Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

Chapter 273

Three minutes later, the princess’s rampage ended, and she returned to the castle.

Perched on a massive tree, Yu Xi looked down to see that nearly a third of the once-vast forest had been completely cleared away.

The fallen trees, the upturned wild grass and flowers—all of it had vanished, leaving behind barren black soil.

The word “cleared” was almost too clean—too absolute. But thinking about it, it made sense. If the remnants of the vegetation remained, they could still use them as hiding spots, given their relatively small size compared to the surroundings.

Fifteen people in total.

If every three incorrect attempts resulted in another section of the forest being wiped out, then after six more mistakes, the entire forest would be gone.

At that point, the remaining six people would have nowhere to hide and would be easy prey for the frog.

She frowned. Something wasn’t right.

If that were the case, then even the traveler who had drawn the “golden ball” would have nowhere left to hide. They, too, would be at risk of being devoured by the frog.

If the person who drew the “golden ball” needed to rely on hiding to survive like the rest of them, then the game wouldn’t be designed in a way that would strip them of all possible hiding places when only six people remained. Her phone vibrated.

It was a message from Lin Wu—just two words.

Lin Wu: Something’s wrong.

He must have noticed the same issue.

Unless the traveler who drew the “golden ball” received some kind of immunity from frog attacks, they would be just as doomed as the rest.

But if that were the case, then the game was far too unfair—giving one person an overpowered advantage while the others were left to die.

That wasn’t how Nightmare Amusement Park worked.

Yu Xi quickly typed out her thoughts in the group chat.

Just as she finished sending the message, the massive frog reappeared. It leaped into the forest, beginning its next round of searching.

This time, the travelers had hidden even better. For several minutes, the frog found no one, its frustrated croaks echoing through the air.

But this couldn’t go on forever.

Time was slipping away—over ten minutes had already passed, and the countdown on their wristbands continued to tick down.

Yu Xi pressed her back against the thick branches, feeling her phone vibrate again.

Ya Tong: Don’t panic, there’s still time. Let’s go over the rules and notes again. Based on the information Xiao Xi gave us about other night games, these games love exploiting rule loopholes.

Yu Zhenzhen: But the rules don’t say anything about the person who drew the “golden ball.” How are we supposed to find them? If it weren’t for the frog chewing people into balls, we wouldn’t have even known we were the golden balls ourselves.

Yu Xi read the messages, and a thought suddenly struck her.

She replayed the rules in her mind.

—Rules: Oh no! The princess has lost her golden ball again! Find the golden ball and return it to the princess within an hour to win the game!

—Note: Three mistakes will make the princess very sad~

The rules only stated that returning the golden ball to the princess would result in victory.

They never actually said that the travelers were the “golden balls.”

So why had everyone assumed that they were?

First, because of the drawing process at the beginning.

Second, because when the frog chewed someone into a ball, it had called it a “golden ball” and announced, “I must return the golden ball to the princess.”

But what if…

What if they had been misled from the start?

What if the drawing process was just a meaningless distraction? After all, the drawing happened before the game rules were even revealed.

What if the frog’s very purpose was to deceive them into thinking they were the golden balls—

Just as she reached this realization, a loud crash erupted in the distance.

The frog had blindly leaped forward and slammed into a tree with too much force, causing the trunk to snap. A traveler hidden in the branches fell straight to the ground.

The frog let out an excited croak and pounced.

Another person had been found.

The fallen traveler desperately fended off the attack, shouting for the others to help.

But no one responded.

Cornered and furious, he made a snap decision—he turned to the frog and yelled, “I know who the golden ball is! Don’t kill me! I’ll tell you where they’re hiding!”

“Croak?”

The frog hesitated, its attack momentarily paused.

Yu Xi felt a bad premonition.

The next second, the traveler pointed toward a patch of vines.

“There’s a dirt pit under those vines! Someone is hiding there!”

It was a spot he had seen earlier from his perch in the tree—someone who couldn’t climb and had no tools had hidden there.

The moment the accused traveler heard themselves being betrayed, they gripped their weapon tightly.

As soon as the frog ripped away the vines, they launched a desperate attack—not at the frog, but at the traitor.

They knew they couldn’t defeat the frog.

But even if they died, they were determined to drag the betrayer down with them.

In the end, the frog swallowed the accused traveler whole—

And in their final moments, they managed to riddle their betrayer with bullets before vanishing into the frog’s gaping maw.

In the blink of an eye, two more people were gone.

Only ten travelers remained.

The tension in the air thickened.

If one more person died, the giant princess would go berserk again, further shrinking the forest.

And the act of betrayal—of sacrificing others to survive—had now been set in motion.

The remaining travelers watched with wary, calculating expressions.

Yu Xi narrowed her eyes.

Everyone feared the frog.

But they also weren’t willing to die.

If they were unlucky enough to be found, they’d want to drag someone else down with them.

At this rate, the remaining numbers would dwindle even faster, and soon, there would be nowhere left to hide.

She refocused, continuing her earlier train of thought.

If the frog existed to mislead them in their judgment of the information, then setting aside the frog and the lottery draw for a moment, and looking at the game rules purely from their literal meaning, their task was actually very simple—they just needed to find the correct golden ball and return it to the princess.

Where was the correct golden ball?

In the well? But she hadn’t seen any wells in the entire venue.

No, that was the plot of the benevolent version of the story. According to the dark version, the golden ball that the princess accidentally dropped should be—she knew it.

Because the frog could dive underwater, none of the travelers had chosen that place to hide, fearing they’d be easily found. As a result, that area had become a vacuum zone within the game venue.

Yu Xi took out her phone and sent her hypothesis to the group chat, noting that she couldn’t be 100% certain, so she planned to go check it out alone.

Yu Zhenzhen: I’ll go with you. I have a shield that can block the acidic pus.

Lin Wu: No, you stay. I’ll go with her.

Lin Wu was far more skilled than Yu Zhenzhen, and his hiding spot was the closest to Yu Xi’s. The two of them took advantage of the brief window before the frog returned from the princess, quickly emerging from their hiding spots and running toward the forest’s edge.

Though they moved swiftly and quietly, other sharp-eyed travelers noticed their movements.

At this moment, when everyone else was in hiding, two people suddenly making a move was highly suspicious. Some travelers immediately shouted, claiming that one of them must be the golden ball and that they were trying to relocate to another hiding place.

Yu Xi ignored them, grabbing Lin Wu and running, quickly putting distance between themselves and the other travelers.

Their movements soon drew the frog’s attention. It had just been thrown to the ground by the princess again and was already furious. Struggling to get up, it prepared to return to the forest.

Meanwhile, Yu Xi had reached her destination—the deep, dark pond at the forest’s edge. This pond was now completely exposed due to the princess’s rampage, with all surrounding vegetation cleared away, leaving it wide open in the empty terrain.

This was a dangerous area, which was why she had initially planned to check it out alone.

The frog had turned around. Any second now, it would spot them.

She didn’t hesitate for even a moment. Together with Lin Wu, she activated an item: breathing bubble, allowing them to slip silently into the water at a steady pace. Due to the bubble’s special properties, not a single air bubble surfaced.

The massive frog crashed into the forest, passing right by the pond as it headed toward the sound from earlier.

Moments later, the sound of battle erupted—another traveler had been caught by the frog.

A scream rang out. Another traveler was dead.

Ya Tong, taking advantage of the frog’s temporary absence, discreetly moved closer to Yu Zhenzhen and activated her shield.

In the forest, the giant princess’s rampage began once again.

Beneath the water’s surface, however, everything was eerily silent.

The pond was incredibly deep. Though not wide, it seemed bottomless. If she had come down alone, she likely wouldn’t have been able to search the entire pond in such a short time.

As Yu Xi and Lin Wu dove to the bottom, her phone vibrated periodically—messages from Ya Tong, giving updates.

Ya Tong: One-third of the forest remains. Another traveler was found and taken by the frog after the latest plant clearing. Of the four remaining travelers besides us, three checked each other’s wristbands and have temporarily allied. Right now, they’re hunting for the last traveler—and for us. They don’t know you’re in the pond, but they’ve already decided you two are the golden ball and are desperately searching for you.

Ya Tong: Those three travelers caught the last traveler and tied them to a tree… The frog returned and took the eighth person.

Ya Tong: The eighth person wasn’t the golden ball either. Your hypothesis might be correct.

Time continued to tick away.

The pond floor was thick with dark sludge and tangled with dense aquatic plants. Occasionally, small carnivorous fish would dart out from the undergrowth to attack them.

The piranha-like fish had razor-sharp teeth. If an ordinary person were bitten, their bones would likely be crushed in an instant.

Lin Wu, whose physique wasn’t as strong as Yu Xi’s, had already activated his protective shield. He signaled for Yu Xi to stay inside with him, but she refused. Splitting up would increase their chances of finding it.

As for the fish—sure, they hurt when they latched onto her arms or legs, but they couldn’t break her skin. She simply ignored them and kept scouring the sludge at full speed.

Finally, she reached a patch of fluorescent green aquatic plants, distinct from the usual dark green ones. The moment she approached, dozens of piranha-like creatures swarmed her in a frenzy.

Lin Wu noticed the commotion and quickly swam over, expanding his shield to cover her. The fish that had clamped onto her body were instantly repelled. She pushed aside the glowing plants with all her strength—and there, buried among their roots, was a brilliant flash of gold.

They had found it.

It was here, just as she had suspected.

Above the water, the forest was now completely gone.

At the same time Yu Xi found the golden ball, the ninth traveler had been captured.

The princess raged for the third time, and the last remaining hiding places vanished.

The two remaining travelers and Ya Tong were now forced into direct combat with the frog.

Yu Zhenzhen had her shield, so she wasn’t afraid of the frog’s acidic pus.

Ya Tong, with her high attack power, could gradually wear the frog down.

The other two travelers were also formidable—one was incredibly fast, dodging every attack, while the other had activated a temporary flight skill, making them highly maneuverable.

Yet despite their strength, none of them dared go for the kill—because if the frog died, the game might be lost, dragging them all down with it.

And at that moment, Yu Xi and Lin Wu broke through the water’s surface, carrying the massive golden ball.

With all vegetation cleared away, the pond was now exposed for all to see.

The remaining travelers and the frog immediately spotted them.

Right now, Yu Xi had two choices. The first was to hand the golden ball to the frog and let it return it to the princess. The second—was to return the golden ball to the princess herself.

The frog, seemingly noticing the golden ball she was carrying, let out two loud croaks before pushing off the ground and leaping high toward her. With a single jump, it had already closed half the distance.

In an instant, Yu Xi had made her decision.

“Hold off the frog!” she shouted to the others before turning and sprinting at full speed toward the princess’s location with the golden ball on her shoulders.

She was moving even faster than before when she had been running with Lin Wu. Her speed was so intense that afterimages trailed behind her as she dodged the frog’s blood-red tongue that shot toward her in mid-air.

The frog’s tongue struck empty air. It crashed heavily onto the ground, preparing to jump for a third time, but before it could, the princess’s delighted voice rang out from the castle’s direction.

“This is my golden ball! Thank you for finding my golden ball!”

In an instant, joyful music erupted from all directions, and the frog ceased its attack.

The countdown on the wristbands stopped. The game was won.

Yu Xi collapsed onto the ground, exhausted. This had been the most physically demanding night game she had ever played in the amusement park.

Carrying such a heavy golden ball while sprinting at top speed had pushed even her to her limits.

Out of the fifteen participants, only six remained—her group of four and the two surviving travelers. Ya Tong, not wanting to provoke them further, signaled to Yu Xi before leading Yu Zhenzhen out through the exit first.

The two remaining travelers hesitated as they passed Yu Xi and Lin Wu, seemingly wanting to say something. But in the end, they only furrowed their brows before walking away in silence.

**

This special-stage game had been incredibly difficult, but the rewards were just as generous. Yu Xi, having been the one to personally return the golden ball to the princess, received the best rewards: a valid one-stop train ticket and two special items.

Lin Wu and the others, likely because they were considered part of her team, were given a choice between a train ticket, an item, or additional storage space. In the end, they all chose the train ticket.

On their way back to the inn, they finally saw Xi Yuan, who had been missing earlier.

He had actually been present throughout the entire game, but this time, he hadn’t been an NPC—he had been playing a character from the game’s story and, therefore, couldn’t act against the scripted events.

“One of those giant royal guards?” Yu Xi had already guessed.

“Yeah.” He didn’t even start acting clingy. Instead, he immediately inspected her arms and legs, noting the deep, lingering bite marks left by the carnivorous fish. Fortunately, none of them had broken the skin.

To avoid drawing attention, they kept their conversation brief and quickly returned to the inn.

After this experience, they realized that when too many travelers gathered in one area, it could trigger a special-stage game. So for the remainder of their stay at the station, they decided to split into two groups, exploring different areas near the “Frog Prince” sector.

Each of these areas was only about a ten-minute shuttle ride away. If the station were to suddenly close, they would still have enough time to rush back and board the train.

Xi Yuan had suggested this plan. His original intention was to keep Yu Xi in his group so they could spend more time alone, leaving the other three together.

But Yu Zhenzhen, with a knowing smirk, immediately laughed twice and stubbornly joined Yu Xi and him instead.

For the next ten days, Xi Yuan’s emotions swung wildly between joy, jealousy, and bitter frustration.

Yu Zhenzhen could share a room with Yu Xi—he couldn’t.

Yu Zhenzhen could sleep in the same bed as Yu Xi—he couldn’t.

Yu Zhenzhen could take baths with Yu Xi—he definitely couldn’t.

He wanted to cry.

**

Yu Xi soon realized that the “Husky” was constantly sulking. Whenever Yu Zhenzhen wasn’t around, he would seize the chance to press himself against her, rubbing up against her for all he was worth.

Yu Xi: ???

Did he think that if Yu Zhenzhen weren’t there, she would suddenly start doing all those things with him instead?

Xi Yuan, of course, knew that was impossible. He was only pretending to be pitiful so he could use it as an excuse to snuggle up to her more often.

Every time he did this, Yu Xi remained completely expressionless as she shoved him away. But before pushing him off, she would always take a moment to thoroughly rub his furry ears or his fluffy face.

She never admitted it, nor did she show any outward signs of enjoyment, but he had already figured it out—Yu Xi seemed to have a soft spot for fluffy things.

He wanted to take advantage of the fact that he was still in this form at this station.

To let her pet him a little longer.

Back in their original world, she had never once touched him like this.

**

On the last day, at 6 PM, with five hours left on the countdown, the two groups reunited to share everything they had gained—items, memory fragments, and all the different foods they had bought and tried over the past ten days.

Afterward, they headed to the castle restaurant in the “Frog Prince” sector, choosing the highest floor to enjoy their final meal at this station on the terrace dining area.

At 8 PM, as the sun was setting, the sky remained as dreamy and beautiful as ever.

The nightmare amusement park here seemed to have stabilized, with difficulty levels staying at a consistent level.

Or perhaps the galaxy was simply too vast, and the horrors of the night had yet to truly encroach upon the beauty of the day.

Maybe one day, the threshold here would be breached.

But by then, they would be long gone.

**

At 10 PM, their phones all displayed the boarding notification.

They entered the True Love Bar in the plaza, and in an instant, the scene around them shifted.

They were now in the departure hall.

Yu Zhenzhen happened to glance around casually, then suddenly gasped, her eyes widening in shock.

She stared in disbelief at the tall, familiar figure that had been trailing closely beside Yu Xi all this time.