some special skills.
Miller, the chosen one from the Eagle Country, was undoubtedly one of the sharpest minds in this bizarre world.
Despite his streak of bad luck, his survival proved his competence.
Miller found the fourth little boy, brought the rocking horse near the entrance, and had him ride it.
Only when the boy smiled did the rain outside finally stop.
This exhausted Miller. If he hadn’t succeeded, it might have dragged on until nightfall.
His stomach growled, his body was weak, and if he encountered another major hurdle now, he’d be in serious trouble.
Still, he had one skill left unused—[Stealth].
When the time was right, Miller apologized to the now-white cat before tossing it down.
The cat had protected him these past two days, but to complete the mission, he had no choice.
Of course, he didn’t mention that this was something he learned from Dragon Country’s chosen one—which secretly pleased Zhang Yangqing.
Because if anyone in this round claimed Zhang Yangqing would do the same, then throw the whitened cat down, Zhang Yangqing would be tempted to throw them down instead.
After all, he hadn’t done it—why were they crediting him?
Rahman, the chosen one from Pyramid Country, performed steadily this round—neither exceptionally lucky nor unlucky.
As long as he gathered intel, interpreted the rules correctly, and avoided fatal mistakes, clearing the instance wasn’t too difficult.
Now, he just had to wait six hours to fulfill today’s time requirement.
Originally, he needed eight hours of sleep, but the manager’s disturbance cut it short at six.
So, he had to make up the remaining six, though he didn’t dare sleep—preferring to stay awake.
There’d be plenty of time to sleep after returning. Sleeping here was too risky.
Other chosen ones were also busy completing their tasks. Today’s workload wasn’t overwhelming, but it wasn’t easy either.
A single misstep in any step could be deadly.
Zhang Yangqing, on the other hand, was far more relaxed.
In less than half an hour, his group of fierce ghosts had rounded up seven or eight little boys.
Eager to earn his approval, they presented them like trophies. Zhang Yangqing gave them verbal praise for their efforts.
Then came the commanding phase. He had the ghosts bring out the rocking horse from the bedroom and made the boys take turns riding it—until the rain stopped.
From start to finish, all he did was give orders without lifting a finger.
But the ghosts feared him taking action—because if he did, no one could stop him.
Even the ghosts had to marvel at this spectacle.
For the ghost who captured the correct boy, Zhang Yangqing generously rewarded him with a seal.
This left the ghost so grateful he nearly kowtowed in thanks.
Admittedly, these guys were efficient—far better than the last tour group.
Their fashion sense, however, was an eyesore.
So, once everything was settled, Zhang Yangqing dismissed them to rest.
Before leaving, the scar-faced man said, “Boss, we’ll be resting at the hillside manor. Just call if you need us.”
Zhang Yangqing nodded, not refusing the goodwill.
Whether I need it or not is one thing, but I appreciate the sentiment.
After they left, Zhang Yangqing stamped the remaining seals on his clothes—specifically, the inner side of his jacket.
The 7-4 seal had to be applied last. Otherwise, if it teleported him out immediately, wouldn’t that be a huge loss?
He was, after all, a landlord with over seventy rental properties.
When he stamped the final seal, a special notification appeared on his phone:
[Congratulations on completing the hidden quest ‘I Am the Landlord.’ Please post a rental notice at the community entrance to trigger the settlement.]
Zhang Yangqing nodded upon seeing this.
He had considered this possibility.
After all, he had only gone from tenant to resident. Posting a rental notice would officially make him the landlord.
After writing the notice, he closed the door and stepped outside.
This time, leaving felt different.
After the rain, the air was crisp and fresh.
The sky was a clear, unbroken blue, like a flawless sapphire.
Sunlight, thin as gauze, draped gently over the land.
The sea of umbrellas and raincoats had vanished like a receding tide.
People bustled about, greedily inhaling the post-rain air.
As Zhang Yangqing walked toward the community exit, the path felt smoother—no longer requiring cautious steps to avoid puddles.
After posting the notice at the entrance, he spotted the curly-haired woman, who had left work early due to the cleared weather.
She greeted him warmly before heading into the community—like friendly neighbors.
As the countdown ended, Zhang Yangqing returned to the real world.
This pleasant journey through the bizarre world had concluded.
Those who hadn’t triggered the settlement were still struggling inside.
Unsurprisingly, Zhang Yangqing not only performed the best but also finished the fastest.
Having slept a full eight hours and delegated most tasks to the ghosts, he was at least four or five hours ahead of the others.
However, the round wouldn’t officially end until the last chosen one either died or cleared the instance.
Zhang Yangqing’s early completion sparked a wave of discussion in the global chat.
“OMG, what happened? I wasn’t paying attention—why did Dragon Country’s screen go dark? Did he trigger some death ending?” (IP: Eagle Country)
“No way. At his level, he shouldn’t fail in an instance like this.” (IP: Iron Tower Country)
“You two really didn’t watch, huh? He already triggered the settlement and returned. We’re just waiting for the others to finish for the ratings.” (IP: Stick Country)
“Impressive. Our experts calculated our chosen one still needs two and a half hours to trigger settlement. Hope nothing goes wrong.” (IP: Pouch Country)
“Yours isn’t bad. Ours is in a complicated spot—needing five more hours. By then, it’ll be dark, and he’s already out of food, too weak to handle any surprises.” (IP: Unite Kingdom)
“Ours is almost done, but he probably won’t get an S-rank. Dragon Country’s guy even completed hidden quests—ours just scraped by.” (IP: Maple Country)
“Surviving is enough. Who cares about S-ranks?” (IP: Trinity Country)
“Not true. Each S-rank grants a national reward. Three S-ranks mean three rewards.” (IP: Eagle Country)
“Wait, really? So Dragon Country’s people are raking it in?” (IP: Trinity Country)
“More than that. It’s why so many want to immigrate there. Getting in now is like winning the lottery.” (IP: Eagle Country)
Seeing Zhang Yangqing return early, envy ran rampant in the global chat.
But the most nerve-wracking situation was Cherry Blossom Country’s chosen one, Abe Hiroshi.
Having lost eight rounds in a row, another failure would push them to the brink—nine consecutive losses.
One more after that, and the entire country would face a bizarre world invasion—a place no normal person could survive.
But Abe Hiroshi was no Mitsushiro. His combat skills were formidable.
This round, he had made some progress.
Even with two shikigami lost, he still had seven left.
When drugging the black cat, he overdosed it, causing the cat to retaliate—costing him two more shikigami to survive.
Searching for the boy brought further troubles, sacrificing another shikigami before barely completing the mission.
By the end, his proud collection of nine shikigami was down to four.
Now, Abe Hiroshi sat on the couch, door locked, eyes sharp—constantly alert for attacks from the windows or entrance.
Yet, despite his caution, he still slipped up.
The next second, the couch transformed into a gaping maw, trying to swallow him whole.
His remaining shikigami loyally yanked him free.
The black cat had been suppressing these supernatural threats. With it gone, every unlocked piece of furniture turned hostile.
This wasn’t unique to him—other inattentive chosen ones faced the same fate.
The number of survivors dwindled further.
Viewers watched in horror. While Dragon Country’s chosen one had already cleared the instance, theirs were still fighting for their lives?
No wonder they said the bizarre world wasn’t over until you were truly out.
The smarter strategies were twofold:
-
Wait until nearly the full 12 hours before feeding the cat, ensuring it continued suppressing the supernatural.
-
Hide in the bedroom, the only safe spot when unoccupied.
Abe Hiroshi seemed to realize this, shouting, “Open the door! Block them! I need to get to the bedroom!”
But as he stood, something clamped onto his leg.
In a life-or-death decision, he ordered a shikigami to sever it.
At the cost of his leg and two more shikigami, he finally reached the bedroom and slammed the door shut.
He had entered this world with nine shikigami and unshakable confidence.
Now, seven were dead, one was injured, and only one remained unscathed.
After barely staunching the bleeding, his blood-soaked bedroom looked like a scene from a horror movie.
Sitting on the bed, he recalled his two humanoid shikigami—avoiding violating Rule 8.
Seeing Abe Hiroshi adhere to the rules even now, Cherry Blossom Country’s experts sighed in relief.
He should be safe now.
While other chosen ones anxiously awaited settlement, Zhang Yangqing was already resting.
Upon returning, he was met with familiar faces.
But something felt off. His senior brother seemed normal, but the other junior brothers regarded him with excessive reverence.
As he passed, they stopped and bowed, only resuming their tasks once he was gone.
It was as if they were one step away from kowtowing.
Confused, Zhang Yangqing asked his senior brother if they’d eaten something weird.
Or was he still in the bizarre world?
Su Muyu replied calmly, “Nothing’s wrong. They’re just scared of you.”
“Huh? Did I do something scary?”
Zhang Yangqing wracked his brain. His performance had been normal, right?
So what if I killed a few fierce ghosts? Was that really so terrifying?
To prevent Zhang Yangqing from gloating, Su Muyu changed the subject.
“How was the trip?”
“Not bad. Experienced a different kind of life. Pretty interesting, actually.”
“Good. Since it was ‘interesting,’ we’ll count it as three days of absenteeism.”
Zhang Yangqing: “…”
This counts? Wasn’t I voted in by you guys?!
As the two chatted, the last chosen one finally cleared the instance.
A message appeared before all Dragon Country citizens:
[Congratulations to Dragon Country’s chosen one for clearing the bizarre world ‘Strange Rental House.’ Rating: SSS]
[Standard Reward: Lift the bizarre world invasion from one city.]
[Special Reward 1: Dragon Country’s wheat production increased by 20%.]
[Special Reward 2: All Dragon Country citizens’ physical attributes +1.]
[Special Reward 3: Dragon Country’s cotton production increased by 20%.]
Unsurprisingly, Zhang Yangqing achieved a perfect score.
But what puzzled everyone was that no one else had earned even an S-rank.
Meaning, this round, only Dragon Country reaped benefits—the rest were mere spectators.
Clearing the instance granted the chosen one +1 to all stats and the standard reward (lifting an invasion).
Each S-rank added +2 to all stats, a skill, and a national special reward.
This outcome made sense, though. Apart from Zhang Yangqing, everyone else had been too cautious, fearing contamination.
Since the last chosen one didn’t clear until late at night, the next bizarre world was postponed.
For once, the world enjoyed a peaceful evening without chosen ones struggling inside.
This round saw a staggering 91 survivors—proof of its high difficulty, attracting Earth’s top talents.
Eagle Country’s Miller sighed upon returning. *Only +1 to all stats? No skill? What a waste.*
Pyramid Country’s Rahman was relieved. He had guessed some clues and even had a chance to explore the warehouse but chose caution over risk.
Pouch Country’s Jones burst into tears, swearing never to return. “That was terrifying! I only survived by sheer luck!”
Strangely, every nation’s experts were studying one question:
Why did all supernatural chosen ones—except Dragon Country’s—pay a bloody price?
It wasn’t that supernatural individuals were dumb. Their confidence often led to overlooked details.
Abe Hiroshi barely survived but was now practically crippled.
As Cherry Blossom Country’s top onmyoji, he had traded his legs and shikigami for his nation’s survival.
While the public celebrated, the experts and higher-ups saw him as “useless” and “worthless.”
The smiles and congratulations were just for show.
Abe Hiroshi knew this. His glory was fleeting, but his pain and loneliness would last a lifetime.
With seven shikigami gone and a missing leg, his combat prowess had plummeted.
Younger onmyoji would soon replace him.
From Cherry Blossom Country’s peak, he had fallen to the abyss.
More cruel than the bizarre world? Only reality.
In the bizarre world, helping ghosts earned genuine gratitude.
Here? A mere “thanks” at best.
This time, Abe Hiroshi saw the truth.
He was this round’s most successful failure.
Trinity Country’s old monk teetered on the edge of a mental breakdown after enduring over an hour of hallucinations.
Other surviving supernatural individuals bore psychological scars and physical wounds.
To them, the bizarre world was a nightmare—one they never wished to relive, filled with man-eating monsters.
Few, like Miller and Rahman, dared to return. Most lacked the courage.
Though not every supernatural individual was traumatized—just most.
Dragon Country’s chosen one? He didn’t suffer trauma. If anything, he inflicted it on the bizarre world’s inhabitants.
Thus, experts concluded that for future bizarre worlds, they should prioritize intelligent, quick-thinking candidates over supernatural ones.
After this round’s bloodbath, many of Earth’s so-called supernatural elites now feared the bizarre world.
Currently, only Zhang Yangqing’s playthrough was worth analyzing.
In Eagle Country’s expert team, Dr. Muscle Miller (having binge-watched Zhang Yangqing’s footage) had an epiphany:
“I get it now! Identity transformation under certain conditions is the key to high scores. Changing roles unlocks unexpected advantages. Look here—the fierce ghost boss’s dialogue implies that stamping the seal on oneself grants special power. In the Wax Museum, Dragon Country’s guy already had a special item but didn’t need it.”
His theory was that using the wax figure would grant abilities similar to the frost ghost’s—temporarily boosting strength and survival odds.
The team agreed, adding that identity shifts should aim for beneficial roles to aid clearance.
For some reason, Miller felt a thrill. He couldn’t wait for the next bizarre world to test Zhang Yangqing’s strategy—gaining intel and transforming identities to clear the instance.
As an extreme sports enthusiast, Miller wasn’t afraid of death. Sometimes, he sought out high-risk activities just for the adrenaline.
In Pyramid Country, Rahman watched Zhang Yangqing’s footage and finally solved some puzzles.
Had he been braver, he might have attempted the hillside manor quest—sneaking in to steal a seal.
But Zhang Yangqing’s ease didn’t guarantee his own success. One misstep could have been fatal.
Even with a second chance, he wasn’t sure he’d dare.
Of Zhang Yangqing, Rahman could only say: “On my second run, I was less nervous. But that guy? He made it look like a game!”
At 8 a.m. the next day, a message appeared worldwide:
[The bizarre world ‘Mary Cruise Ship’ will soon arrive. Each nation must select a representative by 11 a.m.]
This time, participation was voluntary. If no one volunteered, a random citizen would be chosen.
Though the name sounded less terrifying, many guessed its difficulty would match—if not exceed—previous instances.
After all, Bloody Mary was a notorious legend—a bloodthirsty prophet.
Eagle Country’s Miller already had some theories about the dangers ahead.
A cruise ship meant vast, endless oceans.
Normal maritime dangers included storms, waves, reefs, whirlpools, leaks, sinking, pirates, seaweed-clogged propellers, icebergs…
But in the bizarre world? Add monstrous sea creatures, ghostly crews, and unspeakable horrors.
Miller wanted to go, but his experts insisted he wait—his body needed analysis to adjust his medication dosage.
Regretfully, he had to sit this one out, curious to see who Dragon Country would send.
Other survivors shared his sentiment.
Pouch Country’s Jones outright refused: “Two rounds in a row drained me. I’m not signing up.”
As for the supernatural survivors? Fear kept them from returning.
Not everyone could breeze through like Dragon Country’s guy.
Most had fought tooth and nail just to survive.
Back at Dragon-Tiger Mountain, Zhang Yangqing noticed everyone staring at him.
Shrugging, he said, “Why look at me? Any of you could go.”
