In the world of anime with the power to stop time.

Chapter 109: The Eerie Archive, Yukino's Astonishment

Xia Country, Hong Kong.

Brother Fa, whose real name is Sun Fafa, opened his eyes and took in the scene before him.

This was the secluded alley he had chosen in front of the 'mission instance world'.

He wasn't a native of Hong Kong but hailed from Donghai City in Xia Country. This time, he had come to Hong Kong at the request of his wife and daughter for a family vacation.

However, during the trip, he received an invitation from the 'Eerie Game' to go to the 'Otherworld Royal Casino'. After some consideration, he accepted.

As far as he knew, there was no detailed information about the 'Otherworld Royal Casino' instance in Xia Country. Other nations had related records and information, but they weren't shared.

Sun Fafa deduced that the eerie players from Xia Country must have received invitations before, but they were completely wiped out, leading to no information being leaked.

He wasn't without concerns about potentially dying in the 'Royal Casino'. After all, he was here in Hong Kong with his wife and daughter for a vacation. If he were to suddenly disappear, it would be hard for them to accept.

He contacted his superiors and informed them about the invitation he had received. The decision was left to him.

Regarding the missions from the Eerie Game, the national stance was generally to let the players 'decide for themselves'. The state would provide intelligence and equipment support.

In contrast, for eerie entities and locations that affected social order and stability, the state would assign mandatory tasks.

These were orders that couldn't be refused without a valid reason.

Of course, for entities and places of unsolvable and extremely high danger, the state wouldn't send them to their deaths.

Every eerie player was valuable.

As for this invitation mission, Sun Fafa chose to accept.

He decided to give it a try. He was quite familiar with gambling himself, having gambled in Macau before and played a few rounds in Hong Kong this time.

For this mission, relying on his insight, analytical skills, and a bit of luck, he won thirty eerie coins.

Reaching the fifty eerie coins needed to complete the mission and leave wasn't a problem.

With a bit more luck, winning over a hundred eerie coins was entirely possible.

If he were bolder and dared to join games with a minimum stake of fifty eerie coins, he could potentially earn even more.

As an eerie player, Sun Fafa naturally wanted more eerie coins, but he also understood that steady wins were key. Survival was fundamental; gambling addicts don't die well. Once you get carried away chasing the riches of eerie coins in more dangerous games, it's the beginning of the end.

Therefore, he was very cautious throughout, not seeking to win big, but to win steadily.

However,

with the intervention of [Zero], everything changed. He chose to follow Zero's bets and follow his arrangements.

The number of eerie coins skyrocketed, and even after sharing a portion as commission, the number still broke the 200 mark.

For this mission, his spoils included a blue eerie item, a white eerie item the Royal Casino admission ticket, and 27 eerie coins.

It was a bountiful harvest.

And the player who gained the most, [Zero], was even more formidable.

"Phew..."

Taking a deep breath, Sun Fafa calmed his emotions.

"Coming back alive is what matters."

For eerie players, every trip to a mission instance world is a dance with death.

Sun Fafa looked around, ensuring no one was nearby, then headed towards a quieter side and took out his phone.

'Beep beep beep...'

After a few rings, the call was quickly connected.

"Director Liu, it's me,"

Sun Fafa was contacting his superior, Liu Mingchang, the director of the Donghai City Abnormal Investigation Bureau branch.

Sun Fafa himself had the opportunity to be promoted to deputy director,

but considering that the position would involve more administrative work and less time with his family, he declined, choosing to spend more time on self-training, improving his strength, and being with his family.

For eerie players, their own strength is paramount.

The state can provide resources, but these resources must be earned based on one's own strength.

"Great, Old Sun, coming back safe is what matters."

Hearing Sun Fafa's voice, Director Liu breathed a sigh of relief.

In Xia Country, mission instance worlds without detailed records have low survival rates and are extremely difficult to pass. Sun Fafa's safe return was a testament to his strength and luck.

"Director Liu, the spoils this time are quite rich."

"Oh, what did you get? Eerie items? Blue quality?"

Guessing white quality wouldn't be very meaningful.

Although white quality eerie items are also good.

"Yes, a blue quality eerie item, exchanged for two hundred eerie coins."

Director Liu: ???

"Two hundred eerie coins? Did you rob the casino?"

"Hahaha, even if it was a robbery, it wasn't me who did it."

The main culprit was definitely Zero.

"There's also another eerie item, white quality, but I think you'll be pleased to know about it."

"Could it be..."

The only white quality eerie item that would please him was that!

"It's that... the Otherworld admission ticket, the Royal Casino admission ticket, which allows entry to the Otherworld Royal Casino for two hours, usable once a week."

"Good, good, good, I'll apply for your merits right away. The state will definitely not shortchange you."

Every pass to the Otherworld is precious.

"We'll talk about that later. I obtained it through an exchange. I promised him an eerie item in exchange for the admission ticket. I want to request the state's list and basic information of eerie items allowed for external exchange,"

Liu Mingchang realized that the player didn't take any eerie items but directly gave the admission ticket to Sun Fafa.

It felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Unless it's someone from the same organization or department, it's generally not the style of current eerie players to give something first and then receive something in return.

"No problem, I'll apply for it."

Sun Fafa had already agreed, and the Xia Country naturally wouldn't breach the contract. It's a matter of credibility.

Building credibility is hard, but destroying it is easy.

"Tell me about this time's 'Royal Casino' situation! How did you win?"

"This time, it was more like a free ride."

Instantly, Liu Mingchang became interested.

"Oh! Do tell!"

"A player with the nickname [Zero] carried all of us players through the entire game. Well, except for one new player who scammed another new player from our Xia Country and left the inner world to return to reality ahead of us."

Thinking about that new player, if it weren't for Zero this time, that Lolita newbie's performance would have actually been quite impressive.

Naturally, Sun Fafa detested the act of scamming.

But the eerie game and its players exist in an environment rife with betrayal and death. While he wouldn't condemn the act of scamming too harshly, that new player ironically lost more eerie coins because of her own cleverness.

In ten minutes,

Sun Fafa briefly reported the mission's situation and the specific intelligence about 'Zero'.

"Zero is likely a player from our Xia Country. Although currently only at LV2, based on his performance, it's only a matter of time before he catches up to the first-tier players."

While listening, Liu Mingchang immediately thought, "If only he could join us, especially our Donghai City branch."

No country would refuse the addition of a player, especially one with both strength and potential.

"Perhaps he has some reservations, like not wanting to be restricted or controlled."

Of course, there's also the possibility of distrust towards the officialdom.

But recalling his interactions with Zero, Sun Fafa didn't sense any annoyance or wariness towards the officialdom from his words and actions.

Though, this doesn't rule out the possibility of him putting on an act.

"But he seems to be a trustworthy and orderly player. Even if we can't invite him to join our Xia Country Anomaly Investigation Bureau, we should strive to establish a good relationship with him. Not to mention other reasons, just his suspected 'blessing' alone warrants our attention to our relationship with him."

A suspected 'X-ray vision' blessing,

In the system of the eerie game, 'blessings' are undoubtedly top-tier abilities, surpassing player skills and eerie objects.

Currently, among the official members of Xia Country, those with blessings, with very few exceptions, are all at the top tier.

Some players joke that only those with blessings have the qualification to climb to the peak, to reach the pinnacle of the 'eerie game'.

"That girl named 'Xia Yun' from Hangzhou, I'll contact the Southeast Province's investigation bureau to handle the follow-up and give her the reward, so you don't have to worry about it."

Although the girl has amnesia now and remembers nothing, this sum of money can't be defaulted on.

It's also a matter of credibility.

The Anomaly Investigation Bureau represents the country, represents credibility.

To save two million and renege, what impression would that leave on internal personnel, and on outsiders?

If one day, the player nicknamed 'Zero' whimsically goes to Hangzhou to look for 'Xia Yun' and finds that Xia Country did not fulfill the reward promise, what would he think? Would he still be able to trust the Xia Country officialdom?

Now, with the eerie resurgence and the era changing dramatically,

The Anomaly Investigation Bureau is Xia Country's first-line organizational institution involved with the eerie, many of its personnel possess strength and special abilities far beyond the average person, being eerie players.

If they become doubtful or lose confidence in the Xia Country officialdom, in the Anomaly Investigation Bureau, then this organization will also become unstable.

Therefore,

When it comes to the handling and rewarding of 'eerie' matters, Xia Country has always placed the utmost importance, striving to be as fair and thorough as possible, to reassure members and eliminate worries.

Anyone who dares to mess around has always been dealt with seriously, without leniency.

"After you finish your trip in Hong Kong and return to Donghai City, prepare a written summary report. For now, just enjoy your holiday in Hong Kong with your family! As compensation, I'll give you two extra days off."

"Alright, I won't stand on ceremony. Although this mission wasn't too dangerous, I won't say no to paid leave."

The call ended.

Liu Mingchang promptly prepared a brief information report, sending it first to the Xia Country Donghai City Investigation Bureau and the Xia Country Investigation Headquarters.

Regarding new mission invitations and inner world instances, the headquarters requires prompt reporting to reduce the interval between reports, ensuring members are informed if they encounter eerie phenomena or receive invitations, thereby increasing members' survival rates.

[Eerie Game Instance Archive]

[Name: Inner World Royal Casino]

[Resembles a real casino, with games involving cards, dice, etc., some games involve life and death, with entry fees exceeding 50. Losers will lose their souls, their lives.]

[Info 1: Earning 1000 eerie coins at once grants the eerie object – 'Royal Casino' admission ticket.]

[Info 2: Player skills cannot be used in the casino, but eerie objects and blessings are exceptions, unknown for other items.]

[Info 3: The eerie gamblers in the casino possess a certain level of rationality and can communicate to some extent.]

[Info 4: The casino is extremely eager for souls.]

...

...

[Eerie Game Player Archive]

[Nickname: Zero]

[Level: LV2]

[Age: Around 20]

[Nationality: Xia Country (suspected)]

[Identity: Lone wolf player]

[Potential Assessment: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★]

[Skills: Unknown]

[Eerie Objects: Chewing gum (blue), Lucky dice (purple)]

[Blessing: X-ray vision (suspected)]

[Items: Possesses over four hundred eerie coins]

[Basic Info: Performed remarkably in 'Royal Casino', saw through the casino's intentions in the first game 'Find the Ghost Card Holder', exposed it, pointed out the manager as the ghost card holder.]

[Has a good relationship with Atlantic Federation eerie player 'Sophia', who invited him to join the Atlantic Federation, but he has not accepted the invitation yet,]

[Our official personnel 'Brother Fa' also extended an invitation, but it was not accepted either,]

[Recommendation: Continue to monitor, establish a good bilateral relationship, invite him to join our country's Anomaly Investigation Bureau.]

...

...

On the other side,

Back at the hotel, Sophia, also known as Yuria Harudera, immediately contacted her friend Asako Kusakabe.

"Asako, what are you up to?"

The moment the call connected, Yuria Harudera, with her legs crossed, her long, fair, and tender thighs, her blue eyes sparkling with joy, gazed at the night view of Macau outside the window, in a great mood.

"Get to the point."

"You're no fun at all, I'm about to go to Japan, and you're not even excited, didn't even call to ask how I'm doing."

"Haha, aren't you in Macau having fun? Wouldn't contacting you interfere with your big money-making?"

The woman on the other end already knew Yuria Harudera is location.

"Asako, you do care about me!"

"Spill it, how much did you win? I'll treat myself to a meal when you're back."

"Five hundred."

"Five million dollars?"

"Five hundred eerie coins."

Asako Kusakabe: ???

"I didn't win much at the Macau casino, almost lost everything, if it weren't for a man who helped me bet and win, I wouldn't even have enough for a plane ticket to Japan."

"What exactly happened?"

"I received an eerie game mission invitation, went to gamble at the Royal Casino in the inner world."

Asako Kusakabe put down the dumbbells she was exercising with, now wearing a tight black short-sleeve, green camouflage training pants, her fine figure glistening with sweat, the small room filled with the aura of exercise.

"Give me the details."

Yuria Harudera told her everything.

"Zero."

Asako Kusakabe suddenly laughed,

"Why didn't you use your seductive body to win that man over?"

"What are you talking about! Don't say such things, I'm not seductive."

"Haha."

Asako Kusakabe laughed even more brightly.

"But you really made the right choice this time, following a pro through the instance, it's really easy and profitable."

It's almost like picking up money.

Although there were dangers along the way, it's clear that the player Zero had no intention of screwing Yuria Harudera over, treating her as a companion throughout.

"Jealous?"

"Jealous, jealous of how useless you are, not even managing to win over such a strong potential player, if you don't work hard to lure him to Japan, Xia Country will beat us to it."

No one doesn't want to recruit potential players.

"He won't, not in the short term anyway, if he had any intention of joining the officialdom, he would have done so already,"

Yuria Harudera believed that such a meticulous man must have considered the official path, and since he didn't accept [Brother Fa]'s invitation, it shows he's not inclined to join the officialdom.

In the short term, [Zero] is unlikely to join Xia Country's officialdom.

Yuria Harudera was fully confident of this.

"Right, bring your 'Inner World Royal Casino Admission Ticket' to Japan. Since you've already joined Japanese nationality and are about to join our Japan Demon Special Operations Unit, we'll cover the exchange for the eerie object, saving the Atlantic Federation an eerie object is a good thing."

"Are you trying to make me laugh to death?"

Yuria Harudera laughed heartily, her smile as beautiful as a flower.

"What's in it for me?"

"What's our relationship? Do we need benefits?"

"Who are you? I don't know you."

"I didn't expect you to be such a woman, I misjudged you."

Asako Kusakabe said heavily, but quickly switched to a serious tone,

"I'll try to apply for you, won't let you suffer losses,"

"Alright, that's more like it."

Yuria Harudera had also thought about keeping the admission ticket, but holding onto it alone didn't hold much value for her.

Going back to the 'Royal Casino'?

That's not impossible, but she couldn't replicate the success; without Zero's help, winning money at the Royal Casino in the inner world would be incredibly difficult.

If she couldn't win much at the Macau casino, let alone the dangerous Royal Casino in the inner world.

It's better to hand over the admission ticket in exchange for the resources she needs.

Of course, the most crucial point is that she hasn't paid the corresponding price for this admission ticket an eerie object.

Default?

Yuria Harudera had no such intention.

How could she risk losing this relationship over a mere eerie object, no matter how precious eerie objects are.

"If only such a player could be in our Japan!"

Strong and highly potential players are not disliked by any national power.

"Stop dreaming."

Yuria Harudera pressed the speakerphone, stood up, and took off her coat.

"I'm going to sleep. We'll talk more when I get to Japan."

"Okay, contact me when you arrive, and I'll pick you up."

"Oh, you're willing to pick me up, Asako? Is the sun rising from the west?"

"Fine, I won't come."

"Don't!"

The call ended.

Yuria Harudera smiled and stretched her body as she headed to the bathroom.

Wrapped in sexy black lace lingerie, her curvaceous figure and fair, radiant skin added a unique allure to the hotel room.

She entered the bathroom, and the sound of warm water cascading down soaked her hair and body.

Yuria Harudera reflected on the experience and overlooked details of this invitation mission.

For her,

Compared to the bizarre tasks she had participated in before, this invitation mission was relatively safe, easy, and highly rewarding.

"If only this could happen a few more times!"

Yuria Harudera longed to encounter 'Zero' a few more times in future mission worlds.

At least his performance and character were trustworthy.

When their interests aligned, there was no need to worry about betrayal from him.

...

...

When Lin Ye returned, he immediately noticed Haruno Yukinoshita, who was quietly lying on the bed, revealing her fair skin and graceful figure.

At this moment, she was lying on the soft bed, her hands resting on a white pillow, her fingers operating her phone, and her eyes focused on something.

From time to time, Haruno would cross and swing her legs to pass the boring time.

Lin Ye stood still for five seconds, but Haruno showed no reaction.

This woman hadn't noticed that he had returned.

Lin Ye was about to speak but dismissed the idea.

He lightened his steps and walked over.

He leaned in, looked at the phone screen, and said, "Who are you chatting with that's so engrossing? What has captured Yukinoshita-san's attention so much?"

"Ah! You scared me!"

Haruno trembled, her body tensing up as she quickly moved away.

Only after seeing Lin Ye did she relax.

For a moment, she thought a stranger had broken into the hotel room.

"Lin-kun, you should at least say something when you return. You scared me to death."

She smiled, but her back was still slightly cold, and her rapidly beating heart hadn't returned to normal yet.

She turned and sat on the edge of the bed, using her right hand to tidy her messy black hair, making herself look more presentable.

"I was just curious about who Yukinoshita-san was chatting with."

"Yukino! Lin-kun's favorite Yukino."

She chuckled.

"Lin-kun wants my sister to kiss your right cheek as a reward for your triumphant return. As your collaborator, I, Haruno Yukinoshita, must fulfill this wish of yours!"

Did she really ask?

Others might be joking, but if it were Haruno, Lin Ye truly believed she might actually do something like this.

"So, what's the result?"

"Wow! So Lin-kun really desires Yukino's kiss. Boohoo, as her sister, I'm much better than her, and in some aspects, I have more to offer. Lin-kun must have noticed already, right? You're Yukino's classmate after all."

Haruno pretended to be heartbroken but unexpectedly straightened her posture, making her figure, wrapped only in lingerie, even more pronounced.

But still,

Compared to the blonde woman in Macau and the blonde female player from the Royal Casino in the other world, she was slightly less endowed.

"Isn't that obvious?"

Haruno was stunned, then burst into laughter. "Hahaha, if Yukino knew, she'd be furious and definitely ignore you."

"She already dislikes me."

"No, she doesn't. You're Yukino's savior."

Haruno knew her sister's personality. How could she dislike someone who had saved her life?

Lin Ye shook his head.

Actually, this time, coming to the Macau casino with Haruno to win money, he had already prepared himself to expose some of his abilities.

Relying on his gambling skills to win a billion?

Impossible.

It must be related to the skills of an otherworldly player.

Haruno must have thought of this and made some guesses.

And clairvoyance is an easy assumption.

Lin Ye was sure that Sophia, Brother Fa, and the other players had similar analyses and guesses. Not mentioning it didn't mean they hadn't guessed or that they were stupid. Instead, it showed they valued their relationship and avoided sensitive topics.

Haruno was the same now. As long as he didn't bring it up, she wouldn't ask, maintaining this unspoken understanding.

"Yukinoshita-san, if a man saw your body, what would your first reaction be?"

"Kill him."

Haruno's words carried a hint of coldness, but she quickly smiled.

"But if it were Lin-kun, it would be different."

She covered her body with one hand and gently brushed the flat skin of her abdomen with the other, her deep blue eyes shimmering with a dreamy expression.

"It's okay. If Lin-kun wants to see, I can show you."

"So, Haruno Yukinoshita also wants to kill me."

Only then did Haruno understand.

When Lin Ye continuously won the gambling rounds, she had guessed that he had clairvoyance abilities. Using perspective to see a girl's body wasn't impossible, and Lin Ye using it to see Yukino wasn't unacceptable.

In the past, Haruno would never have accepted it, but now, just her sister Yukino being seen wasn't a big deal.

It's just being seen; nothing was lost.

But why did Yukino know?

Did Lin Ye tell Yukino about his perspective abilities?

Why would he do that?

"No wonder Yukino is angry and dislikes you. Why not just secretly look?"

"..."

Lin Ye was also helpless.

Given their strained relationship, there was nothing he could do.

"So, Lin-kun, have you secretly looked at my body?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Really."

"That's sad. Do I really have no appeal at all?"

She pretended to be resentful again.

"I'm definitely more developed than Yukino. Could it be that Lin-kun doesn't want to peek but wants to see openly? That's fine too!"

She made a gesture as if to undo her lingerie.

"Seduction is useless. I'm a decent person."

"Hahaha..."

Haruno laughed.

"Does the Yukinoshita family have any connections in Tokyo? Especially with the Special Anti-Demon Task Force?"

This question made Haruno serious. She sat up straight and shook her head slightly. "No, our Yukinoshita family is considered a prominent family in Chiba and has some influence there, but in Tokyo, we are nothing. Not to mention the Anti-Demon Task Force in Tokyo, even in Chiba, we don't have any connections."

She thought for a moment and continued,

"That's exactly why, when I found out Lin-kun was an otherworldly player, I immediately reached out to establish a cooperative relationship."

The cooperative relationship was established,

But in this relationship, she had completely lost the initiative.

Lin Ye was too domineering. He had used thunderous intimidation to scare her, and now, with the prospect of a billion yen in front of her, Haruno was determined to maintain her cooperation with Lin Ye.

"Lin-kun, did you encounter Japanese otherworldly players or Anti-Demon Task Force players during your mission?"

"Being too curious isn't good."

This made Haruno's heart tighten.

"They were players from China and the Atlantic Federation. But since the Yukinoshita family has no network or intelligence connections, forget it. There's no conflict between us, so don't overthink it."

"Okay, I understand. I'll work on expanding our network as soon as possible."

Lin Ye didn't stop her.

This was exactly what he had intended for Haruno to do in their cooperation.

After chatting a bit more, Lin Ye went to the bathroom to shower and prepare for bed.

From the time he left reality to his return, less than half an hour had passed, but several hours had gone by in the Royal Casino of the other world.

By now, he also wanted to sleep to restore his energy.

Late at night,

The lights were turned off,

And under the faint moonlight streaming through the window, Haruno looked at the man resting with his eyes closed on the other side of the bed.

It was her first time sharing a bed with a man.

And they were really just going to sleep like this?

Well, fine.

Her feelings were mixed, both relaxed and frustrated.

But if Lin Ye had no intentions, her initiative would be meaningless.

After all, Haruno Yukinoshita still had her own bit of dignity.

Soon,

Yono also closed her eyes.

April 21st, Sunday,

Chiba, Japan, Yukinoshita Residence.

Yukino Yukinoshita opened her eyes.

It had been a long time since she last slept and rested in this room. Since moving out, she had rarely returned to this home.

However, a call from her mother last Friday compelled her to spend this weekend at home.

And today was already Sunday.

She could leave and return to her own apartment in the afternoon.

After finishing her morning routine, Yukino Yukinoshita followed the maid to the dining room.

Her mother, dressed in a light gray kimono, was having breakfast.

Yukino Yukinoshita greeted her calmly, "Good morning, Mother."

"Hmm."

Her mother's expression was composed.

Yukino took her seat and began eating.

After the meal, Yukino wanted to bid farewell and leave, but her mother stopped her.

"Yukino."

"Yes, Mother? Is there something you need?"

"Let's talk. It's been a long time since we, as mother and daughter, had a proper conversation."

This topic immediately made Yukino Yukinoshita tense.

Why would her mother suddenly want to chat with her?

"Of course, Mother."

The tableware was quickly cleared away by the maid.

"How has it been since you moved out after starting high school?"

"I've gotten used to it."

"How about your life at Soubu High?"

"It's been good. Teacher Hiratsuka has been very caring."

She knew that the Hiratsuka family had a long-standing relationship with the Yukinoshita family.

"Then, is there a boy you like?"

Yukino Yukinoshita: ????

She stared at her mother in disbelief.

How could her mother possibly ask such a question!