Chapter 35: A New Temporary Glitch, the River God!

The group spotted the stream in the distance. Though they felt a hint of dread, they had no choice but to cross the bridge, as it was the only way to reach Xilin. The bridge was narrow—too small for vehicles, but sufficient for those on foot.

They stepped onto the bridge. Sun Qian took the lead, Bai Wan and Su Yueling walked in the middle, and Wang Jian trailed behind with his girlfriend, Luo Ya. The two had been bickering since they stepped out of the car.

"Ya-ya, don't you have two skulls left? Could you give me one?" Wang Jian had hesitated for a long time before finally speaking up. He had dug a skull out of a graveyard to use against a supernatural entity the day before yesterday; it had saved his life, but it had also been consumed in the process. With the haunted Xilin ahead, he felt utterly defenseless and deeply insecure.

Luo Ya looked at him with cold indifference. "Do you know what kind of man I hate the most? A man who doesn't keep his word. You already said you were giving it to me; how could you possibly ask for it back? Wang Jian, I hope you don't make me start hating you."

Wang Jian looked helpless. "Ya-ya... I don't want to, but I really need a survival item."

Luo Ya sneered with disdain. "If you need a survival item, go earn one yourself. Begging a girl for things? You really have some nerve. Don't make me look down on you. You're just a delivery driver; I'm already making a huge compromise by being with you."

Wang Jian was speechless, unable to think of a retort. In truth, his girlfriend was only a supermarket cashier—she wasn't exactly superior to him. But he loved her. The first time he saw Luo Ya, he thought she was breathtaking; he couldn't fathom how such a beautiful girl existed. He was willing to sacrifice anything for her.

"How about this, Ya-ya," Wang Jian tried again. "Let's call it a loan. Once this dungeon is over, I'll pay you back double. You know me—have I ever broken a promise to you? Right?"

Luo Ya hesitated, then reluctantly pulled a skull from her pocket. "Fine. I'll lend it to you. Remember what you said: pay it back promptly, and make it double. For the sake of the years we've spent together, I'll trust you this once."

As she handed the skull over, the bridge suddenly swayed. She lost her grip, and the skull tumbled into the river.

"Ah!"

*Whoosh!*

Watching the skull vanish into the water, both Luo Ya and Wang Jian wore expressions of agony. That was a life-saving item!

"Ya-ya, be more careful!"

"Are you blaming me? You're the one who wanted to borrow it! Who could have known the bridge would suddenly shake?" Luo Ya snapped back fiercely. Wang Jian didn't dare press the issue; he knew her temper all too well. Once she was angry, no one could soothe her.

Suddenly, there was a ripple in the water, and a blue light emerged. Wang Jian, Luo Ya, and the others watched in shock as the light surged out of the river. A man with a gentle, harmless appearance floated above the surface. Squinting, he pointed at three skulls before him and asked kindly, "My dear ones, which skull did you drop? Is it this golden skull, this silver skull, or this ordinary, broken, and crummy skull?"

Wang Jian and the others gaped, momentarily stunned.

A... River God? Where the hell did a River God come from? This was a supernatural horror game!

Luo Ya stared at the three skulls, her mind racing. A glimmer of cunning flashed in her eyes. She didn't know where this River God came from, but... "Brother River God, I dropped the broken, crummy one," she said, offering a crafty smile.

The River God remained squinting as he tossed the tattered skull back to her. "What an honest human being," he remarked. With that, he took the golden and silver skulls and dove back into the river.

Luo Ya: "???"
Wang Jian: "..."

Luo Ya was dumbfounded. That wasn't how the script was supposed to go! Weren't you supposed to give all of them to the person who was honest? What kind of bootleg River God was this? Her heart ached so much she nearly cried; if she had known, she would have picked the golden one!

Beside them, Bai Wan received a system notification:

【You have triggered the passive bug: "River God Who Doesn't Play by the Rules." Based on the ability of the active skill "Bug Dominator," it has been converted into a temporary active ability.】

【Congratulations, you have obtained: "River God Who Doesn't Play by the Rules (Temporary)."】

【River God Who Doesn't Play by the Rules
Level: 1 (Represents the level of the bug itself; upgradeable.)
Description: When an item falls into a river, there is a probability that a mysterious River God will appear to ask which item you dropped. Different answers trigger different events. Lower-quality items have a higher trigger probability. As the skill levels up, the trigger probability increases.】

【Note: This is a temporary bug. After the dungeon ends, you may spend Ghost Coins to purchase and retain this skill.】

"River God Who Doesn't Play by the Rules?" Bai Wan thought. His bug skills were becoming increasingly bizarre. He felt a sudden urge to throw some Ghost Coins into the water to see if he could trigger the River God, but he hesitated—what if it didn't work? He decided to test it secretly when no one was around.

The group had walked halfway across the bridge. Everyone had heard the conversation between Wang Jian and Luo Ya; they felt the girl lacked character and that Wang Jian was far too much of a sycophant. They didn't care to get involved.

Suddenly, bubbles rose from the river. *Glug, glug...*

The group turned, their expressions shifting. A dark, supernatural shadow was swimming toward them, accompanied by an ominous aura.

"Run! It's a Water Wraith!" Sun Qian shouted. During their scouting, the old woman had warned them the river was unclean and inhabited by Water Wraiths that killed for sport.

The group scrambled to escape, but the Water Wraith was too fast. In an instant, it was right in front of Luo Ya. She panicked and tried to pull out her skull, but she was a split second too late. A purple-grey arm grabbed her thigh, and she was dragged under.

"Jian-jian, save me!"

Seeing his girlfriend seized, Wang Jian rushed forward to grab her arm, but the Water Wraith's strength was immense. He watched in horror as she was pulled beneath the surface. "Ya-ya!!!" he wailed in agony.

Seeing Luo Ya taken, the others breathed a sigh of relief; typically, a supernatural entity only killed one person at a time, so they were safe. Only Wang Jian remained, weeping and unable to accept her death. "Everyone, please, go help Ya-ya! Can't someone dive in and get her? I don't know how to swim! Who knows how to swim? You can't just stand there and watch her die!"

The group felt speechless at his display of pathetic devotion. Was he suffering from some terminal case of being a sycophant? Even after how she treated him, he was still this heartbroken? They didn't know what to say. Besides, even if they could swim, why would they risk their lives for a stranger? The kid must have lost his mind.

Seeing no reaction from the group, Wang Jian sobbed even harder. "Waaaah! Ya-ya! Bring my Ya-ya back!"

Just then, there was movement in the river. *Whoosh.*

Accompanied by a flash of blue light, the squinting man reappeared. Pointing at three figures in front of him, he said in a gentle tone, "Young man, which one is your girlfriend? Is it this golden girlfriend, this silver girlfriend, or this waterlogged, rotting, and bloated corpse girlfriend?"

Wang Jian: "..."

He froze, momentarily forgetting to cry. Following the River God's gesture, he saw the rotting corpse of his girlfriend and let out an even more agonizing shriek. Because of the Water Wraith's corrosion, Luo Ya looked hideous—as if she had been dead for over ten days.

"Waaaaah! Ya-ya! You died so horribly!"

Sun Qian and the others exchanged glances. They should have felt sad, but for some reason, they were struggling to hold back laughter.

Bai Wan walked over, patted Wang Jian on the shoulder, and said with a straight face, "Brother, listen to me. Don't pick the rotting corpse. This River God loves to defy conventions. Pick the golden girlfriend; you're guaranteed to make a profit."

Sun Qian shook his head. "The golden one isn't stable. The River God might say you're being dishonest. I think the silver girlfriend is better. It might be less profit, but it's safe."

Su Yueling looked at the heartless crowd in disbelief. "Enough! His girlfriend is dead, and you're still making jokes..." She looked at the three girlfriends, then couldn't help but add, "I think the rotting corpse is the most stable. There's no risk in picking that one."

Wang Jian listened to their analysis, dazed, and then began to wail even louder. "Waaaah! My Ya-ya!!!"

He screamed in despair, while a much more difficult choice awaited him... Which of the three girlfriends should he choose?