Chapter 8: The Frog Prince Faction

Ye Luo’s words caught the giant frog completely off guard. It narrowed its eyes. “You’ve run into those damned little frogs?”

“Not only did I meet them, I’ve killed some myself,” Ye Luo declared firmly. “Those frogs dared to entice me to turn against you, Great Frog. I was furious when I heard it—crushed one on the spot, and then, after winning a game, eliminated two more, as well as a despicable human who had been swayed by them!”

The giant frog’s eyes rolled thoughtfully. It leaned in closer, sniffing Ye Luo with great care.

Ye Luo stood absolutely still.

Suddenly, the giant frog chuckled darkly. “Not bad. You really did help me get rid of a few of those little frogs.”

“So, Great Frog, I hope you can trust in my abilities. Just grant me time, and I’ll eliminate even more of those pests,” Ye Luo seized the opportunity.

The giant frog fixed its gaze on her, as if weighing its options.

Ye Luo could only wait.

She understood well enough: the giant frog and the little frogs were sworn enemies. Both sides were scheming to eradicate the other.

On the mad roller coaster, two people had already been replaced by frogs, and another had been recruited by them.

If she and Lin An hadn’t won, what would have become of those three?

They would have continued to roam the amusement park in human guise, and their goals, it seemed clear, would be aimed squarely at the giant frog.

If the little frog faction had prevailed, then the buzz-cut man who’d sided with them would most likely have cleared the round as well.

This scenario… it was all about factions.

Ye Luo had already killed little frogs—there was no going back to their side. In that case, she might as well use those deaths as her pledge of loyalty and fully join the giant frog’s camp.

At length, the giant frog grinned broadly.

At the same moment, a mechanical voice sounded in Ye Luo’s mind.

“The Frog Prince invites you to join its faction. After joining, killing little frogs will earn you the Frog Prince’s favor.”

Without hesitation, Ye Luo answered, “I accept.”

“You have joined the Frog Prince’s faction. From now on, all little frogs will loathe you. You and the little frogs are mortal enemies; do your utmost to kill as many as possible.”

Now a member of the faction, Ye Luo saw the giant frog’s grin widen even further. “Human, I only need useful allies. I hope that the next time I see you, you’ll have slain even more of those detestable little frogs.”

A chill ran through Ye Luo’s heart.

She understood the unspoken message.

If, in the next event, she failed to kill any little frogs, she’d likely be forced to dance upon her return to the plaza.

This had become a compulsion: while completing each event, she must also find a way to kill little frogs.

“I understand,” Ye Luo declared solemnly. “If I can’t kill any little frogs, I wouldn’t have the face to see you, Great Frog, again. Also, Great Frog, the man behind me is my companion—he helped me kill the little frogs. I hope you will grant him the honor of joining your faction as well.”

The giant frog glanced at Lin An. “Bring him up.”

Ye Luo breathed a sigh of relief. She stepped down from the stage and called Lin An up.

“Sister Ye… what’s happening?” Lin An asked nervously.

He couldn’t hear the exchange between Ye Luo and the giant frog, but everyone could see that Ye Luo hadn’t had to dance before coming down.

“It’s fine. Just do as the Great Frog says,” Ye Luo replied.

Lin An grew even more anxious, but he steeled himself and went up onto the stage.

After a while, Lin An’s expression relaxed. He hurried down and joined Ye Luo, lowering his voice. “Sister Ye, the scenario just prompted me that I’ve joined the Frog Prince’s faction. That giant frog… it’s the Frog Prince, isn’t it? If I kissed it, would it turn into a prince…?”

“You can try,” Ye Luo said, glancing at him.

Lin An shuddered. “…I think I’ll pass.”

Ye Luo looked out over the plaza.

Most of the humans were now in a frenzied state.

The rest could only pretend to be.

She had no idea how many normal people were left.

After a moment’s thought, she raised her voice: “Kill the little frogs—serve the Great Frog!”

“Kill the little frogs—serve the Great Frog!”

“Kill the little frogs—serve the Great Frog!”

She shouted the phrase three times, then pulled Lin An away with her.

She had given all the hints she could; whether anyone caught on would depend on their intelligence.

This apocalypse was a disaster for all mankind. She hoped more people could survive, but at the moment, she could only look out for herself.

Moreover, Ye Luo suspected that joining the Frog Prince’s faction required one condition: having killed a little frog.

Anyone who hadn’t done so in the first event likely wouldn’t be valued by the giant frog.

She didn’t know how many met the criteria.

But… including herself, everyone could only pray for their own fortune.

“Sister Ye, where are we headed next?” Lin An asked.

Ye Luo glanced at him.

She hadn’t planned on bringing Lin An along at first.

But his deliberate choice to stand with her earlier had caught her off guard.

Now that they were in the same faction, Ye Luo thought for a moment, then decided to keep him with her.

“I plan to go to the Adorable Pet Park,” she said directly. “The giant frog hinted that we’ll need to have killed little frogs by the next time we meet. From the name, Adorable Pet Park is likely to have more little frogs.”

“I’ll go with you, Sister Ye,” Lin An said quickly.

“Alright,” Ye Luo agreed.

Lin An let out a breath of relief. For some reason, he felt especially safe at Ye Luo’s side.

Adorable Pet Park was also located in the dark zone.

Earlier, when they had entered the plaza, the dark creatures pressing down on them had scattered.

But as soon as they stepped back into the darkness, the weight settled on their shoulders again.

The dark creatures had returned!

Ye Luo tensed inwardly.

The longer they lingered in the dark, the more dark creatures gathered.

If they delayed too long, the creatures would eventually crush them.

Ye Luo actually had a flashlight with her.

If she took it out and shone it at the dark creatures, most of them would likely flee.

But Ye Luo was exceedingly cautious about using light.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, she didn’t want to use the flashlight.

Who knew what consequences might follow?

They made their way to the entrance of Adorable Pet Park.

By then, the dark creatures on Ye Luo’s back were making it hard for her to stand upright.

Still, she forced herself to endure.

At the entrance, five people were already waiting.

Three men and two women.

Ye Luo immediately observed their condition.

Surprisingly, all five still seemed relatively normal.

“Two more have arrived—now we’re seven,” one of them announced. “But Adorable Pet Park only opens with ten people. We’ll have to wait for three more.”

Ye Luo and Lin An quietly moved aside.

As soon as they were settled, a fashionable middle-aged woman approached them. Her hair was curled and dyed red, giving her a trendy look. She asked abruptly, “Is this your first event?”

“We lost some time on the way—this is our first,” Ye Luo said calmly.

The fashionable woman sighed. “You’re lucky. This is my second event. In the first, I went to the bright zone, muddled through the task, and when I returned to the plaza, I had to dance with the frogs.”

At this, her expression grew complicated. After entering the dark zone, her mind had suddenly cleared.

But the memories remained—she recalled dancing with the frogs and felt a wave of discomfort.