“Is it here?” Bai Youwei asked. She couldn’t make out what was happening beyond the window.

Outside was utter darkness. The sound of rain roared like a waterfall. Whatever visitor had arrived, they could neither see it nor hear it.

Shen Mo ground his heel into the water pooling underfoot and said, “Let me take you upstairs first.”

Yan Qingwen also noticed the water accumulating across the floor. He frowned and said, “Everyone go to the second floor. The first floor might flood.”

The aquatic grass on the staircase couldn’t have appeared for no reason. During the game’s calibration phase, this house had certainly been flooded — and flooded for no short time.

Everyone went upstairs.

The staircase was shaped like the number “7.” They stopped at the bend in the stairs and continued watching the situation on the first floor.

Water seeped constantly into the house, the water level rising with startling speed — quickly swallowing the first step — and the rain outside showed not the slightest sign of letting up.

“What on earth is coming…” Lu Ang muttered. “It’s filling the whole house with water. Our tools are useless now.”

Everyone instinctively looked at Bai Youwei.

When it came to offensive tools, Bai Youwei’s rabbit was undoubtedly the most powerful. If it couldn’t be used, they’d lost a major advantage.

Bai Youwei sat calmly, paying no attention to the glances directed at her.

The water level continued to rise. In no time at all it had swallowed three steps.

People were starting to panic.

Teacher Cheng said, “If the water keeps rising like this, we… we need to think of something…”

Think of what, exactly?

Transform into fish and swim out?

Even if they could become fish, they’d have to open the doors and windows — and outside, their visitor was waiting…

When the water reached the fifth step, whether it was because water had gotten into the electrical system or for some other reason, the lights inside flickered and crackled twice — then went out.

The first floor was plunged into darkness.

The only lights still burning in the whole house were on the second floor and in the attic.

The darkness deepened the cold, oppressive dread in the air, pulling the already taut nerves tighter still.

Lu Ang had finally grown alarmed. “How about we just try the boat? We haven’t found any other ‘treasure’ anyway. We can’t just sit here doing nothing!”

Yan Qingwen looked to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei.

Bai Youwei gave a slight nod. “Worth trying. Right now we can’t see the visitor outside, so we have no way to analyze what the ‘treasure’ really means. If we let it in — even if we’re wrong — at least we’ll know what we’re dealing with.”

Yan Qingwen looked to the others.

Everyone nodded.

Even if they knew the boat might not be the right answer, it was at least an answer — better than doing nothing at all.

“All right.” Yan Qingwen steeled himself and made his decision. “Bring the boat.”

“I’ll get it.” Lu Ang volunteered. “You watch the mechanisms on the stairs. The moment something goes wrong, trigger them.”

Yan Qingwen was the only one who could time the activation of the trap mechanisms precisely.

The space at the bend of the staircase was narrow, and to avoid interfering with how those two would work together, everyone else moved further up to wait at the entrance of the second floor.

Lu Ang held the large model ship in both hands and stared in the direction of the front door, drawing a deep breath. Then he called out loudly:

“Come in, visitor!”

The door burst open with a bang!

Nothing like the slow, creaking opening of before — it was flung wide by the force of the water!

The entire house was like being submerged in the sea. An endless torrent surged in through the door — crash, crash, crash! The water level climbed at a visible rate!

Six steps!

Seven steps!

Eight, nine, ten — the “7”-shaped staircase was half submerged!

Lu Ang’s belly and everything below was underwater!

“Lu Ang! Can you see the visitor?” his companions on the second floor shouted.

Lu Ang looked all around and spotted dark shapes in the water.

“There’s something in the water!” he called up to the second floor. “It’s big! But the light is too dim — I can’t see it clearly! Does anyone have a flashlight up there?”

The words had barely left his mouth before another crashing rush of water erupted!

A massive creature surfaced.

—