Its enormous head floated at the water’s surface, exposing the upper half of its hideous, terrifying face — protruding, savage teeth, and that thin, curving dorsal spine.

Its slender fin-spine tipped into a small blob of dark fleshy matter at its end.

No one had ever paid attention to that before. Even though the thing had appeared before their eyes a number of times, they had never connected it with a light bulb.

Even now, it was hard to picture how a light bulb could be connected to that fleshy mass.

This time… was it still going to be wrong?

They couldn’t afford to be wrong again.

If they kept getting it wrong, those among them without puzzle pieces would all be eliminated!

…

Shen Mo gripped the bulb and jumped into the water.

Every nerve in the room was taut — everyone watched with their hearts in their mouths as the scene unfolded between one human and one fish, a single question echoing in every mind: this time — right or wrong?

The anglerfish monster in the water was as still as ever.

It had been the same in the two previous rounds — it would sit motionless before its rampage, as if waiting for something.

Yet the stiller it was, the more terrified everyone felt, dreading that it might suddenly lunge out of the water and swallow all the players in one bite!

But Shen Mo’s movements were decisive and clean.

The moment he hit the water, he reached up and grabbed that dorsal spine, and pressed the bulb up to it!

One fluid motion — not a moment’s hesitation!

Everyone’s breath stopped at once.

They watched as the fleshy mass opened like tiny little claws, and firmly gripped the light bulb!

Chk-chk —

The bulb flickered twice, then lit up!

Everyone gaped in astonishment.

The fish monster smiled with contentment, baring its teeth in a wide grin.

Then it blew out a long string of bubbles, unhurriedly sank back into the water, gave a leisurely flick of its tail, and swam away…

Everyone: “…”

There was something almost laughably surreal about it — the relief of having finally seen the back of a plague.

The water level was falling.

It dropped fast — exposing the floorboards, exposing the staircase, exposing the second-floor wallpaper. If you looked out through the window, you could see the dark clouds dispersing, the torrential rain stopping, the hillside and forest rising from the receding water, gradually reappearing.

Even more surprising: as the tide went out, it didn’t just take the water — it also repaired the structure of the house.

The staircase and furniture that had been bitten and smashed were all restored to their original state.

Everyone made their way down the staircase to the first floor, and found the floor covered in glittering beads — not just thirty-three of them; at a glance, there were at least a hundred!

Shen Mo picked one up.

【Water monster discarded egg: Being struck by one will hurt considerably, with a 20% chance of triggering a rolling thunder effect.】

When they had been collecting the beads before, there had been no such information — but now it surfaced clearly in their minds. Apparently the rewards only truly became rewards after clearing the round.

Everyone was still transfixed by the glittering beads strewn all over the ground when, suddenly, a sharp, incredulous voice rang out —

“You’re all actually still alive?!!”

The crystal ball couldn’t hold itself together and leapt off the music box, shooting straight toward them! It seemed genuinely unable to believe its eyes — it circled them not once but twice before stopping and saying:

“How is this possible?! Not a single person died during summer?! That’s… that’s impossible! Is the data wrong? I need to recheck the data!”

It flew back to the music box and went still, apparently processing internal information.

Quiet for no more than two seconds, the ball shrieked again!

“You actually really passed summer! Only by that much! Just a tiny, tiny bit — and the water monster would have devoured every last one of you! What a waste!!!”

Everyone: “…”

Bai Youwei cast it one disdainful glance, and wearily said to Shen Mo, “Let’s clean up the beads on the floor first. They’re rewards, yes, but if someone steps on one and slips, they might get hurt anyway.”

Yan Qingwen also caught her words, nodded, and said, “Let’s all pitch in. Watch your step.”

Having barely managed to cling to their lives, dying on account of a reward item would truly be the worst way to go.

Everyone took care, each bending down to pick up the scattered beads.

No one paid the inspector any mind.

The ball, refusing to be ignored, flew over again and hovered in front of them before finally hovering directly in front of Shen Mo and Bai Youwei:

“Hmph! Don’t get cocky — it’s not over yet! The Nail-Tooth Monster in autumn won’t let you go! Don’t even think about leaving this game!!!”