Everyone was up and moving now, having enough health to get battle-ready.
Jake was sheltered in the middle by the others.
Ming Sulin shot two hounds down as they were sneaking up on Tally.
[You have killed x2 yellow-grade zombie hounds — 4 kill points, 20 EXP]
[Loot: x2 arrows, x3 stone, x12 undead coins, x8 copper coins.]
What a petty dungeon! Can't you give me something a bit better—like 5 stones at least?!
Damn thing—I'm ruler of this planet!
This damn Dungeon Master stays on her territory!
Hehe… oh, just you wait, she'll be level five soon!!
Ming Sulin's eyes narrowed, lips curling into a sneer as she waved her fillet knife in the air.
She didn't wake up and choose violence—it was fated that they were to fight to the death!
⟪A Player cursing me in my dungeon, I see? And now you want five stones? Truly, I am astonished at your expectations.
It's really true—the blind are quick at hearing, and the deaf are quick at sight, huh? Can't even understand good value.⟫
Ming Sulin froze for a moment, then tightened her grip on her weapon as she pointed it toward the air.
"I see you finally stopped playing mute, huh? Think I'm easy to bully, yeah?"
⟪Oh? Mute? How… novel. I merely don't associate myself with irrelevant people bound to die. Sorry—not the least bit sorry.⟫
"Bound to perish? Ha! Your parents, your whole family will perish! How laughable for a lowlife, not-so-boss-level Dungeon Master!"
She continued, boldly scolding:
"You clearly don't remember your grandpa, old Ming. Ha! I've got more fight in me than you've got stone mites in your broken-down dungpit! Honestly, a match made in heaven: Dungeon Master in a dungpit!"
⟪Bravado. It shall be… most enlightening to observe how your hubris fares. Perhaps… and I say perhaps, you will trip over your own ego first.⟫
Her chest heaved.
"Come on! Fight me! Let us battle—us! Battle honorably, like us real men are supposed to!"
"Let us fight to the death for a thousand days and ten thousand battles! Come! Let your Grandpa Ming Sulin, this foolish old man who removed the mountains when crossing them, show you what it means to face a true warrior!"
⟪Remarkable… audacity unmatched. You have, without hesitation, ensured your journey shall be… considerably more arduous. Perhaps a bit ridiculous as well, but… admirable.⟫
The Dungeon Master, silent and unmoved outwardly, listened to her tirade. No words, no rebuttal—only a silent, grudging respect for the sheer audacity of her nonsense.
⟪…Worthy rival. Not forgotten. This is far from over.⟫
She had no idea that this "conversation" would mark the start of a much harsher trial.
The dungeon would now actively test her at every turn, not out of cruelty alone—but because she had proven herself audacious enough to draw its attention.
And in doing so, it had become the perfect proxy for the person who designed it—the very same individual she intended to confront.
Her chest still heaving, Ming Sulin continued her tirade, oblivious to the Dungeon Master's silent exit.
"I will level up! I will grow stronger! And when the time comes, Grandpa Ming Sulin, I will finally fight you to the death properly—no shortcuts, just pure skill!"
Moments later, her attention snapped to a guttural growl—one of the zombie hounds lunged at her from the shadows. She reacted instinctively, raising her crossbow to fire.
The arrow shot off with a whistle, narrowly missing Tally's arm.
Gasp!
Tally jumped back, swinging her bat at the zombie in surprise.
But in that split second, something strange happened. Ming Sulin felt her stomach flip, the world blur, and then—just like that—she appeared back in the exact spot she had been before she fired. Her hand still raised, her crossbow aimed as if nothing had happened. She even repeated her thought aloud:
Hey! She didn't know she had tried changing species!? Ming Sulin didn't know she was so interested in becoming a porcupine.
It was as though time had folded on itself. The arrow's flight had never really left the bow, yet Tally had felt the near-miss. Ming Sulin blinked, startled but unfazed, realizing the Dungeon Master's meddling had begun.
Gasp.
When the hounds dropped dead at her feet and behind her, she looked over her shoulder at Ming Sulin with gratitude.
Hmm.
Whatever. She'd only earned 0.0001 brownie points so far—which says a lot.
She was still a "dicks before chicks" kind of girl. Ming Sulin had met plenty like her. That's probably why she never cared to pity her, or Amy and her lost friend. She wasn't sorry for what she did; she was only sorry because she got caught in the act.
Pfft.
This new generation of millennials, huh?
She was Gen Z all the way.
Uh… what was I thinking about again?
Forget it.
Ming Sulin checked the surroundings and saw that the other zombie hounds were keeping their distance. She took the opportunity to get to the RV and try to repair the engine.
The moment she lifted the hood, she was greeted with a notification:
[Congratulations, you have found a hidden storyline. Use 3 keys to continue. You received x1 blue-grade Plotsolver Detectiving Magnifying Glass — 25 EXP]
[x1 blue-grade Plotsolver Detectiving Magnifying Glass — With this magnifying glass, follow the plot's thread that leads you toward the story's true dreadful end. Cursed Item.]
What's up with the creepy riddles? Can I return the cursed items? She'd rather not have it.
Sounded like bad juju just looking at it.
[Would you like to use three keys to unlock the hidden storyline?]
Ming Sulin didn't have to think.
[Yes]
[You have used your remaining hidden keys]
She assumed this would be the same as the other times, but how wrong she was. Ming Sulin felt the floor disappear beneath her. Her head pounded before her vision went completely black.
[The hidden storyline will begin now]
She blacked out.
⸻
Ming woke up to the smell of barbecue, finding herself in a beach chair in front of the lake cabin house. The sun's heat beamed down on her as sweat dripped from her brow.
Huh?!
Fully awake now, Ming Sulin jolted upright, not realizing she wasn't alone but surrounded by others.
"No zombies?! The hell?!" Ming Sulin accidentally voiced her thoughts, spoiling others with her outburst.
Margaret, standing in front of the grill and filling up the ice chest with drinks, was startled.
"Amy Josephine Pierce! What in Xendiha is the matter with you, young lady?! You nearly gave my two hearts a heart attack!"
What is going on? Is this the hidden storyline? Is this the first day?
The dungeon took hold of Ming Sulin's free will again and ran its screenplay with her as the Pinocchio puppet star and co-star.
Please, someone award her an Oscar as she takes a bow.
"Ha ha, sorry. I dozed off and had a bad dream about zombies attacking during my college placement exams."
"All that studying all day turned your brain into mush, and now look at you."
"Go help your Uncle Tim and Aunt Sandy with their bags and see if they need any other help with anything. And look out for your Uncle James and Aunt Yolana."
She headed straight to where the RV was, calling out to Tim.
"Hey Uncle Tim, do you need any help, Mom as—" Her speech was cut clean short.
A ten-foot pit hole appeared out of nowhere in her path.
She landed in shit at the bottom of the pit!
The ACTUAL FUCKSTICK?!!
"Shit—Ahhh!" Ming Sulin cursed as she fell before hitting solid ground.
"Thud"
[You sustained -15hp of damage]
"Eww, what is that mud?!" she flicked her hands down, trying to get the funky mushy substance off them.
Eck. Gross.
What is this stinky shit I fell in?!
The horrid smell hit her face, and a few splashes landed from her careless flicking. She wiped off her cheek using her shirt.
Using the glow of the module, Ming Sulin squinted to see what she was sitting in.
Oh… my… FUCKING GOSH!!!!!
"It's shit."
⟪Indeed it is. You'll have to excuse this dung Master and his dungpit.⟫ Then disappeared.
"Ahhhhhhhh I fell in a shitpit?!" Ming Sulin shrieked as her soul almost left her body.
Ah, she had a good run while it lasted.
Then a shadow loomed over her head from above.
I can't go on much longer.
Lord above, please watch over her siblings. 🙏
Just then she heard Uncle Tim's smug voice:
"Aye, watch out so you're not tripping over a big ego. It can be quite deadly, huh?"
He helped pull her out of the pit.
Ming Sulin narrowed her eyes—the line and pit were new things.
Trip over my ego, huh? Was that you, dung Master?!
Damn dungeon, shall fight you to the death! You dare drop your grandpa in shit?!
Ha, just wait. I'll definitely settle the score real soon—otherwise, I'd have to write my name backwards?