She had, of course, prepared herself mentally.
The intelligence reports from the various nations never described what the Ghosts actually looked like.
That wasn't supposed to matter.
After all, they were here to win over the Ghosts and unlock instances, not to actually fall in love!
But Han Sumei was still on the verge of a breakdown!
She had seen a photo of Piao Dagen before, but it only showed his profile.
He wasn't exactly handsome, but he at least had a certain cold, deadly aura about him.
Who knew that in person, he would be this ugly?
He was so ugly that a single glance made her head spin. The thought of having to share a room with a Ghost like this made her legs go weak and her eyes well up with tears.
'If I'd known, I would have chosen a different Ghost when I was picking my prospective partner.'
"Hm?"
At that moment, Piao Dagen sensed Han Sumei's despair.
A chilling frostiness spread across his face.
He hated it most when people looked down on his appearance!
Everyone who had looked down on him had been chopped into mincemeat!
If the marriage system hadn't chosen her as his partner, Piao Dagen, who was showing her a sliver more patience than usual, would have already struck her down with his blade.
Sensing Piao Dagen's displeasure, Han Sumei gritted her teeth and pulled a prepared 50 Ghost Coin note from her pocket.
"Husband, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"This is a gift I brought for you. I hope you like it."
With a pained heart, Han Sumei handed over the 50 Ghost Coin note.
The Ghost Coin was engraved with bizarre black patterns, and an otherworldly aura hid within the inky lines, which were unlike anything from the mortal realm.
This Ghost Coin was extremely valuable!
After all, very few players ever managed to clear an instance in the Ghost World.
Let alone bringing something out of an instance and turning it over to their country.
The two large-denomination 50 Ghost Coin notes were obtained by the Great Cold Country only after immense struggle and at a great cost.
Han Sumei didn't want to give it to him, but the look on her face had displeased Piao Dagen. If she didn't offer a gift as an apology now, she might not live to see another day.
Piao Dagen's greedy gaze fell upon the Ghost Coin.
He immediately snatched it up.
Then, he gave Han Sumei a long look and didn't move to let her in.
His gaze remained fixed on her pocket.
"Husband... can you let me in now?"
Han Sumei instinctively clutched her pocket. There was another Ghost Coin in there, and she couldn't give it to him. She would need it later.
In the dangerous Ghost World, it was impossible to get by without Ghost Coins.
"Not enough," Piao Dagen said coldly.
"What?!?"
Han Sumei's face turned pale. She never expected her Ghost partner to be so insatiably greedy!
'He's already taken a 50 Ghost Coin note, and he still wants the one in my pocket?'
The audience from the Great Cold Country was furious when they saw this!
[Damn it, this greedy Ghost is despicable!]
[The Great Cold Country only has one hundred Ghost Coins in total, and he wants them all?]
[Don't give it to him! Sumei will be in danger!]
[Who does he think he is, trying to take all our Ghost Coins the moment they meet?]
[That shameless bastard can go to hell!!!]
Their hatred for Piao Dagen was so intense that many people in the Great Cold Country started taking it out on innocent bystanders!
They started cursing anyone in their own country with the surname Piao!
It caused quite a commotion.
This farcical scene became a laughingstock for audiences around the world.
The audience from the Sun Country, in particular, was gloating over their misfortune.
The relationship between the two countries was already terrible anyway, so they were happy to see the people of the Great Cold Country lose their minds.
...
「At the same time.」
Yamada Aiko had also made her way to the fourth floor.
However, she was quite far from Han Sumei.
She didn't notice what was happening over there.
Her Ghost partner was the Ghost Water Tiger·Amamiya Ten.
Yamada Aiko had high expectations for him.
Water Tiger. It sounded fierce.
And the name Amamiya Ten made her picture a handsome man holding an umbrella in the night rain.
She knew the files on all the Ghosts from her country.
This Lord Water Tiger rarely showed his face. He was quite mysterious, but very powerful.
The photo of him also only revealed a pair of eyes.
Yamada Aiko took a deep breath, full of confidence.
She had started dating back in middle school. But she was completely obsessed with looks; she'd once dumped a boyfriend just for getting a pimple on his face.
Since then, she had been in hundreds of relationships, basically jumping seamlessly from one to the next.
She was exceptionally experienced in how to please a man.
At this moment, the Sun Country viewers in the live stream chat were full of anticipation.
It was said that someone who had been lucky enough to meet Lord Water Tiger before was stunned by his appearance at first sight.
Right now, Yamada Aiko looked like the picture of a perfect Japanese lady.
It reminded them of the romance movies their country produced.
After all, the Sun Country's romance films were internationally renowned.
The thought of this unique human x Ghost romance made almost everyone excited.
[Seeing the Great Cold Country's Ghost made me lose my appetite. Time for a handsome one.]
[Hmph, the Ghosts from our Sun Country are definitely all handsome!]
[Yeah, the adult men in our country are the tallest of all the surrounding nations.]
[Just from the name, you know he must be handsome, tall, and dote on his wife.]
[I can't wait to see him!]
Yamada Aiko gently bit her lip.
Putting on a pitifully charming expression.
KNOCK KNOCK.
The moment she knocked, a deep voice came from inside the room.
"Who is it?"
'Just as I expected!'
Yamada Aiko's heart pounded.
She could barely keep her legs together just from hearing that voice.
The voice was so deep and magnetic, it resonated deep in her soul.
'If his voice sounds this good, his looks definitely won't disappoint!'
With a CREAK, the door opened. Yamada Aiko murmured, "It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time."
"I am your wife, Yamada Aiko."
She spoke softly, a faint, blushing smile on her face as she bowed deeply.
But when Yamada Aiko raised her head, she blinked in confusion.
'Where's my... my Ghost husband?'
The door was open, but she couldn't see her Ghost husband.
Yamada Aiko glanced around inside, thinking he might be busy, but the deep voice suddenly spoke from right in front of her.
"I'm down here..."
"Eek!"
Yamada Aiko jumped in fright and whipped her head down.
Only then did she notice a figure that had appeared before her at some point.
The polite smile on her face froze instantly.
Her Ghost husband was barely 1.3 meters tall.
And his appearance...
He was hunched over, with webbed membranes between his vine-like fingers. His dark green skin was covered in toad-like bumps, and his beak-shaped mouth hung half-open, revealing a set of jagged fangs.
Yamada Aiko's vision went black!
This Ghost's appearance was strangely familiar!
It appeared frequently in the legends of the Sun Country!
"A... a Kappa?!?" She trembled, her body immediately going limp.
'This Kappa is my assigned husband?'
It was only then that Yamada Aiko had an epiphany!
'No wonder the photo only showed his eyes!'
'Isn't this a scam?!'
...
Seeing this unfold, the Sun Country audience couldn't take it anymore!
The handsome man they had been anticipating for so long turned out to be an actual Kappa?
And probably an ugly one, even by Kappa standards!
Beautiful faces are a dime a dozen, but an ugly one is truly one of a kind!
In the realm of ugliness, if Piao Dagen and this Kappa claimed to be second and third, no one would dare claim to be first!
[No way, that's Amamiya Ten?]
[How is that a Water Tiger!!!!]
[No, absolutely not! What kind of good instance could you get from a Kappa?]
[YOU IDIOTS! How could they pick a partner who's so ugly?]
[For the honor of our Sun Country, Aiko, you'll just have to endure it.]