Following Ma Jun's instructions, Daniela found the hidden pond.
After waiting ten minutes, a golden-yellow fish really did appear in the water!
By now, she believed it completely—
Ma Jun truly was a seer.
"Master is amazing!"
Daniela hopped excitedly.
The instant the golden fish surfaced, her hand transformed into a scythe-like weapon.
A flash of silver light—
The yellow fish was skewered clean through.
She pursed her lips.
"One fish… doesn't seem like enough."
So she waited another twenty minutes.
And sure enough—
Another golden fish appeared.
"There's another one!"
Daniela was overjoyed.
She had only been trying her luck, but there really was a second one. That meant she now had two fish.
"I'll eat half of one, and give the remaining one and a half to Master!"
"Decision made!"
With both fish strung together, her body turned into a black shadow as she sped back toward the castle along the path she came from.
She was wearing a thick coat, but the outside temperature still made her uncomfortable.
…
Inside the castle, the players had only just recovered from the shock Ma Jun brought them.
Jiang Han looked conflicted as she asked softly,
"May I ask… what's your name?"
As if realizing something, she quickly added,
"My name is Jiang Han. I'm from the Southwest Military District."
"Which military district are you from?"
"Military district?"
Ma Jun chuckled.
"My name's Ma Jun. You can call me Xiao Ma."
"As for the military… I'm just an ordinary person."
"That's impossible!"
Mu Chen, who had been eavesdropping, blurted out instinctively,
"How could you be ordinary?!"
"You survived under that terrifying female ghost! If you're not military, then you must be from one of those major families!"
Ma Jun turned his head away and said calmly,
"Believe it or don't. Up to you."
Seeing how firm he was, both Jiang Han and Mu Chen couldn't help feeling doubtful.
They had already decided that Ma Jun was a hidden genius among them.
But now…
Could he really just be an ordinary person?
Was he just lucky enough to escape from that female ghost?
That thought had barely formed when—
A familiar black shadow flashed past.
Daniela appeared at the entrance of the dining hall.
Her tall figure and sinister aura pressed down like a physical force.
Everyone inside fell silent instantly.
Mu Chen—who had just lost an arm to her—couldn't even speak, his lips trembling.
The female ghost… was back!
Who was going to die this time?!
Everyone instinctively stepped backward.
No one dared stand in front of death.
They stared at Daniela in terror.
But on her face—
There was a bright, innocent smile.
She lifted her hand like she was presenting treasure.
Two golden-yellow fish hung from it.
With sweet excitement, she announced,
"Master! I caught two!"
Boom!
All the players froze.
Several spoons clattered onto the table.
Jiang Han's mind went blank.
Mu Chen's brain completely shut down.
Everyone wondered if their ears were broken.
"Did I hear that right…?"
"What did the female ghost call him?"
"Master?!"
"She called Ma Jun… Master?!"
"A BOSS-level monster calling a player 'Master'?!"
"Am I hallucinating?"
Amid the players' disbelief, Ma Jun looked at Daniela approvingly.
In a gentle voice, he said,
"Very good. Tonight, I'll reward you properly."
Daniela became even more excited.
She bent down slightly, like a giant kitten, her head reaching Ma Jun's chest.
Ma Jun reached out and patted her head.
Her cheeks flushed faintly as she looked up and asked shyly,
"Is… is it that kind of reward from earlier?"
"It could be something even more exciting. Much more comfortable."
"Mm!"
Daniela cheered happily.
"Thank you, Master!"
The players were completely beyond words.
Their bodies stiffened.
Reality itself felt fake.
This was a horror game?!
They all wanted to scream—
Why is Ma Jun's horror game different from ours?!
"Give me the fish," Ma Jun said.
"I'll roast them first."
"Okay!"
Daniela hurriedly handed them over.
Ma Jun stared at the two still-fresh golden fish, a flash of anticipation crossing his eyes.
This was it.
Now he'd find out whether it really worked.
There was already a fire burning in the dining hall.
Ma Jun casually grabbed two sticks, skewered the fish, and sprinkled some salt on them.
Just a simple salt roast.
Before long, a rich, strange fragrance spread through the air.
The smell was incredibly unique, as if it were drilling straight into people's noses.
Soon, the sound of swallowing echoed nonstop.
Daniela stood nearby, staring unblinkingly at the roasting fish.
From time to time, she licked her red lips with her soft tongue.
"Master, it smells so good!"
"You're amazing!"
She gazed at Ma Jun with pure admiration, her eyes full of attachment.
The players were on the verge of calling the police.
They looked at the sticky boiled beans in their bowls.
Then at the roasted fish in Ma Jun's hands.
And all of them wanted to shout one question—
Why?!
Could it be that in this horror game…
There were secretly pay-to-win players?!