Yu Deng's words fell, and the crystal ball emitted a faint light, seemingly rebutting Yu Deng's doubt.
Lady Edith was equally shocked by the scene. After a brief silence, she chose to trust her abilities and decisively replied to Yu Deng, "It's impossible for it to be broken."
The barrage burst into laughter.
［Grandma Witch, believe in yourself! Your divination is super accurate! There are so many bad dogs around our baby!］
［Let me correct Grandma Witch's statement, these guys aren't even partners yet, they're just the wife's little dogs.］
［No, why not? There are so many light spots, let me be one of them too! Let me be one of the wife's dogs too!］
［But this divination subplot seems like it's only been triggered by Deng Deng, Following Deng Deng, you can always see different plots.］
Yu Deng was surrounded by the light spots and was confused for a moment before realizing.
Wait, why did his first reaction involve dozens of husbands?? What if they're just close friends?
After this thought popped up, Yu Deng's heart calmed down a bit. But he still remained skeptical about the accuracy of the crystal ball.
For now, Yu Deng pushed the divination result out of his mind, didn't pay it much attention, and didn't fully believe it.
The silly little vampire didn't connect this divination result with the men who liked kissing him.
Edith couldn't bear to watch these light spots vying for attention, so she silently waved her hand. These light spots brushed against Yu Deng once more before reluctantly disappearing.
The image in the center of the crystal ball changed back to a chibi version of Yu Deng. This chibi character even moved, maintaining the same stunned and confused expression as the real Yu Deng, squatting on a tree branch, shaking its wings.
［I'll say it again, I want baby deng deng's merchandise!］
［Both the real Deng Deng and the chibi Deng Deng are so cute! Infinite World Administrator, do you know how to make money? I command you to put the merchandise up for sale tonight!］
［Fam, I've already left a message with customer service!］
Yu Deng's copy and live stream were under strict supervision, and the main system would occasionally check in.
The main system just happened to see the audience repeatedly requesting merchandise, so it logged into the customer service system and tried to go along with their wishes, telling them to look forward to it.
But the message the main system sent turned out to be: [There are currently no plans to release the host's merchandise, please understand, audience.]
The main system didn't believe it and sent the message three more times, but it was the same each time.
[??]Strange, where did this bug come from?
Someone who had been blacklisted by the main system remained secretly proud of their achievement.
These audience members yelling "wife" are enough, but they also want a Yu Deng merchandise for each person? That's asking for too much, they might as well go dream about it.
…
Yu Deng was still in the witch's divination space, staring at the crystal ball for a long time, then glanced at Edith.
This side mission seems to have three rounds of divination… However, the first round of divination only made him get hit with some light points, could this mission just be for earning points?
Yu Deng pursed his lips, thinking of something important: "Lady Edith, I want to know, is this divination free?"
"Oh, of course not," Edith replied, surprised. "Peering into things beyond perception always comes with a cost."
She paused for a moment, recalling the absurd scene earlier, and added, "The previous one doesn't count."
Yu Deng said, "Ah…" softly, then whispered, "I don't have any money." He wouldn't be asked to collateralize himself after the divination, would he?
The witch patiently answered, "Money cannot be the cost, young master."
Yu Deng tilted his head. "Then can I stop the divination now?"
"Clearly, no," Edith said. "This space requires three rounds of divination before you can leave." She gestured for Yu Deng to sit down. "Don't worry, perhaps the cost is just answering some simple questions? I'm always easygoing."
Yu Deng sat up nervously. "Oh…"
"Well then, place your hand here. It will know your current doubts or any answers you might need in the future."
Yu Deng followed her instructions, and the crystal ball began to spin again. After a few seconds, the image inside shifted to reveal a quiet and lush black forest. The chibi version of Yu Deng was dressed in a red cloak, holding a staff, standing at the edge of the forest.
Yu Deng was completely confused: "???"
Is this something I need to know, or something I should have known? I don't understand at all.
Edith paused for a few seconds, somewhat surprised, and said, "How rare, such a special form of divination. I'm curious about your choice."
"What?"
Before Yu Deng could ask further, he felt a sudden shift, as though his consciousness had attached to the chibi figure. His perspective changed, and he was now inside the forest shown in the crystal ball.
However, it seemed like he could only occupy this perspective and couldn't control the chibi character's movements.
"???" Yu Deng stood there, confused, as a voice echoed in the distance, seemingly giving him guidance.
[You discover a group of sheep. They are very cunning, impossible to tame, and might pose a significant threat. Do you wish to go into the forest to capture them?]
Huh…? What kind of sheep are so vicious?
Yu Deng looked at the dark forest before him and hesitantly said, "Isn't it unnecessary? I'm scared of the dark. Can I not go capture them?"
The voice fell into an eerie silence. After a brief pause, the scene in front of Yu Deng shifted again. He was now standing in an open space in the forest, the tip of his staff glowing brilliantly, the surrounding trees burning. A group of black sheep lay dead in the open space, and a few lambs huddled behind.
[The sheep have been dealt with, but you notice that a few lambs have escaped, and stronger, more cunning adult sheep are hiding in the shadows, ready to retaliate. Do you want to summon companions to hunt them down?]
Yu Deng slowly began to understand what this special form of divination meant. It seemed like one of those games where different choices lead to different outcomes, but this one was in real life.
Yu Deng looked around at the scene before him.
Magical flames had consumed the forest, and the dead sheep lay stiff on the ground. The lambs curled up next to their parents, emitting pitiful cries, their blood-red eyes staring at him.
But he had clearly just said there was no need…
Yu Deng made eye contact with one of the lambs for a few seconds, then lowered his gaze and softly said, "I don't want to summon companions."
This time, the silence lasted longer. The scene in front of Yu Deng shifted again. He now lay on the ground surrounded by a large group of sheep, which were strange-looking but fluffy.
[The sheep have chosen revenge. The flock surrounds you. How will you resist?]
Yu Deng looked at the chaotic black sheep around him, then glanced at his own immobile chibi body. He peacefully closed his eyes: "This is fate."
[…]
However, when the lambs jumped onto his palms, nuzzling and rubbing against him, Yu Deng thought of something important.
"You guys don't have prion disease, do you?" the cleanliness-obsessed little vampire said with concern.
The lambs suddenly stopped. Although they didn't know what prion disease was, they sensed the rejection and bleated sadly, backing away.
Of course, Yu Deng didn't wait for an answer. His consciousness had already returned to his own body. Across from him, Lady Edith had a complex expression, gently stroking the crystal ball as she recited the results of the divination.
"The past has long foreseen the future. Flames and blades will endure, inescapable, unbreakable, cycling endlessly. Only you can break through the fog…"
She opened her eyes. "Alright, this round of divination is finished."
[The divination game just now was pretty dangerous. It seems like Lamp Lamp accidentally avoided the danger. When he made the second choice, I saw the sheep showing their fangs, just like shark teeth.]
[No wonder the dungeon suddenly started giving clues. It turns out the divination results are also riddles (strategic retreat.jpg)]
[But the witch grandmother's divination was pretty direct, I kind of guessed it.]
[But baby seems like he didn't even think of it, haha, baby's brows are about to knot, silly baby let me kiss you!]
As the witch continued speaking, Yu Deng felt his head full of question marks, completely confused.
What does all this mean? He felt like he might have just done a divination for nothing…
"I really like you," the witch said, finishing the divination and speaking plainly to Yu Deng.
But it was clear she didn't mean like in a romantic sense; it was more like how an elder at home might like a child.
Yu Deng felt that Edith's gaze was especially kind, like the grandmother who would give him lots of candy and red envelopes during the New Year.
The witch said, "So, I won't charge you for the divination. For the third round, is there anything else you want to know?"
Yu Deng couldn't think of anything particularly important at the moment. He wasn't greedy, so he asked a simple question: "I want to know if everything will go smoothly tonight?"
The witch activated the crystal ball. After a few seconds, the ball emitted a faint red glow, which then turned into gold.
"A slight obstacle, but everything will go smoothly."
Yu Deng let out a sigh of relief and praised her, "So impressive." Then, he thought of something and asked curiously, "By the way, why are non-human male and female witches attending the banquet along with vampires and werewolves?"
The witch casually put away the crystal ball and answered indifferently, "Oh, because we are black witches."
...
[Ding. Congratulations, player Yu Deng, for completing the side quest: Witch's Divination Game. Points will be calculated after the dungeon ends.]
The void-like space began to disappear. Just as Yu Deng was relieved, he heard the system's announcement continue.
[Ding. Congratulations, player Yu Deng, for triggering the hidden bonus quest: Uncover the past and mysteries behind the castle banquet and break the puzzle.]
Yu Deng: "?!" What??
At the same time, all surviving players heard the system announcement: [Ding. One player has triggered a bonus quest. All other players, keep trying.]
All players were stunned, their gazes instinctively scanning the nearby crowd, trying to figure out who triggered the quest.
Strange, this dungeon has such an amazing player? How come they didn't show up to lead the others? Could they be a lone wolf player?
The viewers in each player's livestream were also shocked and quickly flooded into Yu Deng's stream.
[Our baby is the best! Does this mean a new dungeon ending is coming?!]
[New here, let me see which streamer is even better than Xiao Gao… wow, this baby is so beautiful, Xiao Gao, I'm climbing the wall now.]
[Climbing the wall +1]
Yu Deng himself was very confused and anxious, but luckily System 01 kindly informed him that, like the previous dungeon, the bonus quest wouldn't require him to complete it forcibly.
With a lot of questions on his mind, Yu Deng left the witch's divination space.
He returned to the castle, and the next moment, he found himself in a burning hot embrace.
Yu Deng looked up to see who was holding him: "Ander?"
Just thinking about how in the maze game, this guy, Anders, had kissed him all over without much care, Yu Deng reflexively wanted to avoid it.
But the werewolf held him tightly, his arms trembling slightly, almost imperceptibly: "Little vampire, I saw you enter the banquet hall earlier. I was about to look for you, but then you vanished."
His voice was muffled, clearly filled with lingering fear.
The werewolf's rough, burning hand gently touched Yu Deng's cheek, carefully inspecting him: "You weren't hurt there, were you?"
Yu Deng tilted his head and saw that Mr. Werewolf didn't seem to have any intention of biting him. His amber eyes were filled with genuine concern, pure and direct.
He looked just like a loyal, worried big dog who was anxious because something happened to its owner.
Yu Deng barely held back his frustration about how Anders had kissed him so roughly yesterday. He complained softly.
"My head feels so dizzy."
Anders immediately began to tenderly massage his temples, while casting a cold glance at the witch.
"Did she hurt you?"
"No, no." Yu Deng shook his head. "Lady Edith is really nice. She gave me a divination, but I didn't understand it, so my head feels dizzy."
The little vampire, explaining earnestly, was so obedient it made one's heart soften.
Upon hearing this, Anders became even more worried and checked on Yu Deng once again.
It was well known that you should never let the witch Edith do a divination for you, as even having your skin peeled off wouldn't be the worst of it.
Lady Edith ignored the werewolf and walked away on her own.
However, as she looked at the werewolf's eager behavior and the vampire butler rushing over from a distance, she suddenly understood what those glowing spots were about.
The werewolf continued checking, confirming that the little vampire was fine, and was about to relax when he noticed Yu Deng's lips were still slightly swollen.
Anders' gaze sharpened.
Did he kiss him this hard…?
Or did someone else do something like that to Yu Deng when he wasn't looking?
A surge of violent emotions instantly filled his mind, but the werewolf managed to restrain his intense possessiveness and didn't impulsively mark the little vampire. He kept up a demeanor of being tame and considerate on the surface.
—The little vampire seemed to respond well to this approach.
When Yu Deng was finally released from Anders' embrace, he was a bit surprised that Mr. Werewolf didn't make any physical moves today.
Before long, the butler hurried over from another part of the castle. His gaze fell on the werewolf, who was standing neatly and trying to win Yu Deng's favor, examining him for a few seconds before speaking to Yu Deng.
"Young master, the banquet is about to begin."
"Oh..." Yu Deng's head was still a little dizzy, and he asked slowly, "So, is tonight a ball or are we playing games?"
"According to tradition, tonight is the ball night."
...
Yu Deng discovered that the term "ball night" was just a general title; in fact, it wasn't just about dancing. At the start of the banquet, most of the non-humans were still in the banquet hall, indulging in food and listening to their companions bragging.
Yu Deng also saw two vampires kiss in front of everyone, before disappearing from view.
Yu Deng thought for a moment, wondering if the ball night wasn't too dangerous, and there were no mandatory tasks. Could he sneak away?
With so many people in the hall, and people constantly coming up to talk to him, he'd have to think hard about how to handle them while worrying about being discovered.
Plus, he was wearing a formal suit and little boots, and it was so hot.
"Wen Luo." Yu Deng called to the butler, lifting his chin and ordering, "I don't want to stay here. I want to go somewhere quieter for dinner."
"Of course, your comfort is our priority." Wen Luo positioned himself between Yu Deng and Anders, his words carrying an implied meaning. "I'll prepare a small dining room, so no unnecessary people disturb you."
The werewolf: "..." Who is he talking about?
Yu Deng went back to his room to change out of the cumbersome suit, opting instead for cool shorts. He then followed Wen Luo to a smaller dining room.
In the center of the room was a long white dining table, big enough for a dozen people. Yu Deng sat in the main seat, watching as a vampire servant brought in the dinner.
Along with the servants, Anders, the werewolf, also entered the small dining room.
When Anders saw Yu Deng wearing shorts, he froze for a moment, jealousy rising within him.
...That butler must be able to see the little vampire like this every day, right?
With this sour feeling, he sat down in the seat beside Yu Deng.
Wen Luo, noticing the uninvited werewolf, clearly wasn't pleased: "Please do not disturb the young master while he is dining."
But Anders was thick-skinned and didn't flinch, casually replying, "The young master hasn't objected."
Yu Deng lifted his head, glancing at Anders, who was sitting quietly and not touching him, and silently acknowledged his words.
Wen Luo lowered his gaze and stepped back a little, standing beside Yu Deng.
"Baby," Anders called out tentatively.
Ever since the last time he had called Yu Deng that and wasn't met with resistance, Anders had continued to use this nickname.
"About the fortune-telling earlier, if you have any doubts, you can come ask me. I've dealt with Edith a few times."
Wen Luo paused for a few seconds: "Young master, did you have Edith perform a fortune-telling?"
"Yes, just a moment ago. She's quite friendly."
The black-haired butler gave the werewolf a quick glance. He could tell that the werewolf was subtly trying to show off that he knew more about Yu Deng than others.
"I understand. As long as you're having fun," Wen Luo said lightly. "The connection between the vampire clan and witches runs deep. I can explain the divination-related matters to you, there's no need to bother outsiders."
Outsiders.
Anders laughed in anger. "How would it be a bother? Baby even touched my original form, I'd be happy to help Baby with any questions."
Wen Luo: "..." The young master touched the werewolf's original form?
Yu Deng, oblivious to the tension between the men, slowly ate his medium-rare steak.
But the main system was starting to panic.
[Alert! Unusual energy fluctuation detected! The special mission target's destructive intent has significantly increased! Player Yu Deng, please restrain the mission target!]
Yu Deng looked up in confusion. "Huh?"
Restrain? Wasn't the atmosphere just a casual question-and-answer session?
But if the main system said so, it must have its reasons.
Yu Deng put down his fork and turned around, grabbing Wen Luo's fingers and shaking them slightly, raising his tone as he made a request.
"What are you standing there for? Why don't you sit down and eat with me?"
Wen Luo's cool hand felt soft, like a feather brushing against his heart.
The indifference on Wen Luo's face melted away, his heart softening. "...As you wish."
Anders watched the intimate interaction between Yu Deng and the vampire butler, his expression darkening for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly froze.
The werewolf's muscles tensed, and he abruptly looked up.
The young vampire at the head of the table was still a fair distance away from him.
Yu Deng couldn't reach Anders, so he straightened his legs and kicked the werewolf's firm thigh muscles with the tips of his shoes.
Anders lowered his head and saw Yu Deng's pale, slender leg reaching over. His calf was taut as he kicked, and the snow-white foot brushed against his thigh a few times in an uncoordinated motion.
Yu Deng was still holding Wen Luo's fingers, but his leg under the table was resting on another man.
Yu Deng tilted his head, mouthing at the werewolf, "You should eat quietly."
Anders' Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes fixated on Yu Deng. His mind was a mess, consumed by the young vampire.
He reached out and just as his fingers grazed the delicate ankle, Yu Deng immediately retracted his leg.
"..."
Desire was hung high, only to be satisfied for a brief moment.
The werewolf's breath became heavy, and he awkwardly shifted his position, crossing his legs.
His beloved young vampire was right in front of him, within his sight but out of his reach. It was tormenting.