Clara had broken her own taboo.
In front of the droneโs camera, she had an absolutely forbidden โintimate contactโ with Sista.
Specificallyโฆ
Sista hugged Clara tightly from the front, while Clara was wearing only a swimsuit. It looked just like a romantic drama where the lovers are unwilling to partโthis was really going to spark rumors.
[Two minutes and forty seconds left.]
Even worse, this was just the beginning.
Next, the two of them needed to silently embrace each other on this scenic platform overlooking the bay, letting the sea breeze blow over them, holding one another for a long time without letting go.
What a romantic scene.
โSeriously, isnโt there any better way for us to do this?!โ
Because they were both A-types, they stuck even closer together. Just holding on like this, Clara could feel Sistaโs hot breath on her forehead.
Time ticked by in this awkward silence, though it seemed only Clara felt awkward. Being hugged by Clara, Sista actually looked delighted and even rubbed her cheek against Claraโs hair.
Lucia would react the same way when holding the Moon Rabbit. Clara realized her position in Sistaโs eyes might not be much different from that of a pet dog.
But just as it was about to end, a group of floatingโฆ
White bed sheets?
โEven at a time like this, theyโre still playing ghost tricksโฆ Huh?โ
She thought it was staff members playing ghosts, but on closer look, there were really no feet under those sheets, and distorted facial features bulged above the fabric.
โWha?! Sista, behind youโฆโ
Clara was about to warn her, but Sista said, โThereโs one behind you tooโฆโ
โFor real?!โ
Was this some sort of mechanism?
Claraโs little tentacle shot out from her hair toward the ghostly figure, but before it could touch the sheet, all the ghosts vanished into thin air, just like the will-oโ-the-wisps from before.
โDonโt tell me this island really has ghosts? Or maybe itโs some kind of holographic projection?โ
Clara felt a bit uneasy, but Sista replied, โNo, those just now didnโt feel like projections. They had temperatureโฆ and if it were a projection, thereโd be a source somewhere.โ
As she spoke, she gently stroked Claraโs back.
[All right.]
Nyxโs voice brought a sense of relief. Clara finally pushed Sista away, and rubbed her own arms, looking a little uncomfortable.
โIt really is fixed.โ
The T-shirt lining under her sun-protection suit had returned to normal. Nyxโs explanation made Clara frown.
Judging by how Fran had lost her gas mask as soon as she ran back into the hall earlier, this โradiation rangeโ was even smaller than expected. In other words, until the stream ended, Sista couldnโt stray too far from her, or the sports bra under her T-shirt would show againโฆ
Doesnโt sound too difficult?
Clara picked up the toy bear on the ground as a collectible and urged, โMaybe itโs just a trick from Miss Dharma. Letโs not overthink itโletโs keep moving.โ
She had no idea what was going on in the livestream chat. Seeing herself and Sista hugging for three minutes, and even facing ghosts without letting goโfans and public opinion were probably exploding.
Just thinking about it gave Clara a headache, so she refused to consider the consequences. Sista, on the other hand, didnโt seem to care at all, and was even more satisfied after hugging Clara for three minutes. She looked so refreshed, it was as if all the dayโs fatigue had been healed.
Hmm, do I really have that kind of effect?
With heavy thoughts, they climbed uphill. Along the way, the staff pretending to be ghosts became fewer and fewer. The same tricks get less effective the more theyโre used. Clara figured this crew was probably planning a big scare for her somewhere up ahead.
But there were fewer lanterns on the road, too. The woods grew thicker and the surroundings became darker and more ominous.
Claraโs glowing skin stood out even more in this environment, making her even more eye-catching.
They pressed on, and near the mountaintopโs suspended stone platform, they found another new collectible doll. This time it wasnโt hung from a tree, but just blatantly placed beside a bush, as if afraid they wouldnโt see it.
โWeโre almost at the top and this is only the second one. Did we miss any earlier?โ
Clara looked back to talk to Sista while squatting to pick up the doll. Careless as she was, she suddenly felt a coldness at her wristโa pale, skeletal hand burst from the ground in front of the doll and grabbed her.
So, they really arenโt projections.
A chilling cold shot up her spine. The unprepared Clara was so frightened she screamed.
โAh!!โ
But as she tried to pull back, the ghost hand vanished just like the ghost fire and spirits before, leaving Clara sitting dumbly on the spot.
โโฆUgh.โ
The squid-girlโs nose tingled; she almost burst into tears.
But she managed to hold it in.
So this was why the scares had been less frequent along the wayโthey were waiting for her here?
โMiss Clara, are you all right?โ
Sista helped Clara to her feet.
โY-yeah, Iโm fine, just got startledโฆโ
This test-of-courage was too realistic. What kind of technology did they use for all these ghostly tricks along the way?
Clara patted her chest to calm herself.
None of the mechanisms had actually hurt her; they only gave her a fright. It should just be the โsurprisesโ that Shufang Dharma and the others prepared. Even if she got scared, it wasnโt really a big deal.
On the contrary, the anticipated Psycho never showed up. Even after seeing Clara and Sista hugging for three minutes, she didnโt react at all? Or maybe she really wasnโt hiding nearby to observe?
It seemed nothing unexpected would happen in tonightโs event.
At the summit, the place was bright with lanterns. Shufang Dharma could even be seen waving at them. While the contestants rushed for the starting point, she had already come here to serve as the comedyโs director.
Comedy is the enjoyment of othersโ misfortune.
For viewers watching the livestream, Claraโs screams were the most entertaining highlight.
โOh my, Group B reached the finish line first~โ
โHuh? Weโre actually first?!โ
Did the other groups run into traps?
Or did Psycho go and mess with the others?
Shufang Dharma handed over two bottles of water but glanced at the dirty doll in Claraโs hand.
โBut youโre one collectible short~โ
Clara protested, โThere were no hints along the way! Even if we missed one, weโd never know.โ
โAll the collectibles were placed in obvious spots. As long as you werenโt walking up with your eyes shut, at least one of you shouldโve seen themโฆ Maybe you two were just too rushed?โ
โUhโฆโ
Clara didnโt dare claim sheโd been paying attention.
In fact, both dolls she had now were first found by Sista. Maybe she really had been a bit careless.
Of course, sheโd never admit it was because she was scared.
โShould we go back and look for it?โ
โNo need. Since you were the first team to arrive, you might not be able to win, but you still have a way to keep anyone else from winningโฆโ
โHuh?โ
Clara didnโt quite catch that, so Shufang Dharma smiled and explained:
โAs long as you keep everyone else from finishing the game too, youโll win.โ
[Itโs only temporary. In the next round, you two must keep a certain distance from each other. Nyxโs โrepairโ and โcreationโ abilities only work within the driveโs radiation range.]
Oh dear.