A barrage of question marks appeared in the live chat:
[Damn it, he tricked it again! I actually felt a sudden flutter in my heart.]
[Holy crap! What's going on?! I don't understand!]
[Wait...? Why is this happening? Please explain! I'm so frustrated!]
About half a minute later, a viewer finally peeked out:
[Ah, I think I understand now. The woman's altar is a forced offering; the evil ghost must accept it. So, since the evil ghost has already accepted the candles and offerings, the candles have a suppressive effect on the evil ghost, and the offerings work the same way. Replacing the offerings doesn't change the formation, but the young man now has a huge amount of food that can suppress the evil ghost.]
[!!]
[!!]
[I see. Damn it, how come I didn't think of that? Thanks for the explanation.]
...
After the blind box closed, the surroundings darkened again.
Xie He sat inside the blind box, his arms casually draped over his knees, nonchalantly biting into an apple. His eyes were dark and unfocused in the shadows.
Just as he was eating,
"Aaaaaaahh..."
Sizzle—
A sharp, dragging sound rang out, and the ghost's chewing grew increasingly frenzied, wolfing down its contents with increasing excitement!
Amidst the teetering mass of blind boxes, the players' hearts clenched, their bodies trembled, and cold sweat poured down their backs.
But thankfully, while they feared the ghost, they also understood that even if the scene around them was horrific, a scapegoat had already taken the fall for them…
Just as everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief…
Outside the blind boxes, the ghost's voice rang out again, a cunning laugh lurking in its throat: "Now I'm going to open another blind box—that one!"
"Hehehe…hehehe…"
A sharp, terrifying laugh rang out.
"!!!"
Everyone was struck dumb, as if by a heavy hammer. For a moment, they thought they had misheard, their minds went blank, and their faces turned ashen.
How…how could this be?! Hadn't it already opened a box?!
The game rules clearly state that the ghost can only open one blind box each night.
It's still opening?!
"Aaaaaaahhhhh!" This time it was another man's piercing scream.
The sound was extremely ear-piercing, like a sharp blade stabbing into eardrums. The players' hearts nearly stopped beating.
Damn this game! Who knows if it'll suddenly draw their box!
A deep sense of despair enveloped everyone. Some players screamed like madmen, banging on the blind box trying to escape. Several other players couldn't bear the mental pressure anymore, their skin crawling with fear, tears streaming from their wide, terrified eyes as they sobbed uncontrollably!
"Hah...hah..."
The agonizing time passed second by second, and the appalling screams finally gradually subsided.
After the ghost finally left, the players, nearly exhausted, stumbled out of the blind box. The moment they looked up, a chill ran down their spines—
The blind box room was dimly lit, the dying light bulbs flickering weakly.
Two bizarrely twisted, inhuman corpses lay intertwined. The dim light cast long shadows, cutting the bodies into pieces, creating a chillingly dark atmosphere.
The ground was stained with blood, the stench so strong it was nauseating.
On the victims' abdomens lay only a thin layer of rolled-up flesh, the center bulging as if fermenting. Both were mangled, their internal organs ripped out, a small section of shredded intestines trailing on the floor.
And inside their emptied cavities lay plastic dolls covered in slime.
The dolls' countless eyes stared intently at them, a sinister smile playing on their lips!
"Ugh—"
One player, unable to bear it any longer, turned pale and vomited.
—The two who died were Mingzhu, who had eaten a finger during the day, and a relatively unnoticed random player.
During the day, veteran player Zhang Che mysteriously disappeared…
Everyone speculated that Zhang Che was dead.
It was only the second day, and four players had already died, even veteran players couldn't escape this fate.
Everyone's hearts were in their throats, whispering amongst themselves, their bodies tense, their backs drenched in cold sweat from lingering fear.
***
Liao Mingze's brows were deeply furrowed; a small group of people had already gathered around him.
The young man with blond hair trembled, cold sweat beading on his forehead, unable to hide his fear as he said, "Brother Liao, aren't the game rules that the evil ghost only draws one person per day? How... how could this happen? How come two people suddenly died tonight? What should we do?"
"Is... has the evil ghost gotten stronger?"
Another player, equally terrified, touched goosebumps on his arm and stammered, "Like that doll Brother Liao mentioned before. The first doll would be knocked down with one punch, but the second doll, even if killed, would quickly revive..."
"The system won't let us all be wiped out. There must be a way out waiting for us to find it..." Liao Mingze comforted them, then suddenly remembered something else, his brow relaxing slightly.
Liao Mingze walked towards a young man in the crowd, smiling kindly, his demeanor friendly: "Young man, I remember you were just drawn by the evil ghost, right? I wonder how you passed the level? Can I ask you for advice?"
His voice was carefully chosen so that everyone in the room could hear him. Under his guidance, everyone turned to look at Xie He, their expressions suddenly realizing.
That's right, that person was the first to be chosen by the evil ghost, but he escaped… How come he didn't die?!
Could it be that there's something between him and the evil ghost …?
“Alright, I'll tell you.” Xie He raised his eyelashes, his dark, languid eyes meeting Liao Mingze's.
Liao Mingze felt a surge of pleasure. He had personally witnessed Xie He go to the mistress's room during the day; his escape must be related to that incident.
Getting a clue for free, how satisfying.
“I can tell you—”
Xie He looked at him, smiling casually, his tone lazy and relaxed, “But you'll have to exchange it for your clues, old player, that's fair and just…?”
Liao Mingze's heart skipped a beat, inwardly scoffing at this man's cunning scheme. He couldn't admit that as a veteran player he hadn't discovered anything—that would be too lame—so he discreetly exchanged information with Xie He: "I found a clue note. It says that whoever eats the doll's finger during a meal will be chosen by an evil ghost that night."
The person who eats the doll's finger will be chosen by an evil ghost that night.
That explains why Mingzhu was chosen.
Xie He nodded knowingly and, as promised, told everyone that he had used offerings to pass the level.
As for the origin of the offerings, Xie He only said that he took them when the mistress wasn't in her room.
Seeing everyone eyeing his pocket like wolves and tigers, Xie He smiled and continued, "...But I feel the game isn't that kind. These offerings will probably spoil by tomorrow, right? You can take them if you don't mind."
As he said this, everyone still took a little offering from Xie He.
A short while later, footsteps came from the end of the corridor. The plump maid appeared at the door again with a smile, escorting the players back to their rooms to rest. Twenty minutes later, Liao Mingze, accompanied by the blond-haired boy, knocked on the doors of the other dorm rooms, their voices echoing hollowly in the hallway.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The motion-activated lights in the corridor turned on one by one.
***
Xie He heard knocking on the door of the next room, followed by whispers. Then, a knock was heard on the door of the opposite room, followed by more whispers.
The hallway was filled with the sounds of talking and walking.
It seemed Liao Mingze had taken a group of people to look for clues; they hadn't knocked on room 201's door.
Yu You picked at his fingers, nervously asking Xie He, "Should we go look for clues too? Ugh, I really have no idea where to start. I just rummage around aimlessly, I can't help at all. Where should we look for clues? Or should we follow them...?"
He stroked his hair, feeling increasingly overwhelmed.
Xia Gu looked up, anxiously glancing at Xie He.
Xie He sat in the shadows, the eerie doll beside him seemingly out of place, yet somehow it gave off a chilling aura.
He clutched the doll on the bedside table, a lazy smile on his face, his tone casual: "Who said we were looking for clues? Let's go to sleep."
"Huh?"
Xie He: "Movement is restricted at night. The mistress and many of the servants are sleeping in those rooms. We can't just barge into many rooms, and searching them one by one would be a waste of time. We'll go during the day when they're not in their rooms."
Yu You listened blankly, scratching his head: "Then what about Liao...?"
Xie He understood he wanted to know why Liao was looking for clues so late at night, and chuckled softly, then suddenly said: "He's eager to establish his authority, and—"
"He has a clue card."
Xie He's long, slender fingers, with distinct knuckles, caressed the doll, his eyes a deep black.
A clue card???
Yu You exclaimed, "Huh?" Xia Gu was equally surprised.
"Not only that," Xie He said lazily, leaning against the headboard, seemingly unconcerned, "Liao Mingze also found a clue today—something like 'conditions for triggering a death mechanism'—which he'll use against me in the next couple of days."
His tone was flat, but his words were like a thunderclap.
The two men's expressions immediately widened in shock.
Yu You was completely bewildered and hurriedly asked, "Wait? How did you know???"
Even the comments section was stunned:
[?????????]
[How did he know? I remember when Liao Mingze used the clue card to find something, the guy wasn't in the room, and no one told him. Is this cheating????]
[Hahaha, I suspect the guy was spying, but I have no proof.]
Xie He: "I'll tell you later."
The clock on the wall ticked away.
Xie He first told them about what had happened during the day. Then, without changing his expression, he looked at Xia Gu: "...I saw the mistress was offering a pair of silver bracelets."
"Huh?" Xia Gu looked up blankly, but his eyes gradually brightened. "...Brother, do you mean the evil ghost is that little boy?" He said thoughtfully, "Usually only children wear a pair of bracelets."
Xie He nodded: "You're quite perceptive. It is indeed a children's style, very small, like something a child would wear."
"I...I was just guessing." Xia Gu shrank back somewhat embarrassedly, his voice growing softer.
"Then what does all this have to do with knowing what Liao Mingze's card is?" Yu You looked at Xie He, asking impatiently.
Xie He leaned lazily to one side, a hint of nonchalant weariness in his expression. His voice was slightly husky, yet pleasant to the ear:
"First of all, the game can only provide a limited number of clues each day. It's impossible for players to find them all in one day. A maximum of 2-3 clues per day. If all clues could be found in the same day, there would be no need for a six-day game."
Yu You and Xia Gu instantly perked up, their ears brimming with attention.
Xie He continued, "We've already obtained 3 clues today. 1. The male head of the household has passed away; 2. The evil ghost is likely the little boy in the house; 3. The female head of the household offered candle wax to the evil ghost."
A total of 3 clues—the maximum for today.
However, during the information exchange just now, Liao Mingze told them another clue.
Liao Mingze had actually found today's… fourth clue.
Xie He: "Why would the game be so kind as to provide extra clues? — Unless, Liao Mingze possesses clue cards or something similar. The game is making an exception and telling him other clues."
"According to Liao Mingze, the clue he found was 'The player who eats the finger will be drawn by the evil ghost.'"
"But even if the player didn't find this clue, this information would still be deduced within two days. Clue cards shouldn't yield such a simple clue."
"So, it's very likely. Liao Mingze's clue is related to: [Conditions for triggering the death mechanism]."
"He only mentioned one of the triggering conditions, but the note doesn't contain this, or more than this. Why would he tell me everything?"
Xie He chuckled softly.
If Liao Mingze got this clue, not only would he not tell him, but he would definitely use the most ruthless one on him. Zhang Che was just a lackey of Liao Mingze; the two were in cahoots.
Similarly, Liao Mingze would only deliberately lure him into triggering the death mechanism.
Yu You and Xia Gu listened, dumbfounded. The live chat was filled with astonishment:
[Holy crap?! That's terrifying! This is packed with information; it feels like you're in control of the whole situation without leaving home.]
[Hahaha, too bad Liao Mingze doesn't know yet, his secrets have already been exposed.]
[Hhh, although... Liao's level is Silver, right? Liao at least has a bunch of cards and items. A newbie thinks he can challenge Liao? Just a meal card? He's overestimating himself!]
[I'll keep an eye on this newbie. I want to see how he dies at Liao's hands.]
After hearing Xie He's analysis, Yu You was completely stunned. After a long pause, he stammered, "Huh?" and exclaimed, "Then... he'll deliberately make you trigger the death event. Wouldn't you be walking a tightrope between life and death every moment? My god..."
Xie He smiled, thinking to himself, he wasn't just facing Liao Mingze, but also a small system.
The system had already increased his chances of being drawn by the evil ghost to 80%, and considering his incredible bad luck, it was practically 100% every day.
Xia Gu touched his arm, his voice trembling softly, "Just thinking about it is terrifying."
"What are you afraid of?"
Xie He leaned against the headboard, his dark, tousled hair casting a small shadow on his eyelids.
He smiled nonchalantly, "I'll deal with whatever comes my way."
***
Xie He placed the boy doll next to the doll beside his bed, making sure it kept him company.
After saying goodnight to them, Xie He lay down on the bed, his dark eyes half-open, resting his head on his arm as he looked at the ceiling.
He had basically sorted out his thoughts now, and he had figured out the evil ghost's identity while opening the blind box tonight.
Only the backstory remained unclear—why did the evil ghost become an evil ghost?
Thinking about it, he came up with a bunch of reasons, then crossed them out one by one. As the night deepened, Xie He gradually fell asleep. In the dead of night, the boy doll on the bedside table turned its eyes to Xie He. As if sensing something, its lips stretched wider and wider, emitting a loud "giggle...giggle..." laugh.
...
When Xie He opened his eyes, he found himself in a luxurious mansion. The room was opulent, filled with expensive collectibles.
The surroundings looked so familiar...it seemed like his own home...
It was noisy outside.
"It sounds like...it's the young master...the broken vase."
There seemed to be a conversation at the door, followed by the sound of something breaking.
"It's him again! That bastard. Just as troublesome as that woman."
"That guy's mentally unstable. Lock him up. No one is allowed to bring him food or water without my permission." Xie He heard a stern voice. "Oh, and remember to give him glucose. Keep him alive, understand? We still need him for experiments."
Xie He looked down and saw that he was lying on the tiled floor. Then, he saw a dagger embedded in his abdomen, the entire tip inside, a pool of dark red blood beneath him.
The hilt was in his own hand. When Xie He released his grip, his fingertips were dripping with blood.
He raised his head, laughing wildly and exaggeratedly, his shoulder blades twitching slightly, his eyes now bloodshot.
"Hoo—"
Room 201.
Xie He suddenly opened his eyes in the darkness, sitting up, his eyes bloodshot.
Gradually, the red faded, his eyes regaining their clear blackness, and all was quiet. A thin layer of sweat glistened on his forehead, and his dark hair was slightly damp.
"Tick-tock. Tick-tock." Only the incessant chiming of the clock in the room remained.
Room 201.
Xie He was back in the game instance.
He lightly scratched his brow.
Was that… a dream or reality? He seemed to have no memory of it. Xie He took a deep breath and glanced at the two dolls beside the bed. Was it because he was too close to the ghosts?
However, he thought it was alright this way.
Xie He smiled faintly.
He liked the feeling of waking up from a nightmare. The contrast made the current world seem wonderful. If it were a beautiful dream, the anxiety and uncertainty would be pointless.
He still preferred this game world.
No one cared about his identity or status in the original world.
Here, he had dolls to sleep with, roommates at night, and could easily buy a can of Wang Wang milk with his meal card when thirsty.
He lived a life where he forgot who he was—how happy!
Gradually, footsteps approached from the corridor, accompanied by weak voices and muffled coughs. It seemed Liao Mingze and the others had returned. There were also faint gasps of pain from those who were injured; the situation didn't seem good.
"Beep beep. Beep beep." At the same time, his phone rang, and the screen lit up.
Xie He had calmed his breathing, picked up his phone, and glanced at it, finding a bunch of unread messages.
He'd received system messages since it started opening the blind box.
He hadn't noticed them before, probably because the screams outside were too intense, making him ignore the phone's vibration.
System: [Congratulations player Xie He, you've escaped the clutches of an evil ghost once, points +10!]
[Currently you have 599 followers, total points 100. You can upgrade your card. Do you want to upgrade your card?]
[Yes] [No]
Xie He belatedly chose [Yes], looking at the phone screen expectantly, like waiting for candy.
The card flashed with an arc of light.
System: [Card: R-rank - Meal Card]
[Function: Conjures up whatever food you want; transforms any physical object (except people and ghosts) into whatever food you want]
Not bad, a little more functionality.
Xie He thought. He scrolled down again.
The next message was from the system: [Player Xie He: System detection shows your chance of being chosen by the evil ghost today is 0%, which is below 80%.]
[Solo dungeon difficulty increase automatically activated. The following will increase your chance of being chosen by the evil ghost.]
...
The players present all looked increasingly pale, some even sporting bruises and swelling from their unfortunate encounters searching for clues the previous night. The table was eerily quiet, the atmosphere strangely tense.
Xie He subconsciously reached into his pocket for the offerings.
Good heavens.
Only one apple remained, completely rotten.
The offerings really did have a time limit.
Xie He casually looked up, only to find everyone staring at him, their gazes carrying a strange undertone, as if telling him something—
Xie He glanced down at his chopsticks, where half a plastic doll's severed finger was held…
He had clearly eaten the other half himself.
As everyone knows, the person who eats the plastic doll's severed finger will be chosen by an evil ghost that night.
So, the look everyone was giving him was—"??? It's you again!!!
Everyone looked at him like he was dead, quickly moving their stools away, wishing they could be a hundred feet away from him.
Xie He smiled.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Xie He nonchalantly dipped the remaining half of his plastic finger in sauce and ate it.
The young man seemed to be savoring the finest cuisine, every gesture exuding refined ease, perfect from his cuffs to his hair.
Everyone: "?????????"
Everyone: "!!!"
Author's Note:
Xie He (excitedly): Wow, a third time!
Evil Ghost: System Master????? Are you messing with Xie He? No! You're messing with me, I'm just a playmate, waaaaaah T T
Comments
Post a Comment