"What the hell?! That newbie actually triggered a side quest?!"
"Damn it! How can Lin Yu's luck be this good?!"
"If I'd known earlier, I should've teamed up with that bastard Lin Yu!"
The instant Lin Yu triggered the side quest—
Inside the Vampire Castle, Wang Gang, Li Hai, and Wang Shan all received the system notification as well.
Shock filled their faces, and their eyes burned with naked jealousy.
[Holy crap?! A newbie who just entered the horror game triggered a side quest?!]
[Among four players, the newbie not only found an item first, he even triggered a side quest—this is insanely lucky!]
[Is it possible his luck is boosted just because he's a newbie?]
[Impossible. Beginner instances only lower difficulty; they don't favor players differently.]
[Don't celebrate too early! The Vampire Castle side-quest items can't be stored in the system inventory. You have to hold them the whole time.]
[Wait—if that's the case, doesn't that mean triggering the side quest first is actually bad luck?!]
...
Once Lin Yu triggered the side quest, the livestream chat exploded.
No one had expected that Lin Yu, a complete newbie, would be the first to trigger a side quest.
However—
In the Vampire Castle instance, the items required for side quests cannot be stored in the system inventory.
They must be carried on the player at all times.
That meant—
Side-quest items were effectively time bombs.
After all, the item description was crystal clear:
[One of the castle master's favorite toys. Please protect it carefully. If it is damaged, you will bear the Blood Clan Queen's wrath.]
Moreover—
Since the horror game's launch, no player had ever cleared the Vampire Castle instance.
Not a single one.
...
"So it really can't be put into the inventory…"
At the same time, Lin Yu, who had just found the [Teddy Bear], discovered a serious problem.
The side-quest item in his hand could not be stored in the system backpack.
He could only hold it.
This caught him completely off guard.
"If it's just one, it's manageable… but if all three can't be stored…"
Looking at the item in his hand, Lin Yu frowned deeply.
At first, when the side quest triggered, he'd been excited.
After all, side quests usually meant extra rewards after clearing the instance.
But he hadn't expected that the side-quest items themselves would become a major burden.
If it were just one, he could still manage.
But this side quest required him to find two more items.
Three items in total.
That would seriously hinder his movement.
After all, the item description explicitly stated that the toys had to be protected.
If not—
He would be the first to die.
This meant that for the rest of the instance, Lin Yu had to protect the side-quest items at all costs.
"Seriously… what a pain…"
After fully understanding his situation, Lin Yu felt something was seriously wrong.
The side-quest items had become a scorching hot potato.
And he couldn't abandon them.
Because Lin Yu had no way of knowing whether—
If another player found and damaged a side-quest item, would the Blood Clan Queen vent her fury on everyone, or only the person holding it?
He didn't dare gamble on that possibility.
So at this point—
He had no choice but to continue exploring the Vampire Castle while carrying the side-quest item.
...
"Damn it!"
"How can that newbie's luck be this good?!"
Inside another room, Wang Gang's face was twisted with rage.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't accept that the person who triggered the hidden content in this instance—
Was Lin Yu, a player entering the horror game for the very first time.
This made him furious.
Because sometimes, side-quest rewards were no worse than main quest rewards.
And this instance—
Was the Vampire Castle, one of the top ten deadliest instances.
Its side-quest rewards were beyond question.
At this moment, Wang Gang was drowning in envy.
"Damn that bastard…"
He cursed under his breath.
"Wait…"
"If I remember correctly… back in the study… Lin Yu was the first one to leave…"
Suddenly—
Something clicked.
Wang Gang's expression instantly turned ugly.
He chose a clean spot, sat down heavily on the floor, and prepared to confirm the terrifying thought in his mind.
"That bastard…"
Staring at the shoes he had just taken off and flipped over, fear crept into Wang Gang's eyes.
On the soles of both shoes—
There were faint dark-red stains.
In the real world, he wouldn't have cared.
But now—
He was inside the horror game.
Inside the Vampire Castle.
There was no doubt what that dark-red color was.
Blood.
And it was blood he himself had deliberately spilled.
Only now did Wang Gang realize—
He had stepped straight into Lin Yu's trap.
The realization filled him not just with rage, but with disbelief.
He had never imagined that a newbie like Lin Yu—
Wouldn't cling to them out of fear.
Wouldn't fall for their scheme.
But after seeing through their plan—
Would turn around and set a trap of his own.
It shocked him to the core.
"Lin Yu… I'll remember you."
Wang Gang clenched his teeth and muttered.
Then—
He pulled out an item.
[Healing Spray (Consumable)]
[Quality: Blue]
[Durability: 2]
[Can it be taken out of the instance: Yes]
[Effect: Heals any bodily wound. Each use consumes 1 durability.]
[Note: If you're completely bald, what do you think would happen if you used this?]
He immediately discarded his shoes.
Then he rushed out of the room—
Moving quickly toward the distance.
...