Chapter 342: Cooperation Contract
The ancient castle was vast, and the "missing guest" could be hidden anywhere. Searching alone would make it difficult to cover every corner of the castle, and with the limited mission time, cooperation among players was the best option.
However, players couldn't trust each other, and cooperation had both advantages and disadvantages.
"Wouldn't it be great if we all completed the mission and left?" the Baby Face said with a grin. "If I clear it first, I'll definitely tell every one of you the answer."
No one responded. The young man sitting next to the Black-Faced Man said impatiently, "Do you think this mission is simple? When we entered the villa, our luggage was all taken away. I searched the rooms on the first and second floors, but I didn't see any luggage at all. Who knows where it's been hidden?"
Before arriving, these players had more or less bought some "practical tools," but once the servants took their luggage upon entry, it was nowhere to be found, and they wouldn't give it back when asked.
"That mute butler seems pretty formidable," the Tall Thin Man said. "Both he and the castle owner could be key to the mission."
"Isn't it obvious that the castle owner killed someone and hid the body?" the Strong Man said, reeking of alcohol as he carried two bottles of wine.
The only female player who had stayed in the hall last night, a refined woman, moved away in disgust. "If it were that obvious, would they open an instance for you to solve? If you don't believe it, try submitting the mission."
The Strong Man actually went to try. The Refined Female Player rolled her eyes and looked at the Black-Faced Man. "You Qiwu, stop beating around the bush. We're all here to complete the mission. Excluding Xu and the Ma couple doesn't look like cooperation."
They had already introduced themselves. The Black-Faced Man, You Qiwu, said bluntly, "The Ma couple met privately with the castle owner, He Pu. Why would he meet them alone? Fang Min, you saw Xu last night too—he reeks of a corpse. He's probably not a good person."
The Refined Female Player, Fang Min, frowned. "Xu goes without saying, but do you suspect the Ma couple of colluding with the castle owner?"
With a guest missing in the castle, the castle owner was naturally a suspect.
"That doesn't prove anything," the Tall Thin Man, Fleur, said thoughtfully. "The castle owner might be setting up a diversion to make us turn on each other. On the surface, this instance's mission is simple: the missing guest is in the castle, and the killer must be here too."
"Regardless, I don't recommend cooperating with those three," You Qiwu said sternly. "The Ma couple haven't come out to look for clues at all; they've been staying in their room."
"Maybe they're waiting to reap the rewards," the Long-Haired Female Player, sitting in the corner, said as she combed her long black hair and slowly lifted her pale face. "That's why they're not in a hurry?"
"That's possible," You Qiwu said. "Anyway, besides the people in the castle, we need to watch out for those three."
The conversation turned back to cooperation. Although they had excluded Xu and the Ma couple, the remaining nine couldn't let their guard down either. After some back-and-forth, the Tall Thin Man Fleur said, "I have an item. Write the agreed terms on it, and no matter how you sign, if you violate the terms, the word 'Breach' will appear on your forehead. Only the signatories can see it, and it won't disappear until you fulfill the promise or the time limit expires. It's basically harmless."
He pulled out a piece of parchment and wrote a highly restrictive clause, specifying the time, content, and possible penalties, then signed his name. "You can check it."
"Who's going first?" he asked.
Game items came in all shapes and forms—who would dare sign their name recklessly?
"I'll go," the Long-Haired Female Player said. "Can a fake name work?"
Fleur nodded. "Yes."
The Long-Haired Female Player wrote down "Wei Landeng."
The others watched silently.
A few seconds later, the written words seemed to sink into the paper, and the contract took effect. The content read:
"Tell the others a secret within three minutes, or lose your trait or item, or die."
Three minutes passed quickly. Fleur and Wei Landeng both saw the white characters "Breach" appear on each other's foreheads, but only the signatories could see them.
Wei Landeng took out a small mirror to check her own forehead.
"Each person can only see others' breaches, not their own. This contract is called Contract Spirit, and it mainly reflects the spirit. So even though I wrote penalties, breaching it won't actually result in punishment," Fleur said. "The contract lasts for a month, and whether you fulfill it or not, it will disappear after a month."
Now both he and Wei Landeng had breached it, but the penalties written in the contract hadn't occurred. Wei Landeng confirmed to the others, "I can indeed see the word 'Breach.'"
"Now let's fulfill it," Fleur said, pausing. "I stole money from my dad when I was a kid and framed my brother for it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the two characters on his forehead vanished.
Wei Landeng nodded. "I like secretly watching people sleep."
The moment she finished, the contract on the parchment showed as completed, and the words disappeared.
"That's a unique hobby of yours," the Baby Face laughed. "Alright, I think this method works. I agree."
The others thought it over and agreed. This approach prevented anyone from hogging the rewards and saved everyone from mutual suspicion.
Before writing the formal contract, they tested it with a simple command, with everyone participating. After confirming they could indeed see the "Breach" characters, they fulfilled it and wrote the real contract.
The contract was quickly written, and the players signed or stamped it, leaving their marks on the parchment.
This contract's binding power was weak—it didn't even include penalties. It only required that the player who found the "missing guest" must tell the others the method within two hours.
Fleur held the parchment, his gaze lingering on it for two seconds before putting it away. He smiled and said, "Then let's discuss what to do next."
After the cooperation was formally established, they divided up the areas to search.
They would cross-search the first and second floors, the botanical garden, and the garden within a day. If they still hadn't found the "missing guest," they would move on to the third floor and the maze.
"Also, there are the servants' quarters and the back kitchen. But the butler, Mr. Dong, said we can't roam the third floor freely. To avoid alerting anyone, anyone going to the third floor should speak up first," You Qiwu said.
The others nodded in twos and threes. Just then, Xu Huo walked down from the second floor, and everyone involuntarily turned their gazes toward him.
Facing the crowd, Xu Huo smiled. "Still guessing whether the next person coming in will be a man or a woman?"
Fleur stood up. "Yesterday was just a misunderstanding. We have more important things to do here, and I hope Mr. Xu won't hold a grudge."